Young & Rubicam Creates Radio Spot to Support Landmine Victims: Tell us what you think!

All of us at Clear Path International are grateful to Young & Rubicam Malaysia for creating a 35 second radio spot for CPI. Please click "read more" to listen it and let us know what you think.

A Certificate of Merit Awarded to Clear Path in Vietnam

I don’t often write about ceremonies. Most of the time they’re just for looks, photo ops, grip and grins. When you have an all-hands-on-deck agenda to get things done, fluff and puff can be kind of a nuisance. But the recent presentation to CPI of the Certificate of Merit from the Provincial People’s Committee of Quang Tri was different to me. It was a real milestone in our seven-year history as a humanitarian mine action organization.

Good News, Bad News For Mine Clearance In Countries Where Clear Path International Has Assistance Programs

Although increased funding and fewer casualties were reported in 2006, many countries are not on course to meet their Mine Ban Treaty clearance obligations, says a new report from the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.

2007 Evening of Hope Benefit for Landmine Survivors Brings in $50,000!

Our third annual Seattle fundraiser, generously underwritten by the law firm Marler Clark, brought in more than $50,000 for our direct assistance work. That amount is a 43 percent increase over last year’s $35,000.

YouTube: Thank you, Martha!

This video was shown on the 10th anniversary Celebration of Martha Hathaway's work with landmine and bomb survivors in Vietnam, Cambodia, Afghanistan and the Thai-Burma border.

Senator Leahy Honors Clear Path | Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion Perform to a Sold Out Crowd

10th Anniversary of Public-Private Partnerships at US Dept of State's Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement

Ten years ago an initiative was begun at the US Department of State that would energize the mine action community in a creative and exciting way. In October of 1997 the State Department initiated the Humanitarian Mine Action Public-Priivate Partnership Program. Clear Path has benefitted greatly from the program as have 56 other NGOs.

Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion with Senator Patrick Leahy Benefit Clear Path International!

Sarah Lee Guthrie, the granddaughter of Woody Guthrie and the daughter of Arlo, will be returning to perform in Southern Vermont with her husband, the critically acclaimed Johnny Irion on Saturday, October 13th at Long Trail School in Dorset, VT. Speaking before the event will be long-time Clear Path supporter and landmine advocate, Senator Patrick Leahy.

Rutland Herald: CPI continuing to grow its reputation as a force for humanitarian relief

By PATRICK McARDLE Herald Staff
DORSET - Clear Path International is continuing to grow its reputation as a force for humanitarian relief with new developments this year in Afghanistan and Slovenia.

Shell explosion kills 3 family members in Vietnam

The explosion occurred at the victims' house in Duy Xuyen District on Tuesday afternoon when the 31-year-old man named Pham Van Thang was trying to break the shell for scraps. His wife, standing nearby, and the child held in her arms were killed on the spot.

Howstuffworks.com: How Landmines Work

So many people come to our site to learn how to clear landmines, that it seems many of you may be interested in how landmines work. Click the read more button for an excerpt from a great article by Kevin Bonsor for howstuffworks.com.

O & P Edge: CPI Clearing the Way for a Safer Future

The bulk of (Clear Path International's) work is deadly serious. With programs in Vietnam, Cambodia, along the Thai-Burma border, and now Afghanistan, the realities of war—even wars that ended more than 30 years ago—could not be any more dramatic. Dealing with the everyday horror can be overwhelming, but Matthee recalls a moment that makes even the most trying days seem worthwhile.

Landmine explosion in Vietnam kills 3 children

The children collected the landmine while tending their buffaloes and tried to smash it open when it exploded.

Clear Path International, International Trust Deal offers new hope for landmine, bomb survivors in Vietnam

The agreement's first proposal commits ITF to raise $230,000 from among its 27 government and private-sector donors to match the funds Clear Path is raising from the US State Department and US-based private-sector

Man Learns to Walk Again After Losing Limbs to Decades-old Bomb in Vietnam

The accident occured at about 11:00 a.m when Thi was digging up a tree stump. In close distance, Vinh was bending down, pulling fallen branches away. A loud explosion woke up the quiet forest as Thi’s pick hit the ground. The ordnance was subsurface and thus, nobody knew what it was; but the powerful blast knocked two men down on the ground.

