We've been working with the Campaign to Ban Landmines on a number of
projects, so we thought that as we're compiling the new edition of our
ASI E-Update, we would alert you to a very creative (and sobering)
event they are planning for this weekend.

All the best,

Frida Berrigan
Bill Hartung

First (and hopefully last) Annual Cluster Bomb Olympics
U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines and the Friends Committee on National
Legislation
May 17, 2008

Imagine a scenario in which walking to school, working on the family
farm, or playing were deadly activities.  That’s the situation faced
by millions of school-age children in two dozen countries—the result
of wars long over.

The event will take place on Saturday, May 17 from 11am to 1pm on the
Ellipse (just south of the White House).  The event—dubbed the “1st
(and hopefully last) Annual Cluster Bomb Olympics”—is intended to draw
attention to the perilous conditions under which millions of children
live in cluster-bomb affected countries.  Cluster bombs leave behind
unexploded, but still deadly, “dud” submunitions.

For instance, following a war in 2006, people in southern Lebanon
still face some 800,000 small deadly bombs in their gardens, school
yards, orchards, etc.  More than 300 people—mainly children, farmers
and deminers—have been wounded or killed by these small bombs since
the war ended.

And in Laos, 35 years after the U.S. heavily cluster bombed that
country (as part of the Vietnam War), more than 200 people are still
killed or wounded each year by cluster submunitions.

Twenty-five other countries are afflicted with this deadly litter.  In
all cases, the use of these weapons has resulted in more harm to
civilians than to soldiers.  And in all cases, young people are
particularly drawn to these curious looking objects.

The event is timed to publicize global negotiations to ban cluster
bombs, which will begin two days later (May 19) in Dublin, Ireland.
Over 100 countries will be at these negotiations, but not the U.S.
government.  As part of the event, after the welcoming short speech
and the “cluster bomb Olympics,” students and other participants will
have a chance to leaflet passersby about the issue and to collect
signatures on a petition urging the Pentagon to stop using weapons
that cause unacceptable harm to civilians.

The event is open to kids of all ages, but it is particularly designed
for middle school and high school-age students and adults.

For more information about the campaign to ban cluster bombs, check
out: www.banclusterbombs.org and www.uscbl.org