State Department Participates in "Night of 1000 Dinners" To Publicize Global Landmine Problem

For the second year in a row, the U.S. Department of State, in an effort to raise public awareness of the landmine problem that affects some 70 nations, is pleased to support the "Night of 1000 Dinners." This global event will encompass over a thousand individual dinners to be hosted in private homes, embassies and other settings around the world -- each intended to highlight the dangers of the landmine problem and the need for greater efforts to alleviate it.

This year's "Night of 1000 Dinners," which is organized by the Canadian Landmine Foundation and the United Nations Association of the United States of America, will take place on and about December 5, 2002.

Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr., Special Representative of the President and Secretary of State for Mine Action, appears on a videotape that is being distributed to each officially registered "Night of 1000 Dinners" host. Other speakers include Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Bill Graham, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills McCartney.

Officers from the State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, which is responsible for the U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program, will fan out and speak at several of these events in the United States and foreign countries. Fifteen U.S. Embassies around the world will also host "Night of 1000 Dinners" events.

To view a compelling 30-second television public service announcement about the "Night of 1000 Dinners," visit the State Department website at http://www.state.gov/t/pm/maip/15402.htm. The text of Special Representative Bloomfield's remarks on the videotape being sent to all registered dinner hosts may be seen at http://www.state.gov/t/pm/.

To learn how you can host your own "Night of 1000 Dinners" event to help support humanitarian mine action, visit www.1000dinners.com.