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Interview Jerry White
ADM's Steve Sapienza
interviews the Co-founder and Director of the Landmine Survivor's Network
for"Survivor's Stories: Americans and Landmines" |
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SAPIENZA: When and how was Landmines Survivors Network founded?
WHITE: Landmines Survivors Network was founded in 1995 when another American Landmine survivor, Ken Rutherford lost both his legs in Somalia and myself gathered at a United Nations event in Vienna and met with other survivors and spoke out for the first time about survivor experience.
SAPIENZA: What did you decide then what would be the focus or the purpose of Landmine Survivors Network?
WHITE: When we realized that there was no international voice piece for the survivors up until then in the international campaign to ban landmines... other large NGOs had spoken for survivors with a certain motto or "We speak for those who cannot speak for themselves." And to the contrary, here were survivors gathering who were saying pass the money I have plenty to say about my own experience and the experience of my mind effected country. So that was the genesis of it. It was really giving a platform, a dignified platform for an organization or for survivors to speak out for themselves so landmine survivors never was created as the first and only international organization by and for survivors if you will.
SAPIENZA: How has Landmine Survivors Network grown since its inception?
WHITE: Landmine survivors network started as a powerful idea: survivors have been survivors. I think we underestimated how powerful that was that here we had a certain fellowship of suffering amongst survivors from Cambodia, Bosnia, Angola, Mozambique, the US all sharing a certain common bond and a passion to see that these weapons that had scarred our bodies, that they are eradicated for ever more.
SAPIENZA: And today what are some of the programs that landmine survivors network actually does work with?
WHITE: LSN is now active in 5 mine effected countries. We have programs in Bosnia, Jordan, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Mozambique and each country it's very exciting. These are employment opportunities for mine victims who developed peer support networks to visit new amputees in the hospital or in their homes and then link them to existing rehabilitation services and then provide direct assistance as appropriate to help survivors reclaim their lives again. So again a very simple but powerful mission of survivors helping survivors become productive and contributing members of their societies again.
SAPIENZA: What would you say are some of the biggest accomplishments of your young organization?
WHITE: I think what I’m very proud of is this ability to organize survivors worldwide. And, we were adamant that in the negotiations for a draft landmine ban treaty that the survivors needs be addressed and we hired international lawyers. We worked and lobbied together across the globe to make sure that the language was in the treaty that obligated those countries that signed to help the victims or offer some level of humanitarian relief and I’m glad to say after much work and some suspense that this language got in the treaty. The language itself calls for the care and rehabilitation and economic and social reintegration of mine victims. And obligates those countries in a position to do so as the language says to contribute resources toward this end.
SAPIENZA: And what sort of countries are you targeting when you say that?
WHITE: You know that over 65 countries are mine effected and there are 80 to 100 million landmines lurking around the globe. All those countries are in need. And with high levels, the numbers of amputees in Cambodia, the statistics say there are maybe 40,000 plus landmine survivors in countries like Mozambique or Bosnia perhaps less. But again, you’re talking about 10,000 mine victims or more and there are needs for other amputees who have been hurt through the wars. So I’m very proud to say that these are the first ever amputee support networks in mine effected countries in Landmine Survivors Network is responsible for their genesis.
SAPIENZA: Can you tell us exactly, on the ground, some of these countries what types of things Landmines Survivors are doing to help themselves and also help other landmine survivors?
WHITE: In each country landmine survivors have worked on advocacy and education on one side. So that would mean pushing for the eradication of landmines, urging their government to sign the mine ban treaty, urging their governments to eradicate their stockpiles of mines and educate populations at risk.
They’re also advocating for the rights of the disabled in these countries - questions of access, questions of physical access for buildings, the rights of mine victims to compensations in other issues are being looked at from the advocacy side. There’s a full plate.
There’s also a full plate on the humanitarian side. Our oversees networks that are to hire survivors to visit and offer peer support and direct assistance that might include roof repair or food many survivors are simply starving through the winter and the fact that they have no limbs and are now unemployed have put their whole families at risk.
So its not always providing costs or coverage for prosthetic limbs sometime its that, but sometimes its roof repair, sometimes its utilities sometimes its transportation to a hospital or rehabilitation clinic it depends but its very much customized home by home family by family work.
SAPIENZA: You mentioned advocacy work. You and the landmine survivors here in the US had an advocacy event here called “Why Not Us.” It happened March first. Could you say when it occurred and what it was called and what was the purpose?
WHITE: On March 1, 1999 Landmine survivors from the United States, both civilian and military, gathered together from the White House and we launched our “Why Not Us” campaign, meaning why not the U.S.? Where is the U.S.? Why can’t or why haven’t we signed the landmine ban treaty?
So on the day that the treaty was becoming international law we had American survivors calling on President Clinton to follow through with all of his words and rhetoric about support for a ban and actually cross the finish line and commit the U.S. to this very important treaty.
SAPIENZA: What sort of things did you do that day?
