Heidi Kühn is Founder and CEO of Roots of Peace, a humanitarian-nonprofit organization founded in September 1997 with a vision to transform MINES TO VINES--replacing the scourge of landmines with sustainable agricultural farmland.

Heidi commitment to fostering peace and raising awareness has been a driving force in her life—from her early days as a student at the University of California, Berkeley, to her time as a reporter in Juneau, Alaska, covering the Exxon Valdez oil spill and US-Russia relations. In September 1997 following the death of the late Princess Diana, who had catapulted the issue of landmines to the forefront of the international agenda, she was deeply inspired to create an organization dedicated to the eradication of landmines worldwide. With a simple toast in the living room of her home that the world may go from “Mines to Vines”, a global initiative was launched from the heart of this mother of four children.

In today’s episode, Heidi shares her quest to eradicate landmines from the face of the earth, and to plant the roots of peace worldwide. From landmines to grapevines, Heidi is on a mission to heal the world, and that healing started with herself.

Heidi’s pioneering work empowers families living in war-torn regions with hope leading to the economics of peace through export and trade. To date, Roots of Peace has impacted over 1 million farmers and families, spanning eight countries – Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia, Iraq, Israel, Palestine and Vietnam. Roots of Peace has facilitated the removal of over 100,000 landmines and unexploded bombs, restoring the land for agricultural bounty.

“My dream is to continue my footsteps as long as life is given to me, and to create a mine free world. For my dream is to eradicate landmines from the face of the earth, to plant firmly the roots of peace, and to restore the dignity for farmers to farm their fields without fear of their plow hitting a landmine. Together as a world may we turn mines to vines, and truly break ground for peace.”

— Heidi Kühn

Tune in on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7bZHrtjAzbksbLWNaak1NM

Tune in on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stories-of-inspiring-joy/id1510488632

To learn more about Heidi and Roots of Peace visit their website www.rootsofpeace.org, and on LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and you can find her new book Breaking Ground: From Landmines to Grapevines, One Woman’s Mission to Heal the World at booksellers nationwide and online retailers including amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.

Stories of Inspiring Joy is a production of Seek The Joy Media and created by Sydney Weiss. To learn more and submit your story, click here.