Heidi Kühn, the founder and head of the "Roots of Peace" organization, addressed an online appeal to the participants of the international conference on "Mine Action - The Path to Reaching the Sustainable Development Goals" held in Baku.
Ednews presents the appeal:
"Global greetings to the distinguished guest of this important conference mine action the part to reaching the sustainable development goals. Earlier this month I was honored to be invited to the home of Alfred Nobel by the International Eurasia Press Fund when the world food prize laureate was announced. The Nobel Peace Prize for Agriculture. It was a fitting location to receive this news as Alfred Nobel invented dynamite in 1866, yet on May 9th it was the same dynamite that I used to detonate 6 anti-tank mines in the fields of Karabakh, as the brave deminers of ANAMA led me through the toxic minefields.
Today I am speaking to you from our Kuhn family home in San Raphael California, where the vision of turning mines to vines begin in September 1997, a dream of turning minefields into thriving vineyards and orchards worldwide. Yet a quarter of a century later this critical work is only just beginning the importance of cultivating peace through agriculture has never been more important, as we live in a world with an estimation of one hundred million landmines and UXO in over 60 countries nearly one-third of our planet.
Azerbaijan is among most heavily mined countries in the world, with over 1 million landmines and unexploded ordnance contaminating the once lush vineyards, which produce some of the world’s finest wines, grape vines represent the seeds we have in common rather than those which separate us where there is a fine bottle of wine, fresh grapes or raisins. We must unite as humanity to heal the wound of war across all borders as we seek to turn blood into wine-killing fields into vineyards, swords to plowshares, and yes mines into vines.
On March 4th 2022, I took my first footsteps into the minefield of Azerbaijan in tribute to International Women’s Day, it was only a week after the war in Ukraine had begun. Yet today it is shocking to realize that over 30% of Ukraine is now contaminated by landmines and UXO. A country once known as the breadbasket of Europe.
As the brave deminers of ANAMA led me through the former vineyard of Karabakh it was a bittersweet moment to hear the blast of 8 antitank mines and then a deep sigh led to realize that millions more remain buried in this fatal land once known as the black garden from lush purple grapes.
Today it is a black garden reechoed with toxic landmines tempting the footsteps of a farmer or the sandal of a child picking flowers for their mothers.
On this occasion of mothers’ days 2023, I returned to Karabakh to visit the village of Mr. Umud Mirzayev president of IEPF, to personally witness the devastation of war that destroyed his beloved homeland of Fuzuli. Standing on the edge of a minefield, nearly 50 women greeted me with warm hugs as they have never seen an American mother visit their remote village.
One by one, they shared devastating stories of losing husbands, sons, and children to the explosive remnants of war; together we signed a proclamation to eradicate landmines from the face of this earth and to restore the land with regenerative agriculture. As women, we bare the seed of lives and we stand in solidarity with mothers around the world who lose their children to war. Yet this global initiative to turn mines into vines may not come quickly enough, as I personally visited the hospital to hold the hand of a young father Khazar Babashov age 34 who tragically step on a landmine only a few weeks ago on April 26, 2023.
Looking into his eyes, he told me of his 3 young children under the age of 4 as his mother wept over my shoulder, my only promise I will do all within my power to raise global landmine awareness so that young fathers like himself will never have to suffer the loss of a leg with uncertain future on how to provide for his family.
As humanity we must go further and use this platform of this important conference to call forth the 18 sustainable development goal, the eradication of landmines worldwide. Fot the exiting 17th sustainable development goal cannot be accomplished when there are landmines in the ground. I applaud the leadership of President Aliyev of Azerbaijan for supporting our "Roots of Peace' and IEPF letter sent to secretary general Antonio Guterres in tribute to designing of the United Nations charter in my homeland of San Francisco California on June 26, 1945.
During my recent visit, we planted Roots of Peace tress, 100 trees roots of life in multiple gardens throughout Azerbaijan. I trust that these trees may bear fruit for future generations to thrive and one day those tall trees will serve as a reminder of the day when the world united in Baku to eradicate the seed of hatred caused by landmines from one earth we share, inshallah.
As the proud laureate of the world food prize 2023, I hope that you would join me in Des Moines, Iowa on October 24th United Nations Day, and show the world the accomplishment made by the historical gathering of leaders in Baku, Azerbaijan for this extraordinary conference. Together may we turn mines to vines and plant Roots of Peace on earth now."
