Little Steven Marks 30th Anniversary Of Nelson Mandela's Historic Release From Prison By Announcing Remastered Vinyl Edition Of Landmark Protest Album 'Sun City'

Little Steven Marks 30th Anniversary Of Nelson Mandela's Historic Release From Prison By Announcing Remastered Vinyl Edition Of Landmark Protest Album 'Sun City' (image via Wikipedia)

Little Steven, aka Steven Van Zandt, is commemorating today's 30th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's historic release from a South African prison after 27 years in captivity with the announcement that his 1985 landmark protest album, Sun City, by Artists United Against Apartheid, the extraordinary supergroup brought together by Van Zandt, producer Arthur Baker and journalist Danny Schechter to fight racial injustice in South Africa, will be released on vinyl for the first time since its initial release 35 years ago. 

The long-out-of-print LP joins five additional classic albums from Van Zandt making all of Little Steven's records from his early career once again available on vinyl.

The upcoming releases, previously only available in last year's limited edition box set, RockNRoll Rebel – The Early Work, and now available individually, have all been remastered and include all of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer's solo records between 1982 and 1999: Men Without Women (1982), Voice Of America (1983), Sun City (1985) Freedom – No Compromise (1987), Revolution (1989) and Born Again Savage (1999). 

Releasing March 13 via Wicked Cool/UMe, all albums will be available on both 180-gram black vinyl and as a special, limited edition version on 180-gram color swirl vinyl mirroring the psychedelic platters released in the box set. 

• The color vinyl variants can be purchased exclusive at uDiscover. 
• Click here to pre-order your copy 

Notably, Revolution will be making its individual US vinyl debut, having previously only seen vinyl release in Europe, while the 2LP Born Again Savage will be available individually on vinyl for the first time ever.

Little Steven announced the rerelease of his 1985 landmark protest album, 'Sun City,' by Artists United Against Apartheid, on vinyl on the 30th anniversary of Nelson Mandela’s historic release from a South African prison after 27 years in captivity.

Hailed by Rolling Stone as "one of the most fervent and forceful political statements to emerge from Eighties pop music," Sun City, celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, remains an undisputed milestone in music and cultural history. The project began with "Sun City," a song Van Zandt wrote to expose and oppose South Africa's apartheid system which included the forced relocation of its black population who were also stripped of their right to vote. The song, featuring the memorable chorus of "I ain't gonna play Sun City," was a declaration and boycott from a stunningly diverse group of artists that they would refuse to perform at Sun City, a resort located within the Bantustan of Bophuthatswana, one of many internationally unrecognized states created by the South African government to forcibly relocate its black population. 

To record the track, Van Zandt, co-producer Arthur Baker and journalist Danny Schechter brought together Artists United Against Apartheid – a still breathtaking cadre of international superstars that included Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis, Pete Townshend, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Ringo Starr, Zak Starkey, Darlene Love, Run DMC, U2, George Clinton, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Rubén Blades, Peter Gabriel, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Bobby Womack, Afrika Bambaataa, Kurtis Blow, DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Melle Mel, The Fat Boys, Herbie Hancock, Jackson Browne, Peter Wolf, Bonnie Raitt, Hall & Oates, Jimmy Cliff, Big Youth, Peter Garrett, Ron Carter, Ray Barretto, Gil Scott-Heron, Nona Hendryx, Pat Benatar, Clarence Clemons, Stiv Bators, Doug Wimbish, and Joey Ramone, to name but a few. 

Named as the top single of 1985 by The Village Voice's prestigious "Pazz & Jop" critics poll, "Sun City" was followed that same year by a full-length album that saw many of those same artists joining together for a number of additional exclusive tracks, including "Silver and Gold" (performed by Bono with Keith Richards and Ron Wood), "The Struggle Continues" (featuring Miles Davis, Stanley Jordan, Herbie Hancock, Sonny Okosuns, Ron Carter, Tony Williams, and Richard Scher), and "Let Me See Your I.D." (featuring Gil Scott-Heron, Miles Davis, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Peter Wolf, Sonny Okosuns, Malopoets, Duke Bootee, Ray Barretto, and Peter Garrett).

