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Laos: Legacy of a Secret book review [PDF]
Steve Wright of Leeds Metropolitan University reviews the book by MAG photographer Sean Sutton. [Buy Laos: Legacy of a Secret online]
MAGazine No.16: August-October 2011 [PDF]
Downdload the latest quarterly newsletter from MAG Lao PDR.
VIDEO: Surviving the Peace
Surviving the Peace is a story of devastation and hope. The film follows a family devastated by unexploded ordnance, and MAG's fight to rid Laos and so many countries of the remnants of conflict. (1 November 2011)
MAGazine No.15: July 2011 [PDF]
Downdload the latest quarterly newsletter from MAG Lao PDR.
DFID funds UXO clearance and development project
The UK Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with MAG for a £2.5m project to remove the impact of Explosive Remnants of War from some of the most vulnerable communities in Lao PDR. (29 June 2011)
MAG and EU partnership builds futures in Khammouane
The European Union has recently funded an innovative 24-month MAG project, in Khammouane Province to train four Government staff in Community Liaison techniques and methodologies. (15 April 2011)
US Government helps MAG clear UXO in Xieng Khouang and Khammouane
The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement has provided MAG with over $1.5 million to conduct surveys in targeted communities, deploy three new unexploded ordnance clearance teams in Xieng Khouang, and continue the operations of a clearance team in Khammouane Province. (15 December 2010)
UK Government to increase mine clearance in Cambodia and Laos
The UK Government has appointed MAG to remove and destroy thousands of mines and items of unexploded ordnance, and to teach the dangers of these deadly weapons, to communities in two of countries most seriously affected by deadly remnants of conflict. (9 December 2010)
UXO accident survivor proud to be helping communities
Thongdam Bounthe is one of three people who lost limbs because of unexploded ordnance accidents to be recruited earlier this year by MAG as clearance technicians. (26 November 2010)
MAGazine No.14: November [PDF]
Downdload the latest quarterly newsletter from MAG Lao PDR.
VIDEO: Chief Executive urges support for cluster bomb clearance
In this short film, MAG’s Chief Executive Lou McGrath OBE calls on signatories to the Convention on Cluster Munitions to fund clearance of unexploded cluster bombs that devastate civilian life every day all over the world. (8 November 2010)
On sale now - 'Laos: Legacy of a secret' by MAG photographer Sean Sutton
"It is the beauty in the detail that always homes on into Sean Sutton's work: it catches you unawares and demands restudying" - Tim Page, photographer. (3 November 2010)
VIDEO: Cluster munitions and unexploded ordnance
A short film by the UNDP from Lao PDR, where UXO accidents still injure and kill around 300 people a year. (17 September 2010)
MAGazine No.13: July [PDF]
Downdload the latest quarterly newsletter from MAG Lao PDR.
Cluster casualties continue
The ban on cluster munitions, which will enter into force on 1 August, has not lessened the need for unexploded ordnance clearance. (27 July 2010)
Victoria Wood visits MAG
Writer and comedian Victoria Wood saw for herself the problems Lao PDR faces with unexploded ordnance and the work MAG does. Her trip featured in a BBC appeal, Lifeline, which you can watch online here. (26 July 2010)
Teamwork works - MAG's expanding portfolio of partners
Working with development partners ensures that MAG's clearance of unexploded ordnance results in tangible benefits, such as the construction of water and sanitation facilities. (16 June 2010)
PHOTO
GALLERY: Football stars
This selection of images taken by MAG
photographer Sean Sutton over the past 15 years celebrates the world
game and the strength of the human spirit. (8 June 2010)
MAG on BBC2, Sunday 25 April
MAG's work in Lao PDR is featured on Tropic of Cancer, as Simon Reeve continues his epic journey around the world. (23 April 2010)
