Walk to Save Lives at the 2012 K9-9K Walkathon!

Join MLI on Saturday, June 16th, for the 2nd Annual K9-9K Walkathon at Glenelg Country School and help us raise money to sponsor a life-saving Mine Detection Dog!  You can register online today by going to the Walkathon website (www.MLI-K9-9K.org).

The day will feature a walk around the beautiful Glenelg Country School campus and will include fare from local restaurants, fun games, raffles, doggy agility courses, canine massage therapy, and much more.

So join us as we walk to SAVE LIVES.  Bring your friends and family!  Bring your dog! Glenelg Country School features a gorgeous campus with rolling hills and pathways meandering through woodlands, so it will be a beautiful way to spend the morning with your canine pal!

Cocktails for a Cause

Join the Marshall Legacy Institute and MAG America on Monday, May 14th at the Passenger in DC for a Happy Hour benefiting both organizations!

From 5-8pm, 10% of all of the sales made that evening will help both organizations clear landmines and promote hope, growth, and stability in countries affected by mines.

Bring your friends and join MLI and MAG for a cocktail and some appetizers and support this wonderful cause!

Where: The Passenger, 1021 7th Street NW, Washington, DC

When: Monday, May 14, 2012

Time: 5pm-8pm

Street parking is available.  The Passenger is also accessible by Metro: Gallery Place/Chinatown and Mt. Vernon Square metro stops.

Mine Awareness Night to Make a Difference (MANMADE) Dinner a Success!

SARAJEVO – April 9, 2012 – On International Day for Mine Awareness, April 4, 2012, the Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI) and the Mine Dog Detection Centre (MDDC) hosted the first annual Mine Awareness Night to Make a Difference (MANMADE) Dinner at the Holiday Inn, Sarajevo, to help solve the man-made problem of landmines in Bosnia Herzegovina.  Nearly 200 guests helped MLI and the MDDC celebrate the progress being made in freeing BiH of the humanitarian dangers & destabilizing effects of landmines, while highlighting the challenges that remain.

With strong support from the American Chamber of Commerce and the United States Embassy in Bosnia Herzegovina, and with generous contributions from local businesses, governments and caring individuals, the event raised over $100,000 to support three landmine-related projects in Bosnia Herzegovina:  (1) Mine Risk Education, (2) Survivors’ Assistance (a group of young landmine survivors will receive medical assistance and prosthetic limbs); and (3) Landmine Clearance (mine-contaminated land near Olovo will be cleared).  The US State Department’s Office of Weapons Removal & Abatement and the Embassy of the State of Kuwait served as PLATINUM Sponsors, and the many BRONZE Sponsors included two US-based businesses, Brother & Sister Food Services, and EJA Trucking.  Recognizing the enormous impact that these projects will have on the lives of those living in landmine-threatened communities throughout BiH, the U.S. State Department’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement has generously offered to match the funding for landmine clearance.  The combined funds raised at the MANMADE Dinner will be used by the ITF Enhancing Human Security to implement the lifesaving and life-enhancing projects.

The MANMADE Dinner successfully generated funding for these projects, which will help prevent injuries to people who live in mine contaminated communities in BiH and help those who have been injured by mines.  Unfortunately, BiH is still considered to be one of the most mine-contaminated countries in the world, and deaths & injuries to innocent civilians in recent months are tragic reminders that landmines continue to threaten our population 17 years after the war.  Mines and explosive remnants of war continue to have a significant impact, inhibiting social, economic, and agricultural development, and preventing the free movement and communication of people living in communities divided by minefields.   Therefore, for nearly ten years, MLI has partnered with the MDDC, a leader in Mine Detection Dog (MDD) training, mine clearance operations, and Mine Risk Education (MRE) activities, and has donated twenty-four MDDs to “sniff out” landmines and save lives in BiH.  In just the past year, the life-saving MDDs that were donated by MLI and trained by the MDDC have safely and effectively cleared 300,000 square meters of land that can now be returned to the people of BiH and will be used for schools, roads, and agriculture.

