Put Your Foot Down

Mineseeker Announces Aid Free Zone Is Under Revenue

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 15:06:08 GMT

September 26, 2011

Aid Free Zone Southern Africa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mineseeker, can today announce revenue figures, now that they have been reviewed by the company’s independent accounting and auditing firm in Inhambane, Mozambique. The certified numbers show revenue for August 2011 of $85,054. Additionally, after reviewing the sales enquiries and pending letters of intent from customers, the auditors also confirmed that the revenue forecast of $4.5m for 2012 was accurate and reasonable in all material respects.

Mr Eric du Plessis, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Aid Free Zone Southern Africa, commented, “This was an impressive performance last month, especially when the management team was focussed on closing the deal with Mineseeker Operations, and these numbers support our forecast of revenues averaging $162,000 per month by the end of 2011, dropping slightly for quarter one of 2012 due to seasonal restrictions.

“We have also been working hard in securing additional supply of raw material for our processing plant, so that we can satisfy demand for next year”, Mr du Plessis continued. “Aid Free Zone Southern Africa has identified and established collection points in the existing plantations near to the factory. In combination with other initiatives, this will give ample raw material to enable the company to deliver revenues of up to $700,000 per month during 2012, and this number is supported by the certified due diligence conducted. This revenue will be from a diversified product portfolio including crude oil, as well as higher valued products such as virgin coconut oil, desiccated coconut and coconut cake. These products are for human and animal consumption as well as used as raw materials in the cosmetics industry, and Aid Free Zone Southern Africa have firm orders and letters of intent that support our revenue forecast for next year”.

Progress continues with negotiations with government representatives for the agricultural and other rights to further blocks of land in the area. In addition to the 1000 ha, shown as Block A above, which is in the process of being allocated, Aid Free Zone Southern Africa is discussing harvest rights on a further 80,000-100,000 hectare block nearby, to ensure supply of raw materials to increase production even further.

Edward Cross, Mineseeker CEO, added; “Perhaps most excitingly of all is the 50,000 hectare block of land, shown as Block B above, that we are in final talks about which will ensure the long term stability of the project. This is where the whole compassionate capitalism concept can be given life. An area of land that can’t be safely lived in or developed due to the threat of landmines will be allocated to us, and we will then conduct a detailed survey of the ground to identify any mines that may be present. Once cleared of the threat, we can secure a 99 year lease on the land. Through our Aid Free Zone division, the agriculture on the land will be developed, so that the local population can support themselves, removing them from poverty and reliance on aid”.

“Not only will the increased production lead to greater revenues for the coconut processing plant, but the land in question borders the coast and we are talking to the Ministry of Tourism about establishing an eco-tourist destination”, Mr Cross continued. “It is a very beautiful, unspoiled area, and with the eco-tourism market growing faster than any other sector in that industry, we expect great returns. Mineseeker is looking to sign a strategic partnership or make an acquisition to strengthen our opportunity in this market”.

About Mineseeker and Aid Free Zone

Using Mineseeker technology increases the land available for the economic benefit of the local population and enables businesses to develop the land for agriculture, tourism, mineral exploration, and construction as applicable.

Following on from its mine survey work, Mineseeker will establish in conjunction with governments and local partnerships, a land based wealth creation program delivering compassionate capitalism for the benefit of all stakeholders.

Aid Free Zones will dramatically change the landscape of the global aid programme by building economically viable communities that do not rely on aid but rather, on support to develop their own businesses by creating a market for products and resources.

Tags: mineseeker, aid+free+zone, nhsh, uxo, landmines, mozambique, coconuts

New 2011 Loerie Award Nominated Public Service Announcements

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 06:43:35 GMT

Top South African advertising agency, Ireland-Davenport, decided to get involved with the Mineseeker Foundation and have produced a number of Public Service announcements to help with creating awareness of the landmine problem for the us.

Agency: Ireland/Davenport -- Johannesburg -- South Africa
Director: Petar Spiljevic
http://www.ireland-davenport.com/ (less info)

This is the second public service announcement that has been created by the Ireland-Davenport Agency for the Mineseeker Foundation. This advert has been nominated as a finalist in the prestigious 2011 Loerie Awards. The winner will be announced in September 2011

Tags: mineseeker, ireland-davenport, landmines, loerie, loerie+awards, uxo

Africa walk from Mozambique to Angola ended near heavily land mined area

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 21:06:25 GMT

(NewsDesk) African adventurer and anthropologist, Julian Monroe Fisher, has completed his Equatoria – A Walk Across Africa, from the coast of Mozambique, across Malawi, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the coast of Angola. He experienced Africa as a complex mixture of beauty and ugliness all wrapped up into one vast space.

Heavily land mined

Based upon recommendations from the expedition’s security advisors, land mine specialists with MAG Angola and the Angolan consulate in Zambia, Julian’s Equatoria – A Walk Across Africa ended with the MAG Angola field team in the village of Lucusse, Moxico Province, Angola. It was simply deemed to dangerous to walk across the Angolan province of Moxico, one of the most heavily land mined regions on the planet.

The ending was appropriate in that the stated goal of Equatoria – A Walk Across Africa was not just to walk coast to coast from Mozambique to Angola but also aimed to bring global awareness to the work of MAG International and their efforts to clean up the remnants of war in places like Angola. The simple truth, remnants of conflict continue to pose huge threat to civilians and their communities.

This reality became ever so poignant to Julian when he arrived to the village of Lucusse, Moxico, Angola, where a MAG Angola field team had in the previous few days removed no less than eight land mines that had been in the ground lying in wait to reap their havoc since the mid 1980’s. Yes, some 31 years waiting for a farmer or his kids to take the wrong step.

In an interview with local media in the Moxico capital of Luena, Julian said, “MAG and their field teams are not just removing land mines and other remnants of warfare long after the peace treaties have been signed and all the warriors have all gone home. The dedicated men and women that comprise MAG Mine Action Teams in Angola and around the globe right now are also clearing vast areas, in the case of Lucusse village, more than 180,000 square meters, in order that the villagers and their children can once again have a safe place to live, grow and prosper. Indeed MAG saves lives, builds futures!”

Fisher concluded his interview in Luena by saying, “Africa is a complex mixture of beauty and ugliness all wrapped up into one vast space. What MAG is doing is trying to reduce that ugliness and allow the opportunity for that natural beauty to shine! I applaud MAG Angola’s work and I am ever grateful for the warm hospitality they and the people of Angola have extended to me along with the amazing experience MAG Angola has provided me with.”

Atlantic Ocean

Following his visit with the MAG Angola field team, Julian’s Equatoria – A Walk Across Africa went on to reach the Atlantic Ocean, he was welcomed by Antonio Lemos, Country Office Manager for MAG Angola, upon his arrival to an isolated strip of beach just outside the capital city of Luanda, Angola.

Having successfully travelled coast to coast walking through towns and villages and national parks comprising parts of the territories of Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, DR Congo and Angola, Fisher was asked what he and his expedition discovered. With a smile he replied, “I have learned a lot about the you and me in this life. I can’t really speak for you, but for me, well I know that if we do not start listening to each other more and more, the future of our species is questionable. We need to put politics and greed and the focus on self aside; we need to put the future of our children first. As the Kenyan proverb goes, "Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children."

Julian Monroe Fisher is originally from the USA and resides in Austria. He is owner-operator of an expedition company in the Katanga Province of The Democratic Republic of Congo. He is an anthropologist, has conducted expeditions in over eighty-five countries around the globe and has led six successful expeditions to the African continent.

