In the past year, the nursing community, both here in Massachusetts
and throughout the nation through our affiliation with the
American Nurses Association, has been active in an international
effort to support and implement a worldwide ban on the production,
stockpiling, transfer and use of landmines.
MNA involvement in this issue become more focused after the
District 1 Board of Directors and Legislative Committee submitted
and passed a resolution at the MNA's Annual Business meeting
last year.
The resolution read: "Land mines maim of kill at least 5,000
people each week, over 25,000 per year. Most the victims are
children and other civilians - often years after the war has
ended. Between 85-1000 million land mines lie scatted in at
least 62 countries. These vast numbers of mines leave large
areas of land incessible, keep farmers from working their
fields, prevent refugees and displaced people from returning
to their homes, hamper humanitarian aid efforts.
The resolution further states that "International law prohibits
the use of weapons that cause indiscriminate and excessive
injury. Disarmament principles forbid the production, stockpiling
& transfer of weapons that cause unconscionable human harm.
Nursing professionalism demands that nurses advocate for the
health and safety of those who cannot speak for themselves
(Code for Nurses #11). Over 100 countries signed the Treaty
to Abolish Landmines last year in Ottawa, but the USA was
not one of them."
The MNA was not alone in its concern for this issue in the
nursing community. Also last Fall, the ANA Board of Directors
reaffirmed its position in support of the International Campaign
to Ban Land mines has officially called upon the U.S. government
to ratify the Mine Ban Treaty.
Most recently, the American Nurses Association drafted and
submitted an "Emergency Resolution" (see box) for consideration
at the Centennial meeting of the International Council of
Nurses' Council of National Representatives (CNR), which is
an international body of nursing organizations from throughout
the world. While the CNR ruled that the resolution failed
to meet the criteria of an "emergency resolution", the organization
is considering incorporating the language into a more general
position being taken on the use of all weapons (including
land mines).
Side bar Story for this artilce (box and screen)
Emergency Resolution submitted by the member
association of the United States
| Whereas |
in the past two weeks, the situation
in Kosovo exemplifies the humanitarian catastrophe caused
by using indiscriminate anti-personnel land mines as a
weapon throughout the world; because innocent civilians
and peacekeeping soldiers have been killed or maimed;
the return of refugees to their homes has been impeded;
the provision of humanitarian assistance jeopardized;
post conflict reconstruction and development has been
and will continue to be stymied; and indeed, children
are being taught "not to be children, not to be curious
and not to play in their countryside;" |
| Whereas |
while it is estimated that it will take
three to five years; tens of millions of dollars to remove
the thousands of mines scattered throughout the country;
the long term socio-economic costs are must greater because
the effect of the mines is devastating psychologically;
and prevents the settlers from using their land to feed
their families; Whereas only two populated continents
of the world - North America and Australia - remain directly
unaffected by the aftermath of war, landmines that go
on killing and maiming for decades; and that land mines
are still present today in countries such as Mozambique,
Angola, Cambodia, Nicaragua, Guatemala and now Bosnia
and Eastern Europe "know no peace accord or treaty;" |
| Whereas |
the nature of land mines
is random, anonymous and long lasting because they remain
to kill innocent farmers, field workers, and children; |
| Whereas |
unlike biological and nuclear
warfare which we must prevent from occurring, land mines
are already causing death and disability; |
| Whereas |
135 countries and hundreds
of humanitarian international and non-governmental organizations
have signed on to or endorsed the 1997 Ottawa Convention
Mine Ban Treaty which prohibits the use, stockpiling,
production and transfer of anti-personnel land mines; |
| Whereas |
the International Council
of Nurses is convened in the United Kingdom, the country
of Diana, the late Princess of Wales, who championed the
ban of land mines and Jordan's Queen Noor, an ICN sponsor,
is also an international supporter of the ban; |
| Therefore be it resolved |
That the ICN endorses the
1997 Mine Ban Treaty calling for an end to the proliferation
and use of these weapons: |
| Therefore be it further
resolved |
That the ICN urges its members
NNAs to urge their governments to support and enforce
the Land Mine Treaty. |