The MANMADE Dinner drew the attention of the local community, the international community, and donors to the issue of mine action in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  The evening was a great success and featured inspirational speeches, delicious food, and excellent entertainment.  Esteemed guests included the Charge d’ Affairs from the US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr. Jonathan Moore; the Deputy Minister of Civil Affairs, Mrs. Denisa Sarajlić Maglić; General (retired) Gordon Sullivan; Mr. John Stevens from the U.S. State Department’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA); Mrs. Đurđa Adlešič, Director of Croatia without Mines-Humanitarian Demining Trust Fund of Croatia; Mr. Muhamed Ibrahimovic, Minister of Defense in BiH, and many others.

General (Ret.) Gordon Sullivan remarked during the Dinner, “Tonight we celebrate the progress that has been made.  We applaud the work of demining and other mine-action organizations (BHMAC, Office of Civil Protection, the Army, Pro Vita, STOP Mines, UNDP, Eco Sport, LSN, ITF and many others).  We honor the bravery and accomplishments of those courageous men and women who have risked their lives and limbs to make Bosnia Herzegovina a better and safer place for others.  We are very proud of the dog teams that daily risk limbs and paws to help accelerate the rate of landmine clearance.  MLI has been pleased to provide 24 highly trained, lifesaving dogs (most trained by the MDDC in Konjic) to “sniff out” landmines and return land to safe & productive use.  We are very proud of the dogs and their local handlers that daily risk limbs and paws to help accelerate the rate of landmine clearance.”

MLI and the MDDC are so grateful to everyone who so generously contributed to the success of the MANMADE Dinner including the US Embassy in BiH, the American Chamber of Commerce in BiH, and the many sponsors and donors.  For more information or to take part in the 2013 MANMADE Dinner, please contact info@marshall-legacy.org.

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About MLI and the MDDC: The Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI) is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization that was formed in 1997 to extend the vision of Nobel Peace Laureate George C. Marshall by alleviating suffering and promoting hope, growth and stability in war-torn countries.  For many nations, a primary obstacle to achieving sustainable progress is the deadly legacy of landmines, the relics of armed conflicts that often ended long ago.  MLI’s primary mission is to establish practical, affordable and sustainable indigenous programs to help severely mine-affected countries rid their land of the horrific scourge of landmines. MLI provides resources and training to help countries build their own affordable, practical and sustainable humanitarian demining programs. MLI has been actively involved in BiH for nearly ten years, and has donated 24 highly trained mine detection dogs to “sniff out” landmines to save lives and return land to productive use.  Additionally, MLI has provided prosthetic limbs and other medical care to young landmine survivors, while also implementing mine risk education activities.

The Mine Detection Dog Centre (MDDC) in Bosnia Herzegovina contributes to creating a safe environment for the people of Bosnia Herzegovina and abroad by training and deploying mine detection dog teams, explosive and drug detection teams, and other service dogs, and by implementing mine risk education activities.  The MDDC provides support in implementing demining projects and implements the mine risk education projects; conducts training of mine, narcotics, explosive and search and rescue dogs, dog handlers and dog trainers and issues the certificates on completed training courses. MDDC proposes technical and safety standards for use of mine detection dogs in Bosnia and Herzegovina and wider and cooperates closely with mine action centers and other professional bodies within the demining field.

MLI and the MDDC have partnered together for nearly 10 years to help Bosnia Herzegovina and other mine-affected countries rid their land of mines.  Unfortunately, mines and explosive remnants of war continue to have a significant impact on Bosnia-Herzegovina, inhibiting its social, economic and agricultural development, impacting its natural resources, and preventing the free movement and communication of people living in communities divided by minefields. Therefore, MLI and the MDDC decided to host the first Mine Awareness Night to Make a Difference (MANMADE) Dinner in Sarajevo to raise money to accomplish our goal of creating a mine-safe BiH in which people may walk and work without fear!