China clearing landmines on Sino-Vietnamese Border

His heart pounded as rivulets of sweat trickled down his face in the semi-desert heat. Wei Lianhai's hands, moist with perspiration, snipped the wire of a landmine laid in the Friendship Pass area, on the border between China and Vietnam.

Reuters: Decade after Diana campaign, few use landmines

Ten years after the death of Princess Diana and the first global treaty against antipersonnel landmines, experts say only a handful of rebel groups and perhaps one state dare use what has become a pariah weapon

Associated Press and YouTube: Agent Orange Still Haunts Vietnam, US

More than 30 years after the Vietnam War ended, the poisonous legacy of Agent Orange has emerged anew with a scientific study that has found extraordinarily high levels of health-threatening contamination at the former U.S. air base at Danang.

United States Campaign to Ban Landmines Expands Its Mandate to Include Cluster Munitions Advocacy

From the USCBL: We are pleased to inform you that the Steering Committee of the US Campaign to Ban Landmines recently agreed to expand the mission of the coalition to include advocacy toward a prohibition on the use, production, and transfer of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians.

War Era Bombs Injure 2 Year Old and 72 Year Old In Vietnam

Accidents involving unexploded ordnance injured civilians ranging in age from 2 to 72 this last week in central Vietnam's former DMZ.

After More Than 30 Years ABN-AMRO's Loans to Cluster Bomb Makers Move Me To Close My Account

Over the years, I have had no complaints about ABN-AMRO, whose acronym stands for Algemene Bank Nederland and Amsterdam Rotterdam Bank. But, In the one of those moments that turns your stomach, I found out a few months ago that ABN-AMRO and another Dutch financial conglomerate, ING, made loans to European defense contractors that make cluster bombs.

YouTube: Cluster Bombs, A Weapon out of Control

A Human Rights Watch video showing how cluster munitions have endangered civilian populations from the Vietnam era through current conflicts in Iraq and Lebanon.

Vietnam sits atop 600,000 Tons of Landmines and Bombs

According to Vietnam's Bomb and Mine Disposal Technology Centre (BOMICEN) at the Engineering Command, 600,000 tons of war-time bombs and explosives currently lie under the ground throughout Vietnam.

Young Man Loses Hand to Vietnam War Era Bomb

18-year-old Tran Van Khoa was injured by an explosive remnant of the US-Vietnam war at 8h a.m on March 26th 2007 in Trieu Ai commune, Trieu Phong district of Quang Tri province.

Domino Theory: Vietnam now to have its own version of American Idol

Ho Chi Minh City Television (HTV) and Vietnam Advertising Co. will launch a Vietnamese version of American Idol and the UK’s Pop Idol, under the name Vietnam Idol, in April.

Flickr: Children of War Photo Pool

From war zones all over the world, the images show children acting like children (or trying to) while the adults around them act like monsters.

Clear Path Newsletter Available in PDF

The 2007 Winter/Spring CPI Newsletter is now available online. Read about our recent matching campaign with the US Dept of State, how we introduced a hippopotamus to Cambodia, and updates from Chi and Lobke, two of our representatives on the ground in Southeast Asia!

YouTube: Lost Arms to Grenade in Vietnam, Now He Swims and Rides his Bicycle

Mr. Lang was working with his parents in a potato field in 1976 when he saw a bright yellow device (M79 grenade). He picked it up and the device detonated in his hand. He lost two arms just below elbow.

Seattle Post Intelligencer: Cluster bombs leave a lethal legacy

Given their high failure rates and controversial deployment, there is a growing movement afoot to restrict the use of cluster bombs. It's time to end the kind of post-conflict suffering I see every time I travel to Southeast Asia for Clear Path International.

Reuters: Hidden Bombs Stalk Vietnamese as States Seek Treaty

"It is sinful that the war has an impact after all these years, that the bombs and the landmines are still there," the boy's distraught father, Pham Van Cuoi, said in the family's small concrete dwelling.

Bombs Injure Three Boys, Kill One Over Tet Holidays in Central Vietnam

Both Son and Cong knew what cluster bombs were since they had seen many before. However, this was the first time they found one half of a bomb: a hemisphere, not a complete steel sphere. They could see the yellow TNT exposed and a round metal section at the center of the explosive.

YouTube: Improvised Explosive Devices of the Vietnam War

A fascinating video on how unexploded US ordnance was used in Vietnam by North Vietnamese forces. Considering how much ordnance is STILL on the ground to this day, there must have been no shortage of the stuff.

