The Ban Advocates

The Cluster Project© http://theclusterproject.com/ is an online collaborative artwork that surveys the thriving universe of cluster bombs, drones, nukes, and the casual acceptance of civilian casualties around the world. These videos, animations, illustrations, performances, interventions, and dataflow programming works, together with a...

The Ban Advocates in the Cluster Project

As part of the ©Cluster Project’s work, Mr. Bob Paris, an American artist, and his former student, Mrs. Mariam Eqbal, a Pakistani-American artist, have had interviews with some members of the BA project in Berlin, in 2009. Mrs. Mariam Eqbal did sketches of many of the Ban Advocates and, later made the animations that you can...

Umedjon's participation to the ISC for the MBT in Geneva

Umedjon participated to the ISC for the Mine Ban Treaty held in Geneva from the 27th to the 31st of May 2013. During the conference days, Umedjon took an active role in advocating for the rights of victims and for the rights of People with Disabilities in general. He went to talk to the delegation of Tajikistan, his country, to get an update of...

Mine Ban Treaty Intersessional Standing Committees Meetings- Geneva 27 to 31 May 2013

Umedjon Naimov, a BA member from Tajikistan and campaigner for the Tajik Campaign to Ban Landmine and Cluster Munitions (TCBL), participates to this week Mine Ban Treaty Intersessional Standing Committees Meetings, taking place in Geneva from the 27th to the 31st of May 2013. More than 80 countries are reassembled this week to discuss progress and...

Advocacy With Victims report available

We are pleased to share with you this report about the Ban Advocates project, illustrating our experience in advocating together with victims. The report highlights that advocacy with and by victims (survivors, family and community members of people injured or killed by cluster munitions) is not a straightforward process. It involves...

Lomé Regional Conference- CCM

Aynalem Zenebe from Ethiopia represented the Ban Advocates group at the Lomé Regional Conference on the Universalization of the CCM that took place from the 22nd to the 23rd of May 2013 in Togo. This Conference aimed at building a strategy upon the Accra action plan agreed in 2012 to promote the universalization of the CCM in Africa and to work...

Workshop for Media workers in Serbia

Workshop - "The role of media in advocating for the ban of cluster munitions” The NGO Action and Aid (A&A) and Media Investigative Center (MIC) organized a weekend seminar for journalists in Sokobanja on the 27 and 28th of April. Reminding thatSerbia, although affected by cluster bombs, still has not signed the Convention on Cluster...

ISC Geneva April 2013

During the 4 days of the intersessionals meetings for the Convention on Cluster Munitions, the Ban Advocates have been working on both media and lobby. Together with the Handicap International’ s advocacy officer of, Mrs. Hildegarde Vansintjan, they have been meeting with several countries to update them on the situation of the survivors and...

CCM Intersessional Meetings - Geneva

Today, 95 States parties to the convention on cluster munitions and 23 non-signatories states are gathering for the Intersessionals Meetings on the Convention that will be held in Geneva from 15th to 19th of April 2013. During this meeting, States Parties are expected to report on their efforts as well as to share their plans in order to...

Participants to the 6th of April march in Vientiane

March in Patuxay- Vientiane- to celebrate the Mine Awareness Day

As to mark 4th of April International UXO/Mine Awareness Day, the Lao government organized a walk on April 6th morning in Vientiane Capital, around Patuxay. The event was jointly organized by the NRA-UNDP and UXO sectors in Lao PDR. The ceremony opened with speeches delivered by his Excellency Mr. Alounkeo Kittikhoun, Vice Minister of...

Lend Your Leg in Dushanbe

The Tajik Campaign to Ban Landmine and cluster Munitions (TCBL&CM) in partnership with NPA, Handicap International, TMAC, FSD, OSCE, UST, UNDP, ICRS and other stakeholders celebrated April 4th by organizing a big event for "Lend Your Leg" in the center of Dushanbe. The event included exhibitions (including survivors’...

Lend your leg in front of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare

Lend Your Leg in Lao PDR

The Lao Ban Advocates celebrated the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action with the Lend Your Leg campaign aiming at informing people about the issue of Landmine and Cluster Munitions and invited the Government to accede to the Mine Ban Treaty, hopefully by the end of 2013. The International Day for Mine Awareness and...

Lend Your Leg in Afghanistan

This year in Afghanistan, several actions were organized as to celebrate the 14th anniversary of the Mine Ban Treaty entry into force as well as the “Lend Your Leg” Campaign. On March 18, the Afghan Landmine Survivors’ Organization (ALSO) organized a Survivors' Swimming race in Kabul, to mark the 14th anniversary of the Mine...

Lend Your Leg in Albania

For celebrating the 4th of April, Alb-Aid, together with Ban Advocate Ardjana Mani, have been organising various event in Kukes. The first one took place on the 29th of March, with the support of ICBL-CMC. A football match has been organized between survivors and the Kukes football team. This event was attended by the local authorities and was...

Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid lending her leg

Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid lends her leg for the 4th of April

At the occasion of the opening of the exhibition "Landmines: Treacherous weapons" at the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and of Military History, Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid played the game and lent her leg. Handicap International indeed installed a podium for people attending the event to show their solidarity to the victims and...

Meeting with the Tajik Ambassador in Brussels

Together with Hildegarde Vansintjan and Jeanne Battello, from HI Headquarters in Brussels, we made profit of my visit in Belgium for the Colloquium to set a meeting with the Tajik Ambassador in Belgium. We received a warm welcome by the Ambassador himself and his team in a beautiful house. I was really happy to see the Embassy and to be...

