Environment and Habitat

This week, commonspace.eu spoke to Nigel Ellway about his work on landmines, explosive weapons and victim assistance, and his mission to make conflict-affected communities safer and more humane places to live.  Nigel Ellway is a former international journalist and Whitehall media adviser who has dedicated more than a decade to raise political awareness of landmines, explosive weapons and victim assistance. In 2011, he created an All-Party Parliamentary Group on Landmines, and in 2018 founded the REVIVE Campaign, a humanitarian NGO focused on research and advocacy. We spoke to Mr. Ellway about the long-term impact of landmines and explosive weapons, why victim assistance is too often politically neglected, and why mine action should be measured not only by land cleared or devices removed, but by lives rebuilt, livelihoods restored and communities made safe again. “When I founded REVIVE, we adopted the phrase: “Reduce explosive violence, increase victim empowerment.” That is actually where the organisation’s name comes from. But over time, I became increasingly realistic about what NGOs can and cannot achieve. Conflict will always exist, and human beings are endlessly inventive in the ways they wage war. Historically, landmines were seen as effective weapons of deterrence because they were cheap to deploy but expensive to remove. Today, however, warfare is evolving rapidly. Drone warfare is transforming the battlefield.” (To read the full interview, click on the image above.)

The European Green Party, bringing together all Green parties across the EU, is the first European political family to make an explicit political invitation for the UK to rejoin, 10 years after Brexit.  The Green party leaders, united on Friday at the Green Leadership Council in Brussels, and stated in a common Declaration that the way forward for the EU is to enlarge to the East and the West, and to roll out a radical move towards renewable energy to ensure European autonomy.  Vula Tsetsi, Co-Chair of the European Green Party, said:  'On the eve of Europe Day, we European Greens are clear: the European Union must enlarge and its doors should be re-opened for the United Kingdom. If, in the future, the people of the UK choose this path, we are ready to welcome them back. Ten years after Brexit, it is increasingly clear that Brexit weakened both the UK and the EU. Any political process must begin with a political signal, and today, the European Greens are the first European political family to say clearly that our door is open to a future return of the UK in the EU. We now call on the other European political families to follow.’ The European Green Party fully supports enlargement across Europe, from the Western Balkans and Ukraine to any European country that chooses a shared democratic future within the European Union, as a more united Europe is a stronger Europe. Ciarán Cuffe, Co-Chair of the European Green Party, added:  'Europe’s dependence on oil and gas is keeping it weak, exposed and vulnerable. If we are serious about peace, security, and independence, we must break free from fossil fuels and go all in on renewable energy. Wind and solar are not just climate solutions, they are the foundation of a stronger, independent and ultimately free Europe. Investing in renewables will protect us from the price spikes linked to fossil fuel.' (click the image to read the full report).