Rick Gunn Visits, and Photographs, Clear Path in Vietnam

"Vinh was planting trees on his land," his doctor explained. "That's when he swung his pick into an unexploded bomb."...I cringed..."It might take a while," the doctor concluded, "but Vinh will learn to walk again."

2005 - 2006 Landmine/UXO Victims in Central Vietnam

Chi of the Vietnam office compiled the last two years of UXO accident rates in central Vietnam and has posted his findings here. From 2005 to 2006, Clear Path Vietnam responded to 209 UXO accidents.

Clear Path YouTube Video Reaches 10000 Views

We produced this 7 minute video a few years ago with NPR's Corey Flintoff as narrator and the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart donating the music.

CNN and YouTube: Cambodia's poor scavenge for mines

This story is not news to anyone who reads this blog, or folks who have seen Skye FItzgerald's film BOMBHUNTERS. CNN is reporting on unexploded ordnance scavengers in recognition of LANDMINE AWARENESS DAY in Cambodia.

Remnants of War: Sara Smits in Syracuse University Magazine

"I’m fueled by the memories and knowing there are people who are struggling with the issues surrounding landmines.” She finds purpose in her research and does speaking engagements to raise funds for Clear Path. “They do amazing work,” Smits says. “I want to somehow give back to the people who gave me so much information and so much inspiration.”

Thank you, Senator Leahy

Yet again I am so proud to be a constituent of yours. As a volunteer for Clear Path International, I have witnessed first hand the devastating effects of cluster bombs.

One Boy Killed, One Man Loses Hand In Accidents Involving Ordnace in Vietnam

One man lost a hand and a boy his life in two accidents with unexploded ordnace in central Vietnam this week.

Year of the Pig: A Year of Ease?

The Lunar New Year’s Eve is on February 16th, 2007. February 17th is the first day of the year of the Pig. Many Vietnamese believe that this would be a year of ease. We hope that is what the Pig will bring for 2007.

The Not So Funnies: Mary Worth On Dioxin and the Legacy of The Vietnam War

Mary Worth visits Vietnam and learns of one of the enduring legacies of a brutal conflict in a way only Mary Worth can: "They're innocents, maimed by dioxin! Victims of a war not of their making!"

U.S. gives Vietnam $400,000 to plan clean-up of Agent Orange hotspot

The money will be used to help pay for a $1 million study on how to remove dioxin from the soil at the former U.S. base in Danang, one of three Agent Orange hotspots recognized by the U.S. government. Dioxin is a highly toxic ingredient of Agent Orange, an herbicide U.S. forces used to strip away foliage from jungles during the Vietnam War.

Clear Path's Burmese Refugee Program Rep Visits CPI Vietnam

The clear presentation of Dong Ha’s CPI-staff drags me into their projects and for a moment I forget that I’m part of the same organization. I am amazed by the difference they make in peoples lives; it deserves great respect.

Clear Path Welcomes the New Year with a New Team

This great new group of people adds to the current team -- equally impressive -- that includes the founders, our other existing board members, Francesca Thompson, Nancy Norton and Lori Trieu, our five fulltime employees in Vietnam -- Tran Thi Thanh Toan, Tran Duc, Le Thi Yen Nhi, Trang Hong Chi & Phang Thi Ai Phuong and our partner organizations in Cambodia and along the Thai-Burma border.

Tampering With Live Bombs to Sell the Scrap Metal– A Deadly Job

The first step was to separate the nose section (section with the fuse in it) from the rest of the bomb. Like one would cut off a tiny rotten end of a banana, but this was done with a blowtorch. They cut the conical section off the bomb so they could sell the steel casing.

Listening Post: How would YOU improve Clear Path?

How would readers of this blog (all three of you) improve upon how we are communicating the mission of Clear Path? What do you reccomend we do to advance our work?

Cindy McCain in Cambodia and How I Accidentally met John McCain

Sometime in the first quarter of 2001, I was late for my flight out of Washington, DC to New Orleans. Being the last one to board, I was assigned the only remaining seat on the plane in the Economy Plus section. As I boarded the plane, I immediately recognized the man in the aisle seat next to my assigned middle seat was Senator John McCain.