Umedjon's participation to a Colloquium on the Ottawa Convention

My name is Umedjon, as a mine survivor, representative of TCBL [Tajik Campaign to Ban Landmines] and as member of the Ban Advocates group, I participated to a colloquium organized in Belgium on the 28th of March 2013. It was titled “The Ottawa Convention: the first step towards humanitarian disarmament” and has been held at the Royal...

Roundtables with survivors

Albania- March 2013 Following Albania's ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities [CRPD] last 11th of February 2013, various round tables have been conducted by Alb-Aid for mine,UXO and clustermunitions survivors in Gramsh and Gerdec with the aim of informing them on the rights of people with disabilities. The...

Albania celebrate the 14th Anniversary of the MBT

At the occasion of the 14th Anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty for the Prohibition of Anti-personnel Mines, ALB-AID launched its campaign for the International day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, next 4th of April. The moto of the campaign is "Lend your leg- Give your contribution for us survivors"....

Lao BA Movie at the Vientianale Film Festival

On the third day of the Vientianale movie festival, the Lao Ban Advocates film was screened publicly at the Cinema Department. This film, amongst other goals, aims to convince international community around the globe to ban explosive remnants of war and to support victims. This documentary, commissioned by Handicap International, also renders a...

Skill building Workshop for Campaigners from the Region

Skill Building Workshop in Vientiane

The group of the Lao Ban Advocates, eight UXO survivors coming from different parts of the country, participated in a skill building workshop provided by Handicap International (HI). During the four days’ workshop held in Phonsinouan village from 26 February to 1 March 2013, the Ban Advocates from Laos together with Mr. Thi Pham Quy, a...

Dejan leading the workshop for his colleagues

"Equal opportunities for all through Knowledge" in Nis Serbia

Dejan Dikic, professor and Ban Advocate from Nis-Serbia, has launched an initiative targeting youth and their teachers. Thanks to a project called "Equal opportunities for all through Knowledge", he intends to educate his peers for them to, subsequently, take the initiative of promoting the rights of people with disabilities and...

Journalists from the French "20 minutes" newspaper visited HI Lao team based in Sepon last december and met with Phet Latxabout, cluster munition survivor and member of the Lao Ban Adocates team. Through a twenty pictures' diaporama, the journalits captured the situation of Lao PDR, one of the most affected country in the world. It...

Ban Advocates from Tajikistan and Afghanistan at the 12 MSP of the Mine Ban Treaty

Ban Advocates from Tajikistan and Afghanistan reassemble for the 12 MSP of the Mine Ban Treaty. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the Mine Ban Treaty, opened for signature on the 3rd of December 1997 in Ottawa, Canada. More than 100 governments are expected to be present during this Twelve Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty...

Celebration of the 3rd of December in Nis-Serbia

Requesting people from Nis to sign a petition to ban cluster bombs. To celebrate the fourth anniversary of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, citizens supporting the association Action and Aid gathered in the Youth Office of Nis and circulated a petition to encourage Serbia to sign and ratify the Convention. In order to support...

Bounmy and Thoummy giving a statement during the VA Workshop

Regional Victim Assistance Workshop, Lao PDR

From the 20 to the 22nd of November 2012, 7 countries from Asia and South East Asia gathered to discuss ways to enhance regional cooperation in South East Asia to advance Victim Assistance efforts. South Asia and South East Asia are heavily affected by mines/explosive remnants of war (ERW), and as such counts many related casualties. It is a...

Lao Ban Advocares documentary launched in Vientiane

Vientiane, Lao PDR, 21 November. The front row in the French Cultural Institute’s cinema auditorium was reserved for the Lao Ban Advocates as they presented their work and life in a movie entitled “The Lao Ban Advocates”, produced by Handicap International Lao. Every seat was occupied in the auditorium as the audience attended...

Awareness raising session conducted by Rahmatullah Merzayee

Mainstreaming Center in Bamyan- Afghanistan

A Mainstreaming center opened on 12-November, 2012 in Bamyan Province, Afghanistan with the aim of improving the self-confidence and livelihood of Persons with disabilities including landmines and explosive remnants of war survivors in order for them to find their place in the society. Ban Advocate Rahmatullah Merzayee together with his colleagues...

Minister Magnette pays visit to HI Lao Country Office

BELGIAN MINISTER VISITING HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL LAOS

Belgian Minister for Development Cooperation Paul Magnette paid a visit to the Handicap International (HI) Laos Country Office to acquaint himself with the organization’s work. Minister Magnette, who travelled to Vientiane to participate in the 9th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM), was accompanied by Marc Michielsen, Ambassador of Belgium in...

British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Lao Ban Advocate Thoummy Silamphan

Ban Advocates meet European delegates at the 9th Asia-Europe meeting in Vientiane

The 9th ASEM took place in Vientiane on the 5th and 6th of November under the motto “Friends for Peace, Partners for Prosperity”. It assembled delegates from 49 countries in the Lao capital, the first international political summit of this proportion to be hosted in the Lao PDR. The ASEM is organized since 1996 as a biannual...

Bounmy Vichack delivering his speech during the AEPF9 opening ceremony

Lao Ban Advocates at the 9th Asia-Europe People's Forum in Vientiane-Lao PDR

The 9th Asia-Europe People’s Forum (AEPF9) took place in Vientiane from the 16th to the 19th of October. This international civil society forum, whose motto is "People’s Solidarity against Poverty and for Sustainable Development: Challenging Unjust and Unequal Development, Building States of Citizens for Citizens"...

Lynn giving her speech on International Cooperation and Assitance

Statement on International Cooperation and Assistance by Lynn

Lynn made a strong statement on the session on international cooperation and assistance, acknowledging that progress have been made on implementation but critiquing the fact that for what concerns victim assistance funding, few states “are getting the help they need- the help that has been promised through this Convention”....

Thoummy giving his speech on Victim Assistance

Statement on Victim assistance by Ban Advocate Thoummy

Thoummy made a statement in the plenary on Victim Assistance, calling on States to work on this topic and reminding them Victim Assistance is a legal obligation under the Convention on Cluster Munitions. He insisted on addressing victims’ needs, particularly on medical care, physical rehabilitation, psychological and economic support as he...

Umarbek giving his speech on Universalization

Statement on Universalization by Umarbek

On the third day of the Conference, Umarbek introduced the session by delivering a speech about universalization. This session was particularly important because, among the participants, around 30 non- signatory States to the Convention were present. It therefore showed the importance of this conference and the interest of the whole international...

Lynn and Seevanh at a side event on Gender during the 3MSP

Lynn and Seevanh participate in a side event on gender during the 3MSP

At the occasion of the 3MSP, the Ban Advocate Lynn Bradach from US and the Lao Ban Advocates’ officer Seevue Xaykia took the floor for testimony about the importance of gender mainstreaming in every action and policies taken within the frame of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The side event was organized by GMAP and NPA, together with...

Lynn, Thoummy and Branislav meet with the Norwegian Minister of Foreign affairs

Lynn, Thoummy and Branislav met with the Norwegian Minister of Foreign affairs, Mr Jonas Gahr Støre,on the opening day of the conference for an informal conversation. On this occasion, they had the opportunity to express their hopes for the CCM to reach universalization and particularly thanked Norway for the leadership role they played in the...

Opening Third Meeting of State Parties-Oslo

Third Meeting of State Parties- Oslo 9 to 14th of September

This week, in Oslo, more than 100 governments are gathered to discuss the progresses made and those still to be made in accordance with the provisions of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Since their first implication in 2008 in the now well-known Oslo Process-which was launched 6 years ago already- the voices of the Ban...

image of a ban advocate giving out an interview

CLUSTER MUNITIONS: HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL URGES STATES TO INVEST MORE IN VICTIM ASSISTANCE

Published today, the Cluster Munition Monitor 2012 provides an annual overview of developments in the application of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of cluster munitions worldwide. Only 2.3 million euros have been earmarked for victim assistance out of the total budget dedicated to...

Thi's visit at the Mine Action Visitor Center

Vietnam- Thi's implication for the second anniversary of the entry into force of the CCM

On 30 July 2012, Pham Quy Thi, a cluster bomb survivor from Vietnam, visited the Mine Action Visitor Center (MAVC) on the occasion of the second anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. At MAVC, Thi met with visitors and briefed them about the CCM and the unacceptable harm caused by this indiscriminate weapon as...

workshop organized in Dushanbe, 1st August 2012

Campaigners from Tajikistan are celebrating second anniversary of the entry into force of the CCM

Campaigners from Tajikistan, including the Ban Advocates, are celebrating second anniversary of the entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) by urging the government to join the global cluster bomb ban. At this occasion, TCBL with the support of ICBL-CMC and the coordination of the Tajikistan Mine Action Centre, has organized...

Phongsavath being interviewed by a Vietnamese TV channel

Lao Ban Advocates celebrating the entry into force of the CCM

Vientiane, Lao PDR, 1st August 2012. As in former years, the National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Sector (UXO-NRA) organized and coordinated a celebration for the Entry into Force of the CCM in Vientiane. This year, the official celebration was held at the National Culture Hall. To mark the day, the NRA organized a sport event and...

image of the destruction of cluster munition in south lebanon

Oslo Convention: two years on, over half of cluster munitions stockpiles destroyed by States parties

The Oslo Convention on Cluster Munitions entered into force on 1 August 2010. It bans the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of these devastating weapons. It also includes innovative articles on victim assistance (98% of recorded victims are civilians). Two years on, 75 States are party to this convention and 111 have signed it. Over half...

The Serbian documentary film won Honorable Mentions of the jury of an International Festival in Slovakia

The Serbian documentary film of the Media Research Center "13 years after where are we today" won Honorable Mentions of the Jury of 18th International Festival of Local Televisions "Golden Beggar Košice 2012" in Kosice, Slovakia. This documentary film, produced by the Media Research Center (MIC) in cooperation with the Ban...

US Secretary of State meets Lao Ban Advocate

On Wednesday 11 July, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton made a brief stop in Laos on her Asia tour. At an artificial limb center, Mrs. Clinton was introduced to Phongsavath Manithong, a 20 year old cluster munitions survivor and member of the Lao Ban Advocates, who told her how he lost his hands and eye sight in a ‘bombie’...

group picture of the participants of the workshop

20 Ban Advocates and support staff for the first time all together in Belgium!

20 Ban Advocates and support staff gathered in Belgium for a one week residential workshop from 9th to 17th of June 2012. The participants of this workshop came from 9 different countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Ethiopia, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Serbia, Tajikistan, The United States of America, and Vietnam. This residential workshop was held after a long...

Second Regional Meeting in Nis-Serbia

Second Regional Meeting organized in Nis After the success of the First Regional meeting held in 2011 in Nis with neighbouring countries, the association Action and Aid decided to organize a second one gathering representatives of States parties to the CCM from the Balkans as well as members and representatives of international and national NGOs....