Fisher started walking at the Indian Ocean from Pemba in Mozambique on April 30, 2011.
http://explorersweb.com/trek/news.php?id=20238

Tags: MAG+International, Mineseeker, Mozambique, Landmines

NHS Health Solutions, Inc. Finalizes Acquisition of Mineseeker

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 20:16:33 GMT

To view the announcement on Youtube : http://youtu.be/VgEHgMn-Oec

JACKSONVILLE, FL, Jun 30, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- NHS Health Solutions,
Inc. (pinksheets:NHSH), currently doing business as Centacom Corporation
("Centacom" or "Company"), has successfully brought Mineseeker Operations
Overseas Limited ("Mineseeker"), a British Virgin Islands company, into its group
of technology led companies, having finalized the acquisition of Mineseeker as a
subsidiary earlier today.

The Mineseeker shareholders will take a forty three percent (43%) stake in NHSH,
creating an equal partnership with Centacom Holdings, the parent corporation, and
will further be equally represented on the Board of Directors. While a subsidiary
of NHSH, it is the parties' desire that Mineseeker be substantially independent
in its governance and operations. In addition, the parties anticipate that
Mineseeker may eventually be spun-off into its own public company after it has
been able to reach an advanced operational stage; however, following any such
spin-off, NHSH would retain a very valuable equity stake in the new public
company. This profitable relationship will provide a foundation to bring value to
shareholders on both a short term and long term basis.

The arrangement is seen by Mineseeker and Centacom as a very significant
strategic move. While Mineseeker has technology that can identify landmines
buried beneath the surface of the earth, Centacom has a range of synergistic
products that add value to the Mineseeker proposition.

The Mineseeker technology combines Ground Penetrating Radar images with
high-definition digital photographic mosaics that will produce maps showing the
exact location of landmines. The company demonstrated this integrated technology
recently in Croatia. It was the first time that this combined technology had been
successfully deployed on an aerial platform. The technology will be able to
identify minefields in a fraction of the time taken by current methods and at a
vastly reduced cost. Mineseeker has recruited a team of landmine and aviation
specialists to run the business following this announcement. Mineseeker CEO, Ed
Cross, will be relocating to the NHSH corporate offices in Jacksonville, Florida.

A Strategic Plan is being written which will highlight new opportunities that
have arisen from the development and demonstration of this technology. Ed Cross
said, "While our first priority and core business is to use the Mineseeker
product to identify landmines and return the land back to economic use, we have
always been aware that there are other large markets for this type of high
definition, detailed aerial survey. The potential markets include the Oil and Gas
sector, where seismic survey companies are not able to begin their work until
landmines are identified, as well as food production facilities that are unable
to begin processing. A strategy for these sectors will be submitted for board
approval as well as a plan for the establishment of Aid Free Zones, initially for
the production of Coconut related products, in areas of Africa previously
affected by landmines."

Chairman of Mineseeker Operations, Mike Kendrick, added, "We see the merger into
NHSH as an important step. The E-learning, social networking and bandwidth
products offer the educational and communication elements that are critical to
support emerging nations. Life after landmines can finally become a reality. It
is not enough to identify landmines and release land back to agriculture. The
people will need support, for example learning how to farm the land, as well as
understanding basic economics and direct line communications with the rest of the
world. These are the types of benefits that we have in the West, but the
developing world is deprived of. They will need this to become a part of the
world business community, after the landmines are cleared. It is so exciting."

Mineseeker is committed to its philosophy of compassionate capitalism, developing
groundbreaking technological applications capable of improving the lives of
millions of people across the globe, whilst delivering substantial returns for
investors committed to this vision.

All of the members of the Centacom management team not only welcome the addition
of Mineseeker to our business portfolio, but greatly support their vision and are
looking forward to this long term partnership

http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/nhs-health-solutions-inc-finalizes-acquisition-of-mineseeker-pinksheets-nhsh-1533688.htm

Tags: Mineseeker, NHSH, Centacom

Education Matters: Let Cambodia teach us a lesson

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 07:58:00 GMT

By Dan Kimber

February 3, 2011 | 2:40 p.m
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/opinion/tn-gnp-0204-kimber,0,2806595.story

My column this week was going to be about the Glendale Teachers Assn.’s vote to oppose the school bond coming up for a vote on April 5, but I’ll put it off for a week or two as things continue to unfold.

I’m trying to understand both the school district and the union’s positions knowing full well that both sides, when all is said and done, have the best interests of our children at heart. That should be acknowledged and never far from the minds of union and district officials before they allow economic issues to divide them.

The union is fighting to reclaim furlough days that will substantially reduce teachers’ incomes. The district wants to avoid future layoffs and furlough days. The union wants to reduce class size, which has increased over the years to intolerable, educationally unsound levels.

The district cannot commit millions of dollars to that end when it does not know how much further the state will be cutting into its budget. The union’s “no vote” was actually a rep council vote and is not necessarily representative of the 1,400 teachers in the district. Ultimately, the people will decide whether Measure S passes, and that is how it should be. Tune in next week for the full story.

For now, if I may switch gears entirely, I’d like to use the rest of this space to plug a book just out. It’s written by an old friend and colleague, Pierre Odier, and is titled “Cambodia Angkor, A Lasting Legacy.”

Some of you may recall from my having mentioned this man in previous articles that he has dedicated a good part of his life to searching out and documenting people on this Earth who have been forgotten, lost in time, swept up and discarded by a modern world uninterested in preserving old ways and traditions, cast aside by contemporary societies who have come to regard indigenous populations as irrelevant.

In Cambodia, those attitudes extend to people whose ancient traditions and rich cultural heritage have been almost completely obliterated by the genocidal policies of the Khmer Rouge. (Millions of people were massacred in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979).

Pierre’s book details some of that history, but it is more about a certain children’s center/landmine museum that today uses its meager resources to relieve the suffering of more than 50,000 children whose bodies have been torn apart by land mines left behind by the cruelest regime that has ever existed in all of human history. Estimates are that there are millions more unexploded land mines waiting to maim and cripple countless more people, the most common victims being young children.

Pierre’s book is dedicated to these children. Any and all proceeds from its sale will go the Cambodia Landmine Museum/Children’s Center that tends to children with little hope for a better future, who having strayed from safe paths and cleared roadways have had arms and legs blown off; children who have been abandoned by their families and left by their government to fend for themselves; children who have absolutely nowhere to turn for help.

Most of you reading this will be doing so from a vantage point worlds away from the people and culture described in this book. And from that safe distance, where access to information has never been easier, where our global interconnectedness has never been so extensive, we can learn all about a troubled nation and a tragic people. We can teach our children about man’s inhumanity to man and set the record straight about who did what to whom, but the lesson should not end there.

The real lesson of Cambodia is found in the people who have survived a deeply troubled past, who have been subjected to indescribable atrocities, who have suffered inhumanity that most of can only imagine — but whose irrepressible spirit survives in spite of it all.

It is that spirit that is celebrated in my friend Pierre’s book, and if any of you reading this are looking to affirm your faith in our common humanity, are seeking a purely good cause to put a few of your spare dollars, and receive a visually stunning book at the same time, here’s the link: www.limageodier.com.

DAN KIMBER taught in the Glendale Unified School District for more than 30 years. He may be reached at DKimb8@sbcglobal.net.

Tags: Mineseeker, Landmines

Governments must promote rights of landmine and cluster bomb survivors

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 20:52:04 GMT

Governments must promote rights of landmine and cluster bomb survivors
Campaigns celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities

(Geneva, 2 December 2010) – Despite significant advances, hundreds of thousands of landmine and cluster munition survivors worldwide still struggle to see their rights respected, said two global civil society campaigns as they marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December. The Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) are marking the day with a dance in Geneva parallel to an annual meeting of the 1997 treaty banning landmines.

