Students hold "Beat the Drum" banner in front of Morgantown City Hall

WVCBL: West Virginia Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster
Bombs/PSALM: Proud Students Against Landmines and Cluster
Bombs joined campaigners around the world to “drum up”
support through a range of actions aimed celebrating the
Cluster Bomb Ban Entry Into Force and raising awareness
about the need to sign the treaty. Events in the City of

Morgantown and the state of West Virginia during the month
of August include awareness days, art installations,
drumming circles and banners displayed throughout our city.
On August 3rd “Cluster Bomb/Landmine Awareness Week ” and the work of PSALM/WVCBL was recognized by City Council and
presented with a City Proclamation by Morgantown Mayor, Bill
Byrne. The proclamation encourages our national leaders to ban landmines and cluster munitions.

On August 14th, PSALM/WVCBL joined campaigners around the globe and hosted drummers and musicians for a “Beat the Drum” event at the Monongalia Art Center to raise awareness about the Convention on Cluster Munitions and to celebrate the ENTRY INTO FORCE of the CCM as of August 1st.

City Drummers "Beat the Crum" to Ban Cluster Bombs

A slide presentation about the need to ban cluster munitions, landmines and their victims was projected on the side of the Mon Art Center as part of a student art project to raise awareness. The slides included artworks by students in PSALM. The slideshow was shown at night in various locations in our community.

Community Slideshow

BAN CLUSTER BOMBS!

On April 23rd, 2010 PSALM began the 100 Day Countdown to the Cluster Munitions Treaty becoming binding, international law! This is truly a milestone in the history of diplomatic disarmament. We are excited to raise awareness, be a part of the process and essentially witness the “birth” of a new, international treaty.

On June 5th, WVCBL and  Morgantown Drummers “BEAT THE DRUM” to Ban Cluster Bombs at the Monongalia Arts Center. PSALM/WVCBL wish to thank Tim Terman and drummers for their efforts to “drum” up support for the CMT!

On August 3rd, Morgantown City Council will make a Proclamation recognizing the Convention on Cluster Munitions and the work of PSALM students! We are asking drummers and musicians to join us the month of August to “Drum” up support for the banning of cluster munitions.

Support the CMT!

The year 2010 marks an amazing passage of time for PSALM/ WVCBL (Proud Students Against Landmines and Cluster Bombs and the West Virginia Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Bombs) commemorated the 11th Anniversary of the Mine Ban Treaty and the 30th Ratification of the Cluster Munitions Treaty. PSALM students released balloons to raise awareness about landmines and cluster munitions with messages that read, “A LANDMINE AND CLUSTER BOMB FREE WORLD IS POSSIBLE”. We also celebrated the eleventh year anniversary of our founding by an amazing group of art students who wondered, “How can we make a difference in the world today?” The quote by Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world, indeed, it is the only thing that ever has” really rings true of the many people in the world that work for peace and justice.

We want to thank ALL OF YOU, our mentors and role models in the efforts to ban landmines and cluster munitions. You have inspired our students to use their talent and energy to make the world safer for children everywhere! YOU make our mission POSSIBLE!

We are so very excited and honored to have been a part of this process of what is essentially the birth of a new international disarmament treaty. On March 1st, we will organize a balloon release in Morgantown, West Virginia to raise awareness about the anniversary of the Mine Ban treaty and the 30th ratification of the CMC Treaty. Our hope is to bring the US on board to BOTH treaties by year’s end!
PLEASE join us for an Awareness Event in your community!

CMT to become binding international law on 1 August 2010!

Burkina Faso and Moldova ratified the international Convention banning cluster munitions today, bringing the total number of ratifications to 30 and triggering entry into force on 1 August 2010, when the Convention will become binding international law.

A total of 104 countries have signed the Convention since it opened for signature in Oslo in December 2008. The Convention comprehensively bans use, production, and transfer of cluster munitions and sets strict deadlines for stockpile destruction and clearance of contaminated land. In addition, the Convention obliges states to support survivors and affected communities.

After the Convention on Cluster Munitions enters into force on 1 August, the next milestone will be the First Meeting of States Parties, which is scheduled to be held in Lao PDR in late 2010. Lao PDR is the country most heavily contaminated by cluster munitions as a result of US bombing more than 30 years ago. Lao PDR is still the country most heavily contaminated by cluster munitions as a result of US bombing more than 30 years ago.

“The rapid pace of reaching 30 ratifications – only 15 months – reflects the strong global commitment to get rid of these weapons urgently,” said Steve Goose, CMC co-chair and director of the Arms Division at Human Rights Watch.

