So last week was a good week to start working at AIUK, and witness the power of cumulative direct action to invoke a change that will have positive and far-reaching international repercussions. On 1 September, Amnesty welcomed the decision by the Royal Bank of Scotland to change its policy and cease investments in companies involved in cluster bomb production. We of course now need to make sure RBS honours these commitments in full.
Campaign background
It’s been a fast-moving campaign. Two weeks ago, we announced we were going to run a hard-hitting advertising campaign (similar to our Shell ad campaign earlier this year), to publicise RBS’s funding of companies producing cluster bomb components.
Despite a new international Treaty banning production, use and trade of cluster munitions, signed by the UK government, which came into effect just over a year ago, RBS has since poured $80million behind companies involved in the production of cluster bombs (scroll to p76 of this detailed report for full details). RBS were exploiting a loophole in the law, so whist technically not illegal, for a corporation 80% owned by British taxpayers, choosing to contribute to the funding of a highly destructive weapon whose victims are almost always civilians (98%) is absolutely unacceptable. We wanted to let the British public know.
Verity Coyle: Hello everyone, I’m Verity – the campaign manager at Amnesty International UK. How are we all today?
Thomas Nash: Hi there, my name is Thomas Nash from Article 36, one of the UK organisations campaigning against cluster bombs, I’ll be contributing to the Facebook chat today.
Amnesty International UK:Our live chat is starting now on our wall with Verity Coyle and Thomas Nash. Post your questions as new posts directly to our wall, and we’ll answer them as they arrive. First question is from Veronique, asking how banks are still funding cluster bombs… Read full post
Some of you may have received an email from RBS in response to our campaign to call on UK banks to cease all investment in any company involved in the production of cluster bombs. We are just checking the details and scope of their new commitments now.
This looks to be good news, and would never have happened without the 10,000+ Amnesty supporters and RBS customers who took action. Together we sent a powerful message to RBS that their policy was inadequate and unacceptable. Thank you to everyone who took time to express their outrage at a UK bank financing companies involved in production of these vile and indiscriminate weapons. Further updates will follow when we know more details about RBS’s revised policy
WEEK ONE UPDATE:
In just a week, we’re half way to raising what we need to run a hard-hitting advertising campaign. A massive thank you to the hundreds of you who have given so far.
We know that Royal Bank of Scotland are feeling the pressure – it’s vital that we now get our ad campaign into print.
This is one of those campaigns where to succeed we have to be as noisy and annoying as possible. And, in the best possible way, you’ve been incredibly noisy and annoying. Donate now and help us keep up the pressure.
98% of cluster bomb victims are civilians – 30% are children
Despite the UK being signed up to an international treaty banning cluster bombs, last year alone the Royal Bank of Scotland provided over $80million in funding to companies involved in their production. We want that to stop.
Donate now and let’s shame RBS publicly through our hard hitting ad campaign.
UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who has so far donated. For the time being we have stopped taking donations. Watch out for a further update soon.
Royal Bank of Scotland
Cluster bombs are made up of many small bombs that spread far and wide, killing and maiming anyone in the area. That is why 98% of all cluster bomb victims are civilians.
In the video above Chris Atkins reports from Laos on the carnage they unleash on their victims. This is the reality of funding strategies that involve companies that produce cluster bombs.
Taxpayer money
Remember, RBS is over 80% owned by the taxpayer after it received a £20 billion bail out. Whether you bank with RBS or not, it is our money that is being used to fund companies that produce a weapons system that our own government has outlawed.
With your help we will shame RBS into withdrawing their deadly investments.
Your money will be spent on an advertising campaign to shame RBS. Any donations received beyond our target will be used for other arms trade campaigning.
We are part of the Cluster Munition Coalition, an international civil society campaign working to eradicate cluster munitions, prevent further casualties and put an end to the suffering they cause.
The coalition works through its members in around 100 countries to change the policy and practice of governments and organisations and raise awareness of the devastation cluster bombs cause.
*Texts costs £5 + standard network charge. Amnesty International receives £4.75. Under 18s, please obtain bill payer’s permission. Customer care 0844 847 9800. Charity No. 1051681. Read our full SMS terms and conditions
Since yesterday more than 7,000 of you have emailed the Chief Executive of RBS, Stephen Hester and they are having a very hard time ignoring our calls.