“Landmine and cluster munition survivors can and should be active contributors to their societies, not passive aid recipients,” said Firoz Ali Alizada, Treaty Implementation Officer at the ICBL and a landmine survivor himself. “Victim assistance is a matter of human rights, and governments should work with survivors to increase awareness and promote these rights.”

In the context of the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions, victims include anyone who, individually or collectively, has suffered physical, emotional and psychological injury, sustained economic loss or had their fundamental rights substantially impaired due to the use of landmines or cluster munitions. This includes all those injured or killed by the weapons, as well as their families and affected communities.

The past year has seen three major advances in the international legal framework that obliges states to provide crucial assistance to persons with disabilities, namely:

On 3 December 2009, the Second Review Conference of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which has 156 states parties, issued the Cartagena Action Plan, which aims to ensure that rights-based victim assistance initiatives improve over the next five years;
In 2009, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which entered into force on 3 May 2008, began to be implemented, including in several states with significant numbers of survivors of landmines and explosive remnants of war; and
On 12 November 2010, the first meeting of the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which entered into force as binding international law on 1 August 2010, issued the Vientiane Action Plan to translate the Convention’s strong rights-based victim assistance obligations into concrete actions.

“In recent years, progress has been made on policies and plans to improve victim assistance, but survivors of landmines and explosive remnants of war say their daily lives haven’t changed much,” said Nerina Cevra, Coordinator of Survivor Rights & Victim Assistance at Action on Armed Violence, a UK-based member of both the CMC and the ICBL. “Governments need to do more to close this gap and make a real difference in the lives of survivors.”

The CMC and ICBL recommend five priority areas for governments to concentrate their victim assistance efforts, including improvements in:

Socio-economic inclusion: (i.e. being a productive member of the community and fully participating in community life). Survivors themselves identify this as the top priority.
Accessibility: Too often, services are not accessible to those who most need them, either because they are offered only in city centres, because they are too expensive for survivors to afford, or because there are physical barriers to access for people with disabilities, including landmine and cluster munition survivors.
Inclusion: Governments must ensure survivors are actively involved in the planning, delivery and evaluation of victim assistance programmes.
Resource mobilisation: Victim assistance programmes need adequate financial, technical and human resources that are both long-term and sustainable. Governments should address the needs of all survivors by allocating national resources and asking for international cooperation and assistance where necessary.
Reporting: States must make every effort to collect information on casualties and assess the needs of survivors in order to provide adequate assistance.

http://nonprofitpress.blogspot.com/2010/12/governments-must-promote-rights-of.html

Tags: Landmines, UXO, Cluster+bombs, sustainable, survivors, Cartagena

Substantial progress in global efforts to eradicate landmines

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 08:39:43 GMT

Geneva, Nov 24 (IANS) Substantial progress is being made in the global effort to eradicate antipersonnel landmines, but the US remains on the sidelines, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday as a new report about landmines was released.

In the US, an ongoing review is considering whether the US should join the international treaty banning the weapon.

The 65-page report, 'Landmine Monitor 2010', is an annual survey issued by Human Rights Watch and other members of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).

The report says that fewer civilians were killed and injured in the past year than in any previous year, and more contaminated land was cleared than ever before.

'The US should not be on the outside looking in at the most successful humanitarian and disarmament treaty of the past decade,' said Steve Goose, Arms Division director at Human Rights Watch.

'The Obama administration has been pondering the Mine Ban Treaty for more than a year now. It's time to make the right decision.'

A total of 156 nations are parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, and another two countries have signed but have not yet ratified.

The report cites significant progress in eradicating antipersonnel mines under the framework provided by the Mine Ban Treaty:

- Nearly 200 square km of land was cleared of mines and explosive remnants of war in 2009, and seven countries announced completion of their clearance activities in 2009 and 2010: Albania, China, Greece, Nicaragua, Rwanda, Tunisia, and Zambia;

- There were 3,956 new mine and explosive remnants of war casualties in 2009, the lowest number recorded by the Monitor in the decade since it began reporting and a drastic reduction on the estimated 26,000 recorded and unrecorded casualties per year in the 1990s;

- The Monitor has removed Nepal from its list of mine producers, leaving a dozen countries listed, of which as few as three - India, Myanmar, and Pakistan - are believed to continue actively manufacturing antipersonnel mines.

- For the first time in a decade of reporting, the Monitor has not listed Russia as actively laying antipersonnel mines, leaving Myanmar as the only government confirmed as using the weapon in 2009-10;

- More than 45 million stockpiled antipersonnel mines have been destroyed by 86 states parties to the Mine Ban Treaty.

For years the US has obeyed most of the key provisions of the Mine Ban Treaty - no use, no production, and no trade - while strongly supporting international programmes to get mines out of the ground and to help victims. But it has not acceded to the treaty.

When the Mine Ban Treaty was established in 1997, the Clinton administration set the objective of joining the Mine Ban Treaty in 2006, but the Bush administration reversed course in 2004.

The Obama administration began a comprehensive landmine policy review in late 2009 and attended the Second Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty in November 2009, the first time the US had attended a formal meeting of the treaty. The US has confirmed that it will attend the week-long 10th Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, which opens in Geneva Nov 29, 2010.

http://sify.com/news/substantial-progress-in-global-efforts-to-eradicate-landmines-news-international-klyravhgfjd.html

Tags: landmines, treaty, geneva, uxo, mine+ban+treaty

2 Million Landmines still Buried in Sudan

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 19:29:32 GMT

By John Gachuku

landmines...

As the world celebrate the International Day for Prevention of the Exploitation of Environment in War and Armed Conflict areas every 6^th of November, Sudan encounters incapacity to demine over 2 million landmines planted during the 22-year old civil war.

According to a report by Landmine & Cluster Munition Monitor, demining organizations in Sudan cleared half a square kilometre of land in 2004, destroying 336 antipersonnel mines, 400 anti-vehicle mines, and 200,000 items of unexploded and abandoned ordnance-just a tip of an iceberg.

The deputy director of the National De-mining Centre, Dr. Ahmed al-Badawi expressed concern that approximately two million landmines lie underground in Sudan’s land. “And, the most affected areas are the Equatorial states, Upper Nile, Bahr el-Ghazal, South and West Kordofan, Red Sea, Kassala, Blue Nile and Gedaref.”

War in has reaped off developments, growth and life from the affected communities and countries. Sudan has lost lives, property, development and stability due to civil war that lasted 22 years, infrequent inter-clan conflicts and attacks from militia groups, Lords’ Resistance Army.

According to Jurgen Brauer, Associate professor at Augusta State University, “preparing for war is the second-most environmentally damaging activity....although war displace people hence easing stress on environment at one point, it bring extensive damage to the flora and fauna.” His remarks stresses on the need to prevent violence on whatever grounds during and after the outcome of the forthcoming referendum.

“We need to develop innovation on sources of insecurity and ensure preventive diplomacy takes into account the trans-boundary nature of ecosystems and environmental degradation,” United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon

A man removes a landmine

Cambodia, one of the most affected countries by landmines has a beauty contest called Miss Landmine for the victims of landmines. According to Priscilla Watson, author of “War and it’s on the environment” war brings land degradation, pollution of water resources, deforestation, degrading habitants and altering food chains.

UN Land Mines Statistics

· Over 115 million active land mines are spread over 68 countries

· An Anti-personnel mine costs $ 3 to $ 300 each

· Removing an anti-personnel mine costs $300 to $1,000

· A buried land mine can remain effective for over 100 years

· Egypt and Angola lead with over 15 million landmines

· Sudan has 1 landmine in every 1.6 kilometres.