The Oslo Process and the treaty negotiations were characterized by a close partnership between pro-ban governments, civil society led by the CMC, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and UN agencies, as well as by the leadership of affected states such as Lao PDR and of individual survivors themselves.
The CMC urged as many states as possible to sign, ratify, and begin implementation of the Convention before the First Meeting of States Parties in Lao PDR in November. In particular, states that have already ratified the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty and the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities should put their full support behind the cluster bomb ban as well, as all three international treaties enshrine the same humanitarian and human rights principles for assistance to affected communities and the promotion of dignified lives for survivors and victims of armed violence.

 IS Possible!

Report by Nora Sheets

Coordinator/WVCBL: West Virginia Campaign to Ban Landmines
and Cluster Bombs/PSALM: Proud Students Against Landmines
and Cluster Bombs 

On November 28^th, 2009, I was honored to represent the West Virginia Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Bombs and PSALM/ Proud Students Against Landmines Cluster Bombs and at the Cartagena Summit on A Mine Free World in Colombia. The Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World is the name given to the Second Review Conference of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, which entered into force ten years ago. It was an opportunity to prove that we are on the way towards ridding the world of the scourge of landmines. Over 1,000 participants including heads of States and Governments attended the Summit in Cartagena. During the meeting it was noted how anti-personnel mines continue to be used in conflicts around the world causing human suffering and impeding post-conflict development.

A 5K race through the streets of Cartagena was held on Sunday. It was an opportunity to see the city, test our endurance in the heat of Colombia. Vice-President Francisco Santos Calderon welcomed and started off the race in Plaza de la Aduana. The participation included those of antipersonnel mine survivors, people with disabilities, delegates from the international community, national authorities, members of civil society organizations and Cartagena’s community.

WVCBL/PSALM Coordinator, Nora Sheets, USCBL/Handicap International's Zach Hudson and Cluster Munitions Coalition's Thomas Nash

This was the second review summit the first one being in Nairobi, Kenya 5 years ago (which I was most honored to attend). Delegations reviewed the work that the 156 nations have done to eradicate the use of landmines and to help the survivors. A new Cartagena Action Plan was developed to address the challenges that remain in clearing minefields across the world and in assisting the survivors.

 The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) delegation, a network of more than 1,200 non-governmental organizations in over 70 countries and a 1997 Nobel Peace Prize co-laureate for its work on behalf of a mine-free world has made significant progress in eradicating antipersonnel mines since the Mine Ban Treaty took effect:

• Global use, production, and trade of antipersonnel mines have been dramatically curtailed;
• A total of 156 nations are party to the Mine Ban Treaty, and another two countries have signed but have not yet ratified. Nearly all of the 37 countries that have not yet joined are in de facto compliance with most of the treaty’s provisions.
• Some 3,200 square kilometers of land has been cleared of mines and explosive remnants of war;
• The number of new mine and explosive remnants of war casualties has significantly reduced each year, down to 5,197 recorded casualties in 2008, compared to an estimated 26,000 recorded and unrecorded casualties per year in the 1990s; and
• More than 44 million stockpiled antipersonnel mines have been destroyed by states party to the Mine Ban Treaty.

Although much progress has been made through the AP Mine Ban Convention, many challenges remain. Some countries that have not yet joined the Convention, such as China, India, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia and the United States, have large stockpiles of landmines.

USCBL

The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention seeks to eradicate the use of landmines and to end the suffering caused to victims. States that join are required to never use landmines again and to provide assistance to the survivors. 156 States are party to the Convention.

Plenary Hall

  The Conference began with a session on victim assistance, the agenda specifically chosen to emphasize the recognition of States Parties of the need for a renewed commitment to urgently implementing victim assistance provisions under the Convention. Inclusion of provisions for victim assistance is one of the most significant achievements of the Mine Ban Treaty.

Juanes and Jody Williams discuss with survivors victims issues

JUANES, the Colombian music superstar lent his voice to the world summit. In 2006 Juanes became the first artist ever to perform in the debating chamber of the European Parliament as part of the European Union campaign to eradicate landmines. Juanes, a 17-time Grammy Award Winner, founder of the Mi Sangre Foundation, and mine eradication activist said he is proud to support The Cartagena Summit on a Mine-Free World.

We were pleased that the United States attended the Ottawa Convention’s Review Conference for the first time. The Administration’s decision to attend this Review Conference is the result of an on-going comprehensive review of U.S. landmine policy initiated at the direction of President Obama.

