Karyn Amira is a recent graduate of Union College and holds a BA in Political Science and Psychology. While traveling through Cambodia in the fall of 2005, she was taken to a landmine museum after visiting the legendary Angkor Temples. The museum was owned a operated by a man named Aki Ra, a great landmine clearer. Nearly 15 children who were landmine victims lived at the museum site where Aki Ra and his family provided education and shelter for them.

The exhibits taught about the dangers of landmines and the international treaty to ban them. When she learned that the United States had not yet signed this treaty, Karyn decided to design a grassroots advocacy campaign to raise awareness about the issue for college students.

So far, hundreds of students have signed online peace treaties, donated money for landmine clearance, participated in campus demonstrations and written letters to politicians. Lectures about the topic have also been given at various locations at Union and in Newton, Massachusetts. The Mine Free World Project received $400 of funding from the Union College Internal Education Fund and a $10,000 grant from the Kathryn Wasserman Davis Projects for Peace Foundation. The money has been used restructure the website, order promotional materials such as postcards and bumper stickers, and advertise online to other schools around the world.

The money that was collected by campus events and door to door donations in the 2006-2007 school year was sent to Friends Committee On National Legislation, an organization in Washington DC, which in turn passed the money on to a landmine clearance fund in Cambodia.

In 2006, Andrea Haimes, a current Senior at Union, decided to take over the project and work to give it a 501 (c) status. When this status is given, the project will be able to expand further.