MAG technicians await their new legs
MAG's target is that five per cent of our staff in Lao PDR should be people with disabilities. (4 March 2010)
Make spoons, not war
Metalworkers in Ban Naphia, Xieng Khouang province produce about 150,000 spoons a year – made almost entirely from war scrap. Ensuring the safety of the aluminium supply chain is a challenge, as collecting scrap metal collection is a major cause of unexploded ordnance accidents. (24 February 2010)
MAG welcomes ratification of Cluster Bomb Ban Treaty
Today's news will have even more resonance for people in Lebanon, Lao
PDR and Iraq, where the lethal threat from unexploded cluster munitions
continues to affect the daily life of countless communities. (17
February 2010)
New project takes bombs and leaves skills
MAG and World Vision have begun an innovative new project to clear unexploded ordnance (UXO) and improve livelihoods in 24 villages in Khammouane Province. (21 January 2010)
'We feel safer now'
One of the poorest families in Khuanpho village, Khammouane province, has seen its yearly rice production increase by a third after MAG cleared land for a new paddy field. (18 November 09)
Audio diary [BBC Radio Manchester]
To mark the 20th anniversary of MAG, Tom Morgan recorded an audio diary from out in the field. (10 November 09) [external link]
Villagers report higher income after UXO is cleared
Unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance work conducted by MAG has led to higher income for 86 per cent of households in Lao PDR. (27 October 09)
No leg is no obstacle to unexploded ordnance clearance
The prospect of more unexploded ordnance accident survivors being involved in UXO clearance has moved closer, thanks to a new initiative. (30 September 09)
MAG celebrates 15 years
MAG celebrated 15 years of working in Lao PDR in Vientiane last night. (23 September 09)
AUDIO: Laotian bomb hunters
Listen to a report from Boualapha Province on the deadly business of scrap metal collection in Lao PDR, where the scrap often consists of unexploded bombs left over from the American-Vietnam War. (3 September 09)
More bang for your buck
MAG Lao PDR has increased productivity by almost 90 per cent over the last year, following an overhaul of clearance methodology used in the field. This means that almost twice as much land was cleared in comparison to the previous year. Read more in the MAGazine. (1 September 09)
Download the latest edition of the MAGazine [PDF]
The quarterly news round-up from MAG's operations in Lao PDR. (1
September 09)
Blog: One thong and a bag of lemons
"I pulled my life jacket tighter, covered my head with my hands and ducked in anticipation of the overhanging bamboo that was coming up all too fast. Bringing my head down I noticed that the low, narrow fishing boat was taking on water..." (4 June 09)
Helping to end the ‘hungry season’
Clearing land in Thapha village of dangerous unexploded ordnance enabled an irrigation system to be installed that allows two rice harvests a year instead of one. (29 May 09)
MAG hosts ministerial delegation from Lao PDR
MAG HQ has welcomed a high profile delegation from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith. (8 May 09)
Download the April edition of the MAGazine
The quarterly news round-up from MAG's operations in Lao PDR. 5,244 items of unexploded ordnance were cleared and destroyed by MAG in the country during January-March 2009, directly benefitting 5,429 people. (24 April 09)
EC-funded UXO project will help local authorities
MAG and the European Commission are continuing their history of successful partnership in Khammouane province with a new project worth 500,000 Euros to clear unexploded ordnance from 20 villages. (14 April 09)
MAG organises first nationals-only meeting
MAG is proud of the abilities of its national staff. Since MAG started
work in Southeast Asia – in Cambodia in 1992 – the staff have become
able to run the programmes with only very limited expatriate support.