Sun City proved a critically acclaimed and globally important work for both its powerful social message – allowing Van Zandt, Baker, and others involved in the project to donate more than a half million dollars to causes supporting the anti-apartheid struggle – as well as its innovative, world-spanning musical approach, ultimately earning inclusion in Rolling Stone's "100 Best Albums of the Eighties," which noted "Sun City threw an effective political punch: Not only did it discourage musicians from playing the South African resort city, but it also helped spread the word about new sounds like rap." Van Zandt is donating all artist and publishing royalties from Sun City to the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation for the TeachRock.org music history curriculum.

"It took courage for artists to make the leap from social concerns to political action for a cause that was virtually unknown at the time," said Van Zandt. "Victories that clear cut are rare in the sphere of international liberation politics. Once in a lifetime if you're lucky."

The release of Little Steven's early catalog comes on the heels of the expansive box set, RockNRoll Rebel – The Early Work, released in December. Limited to just 1,000 copies, the comprehensive collection includes all six aforementioned albums across seven colored vinyl LPs housed in a bespoke slipcase. The multi-format set also boasts four CDs of rarities culled from Van Zandt's personal vault, allowing an in-depth look at his early solo career with 51 tracks spanning previously unreleased demos, B-sides, rehearsals, outtakes, radio spots, non-album singles, classic concert performances, and a number of never-before-heard studio gems, complete with corresponding liner notes from Van Zandt about each of the bonus tracks.

"It's been a blast going through the archives and finding all these hidden gems," says Van Zandt. "In addition to demos in various stages of completion, there are entire songs I'd completely forgotten about, and we found some really early things pre-Jukes like Southside Johnny and the Kid (The Kid being me!). I'm excited to have my stuff back on vinyl for the first time in decades!"

All six albums included in RockNRoll Rebel – The Early Work are also now available digitally as individual Deluxe Editions, expanded with the same rare and unreleased material from the era that make up the four discs of rarities in the physical collection. 

The Early Work, a special digital-only collection compiling 10 previously unreleased tracks of early rehearsals and live performances with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes spanning 1973-77 and capped off with a 1995 live performance of The Temptations' "I Wish It Would Rain," is also now available. 

Also now available digitally is the rare 1985 three-song 12" EP, Let Me See Your I.D., featuring the Extended Mix, Street Mix and Beat and Scratch Mix of the landmark "Sun City" single. 

All albums can be streamed/downloaded below:

• Men Without Women
• Voice of America
• Freedom – No Compromise
• Revolution
• Born Again Savage
• Sun City
• The Early Work
• Let Me See Your I.D.

In addition, a limited edition standalone 144-page, 12" x 12" companion book is in the works featuring Van Zandt's in-depth liner notes for RockNRoll Rebel, alongside memories and stories about the making of each album, lyrics to every song, and hundreds of never-before-seen photos.

SOURCE: Wicked Cool/UMe

Moutai Group Celebrates Chinese Lunar New Year in Manhattan's Chinatown [Video Included]

Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated in Manhattan’s Chinatown

The Chinatown Lunar New Year Parade and Festival were held in Manhattan, New York on Sunday, February 9 in honor of Chinese Lunar New Year. The festivities featured a parade, lion dances, and cultural performances.

The first float was sponsored by Moutai Group. A giant bottle of Moutai and colorful balloons on the float sparkled with the flashes of the parade-watchers' cameras. On the float, a banner reading "Stay Strong, Wuhan" sent well wishes to the people of Wuhan, China, which is currently battling a novel coronavirus epidemic. The banner represented the wishes of Chinese people all over the world.

In featuring this message on their float, Moutai Group expressed the sincerity of their feelings for the people of Wuhan, as well as their dedication to help. As the first thing anyone would see in the parade, this float's important message could not be missed.

Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated in Manhattan’s Chinatown

The Year of the Rat officially kicked off last month. However, this year's lunar new year was more challenging than usual. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia is being addressed by the efforts of all of China.

