Take Action
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
Public support has been critical in our campaign’s achievements including the highly successful Wellington Conference and the NZ government’s strong engagment in the global initiative to prohibit cluster munitions, as well as the Super Fund’s decision to divest from companies that produce cluster bombs (tho perhaps not soon enough). See the Chronology of ANZCMC campaign actions below the following alert.
Now, the Aotearoa New Zealand Cluster Munition Coalition is urging its supporters to convince Australia to get fully behind the treaty to ban cluster munitions.
A group of Australian non-governmental organisations united to form the Cluster Munition Coalition Australia in January 2008 and urge their government to fully support the international treaty effort. While Australian is participating in the Oslo Process it sought to weaken the draft treaty several times during the Wellington Conference.
Take Action on Australia!
Please adapt and send the following draft letter to Australia’s Foreign Minister. In addition, please sign Austcare’s online petition in support of the ban.
Hon Stephen Smith MP
Minister for Foreign Affairs of Australia
Canberra
AUSTRALIA
Dear Minister,
I am writing to urge your strong support for the global initiative to establish a treaty that prohibits cluster munitions and assists communities affected by this weapon.
Cluster munitions have killed and maimed civilians and caused untold suffering and hardship for communities in countries around the world, most recently in Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Serbia. The bomblets maim and kill combatants and civilians alike. The dud bomblets remain active for decades (like landmines), endangering lives, hampering post-conflict reconstruction, and hindering development.
I am pleased that Australia is participating in the Oslo Process effort to create an treaty in 2008 that tackles cluster munitions. It is disappointing that Australia has proposed loopholes in the proposed treaty to enable it to engage in military operations with countries that use cluster munitions. Australia’s decision to purchase the ‘SMArt 155′, a weapon that many experts believe is a cluster munition, is another major issue that has to be resolved. Australia has also proposed that it be permitted to retain cluster munitions after they are banned for “research and development” purposes.
I call on you to ensure that Australia fully support the strongest possible prohibition when the proposed cluster munition treaty is negotiated in Dublin, Ireland from 19-30 May 2008.
Sincerely,
Your name/address
CHRONOLOGY OF CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES
2008
Apr. 19: In support the Global Day of Action, ANZCMC members held a demo urging the Super Fund to divest now, a statement by 86 faith representatives was published in the Sunday Star Times, and a new film by the ANZCMC’s award-winning agency DraftFCB was launched on YouTube.
Apr. 4: Following campaigning by members of the ANZCMC, the Board of Guardians of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund announces that it will start to divest from companies that manufacture cluster munitions after the ban treaty is opened for signature at the end of 2008.
Feb 22: A total of 82 governments endorse the Wellington Declaration committing them to negotiate a cluster bomb treaty in Dublin, Ireland in May 2008.
Feb. 20: More than 1,000 members of the public and many conference delegates participate in a chalk silhouette petition-gathering event in Civic Square, Wellington to express their support for the cluster bomb ban. Later that night at Parliament, the delegation of cluster bomb survivors handed over a total of 3,367 petitions to the Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control Hon. Phil Goff.
Feb 18: The week-long Wellington Conference on Cluster Munitions opens at the Town Hall. The ANZ CMC hosts the international civil society delegation, comprised of 147 campaigners from 43 countries.
2007
Dec. 7: At the conclusion of the Vienna Conference, NZ CMC Coordinator Oxfam NZ issues a %