Lifesaving Dogs from Iraq Return to U.S. for Retirement

Meet and Greet with dogs to be held in Sterling, VA on Tuesday, March 27th

Washington, DC, March 26, 2012 – Five retired Mine Detection Dogs from Iraq are getting new homes! These remarkable animals, which have spent the past six to eight years ‘sniffing out’ landmines and saving lives in Iraq, are being adopted by American families through an innovative partnership between SPCA International (www.spcai.org) and the Marshall Legacy Institute (www.marshall-legacy.org).

During their years of service with the Iraqi Mine and UXO Clearance Organization, Blek, Malysh, Miso, Nero and Rocky sniffed out over 90 acres of mine-contaminated land in and around Basra and Baghdad. The land they searched was used to build the College of Agriculture in Baghdad, and for infrastructure purposes in southern Ramallah. These dogs have truly helped to make Iraq a safer and better place.

SPCA International and MLI have joined forces to ensure that these retired MDDs are placed in the loving homes they deserve! SPCA International’s Operation Baghdad Pups program provides veterinary care and coordinates the complicated logistics and transportation required to reunite service men and women back in the U.S. with the dogs they befriended while deployed in the Middle East. The Marshall Legacy Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping mine-affected countries help themselves, provides highly trained Mine Detection Dogs to accelerate the pace of mine clearance operations. With support from the U.S. Department of State and private donors, MLI has donated over 170 lifesaving dogs to 11 countries. In Iraq, MLI recently replaced the retired MDDs with four new dogs, which were sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Raytheon, and Woodlands High School.

When SPCA International discovered that MLI was looking to identify new homes for the 5 retired MDDs from Iraq, they generously offered to transport the dogs to the United States through their Operation Baghdad Pups program, and to locate retirement homes for them. SPCA International is currently finalizing adoption agreements for all 5 dogs!

By March 27th all 5 dogs will have arrived in Washington DC from Iraq, and will subsequently be sent to their new homes. Operation Baghdad Pups and MLI will hold an informal meet and greet at the Dulles Executive Pet Center at 1:30pm on March 27th to give others a chance to meet Blek, Malysh, Miso, Nero and Rocky. The event will celebrate the successful transport of these dogs and their adoption to good homes, while also providing attendees an opportunity to learn more about Operation Baghdad Pups and the Marshall Legacy Institute.

EVENT DETAILS: Meet & Greet with 5 Retired Mine Detection Dogs
Tuesday, March 27th
1:30pm
Dulles Executive Pet Center
44931 Lane Court
Sterling, VA 20166

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Media Contact:
info@marshall-legacy.org; 703-243-9200

Philadelphia Eagles Named “Global Sports Team of the Year” and Sponsor MDD Lil’ Swoop!

By Dave Zangaro
Featured on CSNPhilly.com

Philadelphia – December 2011 – It has been a frustrating season of football for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The team is 4-8 and the Super Bowl aspirations they had to start the year have withered away. But on Wednesday, the team received some good news.

The Eagles were named as the global Sports Team of the Year by the international social change organization, Beyond Sport, for their work in the community addressing social issues.

It was the second year the Eagles were a finalist for the award and they beat out teams from 130 different countries.

“This season is unbelievably frustrating and it makes us want to work even harder to make it right and that’s why what we do in the community is just as important as what we do, if not even more in years like this one,” Eagles co-owner, and wife of Jeffrey Lurie, Christina Weiss Lurie said. “We recognize that our fans are really loyal. And yes, they’re frustrated too. But they’re so supportive of what we do, whether it’s through Eagles Youth Partnership or one of our other campaigns.”

The team was nominated for the award based on three of its programs: Eagles Youth Partnership, Tackling Breast Cancer and Go Green .