"Actually, I am not that scared of Coronavirus. It is just one of many things we deal with globally," a woman in the parade said.

A young girl in the parade expressed her wishes to Chinese people: "I'm sorry that people are going through that. Stay strong, it'll pass. Be strong Wuhan. Be strong China!"

Chinese Lunar New Year is celebrated in Manhattan’s Chinatown (screengrab)

Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, State Senator Brian Kavanagh, Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio, Lieutenant Governor of New York Kathy Hochul, and others attended the event, where they extended their best wishes to the public.

The Video:

SOURCE: Moutai Group

Miley Cyrus, Dennis Quaid and The Struts Join Robby Krieger To Celebrate The Doors' 50th Anniversary of 'Morrison Hotel' at The Sunset Marquis in West Hollywood

Mylie Cyrus and Andrew Watt (by Andrew Mason)

The Doors' iconic album, Morrison Hotel, was released exactly 50 years ago, today, on February 9th, 1970.

On the eve of the album's half-centennial anniversary, rock stars collided at West Hollywood's Sunset Marquis where music lovers and legends fêted the 50th anniversary of Morrison Hotel.

Hosted by industry trailblazers John Varvatos and Timothy White at the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood and sponsored by Jack Daniels, the homecoming celebration paid homage to the record's release 50 years ago with a poolside performance helmed by The Doors' guitarist and co-founder, Robby Krieger.

Robby Krieger and Tangiers Blues Band – (a NYC group who have shared the stage with artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, Brandi Carlisle, and many more) – along with an impressive roster of acclaimed musicians lent their respective talents to some of The Doors' time-honored greatest hits.

Miley Cyrus and producer Andrew Watt covered "Back Door Man", The Struts' chilling take on "Riders on The Storm" and Dennis Quaid brought the house down with his version of "L.A. Woman". 

Other performers included, Big Machine Records/John Varvatos Records artist Badflower, Gary Clark, Jr., Nicole Atkins, Chris Voss (The Record Company), Slim Jim Phantom (The Stray Cats), The Eagles of Death Metal, guitarist Jimmy Vavino, Michael Bolton and Alex Greenwald (Phantom Planet).

Morrison Hotel Gallery also celebrated its 20-year anniversary with the opening of a new photography exhibit in the gallery located inside the hotel's lobby. On public view through February 23rd, the exhibition leans heavily on rare outtakes from photographer and co-founder of the gallery, Henry Diltz's impromptu Morrison Hotel session… that almost didn't happen.

 

The exhibit also features another 20+ fine art prints - a monumental glimpse inside The Doors' sensational career, spanning the gamut from iconic to never-before-seen.

As the story goes, photographer Henry Diltz arrived at the transient Morrison Hotel with The Doors only to be denied photographic permission by an unwitting desk clerk who, in stepping away for a few minutes, missed out on mischief that created one of the most prolific portraits in music history.

A half-century after the release of Morrison Hotel, phenomenal music remains the great unifier; transcending age, genre, race and language, fans were – and still are - delighted to witness the legendary and durational legacy of The Doors' Morrison Hotel.

About Morrison Hotel Gallery

With locations in NYC, Los Angeles and Maui, MHG is the world's leading brand in fine art music photography, representing over 125 of the world's finest music photographers and their archives. 

Their vast catalog of photography encompasses jazz, blues, and rock imagery spanning several generations through to today's contemporary music artists, and now includes iconic photographs in the world of celebrity and sports as well. 

MHG has a robust online presence, featuring over 100,000 images searchable by photographer, music artist, band or concert.

SOURCE: Morrison Hotel Gallery

UTPlus Interactive Announced the Launch for the Global Service of "Cosmic Wars - The Galactic Battle"

UTPlus Interactive Announced the Launch for the Global Service of "Cosmic Wars - The Galactic Battle"

On Feb. 7 (North America Time), UTPlus Interactive Inc. announced the launch for the global service of "Cosmic Wars - The Galactic Battle".

