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PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE -PRESS RELEASE 22 OCTOBER 2007- “WE MUST DRAMATICALLY EXPAND OUR COMMITMENT, PARTICULARLY ON THE LOCAL LEVEL, TO RID AGRICULTURAL FIELDS OF THE DEATH DEALING LANDMINES THAT ARE DEVASTATING THE LIVES OF SO MANY PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY WOMEN AND CHILDREN,” SAID CARDINAL RENATO MARTINO, PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR JUSTICE AND PEACE, IN A MEETING WITH MRS. HEIDI KUHN, FOUNDER AND CEO OF ROOTS OF PEACE. On 18 October 2007, Cardinal Renato R. Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, received Mrs. Heidi Kuhn, Founder CEO of Roots of Peace, a U.S. based, not-for-profit organization dedicated to demining, replanting and rebuilding post-conflict countries. Following her recent Audience with Pope Benedict XVI, Mrs. Kuhn appealed to the Cardinal for a greater collaboration between local Catholic institutions in the mission to rid the world of landmines. Every 30 minutes a person is killed or maimed by explosive remnants of war (ERW) in post conflict countries. Each year up to 20,000 civilians are killed or injured by exploding landmines and cluster munitions. This cruel kind of weaponry does not discriminate between young and old, civilian or soldier. They are activated by the victim, not by someone taking aim or pulling the trigger. They are designed to inflict maximum suffering, not to kill. Explosive remnants of war decimate entire economies in post conflict countries. They perpetuate fear and hatred among the population, and often increase a country’s dependence on international aid. It costs $3 to plant a landmine, but $1,000 to remove one. There are over 70 million landmines in the ground in over 70 countries. Roots of Peace works to rid the world of landmines and other explosive remnants of war by transforming minefields into thriving farmland and communities. The organization removes the hazard of landmines and unexploded ordinance from the soil. It then works with international agencies and the private sector to revitalize the country’s agricultural sector, bringing demined land back into productive agriculture use and creating a harvest of hope for communities in landmine affected countries. Cardinal Martino encouraged Mrs. Kuhn and her collaborators in their noble efforts, and noted that indeed the Church must engage in an enhanced commitment, particularly on the local level, to ridding the world of landmines, which are the cause of so much suffering and death in the war torn countries struggling to rebuild lives of peace and justice in post conflict years. His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, Recognizes Roots of Peace’s Humanitarian Work to Replace Minefields with Vineyards
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