Danae Hendrickson<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n OPEN LETTER TO SECRETARY OF STATE, MARCO RUBIO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n From: <\/strong> Global Youth Mine Action Fellows<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dear Honorable Secretary Rubio:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Mine Action Fellows, we urge you to immediately lift the 90-day stop-work order on U.S. foreign assistance programming, which has suspended the U.S. funded demining efforts. A waiver or expedited review for these programs \u2014 including global demining operations, victim assistance, and explosive ordnance risk education \u2014 is critical to allowing demining professionals to resume their life-saving work; work which is directly tied to US national security and diplomacy interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While we recognize the need for oversight in government spending, suspending mine action programs for three months threatens to undo decades of progress, endanger lives, and jeopardize entire initiatives that may not be able to restart once halted. A spending review and life-saving work can occur simultaneously, ensuring progress continues rather than being put on hold. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We write not only as subject matter experts but also as youth with a personal stake in this crisis. Many of us are survivors, family members of victims, deminers, victim assistance providers, and mine risk educators. Some of us have even lost our livelihoods due to this funding freeze, putting us at risk of poverty and weakening our communities. Our work is deeply intertwined with the consequences of war, yet our generation is expected to build the future without the tools to clear the past.<\/em><\/strong> The suspension of these programs tells us that the voices of those directly impacted \u2014 especially young people \u2014 are being dismissed in decisions that determine life or death for our communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mine clearance is in the strategic and national security interests of the United States, as U.S.-funded demining efforts have saved lives and supported stability in post-conflict regions worldwide, from the Balkans to the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. Putting the significance of demining funding into perspective, in Laos and Cambodia, the danger of UXO still remains with past U.S. military campaigns continuing to kill civilians. In Colombia, landmine clearance is essential for advancing the country\u2019s peace process and fostering economic stability, offering viable employment alternatives that reduce reliance on illicit activities that can pose risks beyond its borders, including to U.S. citizens. In Ukraine, landmines and cluster munitions block agricultural production and increase food prices around the world which leads to instability and unrest. These threats persist long after conflicts end, making sustained U.S. support essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. Department of State\u2019s To Walk the Earth in Safety<\/em> report highlights the tangible successes of U.S.-funded demining programs. These efforts allow communities to rebuild, develop economically , and protect civilians from the daily threat of explosive remnants of war. U.S. investments in mine action have helped return land to productive use, supporting farmers, businesses, and infrastructure projects that would otherwise be impossible. Since 1993, the U.S. has stewarded conventional weapons destruction across more than 100 countries, directly contributing to safer communities and stronger global partnerships. Suspending these programs undermines these hard-won achievements and puts thousands of lives at immediate risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The impact of mine action is undeniable. Globally, 15 people \u2014 half of them children\u2014are killed or injured by landmines and ERW every day. While a landmine explodes in an instant, its effects last for generations. Survivors struggle with lifelong disabilities, economic hardship, and psychological trauma. This is not just about clearing land \u2014 it is about restoring dignity, ensuring equality, following through on our global commitments, and securing a future where no one is left behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond the humanitarian imperative, mine action also protects U.S. national security interests. Moreover, these programs strengthen diplomatic and economic partnerships and reduce displacement. U.S. investment in UXO clearance has fostered reconciliation and cooperation with countries such as Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, where war legacies once strained relations. For many refugees, landmines and unexploded ordnance contaminating their home lands prevent them from returning home and force them to seek out other places to live. In Angola and Mozambique, once among the most heavily mined countries in the world, U.S.-supported demining efforts have facilitated infrastructure projects and economic growth, reinforcing regional stability and trade opportunities. Contaminated land in many parts of the world prevents governments and corporations from accessing natural resources like rare minerals. Unexploded ordnance can be repurposed by extremist groups, fueling further instability. Uncleared landmines also threaten the lives of U.S. personnel, contractors, and aid workers operating in post-conflict zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress has already allocated funding for these programs on behalf of the American people. Global communities depend on this aid. As we commemorate milestones in U.S. engagement with mine-affected nations\u2014from the 30th anniversary of U.S.-Vietnam relations to ongoing demining efforts in the Caucasus\u2014now is not the time to halt progress. Suspending these programs would not only endanger thousands of lives but also undermine decades of U.S. investment in security, stability, and diplomacy allowing other nations like China to step into a leadership position. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The United States has long led the world in mine action, building economic and political ties around the globe and ensuring that war\u2019s remnants do not continue to take innocent lives. Now, we urge you to uphold this legacy by lifting the stop-work order and allowing these critical programs to continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We appreciate your leadership and urge you to take immediate action to reinstate these programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With hope and urgency,<\/p>\n\n\n\n Taryn Sebba<\/strong>, Legacies of War<\/u><\/a>, United States of America<\/p>\n\n\n\n