CPI Vietnam Responds to Its First Accident of 2007

Just as I entered the office this morning Duc, our logistic officer, announced that he received a phone call last night reporting of a new accident happened earlier in the day (January 8th). One person was killed on spot and another 12 year old boy was seriously injured

Vietnam receives mine-clearing gear from United States

HA NOI — The United States yesterday donated nearly US$1 million worth of equipment to locate and clear landmines and unexploded ordnance to the Centre for Bomb and Mine Disposal Technology (BOMICEN). The equipment will reinforce the centre’s capacity to deal with explosive hazards that have remained after thirty years of conflict.

Vietnam: Clear Path Responded to 88 New Victims of Bombs, Landmines and other Munitions in 2006

As the report shows, nearly 40 percent, or two out of five, of the victims were children (under 18). Thirty-six victims died from their wounds, which were caused by landmines, cluster bombs, mortars, phosphorous grenades and other explosives still left over from the war.

A Judy Collins Christmas in Vermont ... how sweet it was

Some stars shine brighter than other stars, and Judy Collins' star was shining brightly, brilliantly, as she shared her light with all those lucky enough to be in the sold out audience Sunday at the Judy Collins Christmas Benefit for Clear Path International at the Dorset Playhouse.

Bombs kill one boy, injure another in Central Vietnam

Central Vietnam- Explosive remnants of the Vietnam War have claimed their latest victims in Central Vietnam killing a 14 year old boy and injuring an 18 year old in two incidents over the past week.

Rutland Herald: Small Vermont organization having big international impact

James Lawrence, director of partnership programs for the State Department's Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, said government officials have begun to seek out partners in the private sector who can assist people whose lives have been altered by land mines. "Clear Path has good local support, low overhead, they provide direct support to the people who need it. That's just the kind of things we look for," he said.

Manchester Journal: Judy Collins to Benefit Clear Path International

The concert will benefit Clear Path International, an organization born out of wanting to make the world a better place. They reach their philanthropic help, loving arms and compassionate energy all the way to Vietnam, Cambodia, the Thai-Burma border and most recently to Afghanistan serving the victims, survivors and the families of landmine and unexploded bomb accidents.

Judy Collins to Perform War Victim Benefit Concert in Vermont

Dorset, Vermont- The legendary Judy Collins is set to perform a benefit concert in Dorset, Vermont on December 17th at the Dorset Playhouse to aid civilian victims of war in Vietnam, Cambodia and along the Thailand - Myanmar border.

Cabot Orton: Eyes Open

Bob, Sarah and I have been here three days and can't remember arriving; the level of constant emotional and sensory impact we're experiencing tends to capture awareness, trapping sense of time like a bug in amber.

Bob Allen: I Cried Today for the First Time

I have been in Vietnam for five days and felt like crying every day. The War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City heightened my sense of guilt and shame for a 30 year-old war. The pictures of death and...

CPI Group Trip: The First Days are the Hottest Days

The group on our trip through the jungle on day 3. Hello from Dong Ha Town, Quang Tri Province, Vietnam! This region is one of the most heavily bombed areas in the history of the world. More bombs were...

Clear Path Group Arrives in Ho Chi Minh City

Greetings from Ho Chi Minh City! Our group arrived safely this morning at around 11:30am local time.... our trajectory Vermont> Albany,NY>Newark, NJ> Seattle, WA> Taipei> Ho Chi MInh City... all tolled over 30 HOURS! Chi from the Vietnam office met...

A New Addition to the Clear Path Family

The Clear Path International family just got a little bigger... CPI beneficiary Ho Thi Ha has had a baby boy!

Vietnam: Explosive Remnants of War Incident Report from January 2006 to September 2006

Over the last year Clear Path International's Vietnam staff has been working to create a database for reporting on accidents involving explosive remnants of war that are reported to us and to which we have responded to give assistance. These reports are only the incidents to which we (CPI) have responded and are not representative of the country as a whole. In this blog we post our first report.

Nobelity: Purchase this critically acclaimed film and help Clear Path

Filmed across the U.S., France, England, India & Kenya, Nobelity is a stunning look at the world's most pressing problems through the eyes of nine Nobel Laureates, including Wangari Maathai, Richard E. Smalley, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Three Men Dead: Wartime ordnance continues to kill in Vietnam

Three men were killed in Vietnam’s southern Dong Nai province Thursday while sawing an unexploded US artillery shell left from the Vietnam War 30 years ago. Two of the middle-aged victims, Nguyen Van Hanh and Nguyen Van Nam, who were killed by the 105mm shell, earned their livelihoods by searching for and selling American wartime ordnance, according to a source.

