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Disable Cluster Bombs, Not People!

At a rehabilitation clinic in Kabul run by the Red Cross, a cluster bomb survivor learns to walk with a prosthetic limb.
At a rehabilitation clinic in Kabul run by the Red Cross, a cluster bomb survivor learns to walk with a prosthetic limb.
Cluster munitions are area weapons. Each one can contains hundreds of individual sub-munitions or "bomblets" that are generally designed to explode on impact. In reality, a high percentage fail to explode as intended. The result is that affected countries or regions are infested with tens of thousands or sometimes millions of unexploded sub-munitions for years or decades. These "duds" pose a significant danger to civilians and to the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The clearance and destruction of cluster munitions is even more dangerous than mine clearance.

The Canadian Red Cross is concerned about the use of cluster munitions in populated areas. They are "area weapons" which can spread destruction over several thousand square metres.

November 5th is the Global Day of Action to Ban Cluster Bombs.  It is a day where people from around the world will demonstrate to governments their public concerns about the problem of cluster bombs and the severe, predictable and preventable humanitarian consequences for civilians caused by these weapons.  It also marks one month before the next meeting from December 5-7th in Vienna of countries engaged in the Oslo Process where negotiations will begin on the elements of a new treaty to ban cluster munitions.

December 3rd will mark the 10-year anniversary of when the world came to Ottawa to sign a treaty banning anti-personnel mines. Canada made this ground-breaking treaty a reality because we cared enough about our global responsibility to protect civilians from the suffering caused by landmines.

What can you do?

Join Facebook group Disable Cluster Bombs, Not People and share with your friends http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2246119008

We partner with Mines Action Canada, a coalition of Canadian non-governmental organizations, is an international leader working to eliminate the serious humanitarian, environmental and development consequences of landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW). Please visit http://www.minesactioncanada.org/ to join MAC’s advocacy campaign.

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Posted October 30, 2007
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