Global service is now available in over 150 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia. The Global One-Build supports nine languages (English, German, French, Japanese, Thai, Russian, Thai, Portuguese, Korean) and support for Spanish will be added in the future

UTPlus Interactive Announced the Launch for the Global Service of "Cosmic Wars - The Galactic Battle"

The game, which was soft launched earlier, features unique artwork and an original scenario. The game system allows users to build their own strategic vessel by assembling ship parts to the user's preference and pioneer in post-apocalyptic space while battling various forces, space monsters, and other players.

The global version will feature more user customizable content by increasing communication with users through various social media channels and analyzing user feedback and game play data.

Ted Taeyeun Yoo (CEO) said, "Levering the experience we gained from successfully servicing Talion and Shadowblood, we will continue to listen to the user's opinions and service the game successfully with a long-term plan."

UTPlus Interactive Announced the Launch for the Global Service of "Cosmic Wars - The Galactic Battle"

"Cosmic Wars - The Galactic Battle" was selected as a Top 3 game in the 2018 Google Indie Game Festival and awarded as the Indie Game of the Year. The developer is offering various events to celebrate the launch of its global service. 

• More details are available on the official global Facebook page.

The Promo Video:

SOURCE: UTPlus Interactive Inc.

Shutterstock Celebrates Oscar-Nominated Films With Reimagined Movie Posters

Shutterstock Celebrates Oscar-Nominated Films With Reimagined Movie Posters 

Shutterstock today launched its eighth annual Oscar Pop! poster series to celebrate the best picture nominees in the 92nd Academy Awards. 

Each of the posters features photos, vectors, textures and illustrations from Shutterstock's diverse collection of over 300 million images while drawing inspiration from world-famous pop artists.

The renowned artists selected to serve as an influence for the designs range from contemporary to classic, and chaotic to minimalist. With distinctive elements such as the oversaturated colors of Japanese contemporary artist, Yayoi Kusama, and iconic imagery like the unmistakable swimming pool from influential British artist, David Hockney, each design is a unique retelling of a best picture nominee. The vibrant and sometimes playful colors, styles and techniques of pop artists offer fresh and unexpected perspectives on this year's top films, which tell a variety of powerful and captivating stories. The hundreds of millions of high-quality images provided by over 1 million talented contributors around the world serve as the foundation for each of the creative works, demonstrating the sheer volume and relevancy of content available in Shutterstock's collection.

This year's list of nominated films and artists that inspired the designers include:

• 1917 inspired by David Carson
• Ford v Ferrari inspired by Takashi Murakami
• Jojo Rabbit inspired by Yayoi Kusama
• Joker inspired by Daniel Norris
• Little Women inspired by Pauline Boty
• Marriage Story inspired by Robert Indiana
• Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood inspired by David Hockney
• Parasite inspired by Saul Bass
• The Irishman inspired by Thierry Guetta

"From depressed divorcées and supportive sisters to action heroes and comic book villains, this year's nominated films provide a surplus of inspiration for our designers to create this unique poster series," said Mike McCabe, VP, Creative at Shutterstock. "Not only does this tradition serve as a fun exercise for our creative team to explore the depth of the Shutterstock collection as a customer, but it also demonstrates the unique ways in which the incredible artwork of our contributor community can be recombined to create something new."

The Posters:

"1917" Poster by JC Moreno

"Ford v Ferrari" Poster by Alice Lee

"The Irishman" Poster by Alex Bodin

"Jojo Rabbit" Poster by Thanh Nguyen

"Joker" Poster by Jac Castillo

"Little Women" Poster by Alex Clem

"Marriage Story" Poster by Flo Lau

"Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood" Poster by Ian Calleja

"Parasite" Poster by Nicole Dai

Play through the time-lapse video to see how each designer created their poster by weaving Shutterstock images into their original graphics.

In addition to the celebratory Oscars Pop! poster series, Shutterstock will be in prime positions at the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday, February 9th, covering celebrity arrivals on the red carpet, as well as the press room and a number of after-parties. 

• Watch as the photos come in live here.

SOURCE: Shutterstock, Inc.

