OVERVIEW

Tenafly Student Activists Kickoff Spring Symposium
to Assist Cambodian Landmine Survivors

Beginning Sunday, March 7, 2004, in a kickoff event at the Puffin Cultural Forum in Teaneck, New Jersey, the student activists of the Tenafly Middle School Landmine Awareness Club and its humanitarian organization, Global Care Unlimited, began an extraordinary three-month educational and fundraising campaign entitled, “Spring Symposium on Cambodia and Landmines.” Our symposium contains the following objectives:

• To educate Tenafly and surrounding communities about the global landmine problem;
• To engage New Jersey schools in a cooperative landmine awareness campaign;
• To raise $10,500 to assist landmine survivors in Cambodia.

This symposium represents an expansion of the landmine initiative launched by Tenafly students and Global Care Unlimited, Inc. which led to the demining of Podzvizd, a mine-affected village in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 2001.

As part of the Spring Symposium, Global Care seeks to assist the rehabilitation of Cambodian landmine survivors through its Cambodian Survivor Assistance Initiative. Global Care’s partner in Cambodia, Clear Path International, will provide hands-on vocational skills training to 105 Cambodian landmine survivors aimed at empowering them to begin their own businesses and reengage in their communities.

To promote the educational mission of this initiative, Global Care will be hosting a number of events and presentations, as well as a youth landmine conference. Below are some the highlights:

• A photographic display of the impact of landmines in Cambodia (March 18-May 12th);
• A presentation by Martha Hathaway of Clear Path International, which conducts extensive landmine rehabilitation programs in Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand (March 26th);
• A special video showing of the award-winning PBS documentary, “The Flute Player,” and a live presentation by the subject of the film, Cambodian genocide survivor and Reebok Human Rights Award winner, Arn Chorn-Pond (April 21st);
• A Youth Leadership Landmine Conference organized by Global Care Unlimited to introduce the topic of landmines to middle and high school youth and promote our Youth Coalition for Mine Action (May 12th).

In addition, the students of the Tenafly Middle School Landmine Awareness Club will be making numerous presentations for schools and youth organizations aimed at promoting landmine education and mine action.

To learn more about the history and achievements of the Tenafly Middle School Landmine Awareness Club and Global Care Unlimited, Inc., as well as to learn about how you can participate in and support this extraordinary youth humanitarian initiative, please e-mail Mark Hyman at mhyman@globalcareunlimited.org or phone Mr. Hyman at 201-519-6416. You are also encouraged to further check out this website. Imagine what we can do together.

Mark Hyman
6th Grade Reading/Study Skills Teacher, Tenafly Middle School
Founder and President, Global Care Unlimited, Inc.