Croatian mine action centre

As in the whole mine action community so in the Republic of Croatia, mine risk education and mine awareness activities are conducted primarily on mine suspected area (MSA), but also on wider territory of the Republic of Croatia. The process has been conducted continuously through different models and programs since the establishment of CROMAC. According to the Law on Humanitarian Demining (Narodne novine (National Gazette), no.153/05, 63/07, 152/08), CROMAC’s role is solely co-coordinative. Apart from its co-coordinative role, CROMAC directly or indirectly conducts a number of activities relating to education of population and informing them about the problem of mine contaminated and mine suspected area. According to the Article 6, the Republic of Croatia, as the Ottawa Convention signatory, is obliged to ensure and implement the above-mentioned programmes and inform the UN Secretary General about them.

The basic aim of all public information and different programmes is keeping the continuous level of mine awareness in the period until mined areas are cleared from mines and UXO and handed over to the final beneficiaries for safe use.

A number of different target groups should be clearly and continuously pointed to the mine danger, informed about the ways of recognizing it in mine surrounded areas, how to deal with the problem until mine danger is removed, how to modify their behaviour while performing everyday activities as well as in line with seasons when works in fields and house yards are usually increased.

Apart from this basic component relating to the risk groups and communities, there are some other important mine action components such as interaction with different subjects, especially media and local administration in creating the communication strategy.

CROMAC activities which directly or indirectly contribute to the overall process of informing and education are as follows:

• Establishment of a clear and precise mine suspected area (MSA) boundary in relation to the surrounding area.
• Continuous interaction between CROMAC terrain teams and all sources of information.
• Through the system of interviews and collecting information, an extremely large number of different subjects obtain information about the area, work methods, operations in progress and future plans relating to defined priority groups.
• Standard marking of the area with different prescribed marks, primarily mine warning signs, interactive process with the local community and target groups, hunting and fishing societies, mountaineers etc.
• The local community of counties, towns and municipalities, police administrations, public companies of the Republic of Croatia, relevant ministries, tourist communities, administrations of national parks, hunting and fishing societies, embassies of the foreign countries in the Republic of Croatia and a wide circle of other beneficiaries are submitted relevant MSA maps and CDs – cartographic displays.
• Through the system of planning and setting priorities, a clear timeframe for the implementation of humanitarian demining operations is specified and it directly points to certain patience and forms of behaviour required. Public availability of plans is ensured at several levels.
• CROMAC is the holder and organizer of different media, promotional, humanitarian activities with the purpose of mostly raising demining funds but also achieving the effect of constant informing about mine danger problems.
• Establishment of CROMAC MISportal available at http://misportal.hcr.hr enabled three user groups to obtain an insight into the status of mine suspected area that is being updated on a daily basis. Equally, it is possible to obtain the insight into the marking situation.

In the part where the emphasis is put on CROMAC’s co-coordinative role, the co-operation is created and the continuity of different educative programmes realized. A very good co-operation is established with a number of non-governmental organizations, international and domestic organizations. The associations and organizations that have so far been continuously involved in the process are:

Croatian Red Cross, International Committee of Red Cross, Croatian Mine Victims Association, Association of Organizations of Croatian Civil Victims of Homeland War in co-operation with Associations of Homeland War Veterans, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), Mine Association, Recobot Trust Fund, Croatian without Mines trust fund, NONE, Daska theatre from Sisak, OSCE Mission to the Republic of Croatia, Children’s amateur puppet theatre "Pinokio" Knin, Puppet scene MM from Osijek, BEMBO Association in co-operation with the NPA, Centre for Neohumanist Studies from Karlovac and many others.

A considerable role was played and contribution to different forms of promotional and educative contents in co-operation with other organizations given by the Ministry of Education and Sports.

Lately, CROMAC conducts educative programmes in close co-operation with Anti-explosion Departments of county police administrations.