Citizens Regeneration Lobby - Group Representing U.S. Consumers, Farmers & Ranchers - Endorses Bernie Sanders

Citizens Regeneration Lobby - Group Representing U.S. Consumers, Farmers & Ranchers - Endorses Bernie Sanders (jmage via berniesanders.com)

The Board of Directors for Citizens Regeneration Lobby (CRL), representing about 2 million U.S. consumers and thousands of farmers and ranchers, today announced its endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Ronnie Cummins, president of the board, issued the following statement:

"Sen. Sanders, the first of the 2020 Democratic presidential contenders to back the Green New Deal, has outlined a $16.3-trillion plan that includes $841 billion to transform the U.S. industrial agriculture system into an organic regenerative food and farming system that supports independent family farmers, guarantees access to healthy, locally produced food for all, cleans up our waterways, restores soil health and biodiversity and promotes climate stability.

Industrial agriculture's monopolistic approach to food and farming has all but destroyed America's family farms and rural communities. And the industry's reliance on toxic chemicals and degenerative farming practices makes it one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas pollution. Sanders' Green New Deal, in addition to holding the fossil fuel industry legally and financially accountable for its pollution and climate-destructive behavior, also takes on Big Ag by, among other things, enforcing anti-trust laws and declaring a moratorium on factory farms.

Sanders' Green New Deal is the only plan in the industrialized world that sets a goal high enough to actually reverse global warming and eliminate economic injustice, environmental destruction, deteriorating public health and global conflict, while also offering the first realistic assessment and timeline for what needs to be done in the limited timeframe left to avoid climate catastrophe."

In September 2019, CRL, along with Regeneration International, Organic Consumers Association, the Sunrise Movement and other organizations, launched the national coalition of U.S. Farmers & Ranchers for a Green New Deal. 

The coalition represents about 20,000 independent farmers, ranchers and members of food and farming organizations committed to overhauling U.S. agriculture policies in order to advance organic regenerative agriculture and land-management practices.

Citizens Regeneration Lobby is the 501(c)(4) sister lobbying organization of the Organic Consumers Association. The nonprofit grassroots organization lobbies on behalf of millions of consumers and farmers for safe, healthful food and a clean, biodiverse, climate-stable ecosystem. 

SOURCE: Citizens Regeneration Lobby

It's "Groundhog Day" All Over Again as Jeep Brand Debuts Big Game Spot Starring Bill Murray as "Phil Connors" From Iconic 1993 Film [Video Included]

Bill Murray reprises “Groundhog Day” film role for Jeep brand’s Super Bowl Commercial

In its return to the Big Game, the Jeep brand debuted a 60-second commercial starring Bill Murray reprising his role as Phil Connors from the 1993 film "Groundhog Day." In the commercial, Phil Connors enlists the help of the Jeep Gladiator as his "getaway vehicle" after taking the groundhog, thus significantly altering his days for the better.

The spot opens as the clock turns 6:00 a.m. "I Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher starts playing, replicating the scene from the film. Phil Connors himself suddenly sits upright in bed. Twenty-seven years later, he's stuck in Punxsutawney once again. The Jeep brand worked closely with Sony Pictures to ensure authenticity with the original film, which is now available to buy on disc and digital.

"In my wildest dreams, any advertiser's dream, really, could you dare to believe that Bill Murray would agree to be in your Super Bowl commercial, and on top of that, ask him to relive his iconic role in 'Groundhog Day'?," said Olivier Francois, Chief Marketing Officer, FCA. "How do you even have that make sense and not be forced? Magic first happened when I had the incredible luck to meet Bill in person a few years ago, and I knew then that he was perfect for Jeep. Because like Jeep, Bill is a free spirit, he intentionally seeks out ways to find adventure and live an extraordinary life."

Francois continued, "When we learned that Groundhog Day fell on Super Bowl Sunday for the second time in 54 years, we couldn't help but take that chance. The stars magically aligned. Bill agreed to do the first national broadcast commercial in which he's ever appeared, and not only that, relive his role as Phil Connors for our Jeep Gladiator. But this time, in our spot, the hero makes a different choice by choosing a different pick-up truck – the Jeep Gladiator – and it changes everything for him."

