Princess Diana, the lady behind international campaign to ban landmines
The life and the myths of Prince Diana's death have been brought media's attention globally as we pay tribute to the 20th anniversary of her death, but did you know that she was also an activist in the campaign to ban landmines?
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana's death, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines pays tribute to the thousands of activists, deminers, government officials and other members of the mine ban community who work every day to honor her legacy by sparing no effort to end the suffering caused by anti-personnel landmines.
The ICBL was one of Lady Di’s top priorities and she was thought to be the encouragement for the world to support the treaty. Her concern was mostly focused on the injuries that the land mines created for the workers and especially to children. People agree that her role in the campaign was an important influence on the decision to sign the Ottawa treaty, a treaty that banned the use of anti-personnel land mines. She made visits to the Angola minefields in January 1997 to oversee the land mines were cleared. 6 months after Lady Diana was killed in a car crash, the ICBL was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Eden has been working on its effort in ban landmines for two decades, the year of Lady Di’s death when the world started to gain awareness of the issue. We are also honored that under the support of Ministry of National Defense, ROC, 7 years of Landmine Screening was completed in 2013, more than 80,000 antipersonnel landmines were removed in Taiwan (Kinmen & Matsu area)! We will continue our journey in the campaign to ban landmines, supporting Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar respectively on the issue and deliver resources to disabled people in remote areas. Through renewed efforts, let's reach the objective of a mine-free world by 2025.
Lady Diana meets with landmine survivors during a visit to landmine-affected communities in Angola in 1997. (c)
photo credit: Mercedes Sayagues / sources: ICBL
