USA… The Time is NOW to “JOIN THE TEAM”!

WVCBL/PSALM met with students from our “sister” city in Mexico, Guanajuato. Students discussed ways to work together to raise awareness about cluster bombs and landmines around the world.On 1 August 2011, WVCBL/PSALM will join Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) members worldwide to take part in coordinated campaign actions to celebrate the first anniversary of entry into force of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. WVCBL/PSALM/CMC call on ALL governments, especially the U.S., to “Join the Team” by acceding to and ratifying the ban on cluster munitions (CCM) and starting to implement the treaty as soon as possible. The entry into force of such a major piece of international humanitarian law is a rare and special occasion. Entry into force was triggered when the Convention reached 30 ratifications in February 2010, just 14 months after it opened for signature in Oslo in December 2008. This swift entry into force is a reflection of the growing international revulsion toward cluster munitions and the civilian harm they cause. For a complete list of countries that have signed and ratified the treaty, please visit: www.stopclustermunitions.org/treatystatus. Awareness events planned by WVCBL/PSALM are an opportunity to highlight the rights of people with disabilities and the victim assistance provisions of the CCM. Actions planned include art/photo exhibits and awareness events. We hope to encourage ALL countries, including the U.S., to participate in the upcoming Second Meeting of States Parties (2MSP) in Beirut, Lebanon from 12-16 September, 2011 AND the 11^th Meeting of the States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty in Phnom Penh, Cambodia,  Nov. 28 – Dec. 2, 2011.