Bill Murray reprises “Groundhog Day” film role for Jeep brand’s Super Bowl Commercial

"This is my first commercial. I'm glad I did it with you (Jeep)," said Bill Murray. "And I'm glad that this is my last commercial, as well."

Locations featured in the commercial include the original bed-and-breakfast where Bill Murray's character Phil Connors wakes up every morning; the Town Square where the Groundhog Day Festival takes place in the original movie; and the restaurant in Woodstock where Bill Murray's character toasts to "world peace" in the original movie. 

• Additional facts about the film set can be found here.

The brand also licensed the iconic Sonny & Cher song "I've Got You Babe" from Warner Music for use in the commercial.

Consumers will soon be able to pair a Jeep Gladiator and the all-new Jeep e-Bike powered by QuietKat (as seen in the commercial) to continue their own adventure, beginning early this summer. For more information, visit jeepe-bike.com. The Groundhog fun continues with a custom collection of merchandise inspired by the commercial on jeep.com/gear. 

The Video:

The Jeep brand commercial was created in partnership with Chicago-based agency Highdive, the Jeep Brand Agency of Record and 2019 Ad Age Small Agency of the Year (Midwest, Gold).

About Poppy the Groundhog Featured in the Commercial:

Poppy (now 10 months old) was rescued at 4 weeks old, and a birth defect prevented her from returning to the wild. She is currently in the care of a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in Pennsylvania and is a beloved member of the caretaker's family. Poppy is a state- and USDA-licensed educational animal. Now thriving, Poppy has become an educational "ambassador" for all wildlife. 

• Additional information on "Poppy" can be found here.

About Groundhog Day:

In the original 1993 film, Bill Murray is at his wry, wisecracking best in this riotous romantic comedy about a weatherman caught in a personal time warp on the worst day of his life. Teamed with a relentlessly cheerful producer (Andie MacDowell) and a smart-aleck cameraman (Chris Elliott), TV weatherman Phil Connors (Bill Murray) is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. 

After a surprise blizzard traps him in small-town hell, things get even worse; Phil wakes the next morning to find it's GROUNDHOG DAY all over again… and again…and again.

SOURCE: FCA

All-New Toyota Highlander Goes Wherever It's Needed in 2020 Big Game Ad [Video Included]

Toyota’s Big Game ad, “Heroes,” features Actress Cobie Smulders and the all-new 2020 Highlander.

From aliens and adventure to wild west outlaws, Toyota brings the adventure to this year's Big Game to spotlight the all-new 2020 Toyota Highlander. In the spot, titled "Heroes", actress Cobie Smulders is behind the wheel of the powerful SUV in the role of action hero and mother, as she rescues a cast of characters in familiar movie moments.

From aliens and adventure to wild west outlaws, Toyota brings the action to this year’s Big Game with the spot “Heroes.”

"This commercial truly highlights the all-new Highlander's incredible array of features, even greater capabilities and spacious interior," said Ed Laukes, group vice president, Toyota Marketing, Toyota Motor North America. "The spot's message of 'go wherever they need you' speaks to the adventurous spirit of Highlander and its ability to help drivers tap into their inner hero."

The spot, which will appear in the first ad break of the fourth quarter, features the Highlander Platinum grade. The ad kicks off the "GO HIGHLANDER" campaign for the fourth-generation Highlander, the best-selling retail model in the midsize SUV segment since 2016.

Actress Cobie Smulders on-set during Toyota’s shoot for the 2020 Big Game ad, “Heroes.”

"When Toyota approached me, I felt very flattered getting to play the hero in my first-ever Big Game commercial," said actress Cobie Smulders. "I'm a mom, and I love that I'm playing a mom in this ad. When I think of heroes, I think of women and moms - the toughest people out there - and to be able to represent that is a wonderful thing."

The Video:

"The spot was created by Toyota's agency of record, Saatchi & Saatchi. A high-intensity movie trailer music piece, which was uniquely composed for the spot, carries the viewer through each twist and turn of the Highlander's exciting journey."

• Click here to view behind-the-scenes on set with Cobie Smulders.

