Author(s):
Site Admin <webmaster2@icbl.org> .
Friday 27 February 2009
In February and March, campaigners from 62 countries and areas around the world are taking action to commemorate 10 years of the Mine Ban Treaty’s entry into force and to push for its further universalization and implementation. At the same time striving to bring the new Convention on Cluster Munitions into force!
Under the slogan A Mine-Free World: Mission Possible,campaigners from Afghanistan to Zambia are organizing roundtables, press briefi ngs, street actions, photo exhibitions and art installations, fi lm screenings, marches, rallies, workshops, petitions, TV and radio shows, and other events to bring the world’s attention to the scourge of landmines and once again call for a mine-free world. Events include:
Belarus: a public rock concert at the main square of Minsk to celebrate the anniversary and to call for more progress on implementation in Belarus.
Georgia: tree–planting in formerly affected areas, and calling on the government to join the Mine Ban Treaty and the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
Greece: an art installation on the border between Greece and Turkey, symbolizing the fate of the victims who lost their lives or limbs crossing mined borders.
Senegal: survivors and other people with disabilities marching in the streets of the mine-affected Casamance region of Senegal to demand rights and services for victims.
Spain: marking dog waste in the streets of Barcelona with “danger: mines” warning signs and other slogans, to urge the government to sustain funding for mine-action.
Turkey: a basketball match for persons with disabilities in the center of Istanbul with the players wearing t-shirts saying “Clear Mines” and “Ban Cluster Munitions - Sign The Convention”.
Events and actions are taking place in:
Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus,
Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Congo
Democratic Republic, Croatia, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece,
Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kosovo, Lebanon, Mali,
Mongolia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Senegal, Sierra
Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria,
Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, UK, USA, Uruguay, Vietnam, Western
Sahara, Yemen, Zambia.
