RedX_WlgIn August 2009, members of the international Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) held events and activities to remember victims of cluster bomb strikes in Georgia one year ago and South Lebanon three years ago. This is a brief report on the activities undertaken in Aotearoa New Zealand.

The ANZCMC coordinator Mary Wareham undertook a university lecture tour in rememberance of the victims of the cluster bomb attacks in Georgia (2008) and Lebanon (2006) and discussed the Cluster Munitions Prohibition Bill with coalition members in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. On 12 August, the ANZCMC sent letters urging  Israel (via Ambassador Yuval Rotem in Canberra), Russia (Ambassador Andrey Tatarinov in Wellington), and Georgia (President Mikhail Saakashvili) to to renounce cluster bombs and sign the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. On 18 August, Russia responded to the campaign, for the first time ever .

Wellington

On 12 August, ANZCMC coordinator Mary Wareham gave a talk on cluster bombs and landmines to more than 30 local secondary students in Wellington. The New Zealand Red Cross convened the “war law” youth seminar on the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Geneva Conventions.  New Zealand Army mine action expert Lieutenant Colonel Martin Donoghue gave a presentation on the problems posed by landmines, cluster bombs, and unexploded ordnance and supervised an exercise in which the students took practicing clearing a mock minefield outside the building in Molesworth Street.

On Monday 14 September, Wareham is scheduled to give a talk to the Victoria University of Wellington development students on the Kelburn campus.

Christchurch

On 13 August, Wareham spoke about the campaigns to ban cluster bombs and landmines with 15 political science graduate students at Canterbury University in Christchurch. She was hosted by Angela Woodward, programme director of the London-based Verification Research, Training and Information Centre (VERTIC). Woodward moved home to Christchurch four weeks ago and is teaching at Canterbury while politics lecturer Tanya Ogilvie-White is on sabbatical.

On 13 and 14 August, Wareham discussed the draft ANZCMC submission for the Cluster Munitions (Prohibition) Bill with Woodward, Gillian Southey of Christian World Service, and Kate Dewes and Rob Green at the Disarmament and Security Centre.

Auckland

On 26 August, Wareham gave a lecture at Auckland University. Thanks to ANZCMC members Amnesty on Campus and Auckland University Students’ Association, especially Yasmin.

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