That is why they have sent some of you responses to your emails. If you have had a response from RBS you can find out what we think about it, line for line, after the break.
If you’ve not emailed Stephen Hester yet, just go to our action page and find out what this is all about.
As protests, uprisings, crackdowns and armed attacks continue across the Middle East and North Africa, we bring you up to date on events from a human rights perspective.
Libya
As the conflict in Libya rages on between Colonel al-Gaddafi’s forces, armed rebels based in Benghazi and international forces attacking from the air, we have issued a Q&A examining the human rights issues at stake.
Our crisis researcher based in Libya, Donatella Rovera, has published a new blog in which she describes how the situation has significantly deteriorated in Benghazi and elsewhere in eastern Libya in the past few days. You can also read our press team’s most recent blogs about Libya.
We have also issued a public statement calling on the Libyan authorities to release four Al Jazeera journalists held incommunicado since they were detained while trying to leave the country two weeks ago.
Hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing violence and persecution in Libya and desperately seeking safety in neighbouring countries. Take action to protect refugees fleeing Libya.
UK arms might have played a role in the brutal crackdown in Libya and elsewhere in the region. Write to the foreign secretary to call for a robust arms trade treaty.
Bahrain
We have urged the Bahraini authorities to ensure the safety of people participating in peaceful protests and of all detainees after allegations of torture by demonstrators.
We have also called for the immediate release of eight prominent Bahraini opposition activists who were arrested following a violent dispersal of demonstrators in Manama. The eight activists, mainly leading members of Shi’a opposition groups prominent in the ongoing protests for reform, were arrested last Thursday in armed raids on their homes. The security forces did not produce arrest warrants and the authorities have not revealed where the detainees have been taken, or allowed them access to lawyers or their families.
Egypt
We have issued a statement calling on Egyptian authorities to investigate serious allegations of torture, including forced ‘virginity tests’, inflicted by the army on women protesters arrested in Tahrir Square earlier this month.
Egyptians have strongly backed constitutional changes that will allow the country to move quickly on to elections since the resignation of President Mubarak in February. Official results show that 77% of voters in Saturday’s referendum backed the changes. Pro-democracy activists said the changes did not go far enough.
Yemen
We have called on Yemen to stop its security forces using excessive force as protesters and journalists continue to be attacked at peaceful demonstrations around the country, and targeted in ‘night raids’ and sniper attacks.
Syria
We have called on Syrian authorities to launch an independent investigation into the deaths of at least six anti-government protesters during continuing unrest in the southern city of Dera’a. Protestors were calling for political freedoms, an end to corruption and the release of political prisoners. Scores more have been injured by bullets and tear gas and many more have been detained.
One third of all recorded cluster bomb casualties are children. Yet despite efforts to ban these indiscriminate weapons, 138 banks and other financial institutions continue to invest over US$20 billion in companies that produce them.
Cluster bombs are large explosive weapons that scatter dozens or hundreds of smaller submunitions over a wide area. They cannot distinguish between military targets and civilians. Many submunitions fail to detonate on impact and, like landmines, continue to kill and maim people long after the conflict has ended. Find out more about Dtar’s story by watching this short film.
The good
The global campaign to eradicate cluster bombs, spearheaded by the Cluster Munitions Coalition, reached a major breakthrough in 2008 when governments negotiated an international treaty to ban them. So far, 103 countries have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions, including the UK.
The bad
Although the UK government has signed the ban and stopped production of cluster bombs, UK banks still invest in cluster bomb producers in countries that have not yet outlawed them. A ban simply can’t be effective if there is still funding for the production of these weapons.
The downright ugly
A recent report* finds that UK high street banks are lending or providing investment banking services to cluster bomb producers to the tune of:
– Barclays: US$274 million
– HSBC: US$657 million
– Royal Bank of Scotland (includes NatWest): US$64 million
That could be YOUR cash. And if there’s one thing banks can’t do without, it’s customers: tell your bank to stop this shameful practice once and for all. If you’re not a customer of these banks you can still contact them to let them know that you find their investment in producers of cluster bombs totally unacceptable.
This blog is where we (Amnesty UK’s webteam) will be keeping you up to date with the latest news about ProtectTheHuman.com and our other online activities.
We’ll also be using this blog to discuss our ongoing adventures in using social media for campaigning, so expect stats and insights to be coming this way soon.
