Comments for The Ban Bus http://thebanbus.org Ban cluster bombs! Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:19:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on Geneva by JOHN DUNCAN http://thebanbus.org/2008/11/geneva/#comment-266 JOHN DUNCAN Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:56:40 +0000 http://thebanbus.org/?p=637#comment-266 Dear John, As a fellow blogger, I am glad that you are stirred up by the debate in Geneva on Cluster Munitions and that you have come to see for yourself what happens on the ground. But I am puzzled that you think Diplomats either in the Oslo Process or the CCW should have been employed for their looks. Some of your personal comments undermine what you are trying to say on what is a really important issue. You are also wrong to say that representatives in the CCW don't have any personal experience of the impact on innocent civilians when they get caught up in armed conflict. If you were to ask around the room you would find people who have served in almost every war or conflict over the past 20 years. The Oslo Treaty is a huge step forward, but unfortunately too many countries who use Cluster Munitions are unlikely to sign it for many years. The CCW is trying to persuade those outside Oslo to agree to get rid of their worst "dumb" Cluster Munitions. No one said this was ever going to be easy. Dear John,

As a fellow blogger, I am glad that you are stirred up by the debate in Geneva on Cluster Munitions and that you have come to see for yourself what happens on the ground. But I am puzzled that you think Diplomats either in the Oslo Process or the CCW should have been employed for their looks. Some of your personal comments undermine what you are trying to say on what is a really important issue.

You are also wrong to say that representatives in the CCW don’t have any personal experience of the impact on innocent civilians when they get caught up in armed conflict. If you were to ask around the room you would find people who have served in almost every war or conflict over the past 20 years.

The Oslo Treaty is a huge step forward, but unfortunately too many countries who use Cluster Munitions are unlikely to sign it for many years. The CCW is trying to persuade those outside Oslo to agree to get rid of their worst “dumb” Cluster Munitions. No one said this was ever going to be easy.

]]> Comment on Geneva by Elektra Spathopoulos http://thebanbus.org/2008/11/geneva/#comment-258 Elektra Spathopoulos Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:01:55 +0000 http://thebanbus.org/?p=637#comment-258 Your latest sounds somewhat dis-spiriting, but don't give up - it is just as you well know the real world.l You have collectively touched so many people. Have been following your journey, challengiong so many states and their peoples who are not aware of the issue. Keep going. Make it happen. Elektra Your latest sounds somewhat dis-spiriting, but don’t give up - it is just as you well know the real world.l You have collectively touched so many people. Have been following your journey, challengiong so many states and their peoples who are not aware of the issue. Keep going. Make it happen.
Elektra

]]> Comment on Cracks appear by Sevastyan http://thebanbus.org/2008/05/cracks-appear/#comment-248 Sevastyan Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:21:14 +0000 http://thebanbus.org/?p=509#comment-248 There is no magic skill. There is no magic skill.

]]> Comment on When will Greece ban cluster bombs? by Manolis P. http://thebanbus.org/2008/10/when-will-greece-ban-cluster-bombs/#comment-240 Manolis P. Mon, 20 Oct 2008 07:15:30 +0000 http://thebanbus.org/?p=610#comment-240 I read your piece on Greece and I was very happy to learn that everything went well, including Thessaloniki! Take care :-) I read your piece on Greece and I was very happy to learn that everything went well, including Thessaloniki! Take care :-)

]]> Comment on When will Greece ban cluster bombs? by John http://thebanbus.org/2008/10/when-will-greece-ban-cluster-bombs/#comment-239 John Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:22:28 +0000 http://thebanbus.org/?p=610#comment-239 Hi Debbie, Thessaloniki was great. Spoke to a course of students at the University of Macedonia who are doing international relations etc and they were really good. Seems a few more who want to work with us on the ban and the professor will bring the CMC, Ban Bus, ICBL experiences into her course. The local Amnesty International network was very good and passionate. Now we head on to Turkey today. Had an amazing time in Greece and looking forward to coming back to do more work on getting Greece to sign onto this historic treaty. Very best wishes, John and Mette Hi Debbie,
Thessaloniki was great. Spoke to a course of students at the University of Macedonia who are doing international relations etc and they were really good. Seems a few more who want to work with us on the ban and the professor will bring the CMC, Ban Bus, ICBL experiences into her course. The local Amnesty International network was very good and passionate. Now we head on to Turkey today. Had an amazing time in Greece and looking forward to coming back to do more work on getting Greece to sign onto this historic treaty. Very best wishes, John and Mette

