Cluster Munition Survivors Touring US Heartland
Three people– from Afghanistan, Lebanon and the US — who have been personally affected by the tragically indiscriminate impact of cluster munitions are touring the Midwestern United States in an attempt to raise awareness of and support for the Cluster Munition Convention. The treaty, which would ban the use, production, stokpiling and transfer of cluster munitions, will be signed by over 100 countries in December in Oslo, Norway. The US government is currently opposed to the treaty.
Cluster munitions are considered doubly indiscriminate by humanitarian and advocacy groups. Firstly they target wide areas, making it impossible to ensure the prevention of civilian casualties. Second, many of the constituent ‘bomblets’ fail to explode, creating de facto landmines that can kill civilians long after wars end. For more information on the impact of cluster munitions, see this web video interview with a campaigner from Handicap International.
Here is a schedule of the cluster bomb survivors speaking engagements around the American Midwest:
Chicago: Tues, Oct 7 12:30-2PM, MacArthur Foundation
South Bend: Wed, Oct 8, 12-1PM, Holy Cross College, Main Atrium
Grand Rapids: Wed, Oct 8, 7-8:30PM, Community of Christ Church, 2140 Union Avenue
Lansing: Thurs, Oct 9, 7PM, Michigan State University, 105 South Kedzie Hall
Ann Arbor: Friday, Oct 10, 9:30-10:30, Memorial Christian Church, 730 Tappan
Dearborn: Fri, Oct 10, 12:30-2 PM, Arab American Museum
Cleveland: Sat, Oct 11, 4-6PM, AACCESS—Ohio, 11555 Lorain Avenue
Columbus: Sun, Oct 11, 7PM, Northwood High Building, Room 100
Richmond: Mon, Oct 12, 6PM, Earlham College
Indianapolis: Tues, Oct 14, 7PM, Earth House Café
Last week, at a conference in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, African countries called on world governments to back the ban on cluster munitions. To read their ‘Kampala Action Plan’, click here. To see a web video of it being read, click here.