'After the War…the Killing Continues' Photo Exhibit on Bainbridge Island, WA

Photojournalist Erin Fredrichs accompanied a small group from Clear Path International on a three-week tour of its landmine survivor assistance programs in Southeast Asia last year. The compelling and deeply moving photographs Fredrichs took are now on display at Grace Episcopal Church on Bainbridge Island, Washington (near Seattle) through mid October. The pictures are a selection from Fredrich’s Master’s thesis project, “After the War…the Killing Continues,” towards her degree at Ohio University.

Vietnam: Four Year Old Girl and Father Killed, Others Injured by War Era Ordnance

Another heartbreaking report from our staff in central Vietnam 1. (Ho Vien Khan, born in 1948 and Ho Thi Thia, born in 2002) An accident happened to a man and his daughter on August 5th 2006 in Hong Trung commune,...

Clear Path assists UXO affected children with scholarships

On the occasion of the new school year 2006-2007, Clear Path International and its local partner, the Section of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (SoLISA) of Vinh Linh district organize a scholarship granting ceremony at the district people’s committee office.

Vietnam: Three Children Killed, Five Injured in Two Accidents with War Era Bombs

The accident happened at 5 p.m., in the front yard of Mrs. Vo Thi Ha’s, a local scrap dealer in Cam Nghia commune, Cam Lo district.

US Munitions Still Deadly in Vietnam

On Aug. 13, in the Hoai An district of the central province of Binh Dinh, four 13- to 15-year-old boys died after they found a U.S.-made M79 rifle grenade and broke it open to get the gunpowder. The grenade exploded,...

Four Children Killed by Explosive In Vietnam

Last week, on August 13th, while looking after their families' cows, four children (ages 12, 13 and two at 15 years old) living in Hoai An district of Binh Dinh province, Vietnam picked up an explosive left over from the...

YouTube Video: If Some Bombs Are Smart Then 'Cluster Munitions Are Destructive Morons'

This YOUTUBE video from Canada's CBC NEWS shows the dangerous nature of cluster bombs in warfare. Many of the injuries/deaths from unexploded bombs we see in Vietnam are the result of cluster bombs left over from the Vietnam war....

Phuong: Bomb Survivor - Track Star

I recognized her as soon as i saw her. At the first instant, i was slightly confused because i thought that we were visiting a different Clear Path beneficiary. My mind had decided that we were going to visit a...

Visiting with Survivors, Kids First Village, and the Cam Lo Blind Association

Our initial beneficiary contact yesterday came with arriving at the Clear Path offices first thing in the morning. Ok, actually our first activity was having banh mi om let pho ma ~ Vina for scrambled eggs with cheese on...

Heavy Rains in Central Vietnam

For those of you reading this blog to follow Imbert, Wolf and Lori's journey, there may be a pause in updates. Dong Ha (where they currently are staying in the Vietnam headquarters of Clear Path International) is experiencing HEAVY...

CPI Canada Director Reaches Vietnam

Hi, My name is Lori and this is my first trip with CPI as Director of Canada Chapter visiting some of the project sites in Asia. Below are my experiences / accounts about this trip as I travel from North...

US Department of State to MATCH Donations To Clear Path!

The U.S. State Department has announced it will match up to $60,000 in contributions made by any grassroots and private-sector donors to Clear Path International’s landmine accident survivor assistance work in central Vietnam. The matching period will last at least...

Martha, Executive Director of CPI on Vermont Public Radio

Vermont Public Radio interviewed our executive Director, Martha Hathaway, on her upcoming trip to Afghanistan and the work of Clear Path International in Asia. You can hear the interview here. The text of the article is below (source VERMONT PUBLIC...

Love Story of a Blind Couple_The Last Chapters

HOW DID WE KNOW ABOUT THEM Things started back in April 2006, when we deployed one of the first procedures of a project circle: Home assessments. These, generally speaking, are visits to each and every Landmine/UXO affected households to obtain...

Love Story of a Blind Couple_Chapter 4

HOW THEY MET Again, this chapter is written by Nhi. Thanks for a beautiful piece of work, Nhi. It was one August morning 5 years ago, Thien kept twiddling the broom that he’d just finished since that was the first...

