What is France doing? This is the question the association, Nobel Peace Prize laureate in 2003, Handicap International, wishes to raise. The organization has been fighting against the tragedy of cluster bombs for three years. These are mini-bombs dropped by belligerents in war zones. “But some of these bombs fall, if there is a malfunction, in civilian areas,” says Patricia Mallissart, head of the association in Nice. “The bombs are most often dropped by mistake, but it sometimes happens intentionally. It should be noted that between 5 and 30% of these bombs do not explode.” The vast majority of victims of these devices are civilians, and among them, 19% are children.
The mission of Handicap International on the ground primarily consists of coordinating emergency relief and working on a long-term basis. The NGO provides medical and psychological support to populations while training demining teams. “We help countries secure themselves autonomously,” explains Patricia Mallissart.
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A Political Issue
For the moment, only Belgium has banned the manufacture of these bombs last February. Although the problem has been addressed in recent news (in Lebanon), France does not yet feel ready to do without them. Even though progress is made in the manufacture of these weapons to avoid any malfunction as much as possible, Handicap International believes that this is not enough.
The objective of the twelfth National Day is to raise public awareness about the problem of cluster bombs. In Nice, the event will take place on September 30 on the Promenade des Anglais, in front of the Verdure Theatre. A pyramid of shoes will be erected in tribute to the thousands of victims of these bombs. Symbolically, a large mined area will be reproduced identically over an area of more than 100 square meters! “There will be fictitious bombs in trees, houses, and even toys,” announces Patricia Mallissart. “We hope that the public will thus become aware of the dramatic situation many people live in, at the mercy of unexploded cluster bombs.” The association hopes to collect as many signatures as possible on the petition aimed at appealing to politicians. To this end, 200 volunteers and 130 artists will mobilize. During this extraordinary day, they will try to change mentalities and make people understand that solidarity is everyone’s business.
The “No to Cluster Bombs” petition is available online at www.sousmunitions.org