This is the first comprehensive review since 2003. Along with other members of the United States Campaign, we met with State Department representatives to discuss the importance of transparency and inclusion of representatives for the USCBL in these reviews. The US reiterated its commitment to “continued U.S. global leadership in eliminating the humanitarian risks posed by landmines” and mine action funding, stating that “the Administration applauds the significant accomplishments to date by the Convention.

On behalf of the Holy See, the Archbishop of Cartagena delivered a powerful statement saying that human beings must be the center of our concerns, that victim assistance to victims and their families must be the focus of our work, but asked how was it possible to draw distinctions between victims of landmines, cluster munitions, and small arms and light weapons or in clearance of the weapons? The defense of national interest must never be at the detriment of the civilian population, he said. Sandra Castro Zapata, Colombian mine survivor, delivered a moving message from Pope Benedict XVI. In a statement sent to the Cartagena Summit on anti-personnel mines, Pope Benedict XVI said there are no ethical arguments to defend the production and use of the weapons, especially given that most victims are innocent civilians. The Holy See reiterated its appeal to all non-signatory nations to ratify the convention, highlighting China, India, the US and Russia as the most important states who have yet to sign. The Holy See also appeals “to all states to recognize the deplorable humanitarian consequences of anti-personnel mines. Experience shows that these weapons have caused more victims and damages among the civilian population, which should be defended, than they have served to defend states. The thousands of victims that they continue to bring remind us, in case it should still be necessary to repeat it, of the chimera of wanting to build peace and stability with an exclusively military vision.” It was quite an honor to meet with the Vatican representatives and give a “shout out” on behalf of the work of PSALM students for the past ten years.

On November 3rd, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, and anniversary of the signing of the MBT and the CCM, began a two-day high level segment with statements from over 30 senior government, international organization, NGO, and survivors’ representatives. Statements focused on successes achieved in the implementation of the MBT, but at the same time remained forward-focused and emphasized the need for commitment to further progress. Survivors Ken Rutherford, Margaret Arach Orech, and Prasanna Rajiv Kuruppu read the ICBL Survivors’ Call to Action, delivering also a powerful visual message, surrounded on stage by fellow survivors and campaigners. The statement covered concrete points of action calling on all to ratify the Mine ban treaty as well as the Ban on Cluster Munitions and support of the Convention for People with Disabilities. They also noted the need for an increase of Victim Assistance effectiveness by integration in national development plans, emphasizing in particular the importance of reaching survivors in remote areas.

Cartagena Action Plan Signing Ceremony

Reflecting back on the progress over the last five years, as country after country listed the steps they had taken along the way, the sense of the accomplishments of the MBT began to settle in, as statistic after statistic was provided on the number of mines cleared, the number of mines destroyed (over 44 million from stockpiles), the number of victim assistance initiatives undertaken, and the number of dollars contributed. More important were the number of statements with pledges of commitment to push forward in continuing work, in a broader scope under a new phase of implementation, ensuring synergies between the MBT, CPRD, and CCM – two instruments which have come into existence in large part due to the foundations set by the MBT and now stand in a position to build further on its impressive work.

Notable amongst the many high level attendees were Princess Astrid of Belgium, Prince Mired of Jordan, and Vice President Fransisco Santos Calderon of Colombia, and from the ICBL, Nobel Laureate Jody Williams. Jody Williams spoke about the enduring vitality of the partnerships between governments and civil society in the continued success of the MBT, and reminded all that the MBT was not just about the pretty words and speeches heard today and to honor their commitments with actions, adding that the MBT movement has been pretty good at following pretty words with actions.

Youth Campaigns Side Conference/Workshop

On Friday December 4^th, I had the wonderful opportunity to present a side-conference workshop hosted by the Italian Campaign to Ban Landmines, Moviment per la Pau, the Colombian Youth Campaign and the West Virginia Campaign to Ban Landmines/PSALM: Proud Students Against Landmines and Cluster Bombs titled, “ Involving young people in human rights campaigns: opportunities and challenges” It was an opportunity to share strategies and methodologies to improve the involvement of young people in peace/disarmament/human rights campaigns.

Youth Campaign Workshop

The success of the week was clearly seen in the recommitment and rededication from governments and NGOs alike. States have agreed to an ambitious five year action plan at the outcome of the week, although we won’t know the true measure of success from Cartagena for a few years to come, until we see the number of commitments made turn into accomplishments – and a lot of that depends on us! It was a great opportunity for me to meet with the various youth campaigns, Pax Christi, Jesuit Relief Service, Religions for Peace, Cluster Munitions Coalition and others to coordinate efforts for the coming year. We are very excited about the Cluster Munitions Treaty becoming fully ratified, making it binding, international humanitarian law!