Since the day was declared by the United General Assembly on November 5, 2001, people around the world participate in seminars, do speeches, lectures, write news, do radio talks and do classroom activities in schools to educate people on the effects of war and armed conflict on environment, what will you do?

Source: http://jubapost.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1033:2-million-landmines-still-buried-in-sudan&catid=44:fetes&Itemid=68

Tags: Mineseeker, landmines, Sudan, United+Nations, UXO, Anti-personnel

Cluster Bomb Ban: New Treaty Making Impressive Progress

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 10:55:05 GMT

01 Nov 2010 03:00:00 GMT

Source: Human Rights Watch

Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.

(Bangkok) â€" The new treaty banning cluster bombs, which took effect just three months ago, has already made impressive strides in eradicating the weapon, Human Rights Watch said today. Seven countries have finished destroying their stockpiles of cluster munitions, two have cleared all contaminated land, and 10 have enacted national legislation to enforce the treaty.
The Convention on Cluster Munitions was negotiated in May 2008, opened for signature in December 2008, and, after achieving the required 30 ratifications, entered into force and became binding international law on August 1, 2010 â€" a very rapid pace for a multilateral agreement. A first report on progress to date, â€œCluster Munition Monitor 2010,â€ was released on November 1 in Bangkok.
â€œWeâ€™ve made more progress, more quickly, than anyone thought possible just a few years ago,â€ said Steve Goose, Arms Division director at Human Rights Watch. â€œThere is clearly a strong commitment to get rid of the weapon and to deal urgently with the ongoing threat to civilians.â€
The Convention on Cluster Munitions prohibits the use, production, and transfer of cluster munitions, requires destruction of stockpiled cluster munitions within eight years and clearance of land contaminated by the weapon within 10 years, and provides for assistance to victims of cluster munitions.
A total of 108 nations have signed the convention, 43 of which have now ratified, becoming full states parties to the agreement. According to â€œCluster Munition Monitor 2010,â€ 38 of the nations that have signed the convention are former users, producers, exporters, or stockpilers of the weapon.
The conventionâ€™s First Meeting of States Parties will be held in Vientiane, Laos from November 9-12. Laos is the country most severely affected by cluster munitions as a result of the US bombing campaign during the Vietnam War.
â€œCluster Munition Monitor 2010â€ contains information about cluster munition policy and practice in every country of the world, including major powers that have not yet joined the convention such as Brazil, China, India, Israel, Pakistan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States.
â€œNo nation should turn its back on this convention, the most important humanitarian and disarmament agreement of the past decade,â€ Goose said. â€œThe inherent dangers to civilians far outweigh any limited military usefulness of cluster munitions.â€
Cluster munitions were banned because of their indiscriminate impact at the time of use and the long-lasting danger they pose to civilians after use. These munitions, which can be fired by artillery and rocket systems or dropped by aircraft, typically explode in the air and spread dozens, even hundreds, of tiny submunitions over an area the size of a football field. In addition, submunitions often fail to explode on initial impact, leaving duds that act like landmines for months or years to come.
The Obama administration has not reviewed or altered the Bush administration policy, which commits the US not to use cluster munitions that have a failure rate of more than one percent, beginning at the end of 2018, in essence banning all but a tiny fraction of the existing arsenal. The US has not confirmed or denied a credible allegation that it used at least one cluster munition in Yemen in December 2009, which according to "Cluster Munition Monitor 2010" is the only reported use of cluster munitions worldwide in 2009 or 2010.
Other major findings in â€œCluster Munition Monitor 2010â€ include:

â€¢The seven countries that have already completed destruction of their stockpiles collectively destroyed more than 13.8 million submunitions contained in 176,000 cluster munitions. At least 11 other countries have started destroying their stocks.
â€¢Over the past six decades cluster munitions have been used in 39 countries and areas by at least 18 governments.
â€¢Fifteen former producers of cluster munitions have joined the convention, but 17 countries continue to produce, or reserve the right to produce, these weapons in the future.
â€¢There were no recorded transfers of cluster munitions in 2009 or 2010, other than inert components from South Korea to Pakistan. Two countries that have not signed the treaty, the US and Singapore, have instituted a moratorium on exports of cluster munitions.
â€¢At least 23 countries are affected by cluster munition contamination, including 14 that have joined the convention, as well as three disputed areas.
â€¢At least 38 square kilometers of land were cleared of cluster munition remnants in 2009, with more than 55,156 unexploded submunitions destroyed.
â€¢Albania and Zambia, both states parties to the treaty, have announced the completion of their clearance programs.

â€¢By the end of 2009, 16,816 cluster munition casualties had been recorded in at least 27 states and three disputed areas, but due to significant underreporting, the actual number of cluster munition casualties might be as high as 85,000 worldwide.
â€¢In 2009, there were 100 new confirmed cluster munition casualties in nine countries and one disputed area. Half of these casualties occurred in Laos and Lebanon, both of which have joined the convention.
â€œCluster Munition Monitor 2010â€ is a product of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC). Human Rights Watch is a founding member of both the ICBL and CMC. The Cluster Munition Monitor report is the sister publication to the Landmine Monitor report, which has been issued annually since 1999. The Landmine Monitor project was renamed Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor in 2010.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/a6cf0b51cec00853387ca84433446892.htm

Silva kept taking pics after injury

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 07:31:05 GMT

2010-10-23 22:29

This undated photo shows New York Times photographer Joao Silva on assignment in South Africa. (AP)

Johannesburg - SA-based photographer Joào Silva lost portions of both his legs during a landmine blast in Afghanistan, yet continued to take pictures while paramedics treated him, The New York Times said on Saturday.

"He has lost portions of both legs. Also some pelvic damage and internal bleeding," newspaper spokesperson Robert Christie said in an email to Sapa.

"Here's all you need to know about the guy...Carlotta (veteran reporter Carlotta Gall) reports that Joao kept shooting pictures after the blast, as the medics expertly applied tourniquets, gave him morphine, and stretchered him to the helicopter," he said.

Christie said Silva was being flown to Bagram air base near Kabul on Saturday night, where his wounds would be cleaned and checked before he was sent to Germany.

"His wife got a full, painful briefing from the surgeon, who says he is not out of the woods yet but is extremely strong," Christie said.

Wife flying to Germany

The newspaper seemed to have clearance for an expedited visa for Silva's wife, who would be flying to Germany on Monday morning.

The couple have two children, a six-year-old girl and five-year-old boy.

Silva, who was a member of the so-called Bang Bang Club, is currently a photographer with The New York Times.

He sustained serious leg injuries after stepping on a mine while covering the war in southern Afghanistan.

Earlier, the 44-year-old was taken to the main US military base in southern Kandahar for treatment.

The New York Times editor Bill Keller commented on the accident in an article on the paper's website.

" Joao is the state-of-the-art war photographer, fearless but careful, with an amazing eye," Keller said.
"We're all waiting anxiously and praying for his quick recovery."

World Press Photo winner

Silva was born on August 9 1966 in Lisbon, Portugal and is based in Johannesburg.

He was associated with the Bang-Bang Club, a group of four photographers who covered events in South Africa from the time former president Nelson Mandela was released from prison to the first democratic election in 1994.

The other three photographers were: Kevin Carter, Greg Marinovich, Ken Oosterbroek.

Silva also worked in other parts of Africa, as well as the Balkans, Central Asia, Russia, and the Middle East. His images have won numerous awards, including the World Press Photo.

On his website, Silva said he first started taking pictures in 1989, and later began his career with the Alberton Record, a local South African newspaper.

He convinced his editors to let him cover the violence in Thokoza, and later started submitting photographs to Reuters.