Basic forms of mine risk education (MRE) were conducted and still are conducted through the following activities:

• Presentations and lectures in schools, public companies, by holding the panels;
• TV/radio spots, jingles;
• Theatre plays, cartoon, films like "Bembo and friends against mines" and "Bembo on a dangerous road", different performances;
• In the period of 8 years, Daska theatre from Sisak played their play entitled "No-no, mines" for 200 times. The plays were seen by ca. 50.000 children and a number of adults;
• The Norwegian People’s Aid and Bembo Association covered over 6 000 children by their joint project in 2005 and 2006 – a theatre play for children in 32 schools located on the area of mine contaminated counties;
• Educational notebooks and special booklets, informative leaflets;
• A picture book "The Danger on Carrot’s Peak" published;
• A picture book "Watch out-mines!" published by the Centre for Neohumanist Studies. The publication was supported by the State Department through ITF (30.000 copies distributed in ca. 100 schools on the areas with MSA);
• Media-covered projects, fairs, expositions with info-desks and promotional material;
• Marking of April 4 - the "International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action" and events related to "April – month of struggle against mines";
• "With Ladle against Mines";
• Traditional "Night of Thousand Dinners" organized by the American Chamber of Commerce and Embassies of USA and Canada;
• Different initiatives of show business people, concerts, art expositions, sports events where people speak of the mine problem in the Republic of Croatia;
• Targeted press conferences.

Since the beginning of the implementation of mine risk education, over one million people (children and adults) took part in one of the above-mentioned activities through different programmes. Media coverage of mine problem in the Republic of Croatia and informing the public about it has increased the above stated number several times.

Mine risk education activities conducted in the past few years including 2009:

• Holding the regular co-ordination meetings with state administration bodies and associations implementing the educational programmes;
• The communication established with relevant ministries, National Protection and Rescue Directorate, Croatian Fire Fighting Community, Croatian Tourist Community, Anti-explosive departments of different Police Administrations, Croatian Hunting Society, employees of the National Parks and Parks of Nature is continued.
• The implementation of education and informing in the framework of the regional county co-ordination bodies.
• Participation of CROMAC in joint panels entitled "Children in Mine Surroundings" organized by the Association of Civil Victims of Homeland War of Croatia with the support of the representatives of the Croatian Red Cross, CROMAC and Anti-Explosive Department of the Ministry of Interior. 10 panels were organized in Osijek-Baranja, Vukovar-Srijem, Sisak-Moslavina, Šibenik-Knin, Zadar and Lika-Senj County. The panels were organized in the elementary schools and covered several hundreds of children per each panel during which promotional materials were distributed.
• Daska theatre from Sisak performed 200 plays entitled "No, no MINES!" in almost all schools of the counties with MSA often as part of other events such as opening of children’s playgrounds organized by the Croatian Red Cross;
• ACHWV of Virovitica-Podravina County held several hundreds of lectures on the county area for several thousands of children.
• The programme of marking the 4 April "The International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action" in co-operation with other organizations – the central event was held in Zagreb, Slavonski Brod, Tenja, Osijek, Sisak and Glina and many other smaller events were held in Sisak, Osijek, Karlovac, Vinkovci, Zadar, Drniš and Šibenik by publishing graphic adds, spots and cartoons at the Croatian Television, radio programs, jingles at local radio stations, promotions, picture books.
• Participation of CROMAC representatives in educational TV program, especially the ones from CROMAC regional offices in Osijek, Zadar and Karlovac.
• Involvement in humanitarian actions: Square of Peace, SPES-for Croatia without Mines. The actions resulted in not only financial success but also achieved very good educational and information results.
• Publishing the informative and promotional leaflets and booklets – distribution at local level for the area of Lika-Senj and Zadar-County.
• Education of media representatives about mine action system during our continuous contacts.
• The continuation of the project of the Norwegian People’s Aid, "Mine Action Program in Croatia" and "BEMBO" association. The play "Bembo and friends against mines" was seen by 1 200 children and adults in Zadar and Zagreb. The cartoons about mine danger with characters from the play were distributed to the children.
• The plays of an amateur children’s puppet theatre "Pinokio" from Knin entitled "Watch out – a mine!" and "A dangerous game" were seen by several thousands of children of kindergarten and elementary school age in the Croatian Army Hall and Knin fortress. On the occasion of marking the World Day of Mine Action, 6 plays were held for the children of Otočac, Kistanje, Vrlika and Drniš and picture books "Watch out-mines!" distributed. There was the picture book "Dangerous game" published and distributed to the children together with the DVD with the theatre play record.
• The participation of CROMAC representatives at the Hunting and Fishing Fair in Varaždin where the Croatian Hunting Society promoted a universal message about mine danger that has occasionally been broadcasted on the Croatian Television. The presence of CROMAC representatives at the Health Fair in Vinkovci, at the Hunting and Fishing Fair in Osijek with info-desks consisting of educational messages and mine situation display.
• CROMAC was involved in the action entitled "Peace and Good" together with the Ministry of Interior and UNDP that resulted in the fact that different mines are no longer thrown off to mined or demined areas. Anti-explosion departments were involved in lectures and workshops.
• The Croatian Red Cross had been conducting its regular mine risk education program through the lectures, either individually or with other associations. It is an estimate that tens of thousands of children attended the lectures. CRC has been conducting such activities on a regular basis for years now in the counties facing the mine problem through 49 town and county societies and 65 trained instructors. With the support of the CRC, children’s playgrounds in Županja, Valpovo, Vinkovci, Strošinci, Nova Grdaiška, Dragalić and Gračac have been built.
• National Geographic Junior published the graphic supplement containing the warning about mine danger created by CROMAC. It was seen by over 100.000 children all over Croatia receiving and reading the National Geographic Junior.
• From the analysis of the overall results it can be seen that a large number of children and adults took part in some form of mine risk education over the past few years.

