This morning colleagues from the new campaigning group A-BAN (Asian Ban Asbestos Network) circulated the design for a new campaign vest which was shown in Cambodia at the September 2009 meeting organized by the Asian Network for the Rights Of Occupational Accident Victims (ANROAV/there was an asbestos workshop included on the program). It is a terrific visual display of how asbestos penetrates the human body (see below). The folks from A-BAN have really hit the ground running. In the few months since A-BAN was launched, it has accomplished a lot including the translation of a great information video clip into several Asian languages. See: http://ibasecretariat.org/new_asb_init_asia.php



Work is progressing on The Report about the Asian Asbestos Conference 2009, the event at which A-BAN was launched. This 50+ page document will be available in hard copy and online. It is being produced by IBAS in conjunction with co-publishers and will be launched in December 2009 at a meeting held by Ban Asbestos Campaigners in India.



Yesterday, the ban asbestos community in the UK was devastated to hear the sad news about the mesothelioma death of Dianne Willmore. Just hours before she died Dianne's solicitors had won her case in the Court of Appeal. See:



http://ibasecretariat.org/lka_remembr_dianne_willmore.php

http://www.asbestosexposureschools.co.uk/npaper%20links/update%20112.htm



Our sympathy goes out to Dianne뭩 partner, family and friends.



On October 5, 2009, an article appeared on the Forbes.com website entitled: The Bill Gates Of Switzerland. The article is full of praise for Stephan Schmidheiny, a former Eternit Director due to go on trial in Italy in December 2009. If convicted of charges relating to negligent asbestos exposures received by Italian citizens, he could go to jail for up to 12 years.



http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/1005/creative-giving-philanthrophy-bill-gates-of-switzerland.html



I am aware that Steven Kazan submitted a letter about this article; it has not appeared on the website but can be read on his blog at: http://www.kazanlawblog.com/forbes.pdf



Another letter written jointly by IBAS and ABREA (The Brazilian Association for the Asbestos-Exposed) which was submitted to Forbes has neither been acknowledged nor been published on their website. I attach it for your consideration.



The ADAO is currently circulating a new warning about asbestos through its website,. facebook page and other media. Take a look: