Ban Cluster Bombs

I have lifted this directly from an email sent to me by the activist group Avaaz .

Avaaz.org avaaz@avaaz.org

I'm sure they won't mind as they want as many people as possible to email their governments to sign the treaty. I think that if you click on the link above you can go directly to the letter to sign, but you may need to be a member. Anyway if you think it's important to ban something which aims at causing as much damage as possible to as many people as possible, find a way to contact Kevin Rudd or your local member. As individuals most of us may not be able to make much of a difference but a lot of individuals working together most certainly can.

Final negotiations are underway right now in Dublin, Ireland on a treaty to ban cluster bombs. Arms manufacturers are pushing governments to riddle the treaty with loopholes and delays -- and the final text will be decided in the next 72 hours. Cluster munitions don't just kill during war. They scatter small, shiny, unexploded "bomblets" on the ground that hold their deadly charge for years. When children pick them up, they are often maimed or killed. Most governments agree that these weapons should be outlawed, but back-room pressure is rising to undercut a strong ban. We're hearing the Australian delegation is one of the problems -- so we need to send an avalanche of messages from Australians to Kevin Rudd

Other governments such as that of the USA also oppose this treaty. Make sure your government, wherever it is, knows you want them to support the treaty.