SOURCE: Toyota

Trump Cancels Obama Landmine Policy; Ensures Civilian Suffering With New Mine Use Potential

Trump Cancels Obama Landmine Policy; Ensures Civilian Suffering With New Mine Use Potential (image via LoupDargent.info)

The Trump Administration has announced a deadly landmine policy shift, effectively committing the U.S. to resume the use and stockpiling of antipersonnel landmines. 

Landmines are devastating, victim-activated devices that cannot discriminate between the footstep of a child or that of a soldier.

"This move is a death sentence for civilians," says Jerome Bobin, Canadian Executive Director of Humanity & Inclusion. "There are acts in war that are simply out of bounds. Nations, even superpowers, must never use certain weapons because of the superfluous injury and unnecessary suffering they cause. Landmines fall directly into this category. There is no use for landmines that cannot be accomplished by other means that do not so significantly and indiscriminately kill and maim civilians."

The move is a direct reversal of President Obama's 2014 commitment that inched the U.S. closer to compliance with the 1997 Ottawa Convention, known as the Mine Ban Treaty. President Obama's move left only the Korean peninsula as an exception, due to ongoing mine use in the demilitarized zone.

Failure rate

The announcement states, "The Department of Defense is issuing a new landmine policy. This policy will authorize Combatant Commanders, in exceptional circumstances, to employ advanced, non-persistent landmines specifically designed to reduce unintended harm to civilians and partner forces."

Non-persistent mines are typically laid on the ground surface, and they should be able to destroy themselves within a relatively short period of time—from few hours to days.

"Don't be fooled," warns Alma Taslidžan Al-Osta, Humanity & Inclusion's Disarmament and Protection of Civilians Advocacy Manager. "Everything that man creates has a failure rate. The idea that so-called "advanced" landmines will be safer than older types of devices, is absurd. What happens if they don't neutralize as intended? Our teams see, first hand, how weapons often marketed as "self destructing" continue to injure, maim, and terrorize civilians all over the world on a daily basis.

We also see how quickly and regularly civilians move from one area to another to avoid conflict. What if they enter a mined area and such self-destruction hasn't happened to the mines around them?"

Mine Ban Treaty

The U.S. is one of the few countries that has yet to join the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, sharing ranks with China, Egypt, India, Israel, Pakistan, and Russia. There are 164 States parties to the treaty, making the ban on landmines a universal norm of international humanitarian law. However, the great paradox of this policy shift is that for nearly 30 years, the U.S. has refrained from using or trading antipersonnel landmines.

What's more, the policy change sends a very negative signal, essentially handing a blank check to States or groups willing to continue or expand their use of landmines, which had significantly decreased after the entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty. "Canada cannot remain indifferent to this dramatic American movement," Bobin adds.

Humanity & Inclusion's decades of experience with clearing landmines, as well as taking care of survivors of landmine explosions, leads to the conclusion that no use is safe.

 "We oppose in the strongest terms the idea that military commanders will feel empowered to use mines," Bobin notes. "The safest landmine is the one that is never produced."

Backward step

"Make no mistake, this is absolutely a step backward," Bobin adds. "This significant and negative development is a thunderclap for all of the thousands of individuals who have survived contact with a landmine, as well as the family and friends of hundreds of thousands who have not."

Humanity & Inclusion runs projects to minimize the impact of landmines on civilians in dozens of countries, returning land to communities through demining, teaching people to spot, avoid and report explosive remnants of war through risk education, and providing support and care to victims of landmines. The organization works to raise the visibility of these landmine victims and their communities, so that the world is reminded of the scourge of landmines.

Mine Ban Treaty

The Mine Ban Treaty prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of antipersonnel mines. It is the most comprehensive international instrument for eradicating landmines and deals with everything from mine use, production and trade, to victim assistance, mine clearance and stockpile destruction. The treaty has been signed in Ottawa in 1997.

The International Campaign against Landmines received the Nobel Peace Price, Oslo, December 1997 (image via Humanity & Inclusion)

About Humanity & Inclusion

Co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for its work banning landmines, Humanity & Inclusion (the new name of handicap international), is an independent international aid organization working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster for 38 years. 