It is with power in numbers that we can win this fight against cluster munitions

(Geneva, 16 April 2012) Government representatives from around 60 states are attending this week the second intersessional meeting of the Convention on Cluster Munitions to discuss progress being made to rid the world of cluster bombs under the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. Among other campaigners, four Ban Advocates are actively involved...

Sladjan speaking at the press conference

Successful Launch in Serbia of the documentary "13 years after, where are we today?"

(Nis, Serbia, 5 April 2012) Media Research Center in Nis presented to a large audience the documentary film "13 years after, where are we today?" at the press conference held at the Media Center in Nis today. The film’s aim is to encourage the government to adopt the Convention on Cluster Munitions and to publicly remind the...

Lend Your Leg Campaign in Tajikistan

Lend your Leg On the 4th of April, the Tajik Mine Action Centre (TMAC) in partnership with national NGO’s and TCBL (Tajik center to Ban Landmine and Cluster Munitions) organised the celebration of the International Mine Action Day to raise awareness of the hazard caused by landmines and Cluster munitions in the country. In close...

poster with the Lao Ban Advocates to join the campaign

Lao Ban Advocates brought the Lend Your Leg campaign to the Lao PDR

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } (Vientiane, Lao PDR, 4 April 2012) During celebrations for the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, organized and coordinated by the National Regulatory Authority for UXO/Mine Action Sector in Lao PDR (UXO-NRA), a group of Lao UXO survivors, called the Lao Ban Advocates, brought the Lend...

Picture of the BA Ethiopian team (Berihu, Aynalem and Tesfay) in Oslo

Good bye to our friend Tesfay

Ending the year 2011 was sad to the entire Ban Advocates team members in learning a very bad news regarding our respected friend and colleague Tesfay Haileselassie from Ethiopia, who passed away due to illness. He was a very nice and helpful Ban Advocate support staff for the Ethiopian team for many years, as well as a recognized orthopedist in...

Provincial Meeting organised by the Laos BA in Lao PDR

Ban Advocates in Laos campaiging for awareness on cluster munitions and mines

To ensure the implementation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) in Laos, the Lao Ban Advocates (BA) supported by Handicap International, organized in January 2012 provincial meetings for raising awareness of the provincial authorities on the Convention on Cluster Munitions. Such meetings were held in Savannakhet Province on the 18th and...

The Asian group of Ban Advocates pushed for progress in Cambodia

A group of 13 Ban Advocates and support staff from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam were involved in the 11th meeting of State Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty, organized in Phnom Penh from 28th November till 2d December 2011. Moreover, Umarbek Pulodov, a Ban Advocate from Tajikistan had a chance in the same week in Phnom Penh to follow the Mine Action...

Workshop for capacity building in Tirana

Workshop for Capacity Building, Albania

On the 2nd and 3rd of December 2011, two days of training on capacity building were organized by Ardjana Mani, an Albanian Ban Advocate and Ilir Shkalla from ALB-AID (Albanian Association for Integration and Development) in Tirana for a group of eight persons who are landmine and cluster munition survivors as well as persons with disabilities, all...

Lynn and Mina together at the CCW conference

Mina’s statement and interview

“I'm Mina Zunac from Croatia, as a cluster munition survivor and Ban Advocate; I just want to add that article 11 of this draft protocol does not give the guarantee to victims, their families and affected communities that it will improve their daily life. Only the CCM clearly obliges to give victims the support they need....

Branislav calls on countries to uphold the standards set by the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Geneva, November 2011

“My name is Branislav Kapetanovic. I worked as a deminer for the army, until I was injured by the BLU-97. We call them “Zute –ubice” – Yellow killers. If you look at the consequences these cluster munitions have on deminers, you can only imagine the devastating effects they have on the civilians. I feel that too much...

Lynn's Statement, Convention on Conventional Weapons 4th Review Conference, Geneva, 15th November 2011

States are currently involved in negotiations which may lead to dangerous developments in the global fight against use of cluster munitions. I think the presence of victims here at the CCW meetings has definitely had an impact on the delegates and diplomates attending. We received comments of encouragement and thanks after having made our...

Sport without frontiers or limits!

In Paris, on 24th September 2011, at the occasion of the 17th Pyramids of Shoes, Lynn met with another strong advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities, Philippe Croizon. Even though Philippe lost his two arms and two legs in an accident many years ago, he is able to show the world how people with disabilities can go...

Lynn meeting with high level representatives of Luxembourg

Lynn Bradach involved in an advocacy tour in Luxembourg, Brussels and Paris, from 19th to 24th September 2011

After being involved in the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, in Lebanon from the 12th till 16th September, Lynn Bradach, a Ban Advocate from the United States of America, was actively involved in an advocacy tour in European cities of Luxembourg, Brussels and Paris, from the 19th till 24th of September...

Mission to Dushanbe,Tajikistan

This mission, divided in two parts, is the result of the collaboration between Umarbek Pulodov, a Tajik Ban Advocate and Sulaiman Safdar, Ban Advocate support staff and executive director of ALSO (Afghan Landmine Survivor Organization) in Afghanistan. The first part of the mission consisted in Sulaiman’s involvement in a Regional Conference...

Part of the group of the Ban Advocates in Beirut

Strong involvement Ban Advocates at the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions

A group of 10 Ban Advocates and 3 support staff came from several affected countries such as, Ethiopia, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Serbia, Tajikistan, and Vietnam, as well as an advocate from the United States of America to attend the Second Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which took place in Beirut, Lebanon, from the 12th...

Raed' speech, Second Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions,Beirut

Raed Mokaled, a Lebanese Ban Advocate, reminded the audience of the tragedy that happened to his family: the loss of his son Ahmad, 5 years old, in 1999, in a public park near Nabathieh in the South of Lebanon, contaminated with cluster munitions: "Ladies and gentlemen, government representatives, those from whom we await strong support in...

Group of victims altogether to deliver the Victim's Decalaration in Beirut

Victim’s Declaration, Second Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Victim’s Declaration, Second Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions,Beirut, Lebanon Before delivering this Declaration, Raed Mokaled, a Lebanese Ban Advocate, reminded the audience of the tragedy that happened to his family: the loss of his son Ahmad, 5 years old, in 1999, in a public park near Nabathieh in the...

Lynn Bradach is delivering her statement

Lynn’s statement at the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Lynn Bradach, a Ban advocate from the United States of America, delivered a strong statement at the universalization session during the plenary, to appeal to more states to join the Convention on Cluster Munitions. (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http...

Aynalem’s statement at the Convention on Cluster Munitions

A first time for her, Aynalem Zenebe, a young Ethiopian Ban Advocate, delivered a strong statement at the victim assistance session during the plenary, to appeal to affected states to take immediate action for assisting the victims, with the support of both the international community and the victims themselves. (function() { var scribd =...

First intersessional meeting on the Convention on Cluster Munitions

More than 400 diplomatic representatives from 81 countries attended the first intersessional meetings of the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions from 27-30 June 2011. They joined representatives from UN agencies, the ICRC, and a CMC delegation of 100 campaigners from 40 countries to discuss progress against the ban. The purpose of the meeting was...

Statement by Thoumny on the First intersessional meeting on the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Thank you chair/cochair.My name is Thoummy Silamphan. I am a CMC campaigner from the Lao PDR and a cluster munition survivor. On behalf of the CMC, I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak on the issue of Victim Assistance today, together with my colleague from Lebanon.CMC campaigners from affected countries know that cluster munitions...

Statement of Mokaled on the First intersessional meeting on the Convention on Cluster Munitions

My name is Raed Mokaled, I am a CMC campaigner from Lebanon and a cluster munition victim, because I am the father of a 5-year-old boy who was killed by a cluster bomb. As my colleague from Laos has mentioned, improving the accessibility and quality of services is a key commitment of the Vientiane Action Plan. In so many affected countries,...

meeting room in geneve with the Ban Advocates

Side event on “Psycho-social support

Experiences drawn from working with the Ban Advocates” 28th June 2011, Geneva On 28th June, Handicap International (HI) organized a side event on “Psycho-social support: experiences drawn from working with the Ban Advocates”. The side event was a success. It was attended by around 50 participants from both civil society...

Portrait of Umedjon, Jafar, Umarbek, Fakhriddin, Abduhalim

Central Asia Regional Victim Assistance Workshop

24th to 26th May 2011, Dushanbe, Tajikistan Central Asia is a region that is heavily affected by mines/explosive remnants of war (ERW), and as such counts many related casualties. Given the call to develop national disability action plans that are inclusive of the needs of mines/ERW victims as per the Cartagena and the Vientiane Action Plans,...

Soraj together with his Interpreter Mohammad Safdar shwing a banner

Successful advocacy tour in Australia

Soraj together with his Interpreter Mohammad Safdar, attended a 14 day advocacy tour, which was organized for the first two weeks of May 2011 in Australia. The training was aimed to support a strong Australian legislation with no loopholes and push the Australian senate to fix the bill on cluster bombs. The tour was a big success for the campaign...

Meeting in Nis ito commemorate 12 years since the bombing of civilians in Nis by cluster munitions

Sladjan is organizing a regional meeting that will take pace in Nis in May 2011 to commemorate 12 years since the bombing of civilians in Nis by cluster munitions. Participants from several neighboring countries, Albania, Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia and Macedonia are expected to attend this meeting, which will be held on 11th May. The...

First regional meeting organized in Nis to promote the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Sladjan as a Ban Advocate, and his support team, organized a regional meeting to promote the Convention on Cluster Munitions, in Nis, on 11th May 2011 for the first time. Other Ban Advocates from Serbia, Dejan and Branislav, as well as from Albania, Ardiana, joined the meeting. Four campaigners from Bosnia Herzegovina, another campaigner from...

Cluster Munition Coalition condemns use of cluster munitions by Libyan armed forces

Strong quote from Lynn Bradach, Ban Advocate, the United States of America Reacting to reports this week that the Libyan military has used cluster munitions against rebels and civilians, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she wasn't "surprised by anything that Colonel Gaddafi and his forces do" but described the news as "...

Ban advocates in the seminar and training on Psycho Traum

The impressions of Norbert Häberlin

The BA seminar and training on Psycho Trauma is part of follow up intervention after the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) conference conducted in Vientiane in November 2010 and provided a great opportunity to increase the skills of the Ban Advocates in the psycho trauma thematic. The workshop was conducted by Mr. Norbert Haberlin, specialist...

Strong quote from Lynn Bradach, Ban Advocate, the United States of America It is now 2011, the Landmine Treaty of 1997 went into force on March 1, 1999 and the US is now in the process of reviewing its policy. I ask with all that has happened in the last 12 years how can we be so far behind in joining a treaty that bans the use of a weapon that...