]]> Comment on Getting ready by John http://thebanbus.org/2008/09/the-ban-bus-belgrade-to-oslo/#comment-238 John Fri, 17 Oct 2008 08:15:28 +0000 http://thebanbus.org/?p=598#comment-238 Hi Sarah, Great to get the email. We are in Greece but heading to Istanbul today. The Ban Bus keeps on rolling! Lots to do between now and Dec 3. SBS made a feature on the process in Ireland and the CMC media team did a 5 min edit each day for You Tube. Do a You Tube search for Cluster Treaty Dublin CMC and see what comes up. There should be 9 parts. Together they are a fantastic film on the process. The Dateline piece was online but I think it might be down now. Try www.sbs.com.au/dateline or google Dateline Current Affairs Australia. You can always email them and ask if there is another link that can find the footage. They did 2 pieces on the process. One last year in about Aprilish and this one in Ireland. So very best wishes to Pebbles and you and hope we catch up soon, John and Mette Hi Sarah,
Great to get the email. We are in Greece but heading to Istanbul today. The Ban Bus keeps on rolling! Lots to do between now and Dec 3. SBS made a feature on the process in Ireland and the CMC media team did a 5 min edit each day for You Tube. Do a You Tube search for Cluster Treaty Dublin CMC and see what comes up. There should be 9 parts. Together they are a fantastic film on the process. The Dateline piece was online but I think it might be down now. Try http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline or google Dateline Current Affairs Australia. You can always email them and ask if there is another link that can find the footage. They did 2 pieces on the process. One last year in about Aprilish and this one in Ireland. So very best wishes to Pebbles and you and hope we catch up soon, John and Mette

]]> Comment on When will Greece ban cluster bombs? by debbie http://thebanbus.org/2008/10/when-will-greece-ban-cluster-bombs/#comment-237 debbie Fri, 17 Oct 2008 07:17:36 +0000 http://thebanbus.org/?p=610#comment-237 Well how about Thessaloniki?:) i'm just writing our interview from yesterday! Best regards! Well how about Thessaloniki?:)
i’m just writing our interview from yesterday!
Best regards!

]]> Comment on Getting ready by Sarah Clancy Ireland! http://thebanbus.org/2008/09/the-ban-bus-belgrade-to-oslo/#comment-236 Sarah Clancy Ireland! Thu, 16 Oct 2008 10:36:39 +0000 http://thebanbus.org/?p=598#comment-236 Hi Mette, John We miss you all still over here! Do you by any chanch have a link to the Tv programme that was made in Ireland by your Australian friend? There are cluster actions going on next week here and I'd like new people to be able to watch it on line? Also have y'all got current e-mail addresses just for me - pebbles would like to say Hi :-) Hi Mette, John
We miss you all still over here! Do you by any chanch have a link to the Tv programme that was made in Ireland by your Australian friend? There are cluster actions going on next week here and I’d like new people to be able to watch it on line?
Also have y’all got current e-mail addresses just for me - pebbles would like to say Hi :-)

]]> Comment on Getting ready by Ed (HIUS) http://thebanbus.org/2008/09/the-ban-bus-belgrade-to-oslo/#comment-235 Ed (HIUS) Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:48:13 +0000 http://thebanbus.org/?p=598#comment-235 You are off to a great start, Ban Bus Team! Thank you for your amazing work! You are off to a great start, Ban Bus Team!
Thank you for your amazing work!

]]> Comment on Getting ready by The Ban Bus in the Balkans — Belgrade Foreign Visitors Club http://thebanbus.org/2008/09/the-ban-bus-belgrade-to-oslo/#comment-234 The Ban Bus in the Balkans — Belgrade Foreign Visitors Club Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:45:28 +0000 http://thebanbus.org/?p=598#comment-234 [...] The Ban Bus | The Ban Bus, Belgrade to Oslo “I handed my tattered faceless passport over to the pretty blonde at Belgrade immigration as I entered Serbia and she scowled at the lack of anything on the cover. It’s fast turning into a dog eared worn scrap and not the international identity pass that it should be. All printing on the cover has worn away and it bulges with many old stamps and visas. It’s the biggest passport I could get for the frequent traveller and its sixty four pages are three quarters filled in only five years. [...] [...] The Ban Bus | The Ban Bus, Belgrade to Oslo “I handed my tattered faceless passport over to the pretty blonde at Belgrade immigration as I entered Serbia and she scowled at the lack of anything on the cover. It’s fast turning into a dog eared worn scrap and not the international identity pass that it should be. All printing on the cover has worn away and it bulges with many old stamps and visas. It’s the biggest passport I could get for the frequent traveller and its sixty four pages are three quarters filled in only five years. [...]

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