(7 April 09)
Download the latest edition of the MAGazine
An easy-to-read quarterly news round-up from MAG's operations in Lao PDR. (20 February 09)
Video: 'Legacy of War', Al Jazeera TV
MAG's work in Lao PDR is featured daily on the Al Jazeera English television channel this week. Watch it online here. (21 January 09)
MAG support enhances Mine Risk Education
The National Regulatory Authority's Mine Risk Education unit is operating with renewed confidence following almost two years of support from MAG. (8 January 09)
Cluster munitions in Vietnam and Lao PDR: New era, old problem
The vast majority of unexploded ordnance (UXO)-related accidents in Southeast Asia occur when people are going about their everyday work. (8 December 08)
MAG in the media: The Guardian
MAG features in a front-page article on the problem of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Lao PDR in UK newspaper The Guardian today. (3 December 08)
Sweeter dreams in Nam Gon Ngua village
MAG's roving team helps to prevent accidents by responding to villagers' reports of dangerous items throughout Nong Het district. (19 November 08)
Pleased to help
Sidavone Sipaseuth talks about her work as Deputy Team Leader of the All-Female Team in Xieng Khouang. (18 November 08)
Blast from the past
Thousands of items of unexploded ordnance left over from the late 1960s/early 1970s conflict are being destroyed as part of the innovative new Foundry Project in Phonsavanh town. (13 November 08)
Senior Medic model in full swing
MAG Lao PDR's Senior Medic Mr Amone has conducted his first annual Refresher Training course. (27 October 08)
Removing the element of chance
The area around Mr Yong's house is littered with items of unexploded ordnance (UXO). Several times he hit UXO with his spade whilst farming, but his luck held. (22 October 08)
Bomb Harvest festival screenings
Bomb Harvest, the critically acclaimed documentary which features the work of MAG Lao and partners UXO Lao, is to be screened at a series of international film festivals during October and November. (30 September)
MAG in the media: Vientiane Times
MAG is front-page news in today's Vientiane Times following the signing of three memorandums of understanding with the National Regulatory Authority for the UXO/Mine Action Sector. (29 September 08)
MAG in the media: Vientiane Times
MAG has featured in the Lao daily English language newspaper, the Vientiane Times, in an article on the Australian government's financial support for unexploded ordnance projects in the country. (4 September 08)
Ladies first, says Chief Executive
Employing more women as part of the unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance process would benefit communities, according to MAG Chief Executive Lou McGrath. (17 July 08)
Google Earth: US Air Force bomb data
View this Google Earth file, produced from an updated copy of the US Air Force Bombing Database for SE Asia provided by the US Embassy in Vientiane in April 2006 to the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD). (8 July 08)
Download the latest MAGazine
The latest quarterly news round-up from MAG's operations in Lao PDR. (23 June 08)
Safer scrap
An innovative MAG project to clear unexploded ordnance (UXO) from a foundry in Phonsavanh is now underway. (16 June 08)
BBC Radio World Service audio: 'Bomb Hunters'
Listen to a documentary from the BBC's international radio station on the effects that cluster bombs dropped during the Vietnam War are having on neighbouring Lao PDR to this day. (13 June 08)
MAG in the media: Le Monde diplomatique
mages by MAG photographer Sean Sutton capturing the legacy of conflict in Lao PDR are featured in this month's Le Monde diplomatique. (4 June 08)
EC funds life-changing UXO clearance
"Life is totally different compared to the past," said Mr Onsi, a farmer from Naphao village, Khammouane province. He is talking about the impact a new bridge has made to his village. (2 June 08)
Female Team Leader makes her mark
A MAG Lao PDR staff member has become only the second woman in the country to pass a Team Leader training course run by UXO Lao, the national clearance agency. (2 June 08)
International press visit clearance project
The Times, Kyodo News and Associated Press, amongst other publications, have visited the Phonesavanh Scrap Metal Foundry where a MAG project to remove and destroy large amounts of UXO has been underway since February. (2 May 08)
'Fruit-free' schools boost attendance
MAG Lao is clearing school grounds for the ‘Partnership for safe educational opportunities’ project, implemented in conjunction with The Humpty Dumpty Institute and International Relief & Development. (27 March 08)
MAG in the Media: Vientiane Times
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between MAG and the National Regulatory Authority for the unexploded ordnance (UXO)/mine action sector in Lao PDR for continued clearance in the country was covered in the Vientiane Times. (26 February 08)
A word in your ear
Picsouban Mankhounkham, a 26-year-old member of MAG Lao's Community Liaison team explains the crucial role of CL. (14 February 08)
