Crossing a minefield
first published in The World / BBC World Service on Aug. 22, 2010
Three thousand villagers in the mountains of Nariño, southern Mexico, are surrounded by landmines. The explosives were set by ELN rebels after they were attacked by the Colombian army, and have already taken the lives of several residents. Tragically, the villagers, rebels and local authorities had pioneered a peace agreement amongst themselves, and many blame the army for causing the most recent conflict. Those at home are now trapped there. Another group, caught on the outside when the conflict began, are going to make attempt to return. Soldiers warn them against it, but the group carry vital food and medicine, and are determined to pitck their way across a minefield back to their families.
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I'm a journalist, producer, instructional designer and developer. I've reported from a minefield and a dugout canoe, taught radio journalism, robotics, and anthropology in board rooms, lecture halls and mud huts, led award-winning media projects, and mentored dozens of journalists in Canada and Latin America. I run a small media production company specialized in education and the environment called Studio Canek.
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