Ali Shuaib, community liaison officer
During the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, I volunteered as a first aider in Risala Scouts section of the Civil Defence, helping out with civilian casualties following Israeli Air Raids on their villages.
Another problem raised its head after the Israeli withdrawn from the South in 2000, hundreds of minefields with the inherent death and casualties, therefore I moved to the mines awareness section in support of the injured where I became responsible for the awareness programmes conducted by Risala Scouts in the South and West Bekaa regions of Lebanon.
On July 2002, Mines Advisory Group was receiving employment application for a Community Liaison Officer training course. I sent my CV and later I was accepted to attend this course with other colleagues. The training was conducted by an Australian trainer.
The course started on 06/11/2002 and continued over a two weeks period, training on information gathering, communications and mapping, in addition to fields visits where MAG was currently demining also visits to suspected areas and villages. It was a valuable course and the trainer had to choose one of the trainees to hold this job. I was chosen, this made me so happy and self confident but also I felt the responsibility I had to carry and the fear from failing.
My first task was Saidoun Village where there were minefields around the previous Military Position of the Israeli Army and the SLA, near residential places and the agricultural lands.
From the first day I worked on making good friendship with the villagers. I was visiting them daily in their agricultural lands, in the school during the mid-day break and talking with the students and teachers explaining to them about the nature of our work. I often shared with them their happiness and sadness, and I also participated in their religious occasions; where they were surprised to see me attending Saint Takla annual Festival this made our relationship stronger. Every time I went to Saidoun all the villagers welcome me and invite me to their homes, which really touched and encourage me to make more effort in doing my job to deserve such good relations. Later on, I have considered this way built on friendship and trust in all the villages I visited.
My relationship with shepherds was a basic source for my information gathering, they often were the richest source of information because their daily works in fields where their faced accidents. As in Saidoun, the shepherds show me mines visually found while shepherding, so the number of mines reached 9 anti tanks and 5 anti personnel in two months. After my first visit to Al Wazani Village I knew that all the inhabitants (kids, adults, shepherds and farmers) were removing mines from their agricultural lands, they burned it, and even a child of 6 years old gave me a M35 anti personnel mine once.
To gather more information about location of mines I had to communicate with parties who either participated in laying down mines or knew things about their sites, especially around previous military positions. Although the procedures of convincing them to give information is difficult, some informed us about the level of danger of some minefields and the number and type of mines and booby traps laid down before we begin the clearance operations.
From the personal side, I realized the importance of speaking English in my work; therefore I am taking English courses after my working hours. Practicing with international staff and my colleagues who speak English this improves my language. Also doing computer courses that allow me to make my own reports attached with pictures showing the minefields.
The Technical Operations Manager helped me to update my skills and develop my work by attending several, technical and managerial courses, also by giving me new tasks to survey the military positions in Jezzine area (22 minefields and suspected areas). I had completed this task during four working months where I received a large experience.
My communications with the press and journalists are very good. They always cover our work, visits of foreign and dignitaries in addition to handover ceremonies.
MAG humanitarian nature of work requires travelling from town to town in The South villages where I met the military, press and political aspects also Mokhtars and chief of municipalities. I am so happy with those relationships and I am trying my best to keep in touch with all of them especially on holidays and special occasions.
I find myself more driven to work every time I receive a letter from the local community of any village requesting help from MAG to clear their agricultural lands and prime lands for constructions etc…
I am really enjoying my work and I am always feeling gratitude to this humanitarian organization for offering me the opportunity to help my country in getting rid of mines danger. I hope in the near time to live in a safe world free from mines so the dream that MAG and its donors had since tens of years will become true.
