Members of the Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition (ANZCMC) are taking several actions (divestment, interfaith, student, Australia, film release) to support the cluster bomb ban as part of the Global Day of Action Against Cluster Munitions scheduled 19 April 2008. Here’s some info on these actions, as well as other news from Aotearoa New Zealand…

Super Fund Action
On Friday 18 April at 5pm, Women’s International League for Freedom Aotearoa (WILPF), Peace Movement Aotearoa, Investment Watch, and other local NGOs are organising simultaneous protests outside the Wellington and Auckland offices of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund. Two weeks ago the Super Fund announced that it will start to divest from companies engaged in the production of cluster munitions when the cluster bomb treaty is opened for signature at the end of the year. The groups are calling on the divestment process to start immediately.
* See No WARP!’s Action Alert
* View Photos of the Protest
* Read IWANZ report on this action

Inter-Faith Action
On 20 April, an interfaith call to ban cluster bombs–endorsed by 86 New Zealand faith members and representatives–will be published in the Sunday Star Times. The collection of signatures was coordinated by Caritas Aotearoa NZ and Peace Movement Aotearoa, while the advertising space was secured for free by DraftFCB. Several New Zealand faith leaders have signed onto a global letter circulated by the international Cluster Munition Coalition.
* Read the Statement
* Download PDF

Student Action
On 16-18 April, eight secondary schools around the country (in Auckland, Christchurch, Nelson, Tauranga, and Wellington) are taking part in a range of Amnesty International NZ actions against cluster bombs. Some schools are taking on the chalk body outline action that was initiated in Wellington during the February 2008 conference. Other Amnesty school group members plan to wear a blindfold, or bandage their arms or legs, or use their opposite hand for the day to imagine what it would be like to be hurt by a cluster bomb.
* Amnesty will make photos from these actions available on their website

Action to Help Australia
Amnesty NZ is sending out an e.action urging its 8,000 contacts to support efforts by our sister campaign, Cluster Munition Coalition Australia, to secure more support from their new government. Sign the campaign’s petition and write a letter to Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith.
* Take Action on Australia

New Film/Photos Online
The ANZCMC opened its YouTube site on 18 April for viewing by interested campaigners and members of the public. Check out the new film clip prepared by DraftFCB on the chalk demo against cluster bombs. In addition, hi-res photographs taken during the Wellington Conference and at other campaign actions are now available via the flickr.com website, also listed below
* YouTube Plane Film (5 Nov 07)
* YouTube Chalk Film (20 Feb 08)
* Flickr Photographs - www.flickr.com/photos/anzclusters

Other News

Advertising Award - On 16 April, DraftFCB, the creative agency that has provided pro-bono support to the ANZCMC since August 2007, won the 2008 Fairfax/AdMedia Agency of the Year award for business achievements and creative successes during 2007. Two products by DraftFCB for the clusters campaign made the finalist categories in this nationwide competition (the 28 Nov. NZ Herald newspaper ad “find the cluster bomb” and the 5 Nov airplane drop of cluster bomb shaped petition flyers over central Wellington). DraftFCB is very happy to provide hi-res versions of any artwork, eg cluster bomb flyers, to interested campaigners.

Wellington Report - A CD-Rom containing a narrative report on the February 2008 Wellington Conference on Cluster Munitions and DVD of DraftFCB’s films and materials are being prepared for distribution by ANZ CMC at the diplomatic negotiations of the cluster bomb ban treaty in Dublin, Ireland from 19-30 May.

Next Meeting - The next meeting of the ANZ CMC is scheduled for Monday, 28 April at 4pm at the James Smiths CGA in Wellington. The main item to be discussed is the Dublin Diplomatic Conference on Cluster Munitions. Oxfam NZ’s Jamila Homayun is already in Dublin registering more than 200 civil society participants. The ANZCMC Coordinator, Mary Wareham of Oxfam NZ, will join her on 8 May to help preparations.

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