Eagles Youth Partnership provides eye care, reading support and mentoring programs to over 50,000 kids a year. Tackling Breast Cancer has raised more than $1.6 million for cancer research and care. And Go Green is the alternative energy initiative.

“It’s an unbelievable award, to be voted best team in the world,” Christina Lurie said. “The reality is, it’s a group effort. We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for all of our partners, whether it’s the fans, whether it’s the entire organization, the players, the coaches, the employees.”

One particular story that came to mind for Lurie didn’t deal with one of their three major campaigns. Instead, it was through work with the Marshall Legacy Institute, which works with land-mine sniffing dogs.

After the Eagles signed Michael Vick, they were approached by the group and decided to engage in some philanthropy. The Eagles teamed up with the sixth grade class at John Wister Elementary School to give a mine-sniffing dog, which they named Little Swoop.

In addition to donating Little Swoop to a village in Sri Lanka, the sixth-graders also collected money to buy prosthetics for a kid who lost limbs from a land mine.

One little boy even took a trip to Sri Lanka to visit Little Swoop.

“Those are the kinds of moving stories that make a big difference to us and to the community and this kid’s life has been changed for ever,” Lurie said.

The Eagles were selected by a Beyond Sport judging panel, which is chaired by U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair.

“I’m really thankful that we live in a city, in a community that allows for that to happen,” Lurie said. “When Jeffrey and I bought the Eagles, it hit us soon after that we had an incredible platform with the team to help the community and create positive social change.”

E-mail Dave Zangaro at dzangaro@comcastsportsnet.com

Marshall Legacy Institute Provides Humanitarian Assistance to Sri Lanka

WASHINGTON – A delegation from the Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI), a US-based non-profit organization, arrived in Sri Lanka on November 15, 2011 to conduct a four-day assessment visit and attend the graduation ceremony of five Mine Detection Dogs (MDDs) that were donated to the Sri Lankan Army Engineer Regiment’s Humanitarian Demining Unit last June.  MLI is assisting Sri Lanka in clearing its land of the humanitarian dangers and destabilizing effects of landmines by developing and expanding the Engineer Regiment’s MDD capacity, which will greatly accelerate the pace of landmine clearance in Sri Lanka.   Dogs are critical to saving lives and returning the land to good use, and have proven to be one of the most efficient and effective tools for detecting mines in the world.

Sri Lanka is contaminated by landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) as a result of nearly three decades of armed conflict between the Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).  MLI donated 12 MDDs and provided integration training to the Sri Lankan Army’s Engineer Regiment in 2004 and 2005, but a surge in fighting in 2008 and 2009 resulted in the early retirement of these MDDs.  During this period, mine-production and mine-laying in the northern districts of Sri Lanka escalated, dramatically increasing the country’s landmine contamination.  The GSL declared the war over in May 2009 after seizing remaining LTTE-controlled areas, but mines continue to threaten civilians and prohibit access to agricultural land, water and roads, while also preventing the return of tens of thousands of internally displaced people to their homes.

To assist in their mine clearance efforts, the Engineer Regiment requested additional MDDs and MLI responded with an initial donation and integration training for five MDDs in June 2011.   MLI plans to donate an additional six MDDs to Sri Lanka in 2012.

On November 16, 2011, MLI participated in the MDD team graduation ceremony at the Sri Lankan Army Boo Oya Camp outside Vavuniya. The ceremony was attended by Brigadier Dhananjith, Chief Field Engineer of the Humanitarian Demining Unit;  Adis Pelto, MLI’s MDD trainer; Monty Ranatunge, Director of the Sri Lanka National Mine Action Center; a representative from UNDP; John Head-Rapson of Millenium IT; Prashantha Peiris, MLI’s in-country representative; and the SLA MDD handlers and support staff from the Engineer Regiment.

After an impressive obedience demonstration, the MDDs demonstrated how dogs are able to quickly locate landmines by “sniffing out” the explosive off-gas, without sacrificing safety or accuracy.  Following the demonstrations, the new handlers and their MDDs were presented with graduation certificates by MLI and were formally accredited.