WHITE: On March first it was a very powerful time of survivors from WWII, Vietnam, Bosnia, Korea, Gulf War, and civilians like myself, Ken Rutherford, and Maryann Holtz gathering together to put an American face on this problem. Many people don’t know that over 100 thousand Americans had been hung by landmines this century so we are trying to educate the American people that although we may not have landmines in our back yards it is an American problem and we must be part of a solution.
SAPIENZA: What do you think the landmine crisis - obviously its worst in countries, you’re saying it's not in our back yard, that the truth it is happening over there - are there any connections the way the trade and travel - more Americans are traveling, we’re doing more trade abroad - if it's not a businessman, American businessman who might step on a mine its certainly disruptive to
how does a landmine crisis impact us that way?
WHITE: Imagine for a moment the fear of living next to an unmarked mine field. Imagine knowing that once every 22 minutes there's a landmine explosion. Someone, somewhere in the world steps on a landmine. Imagine wanting to go fishing. Imagine living next to a minefield, you being afraid for your very life. Imagine your children walking to school, or wanting to go fishing with dad on a riverbank and knowing that perhaps that area is mined or not knowing.
Living in fear and terror is a tragedy. It means that you will not enjoy outside recreation. It means you will not farm your fields. It means you will fear every time your children walk to school. This is the type of terror that these weapons inflict in mined effected countries. Terror that’s what these weapons are. Insidious, indiscriminate weapons of terror, military litter, very cruel perpetual killing machines that go on killing for decades primarily men, women and children and civilians, this is a crime.
SAPIENZA: Why should Americans care about the landmines abroad?
WHITE: I think the world is getting smaller, and I also think that American businessmen or tourists like myself traveling abroad in the more than 60 countries that have been affected by landmines are now at risk. We are having relief workers being blown up by landmines. Tourists. In fact a couple, a couple years ago were camping on their honeymoon in the Sinai blown up and killed. I myself was injured in Israel, camping as a tourist, not a soldier. We had increasing statistics of our peacekeepers being injured and our own troops even the military landmines threaten our soldiers who end up walking into our minefields and increasingly the casualties from our own military complex are caused by our landmines. Friendly fire from under foot.
SAPIENZA: How do you think the average American could make a difference with regard to the landmine issue? What can they do?
WHITE: First I’d ask Americans to wake up. Very often we aren’t looking outside our borders, and yet outside our borders are enormous risks and enormous suffering. I think of this statistic that a quarter of the world’s population, now that’s about 1.5 billion people, are living under a dollar a day; less than 365 dollars a year.
First, as Americans, let's have some international education and also realize how blessed we are. Next, figure out how to be part of the solution. The U.S. often says we aren’t the problem, our mines aren’t hurting people. Well tell that to the landmines that have been discovered around the world in Somalia, in Iraq, in Angolia, in El Salvador, in Cambodia in Vietnam, the list goes on where American landmines have been discovered.
So the nearly 5 million that we’ve exported since '69 are out there lurking. Our mines are part of the problem. We share responsibility for cleaning them up. So from a legal and moral standpoint let’s do it: clean up our mess and as a world leader and superpower, let's not hide behind the Pentagon’s reasons for why we need to cling to our landmine addiction. Let’s join the other NATO members and ban this weapon. Obviously other countries are not having trouble with this. 135 countries have signed the international mine ban treaty realizing that this weapon is inhumane, indiscriminate and not justifiable in today’s wars.
SAPIENZA: You’ve done a lot of travel abroad, speaking out on this issue. How do you find other people and other countries perceiving the U.S. position on landmines?
WHITE: It is very hard for me as an American to look into a Cambodian's face and have pheasant girl who knows a little bit about this and may be involved in a campaign in her country, ask me "why not your country" and I say "I don’t know." We’re asking our own government "why not us?" It is a moment of shame as an American abroad to not stand with the moral and global verdict on these weapons that they must be eradicated.
So it is an embarrassment for Americans abroad to look into the eyes of others, particularly in the mine fields and to say that the world’s number one superpower, the only remaining superpower, really needs these weapons. That is laughable and embarrassing.
SAPIENZA: We’ve seen a biological and chemical weapons ban. There was a large anti-nuclear weapons movement. Could you put this in perspective for some Americans who may wonder how big a crisis this is?
WHITE: I’ve spent my professional life tracking weapons and mass destruction nuclear, chemical and biological weapons that primarily injure civilians. And, when I looked at landmines it was startling to me to see the statistics and to understand that landmines have killed and maimed more people than nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons combined. These are truly weapons of mass destruction in slow motion. They’re just happening here, there, over there one at a time every 22 minutes. But a mass in critical numbers and astounding numbers of victims around the world.
SAPIENZA: Did you ever think right after your injury occurred did you ever think that you would be working for an organization, the cofounder of an organization that is dedicated to helping other landmine survivors?
WHITE: When I was injured by a landmine I thought it was a freak accident, I was sort of some strange statistic. It turns out that I am a very common statistic. So in my education over the last 5 or 6 years I’ve realized that there are hundreds of thousands of landmine survivors around the world and hundreds of thousands that are dead victims and also hundreds of thousands and millions more of families who are now hostage to minefields .