Love Story of a Blind Couple_Chapter 3

THE GROOM’S STORY This chapter is written by Le Thi Yen Nhi, CPI project officer. Thank you Nhi for sharing the chapters with me. Thien at the broom workshop Pham Van Thien was born in 1972 in a big and...

Love Story of a Blind Couple_Chapter 2

THE BRIDE'S STORY Huyen's parents are wounded war veterans who survived from all those fierce battles around the former DMZ. After the war they returned to Mai Loc, resettled in the area that they both knew very well and did...

Love Story of a Blind Couple

THE WEDDING PARTY A wedding party was held on July 2, 2006 in Mai Loc village, Cam Chinh commune, Cam Lo district, Quang Tri province. The wedding was so special, for the bride and groom were both blind. Nearly half...

Norwich University Blogs From Vietnam

Hello Norwich administration, alumni, friends and family. This is Evan George, a sophomore in the Corps of Cadets at Norwich University. I am writing to you from the beautiful city of Hue, Viet Nam. I can not even think...

Family Catastrophe: Three Children Killed, Three Wounded

On May 30th, 2006, a terrible UXO related accident happened in central highland of Vietnam. Six children from 2 to 11 years old were killed and injured by a cluster bomb explosion. The accident happened in Kong Chro district, Gia...

THREE YEARS OLD BOY INJURED IN A UXO ACCIDENT IN QUANG TRI, VIET NAM

When I first received the brief information over the phone about the accident, I couldn’t imagine how a three years old boy could involve in a UXO accident. For he is too small to cause anything that lead to a...

January 27, 1973: Vietnam Peace MIlestone

From the Washington Times Vietnam peace milestone By Stroube Smith January 29, 2006 "Friday marked the 33rd anniversary of the signing of the Vietnam Peace Accords, the agreement that was supposed to bring "peace with honor" and end the conflict...

Audio Post: "Why We Fight"

Clear Path International advisor Joan Widdifield, in addition to her tireless work for our cause, is also a film critic. She recently saw the documentary film "Why We Fight". Her review of the film (she liked it) is posted here...

Clear Path's Humanitarian Work Recognized

On January 23, 2006, leaders of the Quang Binh Committee for Population, Family and Children (CPFC) paid a visit to Clear Path's Vietname Office in Dong Ha town, Quang Tri province. Mr. Le Thanh Tan, CPFC chairman, was authorized to...

14-Year-Old Boy Lost Hand in War-Era Munition Accident

It was Sunday, January 8, 2006, a day off school and Nguyen The Thang was busy in the backyard moving some bonsai trees to plant in the front entrance. Tet, the Vietnamese traditional Newyear festival is coming in two weeks,...

Thanks, Jim! Subscription Donations are Catching On

Our latest donation (from our good friend Jim in the Netherlands) is a monthly contribution of 10 dollars a month automatically charged to his credit card. These monthly donations are EASY to make and are a great way to help...

One Dead, One Injured in Vietnam from War-Era Bombs

I hope later Chi will post more on these incidents (Chi, if you read this before we reach other, please do), but for now here is an email to me from Toan "Skinny" in Central Vietnam: Hi James, I am...

Hero of My Lai, Hugh Thompson, Has Died

The word hero has been applied so liberally in recent years, that it has largely lost its meaning. There is no other word than heroic, however, to define the actions of Hugh Thompson in the Village of My Lai on...

Clear Path's Outreach Worker - Medal Winner in PARAGAMES

Returning home from the 3rd regional PARAGAMES in Philippine, Le Thi Hoai Phuong, an UXO Survivor/a CPI’s Outreach Worker/a Class F44 Female Athlete had brought home 4 Gold medals and a Silver one, bringing her medal collection up to 24...

Great News from Vietnam

Chi posted yesterday a video of our 14 year old friend Nghia walking. I first wrote about Nghia on this blog in March of 2005. He was injured by a bomb left over from the US-Vietnam War while I was...

Boy Who Lost Legs Gets on His Feet

Ho Van Nghia, a 13-year old boy in Hue city, Viet Nam lost his legs and a hand in an UXO accident in March 2005. After going through long term treatments and rehabilitation, he now can get back on his...

Father of Five Killed in Vietnam

This just in from our office in Quang Tri Province, Vietnam: (Truong Quoc Dung-aged 40) A horrible accident happened to a 40-year-old man in Gio Linh district of Quang Tri province at 16h on Dec 27th 2005. Unknown ordnance suddenly...