To observe the new teams at work, the MLI delegation traveled to a SLA HDU demining site in Mannar, where a front line between the Sri Lankan military and LTTE forces left extreme mine contamination. The delegation observed the MDDs at this site, which is approximately ½ kilometer from the sea and 2 kilometers from a fishing village.  So far, more than 1,000 anti-personnel mines, 2 anti-tank mines, and 150 unexploded ordinances have been recovered from this area; the newly accredited dog teams will be critical in accelerating the pace of mine clearance in this region.

In addition to providing additional life-saving MDDs, MLI is exploring the possibility of initiating its Children Against Mines Program and Survivors’ Assistance Program in Sri Lanka.   During its visit, the MLI delegation met with Vijaya Ratnayake, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka, and explored the possibility of donating large quantities of custom designed medical supplies to landmine survivors and other victims of war.  Additionally, the delegation met with Z. Thajudeen of the Ministry of Education, to explore initiating MLI’s Children Against Mines Program in Sri Lanka.

MLI is committed to helping Sri Lanka become a safe place for children to play, animals to live and communities to grow without the threat of landmines and plans to continue helping Sri Lanka address the long-term humanitarian dangers and destabilizing effects of landmines.

** The Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that was established in 1997 to extend the vision of Nobel Peace Laureate George C. Marshall by alleviating suffering and promoting hope, growth and stability in war-torn countries. MLI’s primary mission is to establish practical, affordable and sustainable indigenous programs to help severely mine-affected countries rid their land of the humanitarian dangers and destabilizing effects of landmines.  This includes the development and implementation of the K9 Demining Corps (K9DC), which provides Mine Detection Dogs (MDDs) to accelerate the pace of landmine clearance operations; the Survivors’ Assistance program, which helps those who have been injured by landmines; and the Children Against Mines Program (CHAMPS), which promotes global citizenship and involves American youth in meaningful service-learning projects to help other children around the world. **

Contact:  Tycie Horsley
703-243-9200
tycie@marshall-legacy.org

Dogs that Sniff and Save

Arlington-based organization provides mine-detecting dogs.

Featured in the Arlington Connection
By Montie Martin

Arlington, VA – November 10, 2011 – Many people in the poorest countries in the world live with landmines, and the Arlington-based Marshall Legacy Institute helps to alleviate the burden with man’s best friend.

The institute trains and deploys mine-detecting dogs to some of the most heavily landmine-saturated countries in the world.

Dogs, with their finely tuned noses, can detect mines at significantly faster rates than traditional hand held detectors. While a person can clear 50 square meters of land a day, a dog can clear up to 1,500.

“Dogs have wonderful noses, and are naturally trainable,” said Perry Baltimore, CEO of the Marshall Legacy Institute. “Our dogs must make the highest echelon of training because so much is at stake.”

Not just any dog can become a certified de-miner. MLI mine-detecting dogs are selected from a pedigree raised specifically for their noses. The dogs are then sent to Texas for six weeks of intensive training.

The effort of bringing a dog up to professional standards is costly, and averages approximately $20,000 per dog. The investment pays off in the long term, however, as MLI has never lost an animal in the field.

“A dog can work between six and eight years and clear up to two million square meters of land before retiring to a good home,” said Baltimore.

The benefits of removing landmines are extensive. Landmines kill and maim civilians even after conflicts end, they prohibit the use of land for agriculture, and they cut off roads and access to markets.

“Landmines hamper the economic development of a country,” said Elise Becker, vice president of operations with MLI. “In a country like Angola, there are more mines than people.”

Angola is the most recent country to form a partnership with MLI. On Oct. 12, the organization held a signing ceremony and sent a team of six dogs and two handlers to train locals in canine-based de-mining techniques.

“Fifty percent of the country is mined; people can not move around safely,” said Delfina Nascimento, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Angola. “People have no water, no electricity, no homes. But there are landmines.”