In hot pursuit – MAG Lao’s first female driver
An interview with Noimany Pialeuxay, the newest member of the all-female team in Xieng Khouang province. (25 January 08)
Communities leading MAG’s clearance process
Community Liaison is playing a key role in selecting and prioritising land for clearance in Khammouane Province. (15 January 08)
MAG Lao hits for six
MAG has hosted an information evening in Vientiane, based around the theme ‘Six things you might not know about MAG Lao’. (17 December 07)
MAG in the media: Vientiane Times
MAG Lao's informal gathering last week for those working in the field of unexploded ordnance was covered in the local English language daily newspaper. (17 December 07)
Partnership for development in South East Asia
Working in partnership is central to MAG’s approach. Partnerships enable MAG to ensure a lasting and sustainable impact from our activities. (6 November 07)
Schooling remains affected by the war
MAG's UXO clearance activities, in partnership with the Humpty Dumpty Institute and International Relief and Development, are helping increase school attendance in villages such as Nong Khieo. (26 October 07)
Time to talk
A study by MAG shows that while both sexes are satisfied with their community’s decisions about which land to clear of UXO, there is room for increasing women’s involvement in the process. (25 October 07)
Where playgrounds are bomb sites
It is break time at Thamxay primary school and the playground is filled with 500 children. But just a couple of months before, playing games here could have had lethal consequences. (23 October 07)
Farming without fear
One of the poorest families in the village of Ban Nam Hom talks of the positive effects of MAG’s clearance project in the areas surrounding the Plain of Jars sites. (18 October 07)
In their own words
MAG’s female teams play a crucial role in enabling us to understand the lives of women living in communities contaminated with unexploded ordnance. (28 August 07)
All-female clearance team
Across all the regions where MAG works, women play a focal (although often unrecognised) role in the survival strategies and economy of the most vulnerable households within a community. (8 May 07)
Community Liaison at work
Today Dalivan and her two community liaison officers Kham Mao and Kham Xay have come to Ban Nong Boua to have a meeting with villagers and their leaders in the village school. (22 February 07)
Blow it up - and give it back
In Boulapha MAG uses a bomb disposal technique that destroys all explosive material whilst preserving the bomb casing, which can then be sold as scrap metal. (23 January 07)
All that glitters is not gold
Lae knew from school that he should not touch unexploded ordnance, but thinking about buying more sweets, brought it round to the back of the house to add to his scrap collection. (23 January 07)
High risk trade
It’s about 9am. Villagers searching for scrap metal on a valley floor deep in the jungle hear a huge explosion. The sound reverberates around the towering mountains. Someone has been unlucky today. (22 January 07)
Safe harvest
So far MAG teams have cleared 40 hectares of land in Houay Dok Kham village in eastern Xieng Khoung province, benefiting about 20 families. (22 January 07)
Staff profile: Boua Phet Malaiknam
Boua Phet Malaiknam started with MAG two and a half years ago as a technician. He became a Technical Team Leader in April after passing training. (22 January 07)
Village Assisted Clearance
Village Assisted Clearance, or VAC, is a MAG innovation, allowing community participation in setting priorities on the type of land to be cleared. (20 September 06)
New detector used
Cutting-edge unexploded ordnance detection equipment introduced to Laos by MAG will double the speed the organisation can clear land. (14 July 06)
Staff profile: Dalivan
Dalivan is 28 years old and has worked for MAG since leaving school in 1994. She's currently a team leader in Nong Het, Xieng Khoung province. (2 March 06)
Buried menace
BLUs or cluster bomblets - known to the locals as "bombies" - are notoriously unstable. Removing the munition could cause it to explode, so the controlled demolition has to be done in situ. (2 March 06)
Schools clearance
Nong Het district in Xieng Khouang province, is characterised by rolling green mountains and breathtaking views. It is also sadly one of the most UXO contaminated areas of the country. (16 December 05)
Bombs and relics
In a unique partnership assisted by funds from the government of New Zealand, MAG is making the Plain of Jars area in Xieng Khouang province safe. (1 November 04)
Bombs and elephants
Nestled between towering jagged mountains close to a pass across to the nearby Vietnamese border, Phanop village was more ravaged by the war than most. (1 November 04)
Dogs sniff out bombs
MAG enlisted the support of dog handlers from SWEDEC, a branch of the Swedish military, to provide explosives sniffer-dogs on behalf of Lao's national bomb clearance organisation UXO Lao. (1 October 04)
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