The Nobel Women's Initiative
Leave it to women to identify the fall-out of warfare whose death-dealing lingers long after the warring parties have departed the scene. Six women Nobel Peace Prize recipients have formed their own lobby group, the Nobel Women's Initiative, a noble initiative of their own devising to attempt to focus world opinion on an ongoing problem war-torn countries' citizens face once hostilities have departed the scene.Jody Williams (U.S., 1997), Shirin Ebadi (Iran, 2003, Wangari Maathal (Kenya, 2004, Rigoberta Menchu Tum (Guatemala, 1992), Betty Williams (Ireland, 1976)and Mairead Corrigan Maguire (Ireland, 1976) gathered their intellectual and moral resources to confer between one another and identify a grave problem facing the world. This is by no means a new problem, but it is a growing one. Growing in the sense that there is a cumulative effect; cluster bombs in increasing use, their disarming comprised of the deaths of curious children and farmers harvesting their fields.
Cluster munitions have been used in twenty-two countries by thirteen governments and a number of non-state armed groups. The United States used them in its war in Vietnam and has used them recently in Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. The Soviet Union used them in Afghanistan and later Russia (post USSR) used them in Chechnya. What's more, 70 countries are stockpiling billions of these weapons for future use in potential war situations.
Children have a habit of picking up odd looking objects, rarely imagining that their lives are at risk, and they are dying in great numbers, thanks to their curiosity and the happenstance of cluster-bomb existence. Farmers trying to work their fields reveal the presence of these munitions and lose their lives or their limbs; in either case rendering their lives hopeless beyond endurance.
The United Nations recently issued a report confirming that both Israel and Hezbollah launched cluster bombs against one another's territory. Something perhaps expected of Islamist terrorists, but what possibly could be Israel's excuse? Well, yes, militarily it makes good sense; while withdrawing from areas where the Hezbollah was previously stationed, the bombs are left to ensure that Hezbollah in re-occupying the area will not have a kind reception.
The reality is that it is not just Hezbollah which is involved in the aftermath of the withdrawal and cluster bomb emplacement, but the untold numbers of civilians living in that same area among whom Hezbollah establishes itself, the better to shield themselves from retaliation from the IDF, post-provocation. The civilian Shi'ite population re-entering the former theatre of war are doubly assaulted when farmers enter their fields to harvest olives or other crops and become vulnerable to the deadly shrapnel.
In the area, three civilians are still being killed or injured daily as a result of these lethal munitions. In addition to deaths and injuries to men, women and children, life is put on hold in the area as a result of ground contamination by thousands of unexploded ordnance. What holds true for south Lebanon is also true for Israel, itself grappling with the problem of dealing with cluster bombs.
Countries who wage wars of invasion for whatever reason, or those who fight wars of defence must recognize the indefensibility on moral grounds, of the continued use of these munitions. A group which came into existence in 2003, the Cluster Munition Coalition is working to try to persuade governments against their use. Belgium has banned the weapon; Norway has enacted temporary legislation for a moratorium on their use.
Hopes for success in obtaining an International treaty currently being negotiated are high as a growing number of countries and their leaders are evincing a greater willingness to address the humanitarian concerns behind the eradication and cessation of the use of cluster bombs.
posted by Pieface @ Wednesday, November 15, 2006
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