He resigned from the newspaper to freelance full time.

Silva also supplied pictures to The Star and Reuters.

Oscar sets his sights on Landmine Victims

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:41:48 GMT

16 August 2010 - The Mineseeker Foundation this week launched its new aid programme for landmine victims, with the help of South African world record holding runner Oscar Pistorius.

The foundation is commissioning a number of state-of-the-art mobile prosthetics clinics to help victims of landmine blasts worldwide, and Oscar was on hand to officially launch the aid programme with Mineseeker founder Mike Kendrick.

"Oscar has been an international ambassador for the Mineseeker Foundation for several years and has even taken time out of his enormously busy schedule to help us in fitting prosthetic limbs in Mozambique," said Mike Kendrick.

"We're delighted that he could be in the UK to help us launch a new aid programme for landmine victims – our practical help will literally change lives for those affected by landmine blasts and their communities and Oscar has been a driving force within our organisation, an inspiration to all."

Oscar Pistorius is a double amputee who is known as the 'Blade Runner' and 'the fastest man on no legs'. He is the world record holder in the 100, 200 and 400 metres (sport class T44) events and runs with Cheetah Flex-Foot carbon fibre transtibial artificial limbs.

"It has been a great honour and truly humbling to be involved with Mineseeker Foundation projects, they are so enormously worthwhile.

"It has been tremendous to have had an active involvement with the aid programme for landmine victims and even more exciting to officially launch the mobile limb clinic schedule for amputees that is certain to change people's lives."

This week, the Mineseeker Foundation replaced prosthetic legs for Mozambique landmine victim Julio Colete – his original prosthetic limbs, supplied and fitted two years ago, had become worn with use and so Mineseeker provided new ones.

Tags: oscar+pistorius, mineseeker, landmine, victims, africa, athletics

Mineseeker Announces ‘Total Picture’ Technology

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:16:48 GMT

Mineseeker Operations has announced detailed information about the ground-breaking technology it is to implement shortly in a concerted effort to rid war-torn areas globally of landmines.

The existing Mineseeker GPSAR compact portable sensor can record data from more than 500 acres per hour, utilising a carrier-phase differential GPS (global position system) for precise geo-positioning. The radar, developed by a USA supplier and extensively tested, has been enhanced by the addition of new Multi Spectral Imaging (MSI) technology developed by a UK company. This highly sophisticated visual thermal, infra-red and geo-referenced imaging system will be fused with the radar imagery to provide a complete picture of ground surveyed from the air.

The Multi Spectral Imaging (MSI) Process

Mineseeker will utilise helicopters and light aircraft to operate the systems in the field.

Edward Cross, CEO of Mineseeker Operations said “The GPSAR will show surface and sub-surface indications, with a ground breaking geo-referenced visual mosaic layer giving a detailed view of the area and the thermal image and infra-red layers will provide crucial additional information, allowing end users to have access to the maximum amount of essential information.’’

“The combination of such advanced and accurate systems will, for the first time, provide a total picture of landmine sites and enable highly effective mapping which will, in turn, support rapid mine clearance efforts.’’

“Mineseeker’s approach heralds a new era in landmine clearance, one in which areas riddled with mines and other unexploded ordnance will be subject to complete scrutiny and subsequently cleared for release to agricultural purposes.’’

“For the people living in countries affected by the landmine scourge, this is life-changing.”

Mineseeker Operations is planning to demonstrate the combined GPSAR and Multi Spectral Imaging system in Croatia.

Tags: Mineseeker, landmines, Mineseeker+operations, Africa, GPSAR

Religions, NGOs fight landmine hazard

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:52:26 GMT

By Khan Sophirom, Samlot

A Cambodian landmine victim. Photo by Michael Coyne

The many Cambodians dying daily from unexploded ordnance is one reason why the country faces development problems, says a Buddhist monk.

Religious and civic leaders must fight for a universal adherence to the UN Mine Ban Treaty, which came into force in 1999, says Venerable Vy Sovechea.

Leaders must also work toward supporting landmine survivors and the clearing of unexploded ordnance, said the monk at a July 23 gathering in Samlot, a district in western Cambodia heavily affected by landmines due to past civil war

Public pressure on governments to ban and destroy landmines is crucial to their eradication, he told the 500 people at the event, which aimed to spread awareness of the dangers of unexploded ordnance.

People disabled by landmines were among those present at the gathering, which saw the participation of NGOs such as the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), Buddhist monks, teachers, students, police and social activists.

Cambodia is one of 156 countries that ratified the Mine Ban Treaty, which came into force on March 1, 1999.

However, Cambodians still continue to be affected by these devices. From 2007 to June 2010, 1,025 people were reported killed or injured by unexploded ordnance.

The recent gathering allowed victims to share their thoughts on what has been accomplished as well as the challenges ahead, said JRS official, Kosal Sang.

JRS has been involved in landmine awareness activities since 1994 “and today we are working with other partners … to eradicate the danger from these killing devices,” said Sang, who is also Cambodian representative to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

In order to integrate victims into society, JRS has organized vocational training programs, wheelchair production and non-formal education services, said Sang.

CA10526.1611

Tags: landmines, mineseeker, quasar, africa, mozambique, catholic, cambodia, the+sole, NGO, Ottawa, treaty, conflict

MARATHON RUNNER SET TO RAISE CASH FOR LANDMINE VICTIMS

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 21:11:33 GMT

A marathon runner from Johannesburg,South Africa will take part in a gruelling six-day run through the Sahara desert to raise money for victims of landmine blasts.

Jane MacKinnon aims to net R100,000 for the Mineseeker Foundation thanks to sponsorship from friends, family and medical colleagues – and the money will pay for ten amputees to receive prosthetic legs at Mineseeker’s mobile clinics.

The 250km Marathon des Sables begins on April 4, which coincidentally is UN Landmine Awareness Day.

“I’ve been following the activities of the Mineseeker Foundation for some time and thought it an incredibly worthwhile cause to raise money for,” says Jane.

“As a physiotherapist, I have a strong affiliation with medical causes and know that getting an amputee on to a prosthetic limb can be life-changing as well as making a huge difference in terms of economic independence.”

Jane is an experienced marathon runner, having taken part in a stage race in the Kalahari and a run across the Alps involving no fewer than 11 peaks.

“The Marathon des Sables will coincide with my 50th birthday, and it will be a great way to celebrate,” adds Jane.

“I love a challenge and I get a tremendous kick out of raising funds for a good cause.”

“We’re delighted that Jane will be raising much-needed funds for our mobile clinics,” said Mineseeker Foundation founder Mike Kendrick.

“Jane’s efforts will mean we can provide ten prosthetic limbs for amputees – and that means that ten lives will be totally transformed for the better.”

The Mineseeker Foundation, based in the UK and South Africa, was founded by Mike Kendrick in 2001, when the former CEO of Virgin Airship and Balloon Company devised a means of detecting landmines using sophisticated radar detection carried by airships.

Nine years on, the foundation continues to seek ways of aiding landmine victims whilst working simultaneously on landmine detection and eradication thanks to its sister company Mineseeker Operations UK Ltd. It plans to use a unique ground penetrating radar system that can detect landmines from an aerial platform – now a small plane or helicopter, rather than an airship – and accurately map minefields, detailing affected areas.

Further information: Liz Roseblade 07966 406618/01746 76886, liz@mineseeker.com.