ICBL members with PSALM artwork

The Cartagena Summit laid a strong foundation for progress over the next five years with an ambitious but flexible road map and progress will be reviewed every year. It’s now up to us to ensure that the goals are met and exceeded. We are up to the task and look forward to a “mission possible…a mine-free, cluster bomb free world for all children!

On behalf of our PSALM students, I want to thank all of our supporters and benefactors! YOU make our work POSSIBLE!

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Landmines and cluster munitions continue to kill civilians even after a conflict ends. The biggest victims of landmines are children, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF. 

The Global Health Program at West Virginia University hosted landmine activist Alison Bock of Landmines Blow! and PSALM/WVCBL students for its annual Global Health Day event on Nov. 16^th. 2009. In 2003, Bock founded Landmines Blow!, a nongovernmental organization created to raise awareness of landmines and their impact on civilians. Bock speaks and writes about landmines and cluster munitions, the global water crisis, refugees, the empowerment of women, peace and other subjects.

PSALM/WVCBL students made presentations and set up an information table to raise awareness about the devastation caused by landmines and cluster munitions to children the world over.

To see television film of the event go to: http://wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=70459

About the Global Health Program at West Virginia University

The Global Health Program at WVU was established in 1991 as an interdisciplinary program at the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center. It is a student-centered program composed of faculty, students and staff who work to promote the education of students and healthcare professionals in global health.
 

The year 2009 marks an amazing passage of time for PSALM/ WVCBL. We celebrated the ten year anniversary of our founding by an amazing group of art students who wondered, “How can we make a difference in the world today?” As we look back on our experiences, we are forever indebted to the many folks  who supported our efforts to educate others about the devastation caused by landmines and cluster munitions. We are forever grateful and appreciative!

Students paint shoes and add facts about landmines and cluster munitions. The sculpture is displayed in the community to educate the public about these important issues.

The major focus and objectives of our campaigning work has been raising awareness about the devastation caused by landmines and cluster munitions, the Mine Ban Treaty and the signing of a new global treaty banning cluster munitions. We are excited to be a part of the process and essentially witness the “birth” of a new, international treaty.

 

 

 

PSALM PEACE 4 U

“P.S.A.L.M.” (Proud Students Against Land Mines and Cluster Bombs) and the West Virginia Campaign to Ban Landmines and the Cluster Munitions are celebrating the 100^th signature to the Cluster Munitions Treaty. YAY! Our hope is that ALL countries will sign the treaties to ban landmines and cluster munitions.

 On September 21^st, The International Day of Peace, students displayed throughout our community banners of a single lit candle in remembrance of the victims of landmines and cluster munitions throughout the world. WVCBL also displayed banners during the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

WVCBL and PSALM display their banners at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

WVCBL and PSALM celebrated the 10th Anniversary of the MINE BAN TREATY  in MARCH 2009

WVCBL/PSALM students celebrated to 10th anniversary of the MINE BAN TREATY and commemorated 10 years as a working organization with a party and cake. Students give up countless hours of their own time because they want to make the world a safer more peaceful place for children EVERYWHERE in the WORLD.

Students at the West Virginia State Capital

Morgantown City Council made a proclamation declaring in the City of Morgantown, West Virginia, A Resolution to Support a Cluster Bomb Ban and to Declare Cluster Bomb/Landmine Awareness Week.
It was presented to the PSALM students on November 5th, 2008 at the Regular City Council Meeting. Students made presentations at the West Virginia State Capital for Legislative Action Day, March, 2009.

Our THANKS to WEST VIRGNIA Senator Byrd for co-sponsorship of the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act (S. 416)

President Obama recently signed a law that will make permanent a ban on nearly all cluster bomb EXPORTS from the United States. This provision will move the U.S. one step closer to the position of the nearly 100 nations–including our closest NATO allies–that signed a treaty banning cluster munitions in December.

The legislation states that cluster munitions can only be exported if they leave behind less than one percent of their submunitions as duds, and if the receiving country agrees that cluster munitions “will not be used where civilians are known to be present.”

Now Congress needs to take the next step and ban USE of these deadly weapons. Nearly one in four senators have already cosponsored the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act (S. 416) including West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd. Do your senators support this bill? If not, urge them to co-sponsor today. Take Action… urge your senators to cosponsor S. 416, the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act.  This bill states that, “Cluster munitions will not be used where civilians are known to be present or in areas normally inhabited by civilians.” Go to www.uscbl.org and send a letter or postcard. The WVCBL have recently mailed out over 100 postcards and letters encouraging our state and country leaders to support our efforts for a more peaceful world.