Raising Awareness Training in Vientiane, Laos

The group of Lao Ban Advocates continues to advocate for the implementation of the CCM in Laos and has attended a training workshop from 22-24 Feb 2011. The topic was BA Advocacy - Raising Awareness. The objective of this training was to develop the relevant advocacy skills of the Lao Ban Advocates, and provide them with an opportunity to learn...

Phongsavath Manithong, Ban Advocate, with the group of dancers

Lao Bang Fai commemorating the First Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Phongsavath is a young Lao Ban Advocate of 19 years old. After a cluster munition accident in 2008, he lost his both hands and he became blind. Phongsavath attended the First Meeting of States Parties to the CCM in Vientiane with the group of Ban Advocates . As part of the events that were held to celebrate the meeting, Phongsavath performed with...

banadvocates with H.R.H Princess Astrid of Belgium

Four Lao Ban Advocates met H.R.H Princess Astrid of Belgium in Vientiane

Latsamy, Ta, Thoummy and Phet were honored to raise their voices and speak on behalf of all cluster munition victims, directly to H.R.H Princess Astrid of Belgium. It has been a convivial time to discuss what are the challenges that the cluster munition victims face in Lao PDR, and how to address those challenges. The group really enjoyed the...

Central and East African Regional Victim Assistance Workshop, 13th and 14th of October 2010

Central and East Africa are regions heavily affected by mines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war (ERW), and as such count many related casualties. Given the call to develop national action plans on victim assistance as per the recently adopted Cartagena Action Plan, and the strong VA obligations laid out in the CCM, Handicap...

Meeting of the banadvocates in Tajikistan

Training of cluster munition and landmine survivors, Tajikistan

We, the Tajik Campaign to Ban Landmines, with the support of Umarbek Pulodov as Ban Advocate, organized an “Advocacy & Awareness Raising Training for the Cluster Munition and Landmine Survivors”. The main objective of this training was to have new Tajik Ban Advocates here in Tajikistan to urge our government to sign and ratify the...

Successful Ban Bus Tour in Tajikistan

I organized a Ban Bus tour around affected regions of Tajikistan. I informed the communities about the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), and explained to them that implementing this Convention will stop harming civilians, and will provide more assistance for survivors and affected communities. The key objective of this action was to raise...

Al Jazeera Stephanie Scawen reports from the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, on why the government has not signed the treaty to free their land of the mines.

event to celebrate the entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Celebrating the entry into force of the Convention in Albania

On 1st August 2010, the organization ALB-AID started a series of events to celebrate the entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM). A group of cluster munition survivors from northeast Albania, survivors from the Gerdec explosion and representatives from Albanian civil society were involved in the activities. A popular drum...

Ban Advocates and Handicap International call on all countries to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Ban Advocates and Handicap International call on all countries to sign the Convention on Cluster MunitionsThe Ban Advocates, survivors of cluster munitions, and Handicap International Belgium call on all governments to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions on the eve of the Santiago Conference on Cluster Munitions. It is the last international...

The Ban Advocates at the victim assistance workshorkshop

The Ban Advocates attending the campaigners' forum and victim assistance workshop, Santiago

Today was the last day of this week spent together in Chile. After the conference, each Ban Advocate has followed the CMC and ICBL workshop sessions, following each one needs and interest, choosing between different topics for improving the campaigning work at home. During four days, the Ban Advocates have been trained along with other campaigners...

Aynalem Zenebe, Ban Advocate, Mekele, Ethiopia, June 2010

Active Ban Advocates on national capacity building and advocacy projects

From January 2010 to March 2011, a total of 13 small BA grants have been awarded to Ban Advocates in 8 different countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Lao PDR, Serbia, Tajikistan and the United States. Please find in the report more information on each grant awarded for national activities either on capacity building or advocacy,...

Raed’s speech, Middle East Victim Assistance Workshop

As the Middle East is a region that is heavily affected by mines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war and counts many related casualties, Handicap International thought it timely to organize a workshop on victim assistance in Amman, where several members from the civil society as well as governments attended. Raed, together with...

Phongsavath presented in a Q & A session at the COPE visitor’s centre this morning - to two consecutive groups of 25-30 Australian Development Scholarship winners (being organized by Vientiane College). Phongsavath spoke about the Ban Advocates, told the story of his accident and his life since, and spoke about how cluster bombs are...

UN International Day for UXO/Mine Awareness and Assistance in UXO/Mine Action in Lao PDR

Each year the 4th of April belongs to the UN International Day for UXO/Mine Awareness and Assistance in UXO/Mine Action. To mark the day, the National Regulatory Authority for the UXO/Mine Action Sector (NRA) in Laos invited all operators to participate in a public event under the slogan ‘No more cluster munitions’, which was held at...

Umarbek Pulodov in Tajikistan Mine Action Day

Mine Action Day and the visit of Mr. Ban Ki-moon

The Round Table session on “The Progress of Implementation of the Convention on the Prohibition of Antipersonnel Mines in Tajikistan” was held in Dushanbe Somoni Palace on April 5, 2010 to commemorate the International Mine Action Day, under the leadership of the government of the Republic of Tajikistan. Representatives of ministries...

Ban Advocates at the Africa Regional Conference

Berihu had the opportunity both to deliver a speech at the opening ceremony, and to present the situation of Survivor Assistance in Africa during the session 4 of the conference on National implementation, Cooperation and Assistance. Berihu's opening speech Excellencies,Ladies and Gentlemen,As a cluster munition survivor and Ban Advocate, I...