Different mine risk education activities and quality marking of mine suspected area influence on the reduction of a number of mine victims what is confirmed by a fact that 7 mine incidents happened in 2007 what has been the smallest number since 1991 until today. 5 civilians were involved in the incidents and 3 deminers during the conduct of demining operations.

In 2010, mine risk education activities will be conducted in the similar manner and framework what the target groups will be informed about on a regular basis via CROMAC web pages: www.hcr.hr

Enclosures:

Most frequently used messages:

• DO NOT ENTER MINE SUSPECTED AREAS
• ADHERE TO MINE WARNING SIGNS
• DO NOT REMOVE MINE WARNING SIGNS – BE RESPONSIBLE TOWARDS OTHER PEOPLE
• DO NOT TOUCH UNKNOWN OBJECTS AND EXPLOSIVE REMNANTS OF WAR
• MARK THE LOCATION OF MINE AND UXO DETECTION AND INFORM THE POLICE ON THE PHONE NUMBER 92
• INFORM THE URGENT ASSISTANCE SYSTEM AT 112
• AVOID RISKY BEHAVIOUR – CALL FOR HELP
• LEAVE DEMINING TO EXPERTS!

• What to do in case of finding yourself inside mine suspected area
• Risk management – mine risk education – several tabular displays of the dependency of mine risk education and reduction of a number of mine victims
• Mine action – network – subjects in the interaction
• Spots

The call for the citizens to interact

The announcement of the future events

Photo gallery

Projects for different donations – short description, participants, expected results, duration, and financial means.

In accordance with its co-ordinative role and legal commitment, the Croatian Mine Action Centre shall conduct mine risk education through different programmes in 2010. Thanks to the financial support of the State Department, the Daska theatre from Sisak shall perform mine risk education through their play ‘’No, no … mines’’ all over mine contaminated counties of the Republic of Croatia and work closely with CROMAC. County administrative departments sent their requests to CROMAC to define MRE-related priority schools. In Karlovac County priority schools shall be: elementary schools of Generalski Stol, Barilović, Josipdol, Plaški, Lasinja, Rakovica and Cetingrad. In Zadar County, there will be 14 priority schools: Benkovac, Pridraga, Posedarje, Novigrad, Obrovac, Pakoštane, Jasenice, Stankovci, Polača, Poličnik, Bibinje, Sukošan, Škabrnja, Zemunik. In Požega-Slavonia County, priority schools shall be: Brestovac, Velika, Pakrac, Poljana, Lipik. In Vukovar-Srijem County: elementary schools of Nuštar, Stari Jankovci, Tordinci, Markušica, Strošinci, Lipovac, Račinovci, Mirkovci, Jarmina, Otok, Gunja and Privlaka. Administrative Department for Education, Culture, Sport and Technical Culture of Osijek-Baranja County proposed the following elementary schools: Osijek, Bilje, Darda, Jagodnjak, Šećerana, Lug, Vladislavci, Antunovac, Ernestinovo, Laslovo, Tenja, Valpovo and Petrijevci. Administrative Department for Social Services of Virovitica-Podravina County proposed the following elementary schools: Slatina, Čačinci, Nova Bukovica, Mikleuš and Vočin.