Dear friends,
Momentum is building for the U.S. to finally sign the international treaty to ban landmines. But military advisers might block it. Let's send a global chorus of support to win the ban at last.
Mao Sopheap was orphaned by a landmine. Then, when she was 16, she stepped on one herself -- her left leg was blown apart and had to be amputated. During an interview she cried:
"That mine has given me a future of tears until the end of my life."
Outrageously the U.S. has not signed the decade-old global treaty to ban landmines. But last week, 68 U.S. Senators wrote to the President to support the ban, giving Obama the two-thirds majority he needs to ratify.
The Mine Ban Treaty was driven through by a global citizens movement -- now if enough of us support the Senate's move, we could get the Obama administration to sign it! Click below to take action now and forward this widely, the petition will be delivered to the White House when we reach 200,000 signers:
http://cdn.avaaz.org/en/obama_ban_mines/?cl=582465128&v=6333
Some military advisers are resisting the ban, but their argument that a ban would reduce security is tenuous -- the United States has not used landmines since 1991, has had an export ban in place since 1992, and has not produced any since 1997.
Since 1999, 156 countries have signed the global treaty banning their use and production. But significantly the U.S., China and Russia have not, and without the U.S. there's little chance of a comprehensive global ban, crucial to eliminate these indiscriminate killers.
Last week's letter from the Senate brings the U.S. one step closer to signing. But to counter military hesitation, a massive global wave of support is needed for the President to ratify the global ban. Sign the petition below, then forward this email to friends and family.
http://cdn.avaaz.org/en/obama_ban_mines/?cl=582465128&v=6333
Mao Sopheap's life and over 2,000 lives per month have been destroyed by these malicious and obsolete bombs. Let's raise our voices together for those victims and send President Obama a clear message that the world will no longer accept U.S. delays and excuses. Sign the petition:
http://cdn.avaaz.org/en/obama_ban_mines/?cl=582465128&v=6333
With hope,
Alice, Iain, Pascal, Raluca, Mia, Ricken, Luis, Paul and the entire Avaaz team
SOURCES:
"White House Is Being Pressed to Reverse Course and Join Land Mine Ban", New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/08/world/americas/08mine.html
"The Senate is Ready to Ban Land Mines -- Is Obama?", Change.org:
http://globalpoverty.change.org/blog/view/the_senate_is_ready_to_ban_lan...
"Landmines Factsheet", from the United Nations:
http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/banmines/facts.asp
Mao Sopheap's story:
http://library.thinkquest.org/11051/people.htm
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines:
http://www.icbl.org/intro.php
