Organisations exist to make extraordinary achievements possible for ordinary people
“Looking back, I find it hard to explain to you how I came upon the idea of creating the Foundation World Without Mines. I can best describe the process as akin to doing a puzzle: each piece of the puzzle fit into place, until a complete picture emerged. This picture – my vision – is of a world without (the danger of) mines.
In 1996 the television, radio and newspaper coverage of the problem of anti-personnel mines was striking. The emotional topic seemed to be on everybody's mind, and my curiosity was piqued as well. I wanted to know exactly what was going on, and which organisations were doing something about it, and I soon discovered that the victims of mines were receiving ample medical attention, and that initiatives were underway on the part of the many reputable organisations committed to their rehabilitation. After combing through a certain amount of documentation, however, I was surprised to learn that the organisations concerned with clearing away the mines themselves, and thus addressing the root of the evil, were few and far between, and I resolved to establish a foundation whose primary aim would be to reclaim mined territory and return it to use.”