According to Nascimento, during the 27-year civil war a landmine cost $50 to purchase and bury in the ground. Today that same landmine costs $5,000 to remove.

Despite the seemingly insurmountable hurdle of clearing landmines from a country twice the size of Texas, Nascimento remains optimistic for Angola now that peace has been established since 2002.

“There has been big progress,” said Nascimento. “The economy has grown and young people are going to university instead of the military.”

In Angola, as in many other countries plagued with landmines, mines were considered an instrument of war and used without considering their future impact. Landmines, however, do not discriminate between soldiers, and pose serious ethical concerns when civilians are maimed or killed.

“Anything that kills children in an attempt to stop combatants is unethical,” said Dr. Brian Doyle, an associate professor of theology at Marymount University. “The argument that they are not meant to kill but to act as a deterrent is political and does not, in my opinion, convince any ethicist.”

The unethical nature of landmines, their lethality, and their economic devastation was recognized universally in the 1997 Ottawa Treaty banning the production and sale of landmines. Although the United States is not a signatory of the treaty, according to MLI no other country in the world supports de-mining efforts more than the United States.

“We’re so grateful for loving, passionate, charitable Americans who sponsor this cause,” said Baltimore. “All of the dogs have been paid for by personal donations, and the government matches funding two-to-one.”

Major funding for MLI comes from the U.S. State Department, which supports 28 dogs in Afghanistan alone. Other significant funding sources include the military contracting firm General Dynamics.

“The success of the dogs is phenomenal,” said Rob Doolittle, a spokesman for General Dynamics. “Lives and land are saved because of the work of the dogs.”

Perhaps the most impressive funding source, however, has been the outpouring of support from schools. The MLI Children Against Landmines campaign offers students an opportunity to see first hand how a mine detecting dog operates in their classroom, and students can raise funds to support the cause.

Children can interact with peers from abroad over the Internet, and hear from survivors of landmines first hand.

“Young people get involved, and help victims of landmines,” said Yooh-yung Kim, a volunteer with MLI “No one can dispute the legitimacy of the cause.”

To date, there are 165 MLI dogs operating in 13 countries. The scale of the mission to eradicate landmines, however, is daunting. Landmines affect over 70 countries, and while the MLI program can point to great success having cleared an area the size of London, much remains to be done.

MLI’s 2011 Clearing the Path Gala was a Huge Success!

Washington, DC – The Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI), a Virginia-based international humanitarian organization, hosted its 14th annual Clearing the Path Gala on October 4th in Washington, DC at the elegant Fairmont Hotel. Nearly 350 guests helped MLI honor leaders whose extraordinary efforts have improved lives in war-torn countries. With dozens of generous Gala sponsors, including Title Sponsor General Dynamics, the event raised more than $300,000 to support MLI’s humanitarian programs.

MLI works to restore hope and promote stability in war-torn countries by implementing sustainable and affordable programs that help countries remove the scourge of landmines. Since its founding in 1997, MLI has donated 171 mine detection dogs (MDDs) to eleven different countries around the world, to include Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Eritrea, Iraq, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and most recently, Angola. MLI’s CHildren Against Mines Program (CHAMPS) is an educational outreach program that fosters global citizenship by encouraging American students to help others in mine-affected countries through service-learning projects. Finally, MLI’s Survivors’ Assistance program helps landmine survivors who are struggling to overcome the devastating physical and psychological scars of their injuries by providing prosthetic devices, rehabilitative treatment and vocational training.

MLI was delighted to have veteran ABC News reporter, Sam Donaldson, and his wife and accomplished broadcast journalist, Jan Smith-Donaldson, serve as joint Masters of Ceremonies for the Gala. They kicked off the evening and introduced Deputy Secretary of State William J. Burns, who emphasized the importance of continuing the uphill battle to remove the grave threats that landmines pose to human life and security. “The Marshall Legacy Institute has become a premier example of how much we can accomplish when government and private organizations work together in common cause,” said the Deputy Secretary. The Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement has been a supporter of MLI since 1999 and has been indispensable to MLI’s programs.

