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Summary of Activities
In 1995 PeaceTrees Vietnam was born as a grassroots effort to bring
healing, peace and renewal to one of the most war-torn provinces of
Vietnam. This is accomplished through the sponsorship of landmine
clearance, citizen diplomacy/tree-planting programs for American and
Vietnamese citizens on cleared land, victim and survivor assistance and
landmines awareness education programs for children. Still today,
unexploded ordnance (UXO) and landmines surround the people of Quang Tri
Province, threatening their lives and their livelihood as this deadly
debris renders much of their land unusable. Nearly every week a person
is maimed or killed by a UXO or landmine.
2005
March citizen diplomacy delegation plants over 2,000 more trees.
Dedication and groundbreaking for sixth commune library (located in Khe
Sanh).
PeaceTrees Vietnam becomes its own stand-alone 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization on1 January.
2004
Provided financial support which enabled a group of 70 handicapped
athletes to attend the National Para games 2004 in Ho Chi Minh City.
Helped sponsor the initial fundraising process for a new library to be
built in Khe Sanh.
March and September citizen diplomacy tree-planting missions continued
work of environmental restoration and friendship building. Over 2,800
trees were planted.
International Children's Day (June) engaged over 350 students and 60
adults (plus artists) in landmines awareness education.
Dedicated fifth library in Trung Giang District with the assistance of
the Provincial Women's Union, Australian AID and the Dutch embassy.
Fulfilled the 2004 portion of the micro-credit loans in Cam Lo and Vinh
Linh districts.
Reduced current debt on PeaceTrees Friendship Village construction
loans.
Maintained our annual EOD Response Team budget with the partnership of
OXFAM Hong Kong and the Vietnam Veterans' Memorial Fund (VVMF).
Provided survivor assistance to victims of 12 incidents reported (10
injuries and 6 deaths).
2003
Landmines educational program for children with campout and poster
contest included 900 participants.
March and September citizen diplomacy tree-planting missions continued
work of environmental restoration and friendship building. The 10,000th
tree was planted in March.
Sponsored a new school classroom and dormitory rooms addition to Dong Ha
Blind School (dedicated in September).
Sponsored clearance for five separate library sites and dedicated three
libraries in Vinh Hoa, Cam Tuyen, and Hai Vinh communes.
Initiated the Quang Tri Province Explosive Ordnance Response Team in
cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs, which will respond
to requests for UXO removal.
Constructed and relocated the PeaceTrees Dong Ha office to the Danaan
Parry Landmines Education Center.
Continued (in cooperation with the Quang Tri Province Women's Union) the
second phase of the micro-credit lending program. Fifty women each
received about $170 USD for family economic production assistance.
Provided survivor assistance to victims of 19 reported incidents (23
injuries and 11 deaths).
Initiated proposal for multi-purpose recreation building at the
PeaceTrees Vietnam Friendship Forest Park.
2002
Citizen diplomacy tree-planting missions continued work of environmental
restoration and friendship building.
Resettled, homeless and landmine/UXO survivor families moved into 77
homes in PeaceTrees Friendship Village.
PeaceTrees Friendship Village and kindergarten formally dedicated on
September 19, 2002.
Initiated landmine education program to enhance landmine prevention
knowledge for women and children in Gio Linh and Cam Lo districts.
Completed clearance of 30 hectares in Cam Lo District.
Completed clearance of 3.1 hectares, extending area of Friendship Forest
Park.
Initiated proposal for clearance efforts for Kids First Agricultural
Farm.
Initiated proposal for clearance efforts and construction of recreation
area surrounding Khe May Lake in Dong Ha.
International Children's Day campout and art poster contest for 235
disabled and disadvantaged children.
Fifty women in Quang Tri Province each received about $170 USD as part
of PeaceTrees' micro-credit lending program in partnership with the
Quang Tri Province Women's Union.
2000-2001
Sponsored full clearance of 40-acre site on former US Marine Corps
combat base. Trained and built demining capacity with 27 Vietnamese
deminers, with technical assistance of UXB International; completed
December, 2000. More than 289 items of unexploded ordnance were found
and safely removed.
Mines awareness program for Quang Tri children at Danaan Parry Landmines
Education Center through educational events, teaching about the dangers
of UXO.
Developed medical assistance program for child survivors of accidents.
Provided victim assistance support to 41 individual victim/survivors
plus family household economic support.
During four citizen diplomacy trips teams of American and Vietnamese
volunteers planted more than 4,000 saplings on land cleared of UXO.
Volunteers met with child landmine survivors and their families to see
and hear the consequences of these tragic accidents.
PeaceTrees Vietnam permitted to plant trees at the Quang Tri Town Old
Citadel.
Cooperated with Catholic Relief Services to prepare exhibit of Quang Tri
children's art for US Presidential visit to Hanoi (2000).
Historic meeting with President Clinton and First Lady, in Hanoi for
US-Vietnam humanitarian demining event. PeaceTrees' humanitarian efforts
acknowledged in presidential speech.
Memorandum of Understanding signed to build PeaceTrees Friendship
Village in Dong Ha Town. Local officials and tree-planting volunteers
participated (24-month project - Feb. 22, 2001).
Launched construction of PeaceTrees Friendship Village: built roads,
installed water lines, electricity, dam, kindergarten, community center,
sports area and 100 family homes (April 19, 2001).
Dedication of completion of first 30 homes in PeaceTrees Friendship
Village (September, 2001).
Sponsorship of clearance of 2.2 hectares for Kids First Rehabilitation
and Vocational Training Village in Dong Ha. Clearance conducted by
Provincial Military 384 Construction Company, using equipment and safety
procedures in accordance with United Nations Humanitarian Demining
Standards (February, 2001).
Landmines awareness program for children expanded to include victim
assistance, teacher training programs, and educational outreach.
Sponsored clearance of 3.1 hectares, extending area of Friendship Forest
Park.
Initiated micro-credit revolving loan fund in cooperation with the Quang
Tri Province Women's Union in Gio Linh and Cam Lo districts.
Completed new sewer line for Dong Ha Blind School.
Soccer field constructed at Danaan Parry Landmines Education Center
(May, 2001).
1996-1997-1998-1999
With assistance of Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF),
PeaceTrees made an official proposal to the Vietnam-USA Society in Hanoi
to sponsor a model project of healing and reconciliation and was invited
to Quang Tri Province to implement project.
Worked with Quang Tri Foreign Relations Department to sponsor successful
clearance of unexploded ordnance on site of the former US Marine Corps
combat base in Dong Ha Town.
Sponsored three-week citizen diplomacy program with 43 international
volunteers working alongside 43 Vietnamese citizens to plant 2,000
indigenous trees, transforming a once fiery battleground into the
Friendship Forest Park (1996).
PeaceTrees Vietnam participates in first Washington state trade mission
to Vietnam.
In cooperation with the Vietnamese people, designed and constructed the
Danaan Parry Landmines Education Center, an educational outreach center
for accident prevention in the province, located on the Friendship
Forest site. Groundbreaking activities and dedication ceremonies took
place in September, 1998.
Conducted clearance of 12 additional acres to extend Friendship Forest
Park, with UXB International providing technical assistance to
Vietnamese deminers.
Began developmental work on province-wide landmines awareness program.
PeaceTrees' in-country representative office in Dong Ha Town approved
(1999).
Landmines educational programs for children developed (including a 1,000
child campout).
Seattle's Roosevelt High School tree-planting trip to Dong Ha (1999).
Peace Park at Danaan Parry Landmines Education Center built (1999).
Seattle's KING 5 reporter Mimi Gan filmed documentary on PeaceTrees in
Dong Ha.
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