MAG celebrated 15 years of working in Lao PDR in Vientiane last night.
The event at the Lao Plaza Hotel was held in collaboration with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), which – along with Quaker Service Laos – first helped to bring MAG to the country.
MAG was the first international organisation to conduct clearance in Lao PDR. [Why does MAG work in Lao PDR?]
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Radio broadcast: Laotian Bomb Hunters LISTEN NOW "When you have no money and no opportunity to make any, you’ll do just about anything to survive. That can include risking your life for a few dollars a day..." [www.theworld.org] |
In the 1980s, MCC and its Government partners tried various ways to deal with the problem of unexploded ordnance (UXO), including equipping a tractor with a flail and driving it over UXO contaminated land. However, such endeavours met with limited success.
For a time the Quakers imported shovels into Laos, as a safer alternative to the traditional Lao hoe which is swung over the head when hand tilling the soil and which strikes the ground with a heavy impact.
Ultimately, the only reliable solution for UXO contamination is professional clearance, and MAG was asked to provide this service in 1994.
Last night's event was attended by MAG’s Chief Executive Mr Lou McGrath, who said that he was proud that his organisation had constantly improved the way that it works over the last 15 years.
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Dr Maligna Saignavongs, Director of the National Regulatory Authority for the UXO Sector, celebrates MAG Lao PDR's work. |
“To give you only the most recent example, changes in the way we work in the field mean that we cleared almost twice as much land over the last year compared to the previous year,” he said.
“Our motivation is always the same – how can we improve the lives of as many people as possible?”
Lou also praised the efforts of the Lao Government in building a strong UXO sector over the last 15 years and expressed thanks to all the donors involved.
Read more on MAG's work in Lao PDR in the latest quarterly newsletter.
23 September 2009
MAG's work in Lao PDR is supported by: Armour Group; AusAID; UK Department of International Development (DFID); European Commission; The Humpty Dumpty Institute; ITO Supporting Committee; Jersey Overseas Aid Commission; US Department of State.
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