After a delightful dinner and impressive performances of traditional Afghan and Azeri dances by the Nomad Dancers, the awards ceremony officially commenced. The first award presentation, the Joan Wismer CHAMPS Award, went to the Glenelg Country School (GCS) of Ellicott City, Maryland for their tireless enthusiasm for the CHAMPS Program. MLI founder and Board Chairman, General Gordon Sullivan, then took the stage to present the 2011 Public Policy Award to Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) in recognition of his endeavors to create a safer world for people and animals and his consistent advocacy for global diplomatic initiatives.

Following Senator Reed’s remarks, Dr. Ken Rutherford, Director of the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery, and former recipient of MLI’s Survivors’ Assistance Award, presented the Fantomi Sitting Volleyball Team with the 2011 Survivors’ Assistance Award. Mirsad Mirojević, co-founder and Director of the Fantomi Sitting Volleyball Team, and Marija Trlin of the Mine Dog Detection Center in Bosnia Herzegovina accepted the award on behalf of the team. The evening concluded with the presentation of the MDD Team of the Year Award, which went to MDD Pete and his handler Shah Mahmood, who have been working together in Afghanistan since 2008 to make the country a safer place. Although the team could not attend the Gala, Ambassador Eklil Hakimi of Afghanistan and MDD trainer Glenn Hayter accepted the award on their behalf. Ambassador Hakimi thanked MLI for the twenty eight MDDs that have been donated to his country over the past three years.

MLI is incredibly grateful to everyone who so generously contributed to the success of the Clearing the Path Gala, including the many sponsors, donors, volunteers, and members of the Gala Steering Committee. For more information or to take part in the 2012 Clearing the Path Gala, scheduled for October 10, 2012, please contact info@marshall-legacy.org or call 703-243-9200.

Click here for the printable version of the Press Release.

MLI Launches 1st Mine Detection Dog program in Angola!

Published by the Journal of Angola

October 12, 2011 -Luanda – The National Institute of Demining (INAD), the Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI) and the Mine Detection Dogs Centre (MDDC) Wednesday in Luanda signed a technical assistance accord for dog demining, a technique that will be used in Angola for the first time.

The accord was signed by INAD director, Leonardo Severino Sapalo, MLI chairman, Perry F. Baltimore III, and MDDC director, Nermin Hadzimujagic, at a ceremony witnessed by the Angolan institution’s technical personnel, including the US embassy official for political affairs.

The main purpose of the accord is technical assistance for the development of skills of INAD mine detection dogs.

Under the deal, INAD will build 12 kennels for the Viana (Luanda) demining school and secure training and accreditation for local trainers of mine detection dogs, seeking to speed up demining operations in the country.

The MDDC will supply two professional teams of dogs for detection of landmines to work in Angola for two months, under INAD demining operations.

In its turn, MLI will operate as the programme coordinating organ and help INAD choose a programme manager in the country.

The MLI official said his institution has so far supplied 165 explosive detecting dogs to various countries of the world.

NEWS AND EVENTS

Help MLI win $150,000 Humanitarian Award by voting for us by June 28th!

We are excited to announce that MLI was nominated this month to receive a Classy Award for our humanitarian achievements!  This is an amazing opportunity for us to not only win $150,000, but to also broaden our exposure and raise awareness about the global landmines epidemic. In order to become a finalist,we only need 100 people to “like” us on our new page at StayClassy.org by June 28th. Once you get to our page, just click on the small box with a “thumbs up” symbol - you do not need to provide any personal information or sign up  - all you have to do is “like” MLI’s page to help us win!  If you have a Facebook or Twitter account, please consider sharing this with your friends and be sure to go to MLI’s Facebook page for updates about how we are doing.