Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World

Clap with excitement

Jump for joy

Carve a snow angel

Leave two footprints in the sand

…. Beware the Perfect Soldier.

*Warning: this may be a long one!*

Well, I’m  not sure where to begin. The conference was such an amzaing experience and I just didn’t want it to end. I was swept away by the courage of certain people, their tenacity and determination, by a united desire and hope, by an international commitment and an atmosphere that breathed friendship, cooperation and above all comraderie. Even the few mishaps were insignificant, when compared with the purpose of the convention. And sure, the outcomes were not all the ones that were hoped, and my young and impressionable, and therefore glowing with the possibilities of the future like a child in a sweetshop, viewpoint perhaps glosses over the problems, but from where I stand, it was a successful endeavour all told.

I was attached, along with the 2 Lauras, to a group of 13 landmine survivors from around Colombia on a project run by Mercy Corps and funded by USAID. They had a programme of workshops, discussions and forums in conjucntion with the Conference, and we were there to interpret for them so they could communicate with the survivors from around the world, and diplomats too at the swanky receptions each evening. The workshops were on topics ranging from Social Inclusion to Community Self-help, all of which were very interesting. One morning we went to visit a sports programme in a poor suburb of Cartagena, not realted to landmines, but with the aim of providing space for kids to learn about community in a fun and social way, as well as giving them the chance to partipate in team sports. This interested the survivors a lot, all of whom have leadership roles in their communities, be they in charge of their landmine survivors associations, or facilitators for the Campaign. A few of them joined in the football match, but most couldn’t, because their prostehses couldn’t take it. After seeing them walk so naturally, I had no idea they were so limited that they can’t run around and kick a ball. For that you need a more expensive prosthesis. That day we also went to watch a Quad Rugby match. It’s a sport invented in America for people in a wheelchair, and is a cross between rugby and basketball. It was great to see how people can overcome unfavourable situtaions through something they enjoy. And people were allowed to have a go afterwards, so the Prince of Jordan and the Colombian Vicepresident joined the Colombian team, against an Afghani survivor on the USA team. We got the opportunity to meet all the delegates at the various receptions, and I had a great time interpreting for the Colombians. They wanted their photos taking with as many people as possible, and one in particular requested my services for most of the time. We went round and he would slighly point to someone and I would have to go and interrupt them to explain what he wanted, and they were always very happy to oblige. In fact for the international survivors, their faces lit up when I translated what Camilo had to say – that he would rather meet them, a survivor, than any president or king, and that they were champions. Although the Vietnam delegation and Guinea-Bissau delegation were pretty happy to chat too! I never realised how fun interpreting could be – when it’s not simultaneous and when it’s between people who just want to know each other it’s the best thing in the world to be able to provide that link. Sometimes it’s seemed strange to me that they couldn’t understand each other as easily as I could, which is something weird about speaking more thna one language I guess. And a few times I accidentally spoke in the wrong language to the wrong person, felt stupid, laughed, corrected myself and carried on!

We went into the actual conference twice. The first time was to hear the Victim Assistance reports from the States Parties, which while interesting, didn’t really give the whole picture I imagine. Plus it was kind of hard to concentrate because I was enthralled by the whole setting – the intpretation boxes to the left, the head table at the front, the hundreds of State Party delegates with their red passes, the observer delegates with their green ones (like me – ICBL Observer Delegate!), the UN secretariat’s blue ones, plus the odd member of the press, and so many countries present! I was also a little smug for not needing the translation headset since everyone was speaking in English or Spanish. But I’ve been here for 4 months so I really shouldn’t need it, therefore no grounds for smugness! And having complained in the past, it is pretty handy being able to speak the international language of diplomacy as my native tongue.

The second attendance at the conference was this time without the survivors. We had no programme for the afternoon so they all wanted ot go the beach, but I was staying another week on the coast so didn’t want to waste the opportunity. And it was a good time to go in. The Deputy of the Red Cross spoke, and the Victim Assistance parrallel forum gave its report, comprising of victms from all around the world, including the ICBL Youth representative Sol Kosal who is amazing, she lost her entire right leg when she was 5 and has been campaigning ever since. Then Jody Williams spoke, founder of the ICBL and Nobel Peace Prize co-laureate and I decided I want to be her. She spoke so charismatically, and she has acheived such a lot – the creation of the Ottawa Treaty in fact. Later I was speaking with one of the American delegation (an intern actually – apparently this conference was not of high importance…) and he said they groan whenever they see her about to speak – I imagine she’s the bain of their lives. And so should she be. We had a special conversatorio between the survivors and the American Delegation and they said the reason they still haven’t signed the treaty was becase in 2004 they took the decision that the US Army still needed to use landmines, and now after the change of aministration it was “under review” again. But that is a loose term… It was pretty cool to be there while the survivors told the delegation some of their experiences and Juanes was also there – of Camisa Negra fame, whose Fundacion provides a lot of aid to landmine survivors. Afterwards TV news cameras came rushing in to get a glimpse of him. We were supposed to be keeping it on the down low that he was there, but someone must have let slip. In that meeting we also met Ken Rutherford, an American landmine survivor injured in Somalia and now without either of his legs below the knee, but who walks with prostheses as smooth as anything. His story was so touching, the lady interpreting was moved to tears as she spoke (thankfully we were let off duty there…).