Tags: Mineseeker, Marathon, Quasar, des+Sables, Morocco, Sahara, UN+Landmine+Awareness+Day

Heart & Sole Tour – Day Day 22: Beautiful ubuntu for lunch… before we grind to a horrible halt

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 12:33:05 GMT

Three gee. 3G. My newly fave number and letter. The reentry of 3G internet connectivity into my life means that I can (possibly) avoid blogging suicide after days in the Vodacom Desert and get a post out to my Heartpeople. I’m sorry.

And this is a post of two halves. Yes, the joy and the sorrow. From high to low. Just like the story of The Heart and Sole Tour. Rollercoasterness, babies! With your permission, I’ll give you the bad news first. Yes? OK. Good.

Here’s the thing. The unavoidable, somewhat inevitable, awful, chuffing nightmarish thing. After three weeks of toiling up mountains in absurd heat, rain, majestic electrical thunderstorms and a spot of hail, The Heart & Sole Tour has come to a grinding halt. Why? No money. Geen geld. Asinamali.

A humungous thank you to all of you who have contributed dosh to us but we simply do not have enough to continue. Apart from our “Spirit of Ubuntu” lunch (which I will shortly pictorialise for you) we had a bad day on Monday. Searing heat, virtually no hard shoulder on which to cocoon ourselves from flying trucks, crazymaking and potentially dangerous potholes and very, very, very tired bodies and minds.

The Heartman still managed to push himself 32km or so away from Engcobo towards Queenstown. But, because of the heat from hell, we only really rolled off after 5pm and, eventually, at after eight, we gave up and drove to Queenstown to rest minds and bodies. In fact, when we found a place to sleep, I didn’t so much find the bed as the bed found me. We came together as one. No shower. No brushing of teeth. El Collapso.

The next day was our birthday. Yes. Ours. Both born on January 19. Similar characters. With differences. I woke up The Heartman to give him a present. I had thought of getting him a pair of grey socks from Pep Stores, I told him, but I had something better. “Whashat?” he gurgled from his nightly slightly parallel universe. “Look. We’re not going to get much further. We’re knackered. We need a break. We need more funds. It’s your birthday. Spend as much of it as you can with your woman and your dogs at home.” His eyes opened. Wide. “Go. Get a flight from East London. Rest. Raise money. See you on Sunday.” He grinned and said something about Hatman not being so bad after all. He went. He’s recovering. And approaching some corporates about giving us the support we need to finish what we started and achieve our objective of raising awareness of the madness that are the millions of landmines still blowing off the limbs of people all over the world.

We are excruciatingly aware of the near-apocalyptic horror that is post-quake Haiti. It is only right that the compassionate eye of the world should be trained in that direction. But we are not asking for much. Just enough to cover fuel, food and airtime coasts to cover the rest of the Heart & Sole Tour from near Queenstown to Cape Town. We are closing in on the 600km mark, which means that old Heartie and I are a third of the way into this beautiful adventure.

The Heartman has used his rent money. I have exhausted my savings. It has been a giant leap of faith. But, even as we hang suspended somewhere along the arc of that leap, we still believe. I have always seen the two of us rolling into Cape Town and that vision is as clear and golden as the day this crazy wonderful idea was born. Please continue to help us achieve that.

OK. I promised you some snaps depicting what I am calling the “Spirit of Ubuntu” lunch. Quick preamble. We ride out of Engcobo on Monday. Blisteringly hot. We find a couple of trees offering shade. There are a few colourful rondavel huts nearby. The children come. Then the adults. The questions about the bicycle that has lost a wheel. The smiles. The shaking of heads. Our new friends sit around us and talk animatedly about the mad mlungus (white people). Heartie naps. I talk with the small crowd we have collected. They are hungry. Yes, we have some food (stored for camping) in the truck. Ah, I will cook it for lunch says Mama Cordelia, clearly the Big Mama of the community.

I bring out Imana beef mince, rice, a couple of onions, tinned tomatoes and some Aromat spices. Mama C sends oldest daughter Nosipho on a long walk to the spaza shop to get paraffin for the stove she has conjured up from a nearby hut. Pots and spoons magically appear. Mama Cordelia cooks lunch for us, her two daughters and assorted new arrivals, numbering about eight. It is beautiful. We sit on the grass under the trees next to the road to Queenstown eating Mama C’s impromptu lunch. Deliciousness. It tasted something like this…

Our Heartie is chuffed to have lunch served up for him by the redoubtable and indefatigable Mama Cordelia

This shy and delightful child rocks up for lunch. Nobody knows where her mother is. It doesn't matter. She is part of a bigger family. The community. She is duly fed...

Yes. I thought you might want to have another look at this adorable little girl. So I took this. Are you glad I did?

Mama Cordelia, unnamed sweetheart, Mamasolo, me and Nosipho devour the "Spirit of Ubuntu" lunch. Yes, those are (yugh) "Crocs" on my feet. Heartman gave them to me. Because I left my Havaianas in Umdloti. There. That's my story. And, yes, I'm sticking to it!

Ndiyabulela (thank-you in Xhosa), Mama Cordelia. And to your lovely daughters. And we’re sorry that we couldn’t accept your offer for us to marry them, even if they do cook as beautifully as you do!

Right. Back on the road…

Heartie gives a thumbs-up to the sign registering 117km to Queenstown. But the heat and dreadful road surface got to us...

And I was going to give you a small closing ceremony provided by Mother Nature as we drove towards Queenstown but the internet connection has slowed down in solidarity with the Heart & Sole Tour. I’ll try again later. In the meantime, if you are able to help in any way – no matter how small – to fund our ride, here are the bank details…

G. M. Brink, Standard Bank, Musgrave Rd, Durban. Acc. 056706804 / Branch Code 042626.

Thank you!

* And, should you want to read Shaun Trennery’s interview with Geoff “Heartman” Brink on the excellent izimvo.com, please go right on over to http://www.izimvo.com/geoffbrink

Heart & Sole Tour – Day 17: Are we on top of the world… or what?

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Sat, 16 Jan 2010 06:37:08 GMT

January 14, 2010 in 2009/2010 Heart & Sole Tour, SA-positive, Uncategorized, fredpix
Tags: Fred Hatman, Maclear, SA-positive, South Africa, The Heart and Sole Tour, The Heartman, Ugie, unicyclist | 3 Comments »

The locals keep telling us that the hills will get less prolific and less steep and easier to negotiate on a unicycle. But they don’t ride unicycles!

Yowzerness! We have every reason to believe that, bar Everest, we have reached the summit of the earth. They come. And still they come. Hills. Mountains. Uphills. And The Heartman somehow finds the strength, the resolve, the sheer bloodymindedness to defeat them.

After a rest stop – which involves glugging two bottles of Glaceau Vitaminwater, snuffling about in sports nutrition powder mixes supplied by Gower Power, icing his knees and growling at me for driving too close to him or too far away – he yells at the next hill, daring it to defeat him with words of warrior defiance.

I chortle in the back-up vehicle and pump up the volume of Joe Cocker, Grace Jones or, ahem, John Fogerty… for these are the tunes which seem to rouse him sufficiently for mountain wars.

This tour is tough. Flipping tough. We somehow ate up 43 kilometres of tarmac yesterday, most of it uphill, and wobbled into Maclear, up in the armpit of the northern Eastern Cape just before 10pm. Just in time to procure a room at the Royal Hotel. This establishment has personality. Actually it has two. One that suggests a longlost association with a more genteel era, when ladies in long skirts and parasols, and accompanied by sniffly corgis, took tea in the shade of the oaks and the cha-cha might have been danced in the banqueting room.

Those scenes have peeled away along with the enamel in the baths, the floorboards don’t squeak but squeal and, lying in bed, one might be forgiven for thinking one is camping under a waterfall given the amount of water which runs, flushes and boils in this quaint old building. The pigeons certainly appear to be enjoying their stay.

