MINES TO VINES—FIELD OF PEACE IN CROATIA

Roots of Peace will Replace the Scourge of Landmines with the Nectar of Grapes

With the Support of Diane Disney Miller and Autodesk

May 11, 2005—Vukovar, Croatia—Roots of Peace, a California based non-profit organization, will establish a new MINES TO VINES field along the former Croatian and Serbian battlefront in an effort to heal the wounds of war by removing landmines and planting bountiful vineyards. Funds raised through generous donations by Diane Disney Miller, daughter of Walt Disney, will allow Roots of Peace to embark upon their sixth demining project in Croatia since their initial efforts in 1997.

Roots of Peace will present a check for $85,000 which will be matched dollar for dollar by the U.S. Department of State through the Slovenia’s International Trust Fund (ITF) totaling $170,000 for demining and mine victims’ assistance. “Roots of Peace has begun to remove the dangers of landmines, and has brought hope for a good life and promise to future generations,” says donor Diane Disney Miller.  “The presence of Roots of Peace has saved lives, and helped to create livelihoods.” 

 “In the true spirit of the legacy of Walt Disney, we hope to restore some of the ‘magic’ that once existed in this bountiful area along the panoramic Danube River,” says Heidi Kuhn, Founder of Roots of Peace. “The removal of landmines allows families to return to their land and avoid the lethal harvest of mines, creating for them a home that truly is the “happiest place on earth.” 

Autodesk, a San Rafael based software company, has also contributed to this California effort by providing the “seeds of technology” to help remove these deadly seeds of destruction.  Sixteen units of Autodesk MapGuide 6.5 were donated to Roots of Peace, that will allow the Croatian Mine Action Center (CROMAC) to rapidly accelerate their demining efforts.  Already, the previous GIS donations have resulted in the reduction of mines--estimated from 1.2 million landmines in 2000 down to 700,000 landmines in 2005.

Today, the Vukovar region, a legacy to the terror of war, represents Croatia’s ground zero. The once bountiful vineyards of Ilok, located near the city of Vukovar, are now riddled with landmines and unexploded ordnance. “Roots of Peace makes an audacious claim that taking a place of devastation and turning it into an oasis of hope is both possible and transformative,” says Father Lyndon Harris formerly of St. Paul’s Episcopal Chapel who ministered to rescue workers of the World Trade Center in New York.

Roots of Peace was founded in 1997 with the mission to return demined land to productive agricultural use.  Currently, they are converting swords into plowshares by planting rice in Cambodia, grapes in Afghanistan, and orchards in Croatia.  For further information, please visit www.rootsofpeace.org