27.09.10
Category: Africa, DDG, Press releases, Opinion and debate, Horn of AfricaIn poor countries, armed violence is daily costing thousands of lives. And every year the world loses more than 400 billion dollars in lost production due to armed violence and conflict in developing countries. Despite hard facts the world leaders are lacking particular focus on armed violence when debating millennium development goals.
There is a need for an increased focus on security and stability in so-called fragile states, as well as strengthened efforts to create sustainable development in the world's poorest countries. This conclusion is voiced after the United Nations Millennium Development Goal Summit in New York.
Danish De-mining Group (DDG) supports the need for strengthened efforts around security and stability as a prerequisite for sustainable development. However, the good intentions have to be in line with the daily reality of millions of people for whom weapons and violence is the norm. When people fear for their safety, and are not safe, it is difficult to create sustainable development.
"If the reality is that land cannot be cultivated because of landmines or the shop's customers are afraid of being shot on the street, it may be difficult to get a life and a society to function at all. Then there is no money for food, to send children to school, to pay the doctor and no money to invest in the future. In short: no progress and ultimately no way to reach our common development goals, "says Rasmus Stuhr Jakobsen, head of the DDG.
Local cooperation on security
As part of efforts to provide security and pave the way for development, DDG works with different interventions. DDG collaborates with local communities to make the village a safer place by clearing mines, regulate small arms, build capacity of the local police and improve the ability to resolve conflicts locally.
"For the world to succeed in achieving the ambitious goals for 2015, we have to create conditions for development to take place. Therefore, we need to address the lack of security, and armed violence that goes with it, when weapons and conflicts are a part of everyday life as is the case in many fragile states, "says Rasmus Stuhr Jakobsen, DDG.
In addition to de-mining, DDG today also works with more long-term development projects on security and conflict resolution. Somalia, Uganda and Sudan are among the countries where DDG is working to decrease the use of weapons and reduce armed violence on village level.
Read more about Danish De-mining Group in www.danishdemininggroup.dk
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