Right. It is 3.26pm and the 38 deg C heat – accompanied by a surprising high level of humidity – has subsided enough for us to take to the road again. We hope to make it near to the tiny hamlet of Ugie, the next point on the arc of our magical mystery tour to East London. Nocturnal unicycling appears to be very much in vogue!

While old Heartie straps his creaking knees in preparation for a new battle, let me play you out with a few pictures from yesterday…

Don't ask. I don't know. Maybe a local farmer was a big fan of Chevy Chase... and had also had a sense of humour. All I know is that Heartie couldn't resist an impromptu AmaOneTyre cabaret underneath this curious sign!

This gorgeous "gogo" (granny) fancied herself as a unicyclist and wouldn't give up trying, much to the amusement of all of us!

These rondavel huts were catching the late afternoon sun as we, er, cruised past

Does our unicyclist feel on top of the world? Not really. It just looks like he is!

The big kahuna who is in charge of our universe reminds us yet again that no artist on earth can match his or her creativity

Time for just one more… um…

Oh lawksness! There's The Heartman... riding off into yet another South African sunset. All pix: Hatman

Please excuse me, dear Heartpeople. I must run. Old Heartie is all strapped up and raring to get at those hills. Yee-ha!

Heart & Sole Tour – Day 15: Stillness after the mother of all storms

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 19:24:08 GMT

Eurekaness!!! After staggering through an internet desert for days on end, I have a semblance of connection! It’s trickling in at the speed of a unicyclist rather than, say, the infamous Winston the Pigeon but I’m not grumbling.

OK. So I have a backlog of about 1,000 pictures and dozens of weird and wondrous anecdotes on The Heart & Sole Tour… but I’ll do my best to get our loyal “Heartpeople” up to speed with our slow but sure progress. First, a picture. Look. It may be nothing more than what we old newspaper hacks term a “boring handshake pic” but, for The Heartman and I, it captures the spirit in which South Africans have received our crazy unicycle ride…

Where's a doctor when you need one? On the road between Matatiele and Mount Fletcher is the answer! This wonderful man, one Doctor Joe Thusi, stopped his car when he saw us taking a quick rest stop, crossed the road and gave us R900 cash to help with our fuel, food and airtime costs! Just like that!

This was beautifulness on an out-of-this-world scale! Heartie and I were simply blown away by Dr Thusi’s generosity and it took us a while to get going again. South Africans of every ethnic background are known for their generosity of spirit and nowhere more so than out in the sticks, where life generally is very challenging to say the least. Out of the basic dynamics of what is deemed newsworthiness, we often get a distorted view of what is happening in our beautiful country. What is generally happening in South Africa, my fellow countrymen, is a whole lot of good stuff. And, after more than two weeks on the road, straining our guts out on behalf of landmine victims, the Heartman and I are well placed to tell you that!

Right. Quick update on our mind-bogglingly beautiful road trip before I take you into a series of pictures taken over the past few internet-free days. We’ve made it to a point 12 kilometres beyond Mount Fletcher towards Maclear. The landscape is mutating into the drier, rockier and more stark terrain typical of the Cape. We have left behind the lush, green rolling topography of KwaZulu-Natal. But still the mountain passes come. The heat has been unbelievable. And we have been pushed to our limits. In fact, old Heartie and I “hit the wall” yesterday. Exhaustedness. The Heartman’s knees, heavily strapped to his physiotherapist’s requirements each day, were giving him pain. Even more exacting has been the emotional and psychological impact of getting a grip on the enormity of what we are doing. It has hit home. We have returned to the rehabilitative sanctuary that is the Matatiele home of Dr Rob and Maggie Mears.

“Doc Mears” and wife Maggie have been fantastic to us and we are resting today, restoring mind, body and soul in order to continue our quest for Cape Town. Enough said. Allow me to guide you through a pictorial tour of our recent Heart & Sole history…

This truckload of young initiates passed us somewhere between Matatiele and Mount Fletcher. It is a Sotho custom that boys, once 16 years of age, are smeared head to toe in red clay and circumcised in a ritual that takes place up in the mountains

We found this dapper young fellow adopting a distinctly Chaplinesque pose beside the road. A definite shoo-in for the Matatiele Fashionista of the Year title?

Introducing you to the sweetness of Mieke Chapman, beautiful but feisty young daughter of Keith and Mandy Chapman, who looked after Heartie and I so well in Kokstad. We overnighted with their neighbours, Vaughan "Neighbour" Raw and his wife Meryl and were spoiled rotten by both families. Thanks guys!

Time for a gentle change of scenery. And it doesn't get any more pastoral than this, does it?

Look. I can't remember where I took this pic. I just know it depicts The Heartman at his classic best!

Aah, yes. We've been stopped by the cops (traffic police) just once. And they rushed over to wish us a safe journey! They were also totally chuffed to receive a couple of ice-cold cooldrinks from our cooler box on a stinker of a day!

OK. I’m pushing my luck with this intermittent internet connection. I could be cut off at any moment. It’s a rollercoaster ride, I tell you! Let’s see if I may regale you with any further snaps…

Oh, yes. The mother of all storms hit us as were preparing to roll out of Mt Fletcher. Torrential rain. And hail too. Let’s see if I can find the pic I tried to take of that little baby…

Some locals are totally unfazed by a storm. Not surprising. It happens every afternoon in summer in this neck of the woods!

But all of the locals are united in their bemusement towards a man riding a bicycle which has lost a wheel! These Sotho ladies are wearing their traditional Sotho blankets. The temperature can drop 15 degrees in an instant!

Yes. I’ve made a meal of this post because I cannot be sure when I’ll be able to get online again. So it seems appropriate to close with a shot of me old Heartie riding off into the sunset…

And a pretty glorious one at that, eh? All pix: Hatman

Yowzerness! This post has been a rare old rollercoaster ride! Pretty much like our 1,700km Heart & Sole unicycle tour from Durban to Cape Town. Hang on! Stop the presses! News just in is that good friends Shane and Netty (she who made the origami cranes to be sold in aid of the Heart & Sole Tour) have driven out from Durban to surprise us. And they most certainly have!

Awesomeness overload! The plan is to camp in their tent on the side of the road near to where we stopped yesterday. I hope they brought a braai (barbecue) and some top-notch steaks! Not to mention beer! Then Heartie and I will set off again in search of Maclear (the next stop on our magical mystery tour to Cape Town) and a man they call Mr Mountain… I will explain all the next time I find the most elusive of holy grails – an internet connection! Toodlepip!

Heart & Sole Tour – Day 10: Heartie and I style it at Ingeli… and photograph beautiful girls!

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 22:11:19 GMT

January 6, 2010 in 2009/2010 Heart & Sole Tour, SA-positive, Uncategorized, fredpix Tags: Amy Winehouse, Cape Town, cows, David Bowie, Donny Hathaway, Durban, Fred Hatman, Geoff Brink, Gil Scott-Heron, Glaceau Vitaminwater, Gower Power, Greenacres B&B, Harding, Ingeli Forest Lodge, Jazzanova, Jeff and Zanele Meth, Jethro Tull, Joss Stone, Just Jinger, Kokstad, landmines, Limpopo, Mr Scruff, Nicola Conte, Phalaborwa, Pierre Brink, SA-positive, snoring, South Africa, swallow, The Heart and Sole Tour, The Heartman, The Quantic Soul Orchestra, The Sole of Africa, Toni Rowland, unicyclist, Willowdale Lodge

I write this while ducking to evade the dive-bombing strikes of a highly perturbed swallow guarding its nest on the shady verandah of the Willowdale Lodge near Kokstad.