Umarbek Pulodov in a meeting with the with the US embassy representative

Meeting at the US Embassy in Dushanbe

On 12 March 2010 we, TCBL (Tajikistan Campaign to Ban Landmines) representatives (Bakhtiyor Begmuradov, Aziza Hakimova) and myself as a Ban Advocate, had a meeting (business lunch) with the US embassy representative, Mr. William von Zagorski, Political Officer. Our meeting was held in a very friendly environment. We introduced ourselves first, we...

New Disarmament Forum article on the Ban Advocate

“I get angry, furious when I hear military experts arguing that they will improve this weapon and make it humane and safe. To drop a high number of bombs close to civilians is a criminal act. If there is anyone at this conference who cannot understand why we need to ban a certain type of cluster munitions, I tell him: ask us, the victims of...

My advocacy work with the U.S Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Bombs (USCBL)

I am a Ban Advocate, and I have been volunteering with the USCBL and the CMC for several years now, communicating my message as the mother of a U.S. marine who was killed while clearing cluster munitions. Starting in September 2009, I began working as a part-time staff member with the USCBL, a coalition of U.S. NGOs engaged in pushing the U.S....

We have 30 ratifications!!

This is A m A z I n G news! Congratulations to all! I spoke with Ayat’s father earlier today and he is happy to hear the news as well! I did not have the opportunity to speak with Ayat. But I'm sure she will become happy to hear the news. Anwahr, Sweden Congratulation for the 30-th ratification. Finally we made it. Great work. Ardjana,...

Roundtable organized in Albania on the International Peace Day

This roundtable was organized in Kukes, a city based in the north of Albania, a highly affected region near the frontier with Kosovo. Its objective was to raise awareness about the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), as well as about the results of the report Voices from the Ground reflecting the voices of the victims in Albania. The panel for...

The training of new Lao Ban Advocates in Vientiane

This week of training for new Lao Ban Advocates has been fantastic. The workshop closed with the most difficult challenge of the week: public speaking. Each one of the advocates were encouraged and found the courage to deliver their speeches in front of the entire group. This was not an easy job, as for some of them, they told their stories for...

The training of new Lao Ban Advocates just started in Vientiane

A total of 8 cluster munitions survivors (some with family members to aid them) arrived in Vientiane on Sunday night after many hours of traveling to reach the capital. The survivors come from various districts and provinces of the most contaminated cluster munitions areas of Lao PDR. These survivors were joined by campaigners from other countries...

Raed Mokaled having a speech with the picture of his son projected on the wall

Raed Mokaled: Victim and Ban Advocate

The Ban Advocates are a group of women and men from diverse cluster munitions affected communities. The Ban Advocates have experienced the violence, exclusion and poverty caused by those indiscriminate weapons. They advocate for a ban on cluster munitions and the full application of the rights of survivors and affected communities. The Ban...

Thi's statement in the Regional Conference on the Promotion and Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Bali

Ladies and Gentlemen, First of all, I would like to thank the host country, Indonesia, and sponsoring countries of Australia, Austria, Germany and Norway, and the international organizations for organizing such an important conference in Asia as the most cluster munition affected region in the world. It’s an honor for me to speak on behalf...

Soraj's statement,Conference on the Promotion and Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Bali

Dear ladies and gentlemen, I am Soraj Ghulam Habib coming from Herat in Afghanistan. I lost both of my legs and one of my fingers in a cluster munition explosion in 2001. Cluster munitions prevented me from attending school, playing with other kids, and participating in other social activities. At this time, cluster munitions destroyed my dreams....

Bounmy's statement, Conference on the Promotion and Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions - Bali

Dear ladies and gentlemen, My name is Bounmy. I am a cluster munition survivor coming from Lao PDR. One morning in 1996, I was digging the ground. Suddenly, a cluster submunition exploded. Villagers heard the explosion and they came to see me and brought me home. When my parents saw me, they were devastated and they thought that I was dead. But I...

Huong's statement - Regional Conference on the Promotion and Universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Bali

Distinguished participants! Ladies and gentlemen! It is a great honor for me to participate in the regional conference on the promotion and universalization of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. My name is Nguyen Thi Huong. I am an indirect victim of cluster munitions from Vietnam. In 1991 my husband had a cluster bomb accident while working in...

Lynn' statement, UN first Committee

My name is Lynn Bradach and I am a member of the Ban Advocates, a team of survivors of Cluster Munitions. I am here today to honor my son Travis who chose to stay in Iraq to clear unexploded ordnance and it was this that led to his being killed during clearance by a cluster munition. The Convention on Cluster Munitions was opened for signature on...

The havoc of clustermunitions in Ethiopia

On 5 June 1998, at the time of the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia, Ayder School in the town of Mekele was bombarded. Planes flew over twice, dropping cluster bombs directly on the school and its vicinity. They killed 53 and wounded 158. Mekele, capital of Tigray, was a small town like any other until the fatal day of 5 June 1998. On that...

The Tirana Workshop on Achieving a Mine-Free South Eastern Europe

The Ban Advocates from Albania and Serbia attended this regional conference, held ahead of the Second Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty. The purpose of the Tirana Workshop was to take stock of the progress made and the challenges lying in South Eastern Europe, in view of reaching the Convention’s goals. One of the highlights of the...

Afghan members of the Cluster Munition Coalition in meeting with minister

Meeting with Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, 30 September 2009

After a long time, we finally succeeded to meet on Wednesday 30 September 2009 in his office, H. E. Mr. Kabir Frahi, acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in Afghanistan. We met the minister together with Afghanmtin o members of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC), Advocacy Committee members, the Deputy Minister of MOLSAMD and a Member of the...

