[hanadihammouri]

Major U.K. and U.S. Landmine Charities Honour Footsteps of Diana


Her Majesty Queen Noor and Legendary Napa Valley Vintner Miljenko Grgich to Receive Roots of Peace Global Citizen Award Onboard Queen Mary 2 in honour of the 10th anniversary of the death of the late Diana, Princess of Wales who catapulted the issue of landmines to the forefront of the international agenda, two major U.K. and U.S. charity organisations are joining forces to stage global events raising funds to remove landmines and unexploded bombs.
At the Cruise for Peace Bon Voyage Luncheon, Her Majesty Queen Noor and Miljenko "Mike" Grgich, legendary NapaValley vintner and owner, Grgich Hills Estate, will be presented with the Roots of Peace, 2007 Global Citizen Award. The luncheon will take place onboard Queen Mary 2 at the Brooklyn (New York) Cruise Terminal, 11:00am -- 3:00pm. A reception will feature Grgich Hills Estate wines and a gourmet lunch will be served in the three-story Britannia Restaurant.
Roots of Peace, a humanitarian non-profit organization dedicated to the eradication of landmines by returning de-mined land to productive agricultural use, created the Global Citizen Award to salute the leadership and unique contributions of Her Majesty Queen Noor and Napa Valley Vintner Mike Grgich in raising landmine awareness around the globe. "The grapevine represents the seeds we have in common rather than those which separate us," said Heidi Kuhn, Founder and CEO, Roots of Peace. "While the fermented vine in Croatia honors the fine wines produced by legendary vintner, Mike Grgich, the fresh grapes and raisins honor the harvest of hope in Muslim countries where her Majesty Queen Noor has nurtured the vine," added Kuhn.
Queen Noor has been a tireless advocate for mine victims and their families to recover, heal, and resume their role as participating and contributing members of society. In 1998, as patron of Landmine Survivors Network (LSN), she hosted the first "International Conference on Landmine Injury & Rehabilitation in the Middle East." She announced the 40th ratification of the Ottawa Mine Ban-Treaty at the United Nations on October 1, 1998 detailing new measures to universalize the treaty and promote victim-survivor assistance. She has traveled to Africa, South East Asia, Europe, Central America, and the United States to raise awareness of the humanitarian disaster wrought by landmines and the dire need to assist survivors rebuild their lives. She has also been a leader in promoting public understanding of the relation between international agricultural research and global peace, prosperity, environmental renewal, health, and the alleviation of human suffering.