Throughout the week there were various side-events organised by different NGOs. On the first Sunday I went on a CIREC trip (Colombian Comprehensive Rehabilitation Centre) to Isla Baru, from where they organise activites for survivors for physical and psycho-social rehabilitation. It was such a great day. They offer kayaking, abseiling, sailing, scuba diving and snorkeling and the idea is to get them closer to nature and to let them discover abilities they didn’t know they had. So that as one door closes, another opens – which is actually something a lot of survivors have attested to post-rehabilitation. On arrival, by boat, with a mixture of international survivors, state party delegates and NGO members, we were greeted by people walking towards the shore clapping. I just felt this overwhelming happiness and was grinning broadly all day. We were welcomed with a dance, to feel-good music and performed by survivors who have benefitted from the programme and now help lead the activities. First there was a presentation on CIREC, which was the reason I went, along with Laura C, as were going to interpret it, but it turned out they had got someone else as well, so I ended up doing very little interpreting that day. Then we split into different groups and I went with the kayakers, which was fun! (Actually was in a boat with one of the Colombian State Party delegates who offered me a placement in the Presidential Programme for Anti-Mine Action for the next 6 months…!) Giovanni, the photographer was there too and he took a really cool picture that he showed me of a girl of 18 who had lost a leg age 10 giving advice to a girl of about 25 who had lost a leg 4 months ago.

Later in the week my services were required at another side event, this time a tour of a Physical Rehab Centre in Cartagena, on the CCCM stall providing information to interested parties. Turned out to be a long hot day outside, with a not that many people asking quesitons, but a Jordanian delegate came over to ask if the CCCM would be interested in a victim assistance play they had been performing in Jordan to much succes, where victimes themselves are the actors. Which of course they were. And then the Princess of Belgium came. So that was quite exciting, until I realised she had brought her own translator, into French, and he explained everything without us having to open our mouths, so I whispered a translation into Spanish to the Campaign people who were with me at the time.

Alongside all this was the Youth Forum. The Skype English lessons I had been giving were all geared towards this and the Colombian delegates did really well in their special presentation, although their understanding of all the other presentations was prbably a little lacking. I went with Carlos, from the office, and he did his little speech about his life. He was so nervous, despite my calming words, but he did well, and my interpreting went pretty fine too. And that was also fun, although I realised that interpreters and translators are possibly the most unappreciated job in the world. Which is not the reason I don’t want to take that up as a profession, because it is gratifying to be needed, to be able to provide something that is vital, and to see your translations in publications throughout the conference and in displays throughout the city, but all the same, I just don’t think it’s what I want to do.

So apart from all that, I met lots and lots of NGO people, landmine people and diplomat people, was wined and dined for free in plush hotels, learnt a lot about the diplomatic world and the viewpoints of different sides, and realised I still have so much more to learn.

Some other cool things: in the opening ceremony there two dance troupes that both featured wheelchair users, and were pretty awesome! There were stalls of handmade crafts from around Colombia selling their wares made by survivors, and stands run by NGOs giving out info, badges, bags, T-shirts all around the conference centre, plus an exhibition about Colombua’s situation, the exhibition of Giovanni’s photos from various countries, an exhibition by Gervasio Sanchez… so much to see and do within the conference centre! One lunchtime I helped Laura P translate a speech for an award ceremony that evening, so we did it in the hustle and bustle of the press room.

After the week of the conference, when most everyone had gone, Laura C and I stayed a week longer in a hostel, making the most of the Caribbean sunshine of Cartagena, incongruously decorated with Christmas lights. We went to the pretty Playa Blanca and slept in a hammock there for a couple of nights, 10m from the turquoise sea, we went to a mud volcano to heal our sunburn, we spent time wandering the streets of the old city, soaking up the atmosphere, doing a bit of xmas shopping, but the highlight had to be our one-day minicourse of scuba diving. I don’t know what I had been so worried about – it was Immense. I loved it. The coral at 12m and close up is so impressive, and the swimming among the fish, all the while breathing freely, was so great. Can’t wait for the next time!

So now I have 9 days in Bogota, which is ever more festive, in a campaign office that is more relaxed, and hopefully feeling celebratory! I’m going to be sad to leave, this experience has been, to use a cliche, once in a lifetime and unforgettable.