Stepping Into A Minefield
Credit: Special Arrangement
Books on war against landmines
International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action is observed on April 4 every year to strengthen efforts to clear landmines and prevent disaster. A landmine is an explosive buried under or camouflaged on the ground, built to destroy vehicles and tanks as they come in contact. According to the Landmine Monitor 2023 report, 60 countries are contaminated with landmines.
Breaking Ground
Author: Heidi Kuhn
This is an autobiographical account of Kuhn’s efforts to revive former war zones for agricultural purposes and provide a source of livelihood for locals. After surviving cancer, Kuhn, a
humanitarian, started Roots of Peace, an organisation to realise her ‘mines-to-vines’ mission. The non-profit has since helped remove 1,00,000 landmines from seven countries, including Afghanistan, Croatia, and Vietnam.
Landmines in War and Peace
Author: Mike Croll
The book covers everything from the history of landmines as a weapon of warfare and oppression to the worldwide efforts by soldiers, activists and celebrities to clear them. It is written by an ex-British Army bomb disposal officer. Here, Croll argues that the pace of demining in the present day has slowed down when compared to the post-World War II efforts.
Stepping Into A Minefield
Author: Ian Mansfield
In 1991, Mansfield left Australia with his family to go to Afghanistan to train refugees in mine-clearance procedures. The project was one year-long but his humanitarian campaign would go on to last for 20 years. He started a civilian programme in Afghanistan to clear antipersonnel mines and later joined the United Nations. The book highlights the dangers of clearing mining explosives.