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Campaign urges cluster-bomb ban |
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Written by Citizen staff
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Monday, 24 November 2008 |
Jeanne Clough, left, executive assistant for MP Dick Harris, accepts postcards urging government to sign a treaty against cluster bombs from Christina Bock, Nigel Hanks and Melanie Carle. (Citizen photo by Brent BraatenJeanne Clough, left, executive assistant for MP Dick Harris, accepts postcards urging government to sign a treaty against cluster bombs from Christina Bock, Nigel Hanks and Melanie Carle. )
The post cards were signed mostly by UNBC students in a campaign carried out by International Studies Student Association.
“We’ve had a table up all of last week selling by donation, gingerbread-people missing limbs,” said ISSA president Christina Bjorn-Hansen Bock.
“It’s a powerful visual aid in getting signatures. We also raised the incentive for people to get cards signed and had a pub night with gift certificates donated by the Waddling Duck to help us promote the campaign. In order to raise awareness and solidarity for the cluster bomb victims who survive with limited ability, we asked people to tie up their most used arm for the night.”
Reached in Ottawa, Harris said he'll be happy to deliver the post cards to the Minister of National Defence and noted the Canadian military has taken cluster munitions out of its arsenal.
"I am almost absolutely certain that we will be not only signing it but that we are one of the countries that's bringing it forward," Harris said of the treaty.
The treaty, which prohibits the use, production, and transfer of cluster munitions, and establishes a deadline for the destruction of all existing stocks of the weapon, will be open for signature in Oslo in early December. For the treaty to enter into force it must be ratified by 30 countries.
Cluster bombs have been criticized for being indiscriminate in whom they target, maiming and killing both soldiers and civilians, and millions remain planted and unexploded from wars that have since ended.
One of the Red Cross' mandates have been to end their use, clean up areas where they've been planted and take care of the survivors of cluster bomb explosions.
In all, 629 post cards were signed.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 24 November 2008 )
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