Global ban on cluster munitions signed by 100 nations, moving toward ratification

On 25 September, 2009 France and Burundi formally ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions, making them the 20th and 21st States to ratify this international humanitarian treaty which prohibits the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of cluster munitions. It also sets out obligations to assist victims of this deadly ordnance, and their...

Umarbek Pulodov showing the report “Voices from the Ground”

Successful launch of the report “Voices from the Ground” in Dushanbe

On 30 September 2009, we had a great launch of the report “Voices from the Ground” in Dushanbe. The opening of the event was at 10 o’clock. From 40 invitees, 30 of them attended the event. We were disappointed that nobody came from the supportive embassies. However, all other attendants participated actively in the event. I...

Strong Ban Advocates attendance at Serbia launch of the report “Voices from the Ground” - Belgrade

On 2 September 2009 Ban Advocates from Serbia joined the global launch of the breakthrough report “Voices from the Ground” locally at a national release event in Belgrade. Speakers at the well attended press conference held by Handicap International included local representatives of mine and explosive remnants of war survivor...

Allocation of 1.5% of the National Income for Disability in Afghanistan

Good news for all people with disabilities in Afghanistan! A meeting took place on 11th of August 2009, between the members of the Advocacy Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ACPD with H.E. Mr. Hamid Karzai the president of Afghanistan. The meeting agenda was: Ratification of the National Disability Law Signature and...

Croatia became the fifteenth country to ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions

The UN confirmed today that Croatia became the fifteenth country to ratify the Convention on Cluster Munitions by depositing its legal instrument at the UN Headquarters in New York on Monday 18 August . Mina Zunac, Ban Advocate from Croatia As a survivor of Cluster Munition and Ban Advocate this was a really good news for me and first reaction was...

"More than 30 years after the war ended in Vietnam, it is totally unacceptable to witness people still being killed or injured by explosive remnants of war" said Ngo Xuan Hien. Hai Lang District, Quang Tri Province – A 42-year-old married man, the father of two children, has suffered major injuries from a piece of explosive...

Umarbek’s report on an important meeting with the Foreign Ministry of Tajikistan

On 9 July 2009, the Tajikistan campaign and the Afghanistan campaign met with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Tajikistan. We met with Mr. Iskandarov, Head of the UN Department, as well as Mr. Jonmahmad Rajabov, Head of the Tajikistan Mine Action Centre. The meeting began with an introducing statement by Mr. Rajabov. Other meeting participants...

The Ban Advocates arrived in Germany!

The Ban Advocates team arrived on Saturday June 13 in Germany. We came from Afghanistan, Albania, Croatia, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Serbia, Sweden, Tajikistan and the United States. We shall stay approximately two weeks in Germany, in order to attend a residential training and a conference on the destruction of cluster munitions stockpiles, on 25 and 26...

The Ban Advocates training program, Germany

Last Wednesday, we finished our training on Project Management. The training had looked at different steps of the project for example defining the objectives, managing the budget, evaluating and monitoring the project. Project management should not have any more secrets for us! On Thursday, in small groups, we followed a presentation on post-...

Feedbacks on the Ban Advocates training program, Lynn Bradach, Germany

Here we are all back together again for our last day of training. As Chris Mohr (our current trainer) said yesterday "if this is Tuesday June 23" the subject must be Event Management. I must admit the team is looking rather bleary eyed and the response to questions is not only slow but pretty much nonexistent. However I will remind...

Your Excellences, ladies and gentlemen, dear fellow activists On behalf of the Cluster Munition Coalition I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to the German Government for the swift organization of this conference after the treaty was signed in Oslo. Since then I received the Tipperary Peace Award in Ireland on behalf of CMC, now we...

Mina' statement, Berlin conference on the destruction of cluster munitions

My name is Mina Zunac. I come from Croatia and I am a survivor of cluster munition attack. 98% of recorded cluster munition casualties are civilians, and I am one of them, but I am not just another number. I am a person and I am willing to stand up and demand a change. I am a Ban Advocate. Today I'll talk about national planning, reporting and...

Chuck Searcy is an American veteran of the war in Vietnam. Since 1995 he has lived in Vietnam and worked on humanitarian programs, including Project RENEW in Quang Tri Province – an effort to clean up bombs and mines with support from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. Searcy has been awarded Vietnam’s Friendship Medal. One hot...

Advocacy projects implemented in Afghanistan in 2008

On 7th November-2008 Afghan Landmines Survivors’ Organization on behalf of the Cluster Munitions Coalition, organized a Petition event in a public park in Kabul city, and urged the government of Afghanistan to be among the majority of countries worldwide that will sign the convention on Cluster Munitions in Oslo, Norway on December 3rd, 2008...

Soraj’s reaction to the US cluster bomb export ban

I was at school when I received a call from Mr. Sulaiman Aminy saying that H. E. President Barack Obama will sign a law that will make permanent a ban on nearly all cluster bomb exports from the United States. Honestly I felt very happy. How it will be exciting and historic in the world when the USA joins the Oslo process and signs, ratifies and...

Cluster bombs victims challenge the United States

Three members of Ban Advocates team to travel through Midwest promoting new treaty banning cluster bombs Three individuals whose lives have been affected by cluster munitions will tour the Midwest in October to raise awareness and support for a U.S. ban on cluster bombs. Raed Mokaled from Lebanon, Soraj Ghulam Habib and Suliman Safdar from...

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