Too many communities around the world are still living with the deadly legacy of war. This is why the delivery of digital risk education, providing guidance on staying safe, is crucial.
Using geo-targeted Facebook and Instagram ads, our messages can reach men, women and children all over the world with life-saving information about the specific contamination in their areas.
In many situations, including during armed conflicts or where access is difficult, it is the fastest and most important way that MAG can help save lives.
Read how MAG is reaching communities affected by conflicts and their consequences around the world:
Bosnia & Herzegovina
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, around 835 km2 of land is still contaminated by landmines following the conflict in the early 1990s. The contamination remains a serious threat to the local population.
According to statistics, the post-war period brought 1,781 civilian casualties from explosive ordnance, of which 624 people lost their lives.
This year, MAG teams have launched a campaign titled Are you aware? on social media, which strives to educate the public about the dangers posed by landmines and explosive ordnance.
Supported by Bosnia & Herzegovina National Mine Action Centre (BHMAC), MAG reiterates the importance that one should never enter a mine-marked area, and removing or destroying danger signs is just as risky as laying new mines.
The campaign, so far, has reached almost one million people.
Vietnam
MAG’s work in Vietnam focuses on the Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces – the country’s most heavily contaminated provinces. Despite the war ending over 50 years ago, huge swathes of land are still heavily contaminated with cluster munitions, preventing communities from safely resettling and restarting their livelihoods.
Almost half of victims of landmines and unexploded bombs are children. Their innate curiosity and need for play can often lead them into danger. A child's ability to correctly identify an explosive item could save their life.
This year’s digital risk education campaigns include poems, dances, skits, and interactive games, which have captured the attention of children, teenagers, parents, and adults who might pass the information on to children, resulting in higher levels of receptivity.
Ukraine
The conflict in Ukraine has led to a massive rise in the use of landmines and other explosive ordnance, putting the population at high risk. The devastating consequences are likely to last long after the conflict has ended.
Over the last few months, MAG, in partnership with Tetra Tech, has developed three 45-second animated videos featuring a deminer character called Rocky the Racoon.
The animations, which are targeted at children, focus on how to recognise areas which might be contaminated by explosive devices and how to sound an alarm. They also teach people safe behaviours in case they come across dangerous explosive items.
The animations, which were funded by the US, were broadcast on various Ukrainian TV channels, including ICTV2, STB, and New Channel, as well as on the metro.
The campaign is ongoing and has reached over two million people so far.
Watch one of the animations with Rocky the Racoon:
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Iraq
Iraq hosts around 300,000 refugees and asylum seekers. It is estimated that there are over 260,000 Syrian refugees living predominantly in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Over 60% of them live in urban areas.
In order to reach as many people as possible, MAG Iraq has launched a street art project in multiple areas affected by contamination. Teams have created murals, raising awareness of the specific type of explosive ordnance in the area. The artwork contains a QR code, which takes people directly to MAG Iraq's Facebook page, where they can learn more about our safety guidance.
New innovative and interactive approaches to risk education are crucial for engaging with people of all ages.
To accompany the street art project, MAG has also launched a new campaign on Facebook, warning people of the dangers of landmines, cluster munitions, improvised explosive devices, and unexploded ordnance in areas that were once occupied by ISIS fighters. Over one million Iraqis remain internally displaced by ISIS's insurgency.
Titled Cohesion and Solidarity in the Battle Against Cluster Munitions and Hazardous Ordnance in Iraq and funded by Mine Action Canada, the campaign delves into the stories of those who have lost loved ones in explosive ordnance accidents after returning home. The videos reiterate MAG’s safety advice that can help save lives in areas that are still plagued by the deadly legacy of war.
Social media enables us to target large numbers of people in a specific area and overcome obstacles posed by security, geography and complex operating environments that limit the delivery of face-to-face risk education.
So far, the campaign has been viewed on Facebook over 700,000 times.