Van Lai's Vietnam Ride for CPI Appears in Audrey Magazine

As we previously posted, Clear Path supporter, Van Lai, biked across Vietnam to help support our work. Audrey Magazine picked up the story and it can be seen here. Thanks again, Van!...

A Lucky Boy In Central Vietnam

This report came in a couple weeks ago from our office in Central Vietnam: An accident happened to an eight-year-old boy (Nguyen Chi Luong-born in 1997) in Phu Loc district of Thua Thien Hue province on the ending days of the year 2005. It was on Dec 13^th when the boy came home from school. He saw unknown ordnance on the way and picked it up (It was reported later that it is a fuse). Because of curiosity, he tried to tamper it. And then came the explosion at 5 p.m. The boy received a lot of fragments on the chest and two arms and lost 2 fingers in the left hand. Luckily, no other kids were involved the that accident. The boy was then taken to the local health center and first aid and thereafter transferred to Hue Central Hospital for intensive care and treatment. He had two surgeries for skin transplant already.

CPI Raises Substantial Funding in 4th Quarter

Good news in our most recent press release: During the fourth quarter of 2005, Clear Path International raised more than $275,000 for landmine accident survivors in Southeast Asia through major grants, special events and grassroots contributions, the organization said this week. In October, Clear Path’s fifth anniversary benefit dinner at the Columbia Tower Club in Seattle, attended by many of its island supporters, raised nearly $30,000. This included a $5,000 underwriting grant from the Seattle-based law firm Marler Clark, LLC. In December, the humanitarian mine action group received word from the McKnight Foundation in Minneapolis of $180,000 in grants for Clear Path’s survivor assistance projects in Vietnam and Cambodia during the next two years. The largest two-year grant from McKnight, for $105,000, will support a joint project of CPI and Cambodian Volunteers for Community Development in Phnom Penh to build a rice mill in Battambang Province, western Cambodia. The proposed rice mill and adjoining facility in Battambang will accommodate the training of landmine accident survivors and their families in hands-on agricultural and technical vocational skills. The total budget for the mill, whose production is expected to make the training program self-sustaining within three years, is $327,000. The other two-year McKnight grant for $75,000 will support Clear Path International’s survivor assistance program in central Vietnam, where the organization provides medical and socioeconomic assistance to hundreds of families in three districts north and south of the former Demilitarized Zone that once split the country in two. From the Mark D. Johnson Charitable Trust in California, Clear Path received a $50,000 gift, with $30,000 for survivor assistance in all three program countries �“ Vietnam, Cambodia and the Thai-Burma border area �“ and $20,000 for a media project to raise awareness of the landmine problem in Southeast Asia. In addition, Clear Path received a $5,000 grant for its survivor assistance and mine action work from the Olive Higgins Prouty Foundation and $4,000 from John and Hazel Griffith of San Jose. The remainder of the $275,000 came from individual donations. Since it was founded on Bainbridge Island in 2000, Clear Path has provided assistance to more than 2,300 landmine accident survivors and their families in Southeast Asia, and sent 60 containers with $4 million worth of medical equipment and supplies to dozens of hospitals in 20 countries affected by the presence of landmines.

Sally Taylor & John Curley to Host CPI’s 5th Anniversary on Oct. 16

SEATTLE -- Clear Path International will celebrate its fifth anniversary at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 16 with a benefit dinner high above Seattle at the Columbia Tower Club. The event, “An Evening of Hope for Landmine Survivors,” will be...

August 25: One man killed, house down to ashes

The phone rang just as we enter the office after lunch break. Another UXO accident had just happened in Vinh Lam commune, Vinh Linh district. The informant just briefed that it was a serious accident involved a man killed...

Father of Five Killed by Bomb in Vietnam

Sounds of lament could be heard from a distance. Neighbors were quietly preparing for the funeral. An altar was set up right at the main entrance to the living room. A green curtain separates the altar from a bed...

US-Vietnam War Continues to Claim Lives, Limbs In Central Vietnam

QUANG TRI, Vietnam - August 22 - The US-Vietnam War continues to claim lives and limbs here in Central Vietnam. Bombs that lie scattered across the landscape detonate on a regular basis killing and maiming adults and children on a...