Humanity & Inclusion is one of six founding organizations of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, and winner of the 2011 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize. 

Humanity & Inclusion takes action and campaigns in places where "living with dignity" is no easy task. In 2018, Humanity & Inclusion's projects directly benefited 2.1 million people.

SOURCE: Humanity & Inclusion Canada

Related Video:

Yo Gotti's Highly Anticipated New Album 'Untrapped' Out Now [Videos Included]

Yo Gotti's Highly Anticipated New Album 'Untrapped' Out Now (Screengrab)

After maximizing anticipation throughout the past month, multiplatinum Memphis superstar rapper and CMG mogul Yo Gotti unveils his anxiously awaited tenth full-length studio album and first in three years, Untrapped, today. Upon going live, it catapulted into the Top 10 of iTunes Top Hip-Hop/Rap Albums Chart where it still remains.

On Tuesday, he welcomed a bevy of tastemakers, DJs, on-air personalities, celebrities, and peers to experience Untrapped before anyone during a posh private dinner at the Four Seasons in New York City. Rather than ban smartphones, the MC encouraged social interaction, posts, and tweets. As a result, social media lit up with buzz for the impending release and heightened excitement. 

He also preceded the record with single "H.O.E. (Heaven On Earth)." In under a week, it tallied 1.3 million Spotify streams and 1 million-plus views on the music video. Straight out of the gate, it garnered major looks from Billboard and more as Hypebeast promised, "Yo Gotti has been cooking up something major in the past two years." 

• Earlier this week, he also pulled up on Funkmaster Flex for what has become a much-talked about Freestyle. 

Additionally, he uncovered another single entitled "More Ready Than Ever." His deft wordplay and dynamic hooks take center stage once again as he rocks through the bold and braggadocious banger with confidence and charisma. Those anthems only represent two sides of Untrapped though.

Check out the full tracklisting below.

In other big news, his 2019 smash "Put A Date On It" [feat. Lil Baby] just scored a platinum certification from the RIAA. Meanwhile, the video stood out as one of the "most-watched" music videos of the year, cranking out 167 million views.

Untrapped represents a watershed moment for Yo Gotti and hip-hop at large.

"Some rappers leave everything on tape like heavyweights in the ring. You can hear the blood, sweat, and tears in each bar Yo Gotti spits. Nobody hustles harder. Nobody raps tighter. To date, he has landed three consecutive Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top 200 with the gold-certified I Am [2013], gold-certified The Art of Hustle [2016], and I Still Am [2017]. Not to mention, he unleashed two double-platinum smashes "Down in the DM" and "Rake It Up"[feat. Nicki Minaj] as well as the gold-certified "Law" [feat. E-40], "5 Star," "Act Right" [feat. Jeezy & YG], and "I Know" [feat. Rich Homie Quan]. Between sold out tours with the likes of G-Eazy and Logic as well as an annual sold-out Birthday Bash in Memphis accompanied by everyone from Lil Wayne to Young Thug, he has performed and appeared on NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, ABC's Jimmy Kimmel LIVE!, The Real, and BET. He hits and hustles just as hard in 2020 as he launches his biggest movement yet."

Be prepared…

Tracklisting:

01 Trapped
02 Know Yo Worth
03 H.O.E. (Heaven On Earth)
04 More Ready Than Ever
05 Like That feat. A Boogie wit da Hoodie & Ty Dolla $ign
06 Put A Date On It feat. Lil Baby
07 They Ain't Want Me To Know
08 Pose feat. Megan Thee Stallion & Lil Uzi Vert
09 Weekend feat. Moneybagg Yo
10 Dopechella feat. Rick Ross
11 Battle feat. Blac Youngsta
12 Bounce That
13 Big Homie
14 Untrapped ft. Estelle
15 Pose feat. Lil Uzi Vert **BONUS**

Yo Gotti's Highly Anticipated New Album 'Untrapped' Out Now (PRNewsfoto/Yo Gotti)

• Get 'Untrapped' here via Inevitable/Epic Records.

SOURCE: Yo Gotti