(3 Aug 1999) English/Nat
Superman is heading to the rescue in Kosovo.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton has unveiled a comic book featuring the superhero which will soon be distributed to thousands of children in and near the Yugoslav province.
The aim of the book is to help teach ethnic Albanian refugee children to avoid landmines.
Ever since they arrived in Kosovo, NATO peacekeepers have tried to protect returning refugees from landmines.
Like these Canadian KFOR troops in the village of Glogovac, they held mine-awareness courses for ethnic Albanian children.
The instructors told their young listeners how to recognise various types of mines and told them what to do if they ever encountered one of the deadly weapons.
But despite their valiant efforts, many in Kosovo continue to lose their lives or limbs to landmines.
So it is time for Superman to come to the rescue.
First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton on Monday announced that a comic book featuring the superhero will soon be distributed to about 500-thousand children in and near Kosovo.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"Superman has been the beloved hero of America's children for generations. He's armed with special powers and a big heart. Now he will be both a hero and a guide to the children of Kosovo as he educates them about the dangers of landmines in these new Superman Mine Awareness comic books."
SUPER CAPTION: U-S First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton
More than 200 accidents involving mines and unexploded ordnance have occurred in Kosovo since the war ended six weeks ago.
And the United Nations estimates mines will continue to maim and kill in Kosovo for five
years.
So while the KFOR troops continue their efforts, the comic book offers additional lessons in spotting and avoiding landmines.
The book, which aid groups will begin distributing within days, is mainly aimed at ethnic Albanian refugees driven from their homes before and during the war.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We instructed children to stand still and shout for help when they encountered any strange objects, yet who among us can stand still and be calm faced with these deadly landmines?"
SUPER CAPTION: Tehnaz Dastoor, Office of Emergency Programmes, UNICEF
The comic features Superman swooping from the sky to stop two boys from disturbing a mine.
The dialogue is in Albanian, the language of the dominant Kosovo population of ethnic
Albanians.
As the number of landmine victims continues to rise, awareness remains a key issue.
Clinton said she was made aware of this during her recent visit to Slovenia.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"While I was there I was handed tow different types of landmines and I saw, as those of you who already know, how small they really are, how easily they could be hidden in the grass or in a playground or in a house. So I want to thank all of for raising public awareness and helping to save lives and limbs."
SUPER CAPTION: Hillary Clinton
A similar Superman comic was distributed in Bosnia after the war ended there in 1995 while another version has been used in Central America.
The Superman comic is a collaboration of the Pentagon, UNICEF and DC Comics.
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