Having experienced this terror personally, having had the best of rehabilitation, being American with the best prostethis made, Ivy league education, a beautiful wonderful wife, 4 children, all the opportunities I felt I couldn’t turn my back on this, that it was time to speak out join forces and use my talents and fortune and blessings to make a difference where it’s desperately needed.
SAPIENZA: Tell us why you think the U.S. position on landmines should change.
WHITE: In 1994 President William Clinton declared at the UN, that we should all pursue an international ban on anti-personnel mines. It was leadership. It was wonderful news. Sadly, the rest of the world took it seriously, were excitedly, we took it seriously but sadly we stampeded pass the US and Clinton's words and rhetoric to create an international ban. This was the fastest that an international treaty had come into effect. Wonderful news and a real testimony to the power of civil society to get things done internationally.
The US position, now the Clinton administration has said we will stop use of anti-personnel mines around the world except Korea or...
... Canada showed leadership. Norway showed leadership. The Europeans showed leadership and the world stampeded past the US so now we have pictures of President Clinton in Kosovo saying believeably, that he doesn’t want any more children to lose an arm or a leg and yet we’ve had enough of the rhetoric and enough of the commitment. We’re looking for action. We’re looking for the U.S. to cross the finish line and join the mine ban treaty. The current US policy is that we will sign this treaty eventually - in fact, by the year 2006 if we can find alternatives for use of anti-personnel mines on the Peninsula for example. To me it’s a bit of a non policy that the administration's saying in some future administration we will ban this weapon. It’s a throw away for President Clinton.
The survivors from the U.S. who gathered on March first are calling on this president in this administration to follow through on its rhetoric and its commitment to the ban to sign now. Alternatives exist. We can fight wars around the world without landmines. Let's do it. Let's not hide behind the needs for these on the Korean peninsula.
I have so many stories from the veterans I’ve met from the different wars who stepped on our mines, U.S. made landmines.
Another point I would like to make about mines, I’ve just forgotten, it’s a very apt description to call landmines weapons of mass destruction in slow motion. Like poison gas, these are weapons that primarily hurt civilians and they complicate and pollute the battlefield. They may have had some limited military utility but on balance they’re disasters, they hurt our troops, they complicate the battlefield.
SAPIENZA: When you get up in the morning and you come to work and you walk through that door what are you thinking, what are you feeling, what keeps you going, when you come to work every day here, what drives you?
WHITE: I know let’s say in the 10 hours that I might be working during the day, there’s going to be another 30 mine victims. I know that there are hundreds of thousands out there who have primarily zilch for care in fact less than 6%, 5% of mine victims of developing countries have access to medical care. So this is a motivation and a passion I ‘ve had great care I know those who are suffering enormously so everyday when I come to work, there’s a strong passion to get the job done. To work quickly and efficiently and to raise the volume of the voices of survivors around the world so that care will come. That humanitarian relief will be provided. This is a humanitarian disaster and an international emergency. We must care for all of these people who have been injured through no fault of their own.
SAPIENZA: I guess, ah, just to finish it off can we talk a little bit about your injury and what happened when you were visiting as a student, but also you were camping with friends. And you know describe what you went through a little bit.
WHITE: I was on my junior year abroad from Brown University. I went to study in the Middle East and to tour the holy land, to study in Jeruselum. It was a great opportunity. I was very excited about this.
And then I went camping in Northern Isreal, in the Gallilee, and in the Gulong. I was with two American friends. And this is in 1984, in a April day. We were hiking down the side of a hillside, setting out to catch a ride to Jeruselum after five days of camping and suddenly boom! The whole earth exploded around me, and I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know what a landmine was. And we realized as we looked around us that this threat was coming from the ground. We didn’t know how far the borders of this minefield went and my two friends had to summon the courage to carry me out.
What was horrific about a landmine explosion is that you’re awake, you don’t pass out, you see your body mangled. I saw pieces of my body bones that had shot up in my leg like arrows. I saw that my foot was gone and blood was pouring out of my calf, and I thought, "my foot is gone, my foot is gone!" I was screaming. I was terrified. You can’t really communicate that surreal moment well.
Suffice it to say that I was an innocent, so to speak. I was an American tourist, camping in the holy land with two American friends and boom! In one second my life is changed forever. Was I at fault? This landmine was laid in the '67 war. So I was four years old, playing on the coast in Massachusetts, where I was growing up. Did I know anything about Arab/Israeli wars? No. And yet this landmine stayed in the ground. I hear it was supplied by the Russians and planted by the Cyrians during the six day war. And yet it waited there. Sixteen years until I happen to trod upon it. Did it have my name on it? Was I a soldier? No. I was a tourist.
Turns out this is a rather typical story. Not typical in terms of an American tourist that gets all the best care. But typical in the discription of the indiscriminate nature of the weapon. It could happen to you.
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