MRE activities\events

On the occasion of the International Mine Awareness Day on 4^th of April, the Lebanon Mine Action Center launched the national Mine Risk Education (MRE) awareness campaign on mines, cluster munitions and unexploded ordnance in cooperation with the national steering committee in all Lebanese territories. The campaign included the following activities:

• Send short SMS messages to citizens via mobile phones, the message was: “For a happy and safe life, do not close to mines and cluster munitions and do not touch them, inform immediately the Lebanon Mine Action Center (05/956143)” in coordination with the Ministry of Communications.
• Distribution of MRE brochures through the army checkpoints in all Lebanese territories.

• MRE Awareness Day at Ras Baalbeck Primary School for the residents of the town which includes: a session on MRE, show of a fake minefield, a demonstration of manual clearance of mines, description of all clearance equipment and at the end they distribute awareness leaflets to the audience.

• MRE Awareness Day at Arsal’s Public garden for the children of the town which shows types of mines, cluster munitions, unexploded ordnance, warning signs, and an explanation of their dangers and how to prevent them. Followed by sports activities for children on bicycles and distribution of educational games.

• MRE Awareness Day at the Center for Women’s Charity Association – Halba for students which includes: display of types of mines, cluster munitions, unexploded ordnance, warning signs, explaining their dangers and how to prevent them; a fake minefield where a demonstration of manual clearance of mines, description of all equipment had place. A puppet show was presented by the Fantasy Society for Education and the Arts and at the end they distribute educational games for students.

• MRE Awareness Day at the University of Balamand - Koura for children from Caritas Foundation, Koura and Batroun branch and children from the Nader Foundation which includes: types of mines, cluster munitions, unexploded ordnance, warning signs inside a dummy minefield, where a detailed brief were given with a puppet show by the Fantasy Society for Education and the Arts.

• United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) located in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) organized a ceremony on the occasion of the International Mine Awareness Day.

• MRE Awareness Day in Wadi Al-Hujair nature reserves: Under the patronage of H.E. Mr. Ali Fayyad Shamal, MRE Day was held and included: speeches by the Head of the Union of Municipalities of Jabal Amel Villages, the National Steering Committee for Mine Risk Education, the Director of the Lebanon Mine Action Center and the Sponsor of the celebration, in addition of a description about how the clearance process is conducted with a brief about equipment used, free drawing by students and scouts on MRE, display photos containing awareness messages, planting Oak Trees in the name of mine victims and cluster munitions followed by distributing MRE flyers.

• MRE Awareness Day in Ayn Zhalta under the patronage of H.E. minister of MEHE includes: a free drawing by the students on MRE ended with the distribution of gifts to the first three winners, the planting of cedar trees on the occasion at the park, the distribution of leaflets for awareness raising From mine risk to attendance and a field trip inside the reserve.

• MRE Awareness Day in the Western Bekaa: Types of mines, cluster munitions, unexploded ordnance, banners and posters with MRE messages and "Together against mines" slogans, and at the end, they distribute MRE flyers to all students.
• Under the patronage of Mrs. Randa Assi Berri, a football match between the mine survivors team of the Lebanese Association for the Care of the Disabled and the team of the Sports Academy for Girls at Imam Musa Al-Sadr Stadium in Ansar Shamal: A speech was given by Ms. Berry, president of the Lebanese Association for the Care of Disabled Persons. The match was held and ended with the distribution of trophies and medals to the players. The team of mine survivors gave the trophy to the club's football team.

• MRE Awareness Day at Bassel al-Assad Cultural Center - Photos included: Types of mines, cluster munitions and unexploded ordnance, warning signs, distribution of flyers and awareness games, followed by a dummy minefield demonstration of manual demining and Mines detection dogs, display of equipment used in the clearance process, the dummy minefield was prepared by a team from French Contingent of the UNIFIL, where they conduct a casevac on site with an injured person from the Islamic scout association, while the Italian Contingent of the UNIFIL explained how to find mines by Detecting Dogs. At the end, free drawing by students on MRE and the presentation of a mine risk education play by the MAG.

On 28 March, a lecture on MRE was delivered to students of Marjeyoun Public School, in which included an introduction to the forms and types of mines, warning signs and how to prevent their dangers. Educational games were distributed and a team from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) gave a brief about the role of blue barrels on the Blue Line in southern Lebanon.

In February, A MRE session was given to the students of Beit Leif and Zibqin public schools - Tyre and the students of Al Khiyam School – Marjeyoun. This session showed the type of mines, warning signs, described how to prevent their dangers and many educational games on the awareness of the LMAC were distributed to all students.

In addition, a team from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) delivered a lecture on the role of blue barrels placed on the Blue Line in southern Lebanon.