One Killed, Two Injured by US-Vietnam War Era Bombs

One Killed, Two Injured by US-Vietnam War Era Bombs Quang Tri Province, Vietnam- One man was killed and two other men remain hospitalized after encountering US-Vietnam War era ordnance this week in central Vietnam On August 10th, 32 year old...

Cruel Summer: Bombs of Vietnam War Continue to Kill and Maim

Cluster bombs and other ordnance left over from the Vietnam War continue to kill and maim civilians in Vietnam 30 years after the war ended here. Below is a brief on just some of the accidents that occured in Central...

HRW: Destroy Stockpile of Unsafe Cluster Submunitions

While we call ourselves a "Landmine Victim Assistance" organization, it is really accurate, but much more wordy to say "Victim of Unexploded Ordnance Assistace" organization. Bombies, or cluster bombs, kill and injure more people in Vietnam than landmines. The...

Journal of Mine Action Article on Clear Path

An article written by CPI Co-founder Imbert Matthee is appearing in this month's online version of the Journal of Mine Action. Survivor Assistance Profile: Clear Path International Rebuilding Shattered Lives in Southeast Asia You can read the article here. Imbert,...

Journal of Mine Action Article on Clear Path

An article written by CPI Co-founder Imbert Matthee is appearing in this month's online version of the Journal of Mine Action. Survivor Assistance Profile: Clear Path International Rebuilding Shattered Lives in Southeast Asia You can read the article here. Imbert,...

Toan and Son's Wedding

Thank you to Chi for sending photos of Toan's wedding to the home office. Below is a picture of the happy couple with Duc on the left and Chi on the right....

Man Killed By Vietnam War Era Bomb

A 41 year-old man was killed by a Vietnam War-era piece of ordnance on July 22nd, 2005 in the Vinh Linh district of Quang tri province, Vietnam. Nguyen Cuu Lam dicovered the bomb while working in the fields and was...

Congratulations Toan and Son!

So often the news on this blog is tragic and seldom do we have cause for celebration... but this is an exception! Our team leader in Vietnam, Tran Thi Thanh Toan is getting married next week to CPI outreach worker...

Joan Widdifield and Friends Reach Vietnam

CPI Advisory Board member Joan Widdifield is traveling in Vietnam with a group of CPI supporters and filming her experiences. After being delayed in Taiwan, they arrived this week. We landed in Taiwan prepared to wait for our connecting flight...

Boy, 14, Found Dead from US-Vietnam War Era Explosive

Quang Tri Province, Vietnam- A young boy was found dead by his mother last week after he failed to return home from farming peanuts early in the morning on July 8, 2005.

Man Injured By Explosive in Vietnam

(Vo The Vinh, aged 46) An accident happened to a 46 year-old man in Gio Linh district of Quang Tri province at 10h a.m on Saturday, June 25^th . A piece of ordnance detonated while he was gardening outside his...

Landmine Kills Father and Injures Daughter in Vietnam

Due to economic hardhip, many people in former war zones in SE Asia tamper with unexploded ordnance (UXO) tampering to sell the metal and the TNT. Below is the most recent story involving tampering that resulted in death and injury...

Video: Mother of two is lost to Bomb

This accident was reported here last month, but Chi from the Vietnam ofice just put together a video of the visit with the family. Click the button below to see the video. He has also sent in a report which...

Celebrating Children's Day with Photos

As our friends from Johnson State College are celebrating Children's Day in Vietnam... we thought we would celebrate the gift of children as well by posting a link to our photo archive of children we have met on our travels...

Boy, 12, Killed by Cluster Bomb in Vietnam

Quang Binh Province, Vietnam- A boy has lost his life after discovering a piece of unexploded ordnance in Central Vietnam. Nguyen Si Phu, 12, had found a cluster bomb while playing near his aunt's home on May 29, 2005....

Johnson State Trip Slideshow

The Johnson State College pictures can be viewed as a slideshow here. As new photos are sent in they will be added to the presentation....

UPDATE: Video of Nghia at Home

When I was in Vietnam a month ago, I wrote of a sweet, young boy who had found a piece of ordnance and tampered with it. The result was that he lost two legs and an arm... Our phenomenal staff...

Why I am Here

This entry was originally written for Tom Peters' blog at www.tompeters.com. Here is my post to Tom's blog: As I mentioned in my last post, I am in Quang Tri Province in Central Vietnam. This region received the heaviest sustained...