But this is the coolest spot I can find and, as much as I love and admire birds, I ain’t moving. Meanwhile, Geoff “Heartman” Brink, our intrepid unicyclist, is splayed out on a mattress under a stand of beautiful trees. He ain’t moving either. He’s not even snoring – which is a nice change. I suspect he is too exhausted. Good boy.

He’s just one-wheeled up a murderously steep pass – Brooke’s Neck I think the locals call it (Brooke had some neck!) – in body-sapping heat and we’re waiting for Madam Weather to chill a little before venturing further. But it isn’t all bad. Max of the Willowdale has picked up the tab for lunch (cheese platters and coffee) and also kindly offered us a room free of charge for tomorrow night.

This is how people are. Beautifulnesses wherever we go. I think that they are so gobsmacked that somebody has the gumption to ride on one wheel from Durban to Cape Town for a good cause that they can’t do enough to help. Like Dave and Gill of the lovely Greenacres B&B in Harding. They extended a very long arm of generosity and put us up in a beautiful room.

Heartie and I have been bowled over by peoples' generosity, such as that extended by Gill and Dave of Greenacres B&B in Harding

As did Brian and Naomi – along with manager Paul – of the superbly-appointed Ingeli Forest Lodge between Harding and Kokstad. The Heartman and I overnighted in a “double-decker” wooden chalet – aah, some much-desired private space for each of us! – overlooking a sumptuous valley and Brian waived all costs of lunch, dinner and a couple of beers to boot. Stunningness overload.

I'm always up at 5am... and this is what greeted me at Ingeli Forest Lodge this morning!

After a, erm, hearty breakfast The Heartman limbers up at Ingeli before we take to the road for Kokstad...

... stopping only briefly to snap this little beauty on the way out!

Support from bystanders alongside the road has brought us humungous chuffedness too. Local villagers stare in amazement at this man straining to get up yet another hill on one wheel before breaking out in an assortment of wide grins, clapping and cheering. We get stopped and asked questions and everybody, young and old, is fascinated by our strange road trip. Awareness of the scourge of landmines is reaching places where the far more pressing issue usually is how to put food on the table and find employment of some sort.

Drivers, many of whom I suspect have read about the Heart & Sole Tour in the newspapers or heard about it on the radio, hoot and lean out of windows to give us the thumbs-up. Whenever we’ve stopped on the roadside so that old Heartie may catch his breath, glug down a bottle of sponsored Glaceau Vitaminwater or be boosted by the Enduro sports nutritional mix provided by Gower Power, people will pull over and want to know what on earth is going on!

As did Jeff and Zanele Meth, parents of beautiful sisters Bonita and Bridget, who are from Phalaborwa in the Limpopo Province and were holidaying near Harding. Jeff was very curious about the unicycle and The Heartman never tires of explaining the delicate technique required to ride the monster!

I thought you might enjoy this portrait I did roadside of little Bridget. Now tell me you didn't enjoy that. You can't, can you? No. I thought as much!

Every word of support from the public gives us a huge psychological boost and, in the case of our unicyclist, a massive pick-up to enable him to tackle the next hill. The most common question we get is “Are you insane?” Fair question. We’ve asked ourselves that many times over the past 10 days. Our answer is that the Heart & Sole Tour is the most sane thing either of us have ever done. We think it is instead completely mad to spend two hours of every working day sitting in traffic… and between each of those two hours to stare at the same four walls of an office waiting for 5pm to come along!

So we are hugely privileged to be allowed to indulge ourselves this wild adventure, meeting wonderful people, accepting their kindnesses and, all the while, be raising awareness of an issue about which we both feel so passionately. And, as we trundle so slowly along, we are exposed to the most gorgeous natural beauty of South Africa, our beloved country. How fortunate we all are!

And here's a spot of South Africa's natural splendour... it certainly seemed to captivate The Heartman who found relief from his arduous ride in the scenery! Pix: Hatman

OK. So today’s ride was sheer madness. Steep uphills tackled in searing heat. But it beats being bored in an air-conditioned office, hey? Mmmm. Easy for me to say… I wasn’t the poor soul riding a unicycle in that lot!

* Today’s back-up truck playlist: Donny Hathaway, Gil Scott-Heron, David Bowie, Jethro Tull, Just Jinger, Toni Rowland, Nicola Conte, The Quantic Soul Orchestra, Jazzanova, Mr Scruff, Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse and Alice Russell.

* Pierre Brink, proud dad of The Heartman, is challenging other businessmen or women to boost our dwindling funds by matching his pledge to sponsor The Heart & Sole Tour at a rand per kilometre covered. If we make it to Cape Town – and we will! – that will be a cool R1,700. Anybody up for that? If so, please e-mail me at redh...@gmail.com and give me your name and contact details. You will be indirectly supporting our objective of raising awareness of the devastation caused by landmines. Thank you!

Heart and Sole Tour : Day 3

kai@thesoleofafrica.org.za (The Sole of Africa) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 19:57:28 GMT

Heart & Sole Tour – Day 3: Fantasticness and disaster

December 30, 2009 in 2009/2010 Heart & Sole Tour, The Umdloti Vibe, Uncategorized, fredtube Tags: Brenda Spaan, Fred Hatman, Geoff Brink, Hibberdene, Ignacio, internet connection, Jimmy Reynolds, KwaZulu-Natal south coast, landmines, natural energy drink, Pussy, SA-positive, Scottburgh, The Heart and Sole Tour, The Heartman, The Sole of Africa, Umdloti, unicycling, video, YouTube

Look. I’ve been a journalist long enough to know how to expertly “fudge” an issue. But if this blog is to be an accurate portrayal of the peaks and troughs, nay hills and valleys, of The Heart & Sole Tour, then no way… I’m not making a silk purse of a sow’s ear.

This day has been both beautiful and disastrous. Beautiful in that The Heartman, aided by favourable conditions, chowed up no less than 40.2km. A gentle tailwind and cool, overcast conditions propelled him, despite painful knees, from Scottburgh to Hibberdene in no little style. The hills were tough but, with his stamina and strength on the rise, old Heartie wasn’t to be beaten. In unicycling terms, the best day so far.

Then dee-rama struck on a grand scale. Or not so grand. I’m not going into detail – there’s a Heart & Sole Tour objective to be accomplished – but suffice to say that it has been forcefully driven home to me that perhaps the greatest challenge faced on a marathon adventure such as this lies in the psychological and emotional dimensions. Especially with two such strong personalities at the centre of it all.

OK. Tomorrow is another day. Now, if this infernally weak internet connection allows me, I would like to treat you to a video that has just reached us of Geoff “Heartman” Brink showing off his considerable unicycling skills and talking eloquently about what it is that drives us to overcome all adversity to complete the 1,700km – wait, 1,600km! – which lies before us.

I’ve just been brought a cold “Pussy natural energy drink” to help me recover from this day. And find enough patience with this woeful internet signal to attempt to load up the vid. I suggest you pour yourselves a stiff one while I try…

There. I think it’s on. If you do actually get to see the above video, it was filmed and edited by bright Umdloti thing Jimmy Reynolds using footage shot in Mozambique by Brenda Spaan for The Sole of Africa. The gravely disfigured face in that footage belongs to Ignacio who stepped on a landmine when he was just nine years old. But not just any landmine. This particularly cruel piece of military ordnance was designed, when detonated, to leap roughly five feet nine inches into the air and explode into people’s faces.

This is what happened to Ignacio, a beautiful and innocent boy at the time. And this is precisely the reason why we need to put personal – and ultimately petty – differences aside and finish this Heart and Sole Tour. My connection has gone again. And so have I. Good night!