Mine Risk Education

Mine Risk Education (MRE) helps minimise the risks for people living, working and travelling through areas contaminated with landmines and/or unexploded ordnance (UXO).

Read how MRE works in practice:

An MRE session in Angola.

MAG’s MRE activities vary considerably depending on the target audience (such as age, gender and literacy) and the context in which they live and work.

MAG also trains trainers (e.g. teachers, religious/village leaders) to deliver MRE. MAG designs and distributes materials, which supports the delivery of MRE such as school curricula, safe village packs and a range of small media.

An MRE session may include, for example: how to recognise commonly found remnants of conflict, how to report a dangerous item, what to do in an emergency, known areas of contamination and accidents, warning clues and signs for mined areas, how to keep others safe, and more.

As well as face-to-face discussions and community meetings, MRE can also be delivered through, for instance, radio and TV broadcasts, billboards, posters, drama and music.

A rap/hip hop competition and concert, to reach out to young males in three heavily-mined villages in north-western Battambang province, was organised in 2009 by the International Women's Development Agency, a partner MAG has worked closely with in Cambodia.

In South-east Asia young people are aware of the risks of tampering with UXO, but many still take a chance, either for a thrill or because in some cases they can make additional money through selling scrap metal. So in Vietnam, Lao PDR and some areas of Cambodia lots of young people are collecting scrap metal, which may include items of ordnance. It's a very high-risk activity but people do it because it's an easy access into the cash economy.

The winning team was a group from Chisang Village, Traeng Commune in Rottanak Mondul District, whose winning entry – 'Boastful Man Changes Himself' – will be used in a radio ad broadcast for around six months in the mine-affected areas of Cambodia.

Listen to the winning entry here

Boastful Man Changes Himself (English translation)

(Male singer 1):
I’ve been rude since I was young
Going for a walk everyday
Never helping out with housework
Only going to tamper with UXO to make new bombs
I was told that I can’t do anything and don't care about anything
I can only make things made from bombs.

(Female)
He’s he’s he’s
Such a strange guy
He’s he’s he’s
Busy everyday, always inviting others to throw bomb into the lake to kill fish
Doesn’t care about others, thinks he’s famous
Wants to be cool in front of girls, taking risks with mines
Which will cause death or cut off legs and hands
When he makes his own bombs he feels happy and proud of himself

(Female chorus)
No need to exaggerate and show off to me
I don't care and don’t want hear about this
I don't care and don’t want hear about this

(Male singer 1)
Why can't I just show off to you?
I can make things from bombs very well
I also have magic tattoos on my skin
Please don't worry – believe me they will protect me!

(Male singer 2)
I never get tired or bored by tampering with bombs
Because it seems to have buried treasure from the past
I ask the neighbors to come and throw bombs into the water to catch fish
Which we eat while drinking wine
I don't care whether the bomb will affect others or put them at risk....