The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, Vol. 17, Iss. 3 [2013], Art. 1
Survivors Promote Victim Assistance and Disability Rights In 2012, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and the Cluster Munition Coalition launched the Survivor Network Project, in which networks of landmine survivors collaborate to develop victim assistance objectives. One year after its launch, the Survivor Network Project has achieved some success. by Megan Burke and Loren Persi [ ICBL-CMC Survivor Network Project ]
T
he International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and the Cluster Munition Coalition
(CMC) are international networks working to free the world of landmines and cluster munitions and enable survivors and their families to lead fulfilling lives. Building on past efforts, ICBL-CMC launched the Survivor Network Project in 2012 to offer financial and technical support to both established and promising survivor networks, with the goal of sustaining and building their capacities. ICBL-CMC brings together more than 25 national and local networks of landmine
At the opening ceremony of the Fundación Red de Sobrevivientes y Personas con Discapacidad (Foundation Network of Survivors and Persons with Disabilities), survivors prepare to launch income-generating projects in El Salvador. Photo courtesy of Fundación Red de Sobrevivientes y Personas con Discapacidad.
and cluster munition survivors. The Survivor Network Project enables representa-
and Transfer of Anti-personnel
ment of the conventions’ action plans
tives of these networks to more effectively
Mines and on Their Destruc-
since 2009. VAFP are campaign mem-
• Assess the needs of network mem-
tion (Anti-personnel Mine Ban
bers, survivors, practitioners and rep-
bers, disaggregated by gender and
Convention or APMBC) and the
resentatives of disability organizations
age, in order to shape the devel-
Convention on Cluster Muni-
who participate at the national level and
opment of government victim
tions (CCM)
in partnership with ICBL-CMC, advo-
assistance policies as well as con-
• Participate in multisector victim
cating for victim assistance in countries
tribute to the development of the
assistance and disability coordi-
with significant numbers of survivors.
networks’ national strategic plans
nation mechanisms and contrib-
VAFP are present in almost 30 coun-
• Empower survivors at the grass-
ute to the design, coordination,
tries, of which 25 are States Parties to
roots level and facilitate their
implementation and monitor-
the APMBC.
socioeconomic inclusion
ing of victim assistance in their
• Serve as effective national and
countries
Most
VAFP-developed
advocacy
plans have measurable objectives that
international proponents for the
Prior to the launch of the Survivor
aim to ensure concrete changes in the
universalization and full imple-
Network Project, ongoing activities
lives of survivors and persons with dis-
mentation of all articles of the
were conducted through ICBL-CMC
abilities. Many have already achieved
Convention on the Prohibition of
victim assistance focal points (VAFP),
some of these goals, such as the ratifi-
the Use, Stockpiling, Production
who have worked to ensure the achieve-
cation of the Convention on the Rights
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol17/iss3/1
10 focus | the journal of ERW and mine action | fall 2013 | 17.3
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