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Reports by Region
Global Week of Action Against Small Arms 2004 |
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| Events were also being planned in Australia,
Bangladesh,
Côte d’Ivoire
and Nigeria. |
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| Africa |
Burundi
IANSA member Colonie des Pionniers de Développement (CPD) was interviewed on Radio-télévision National Burundaise (7 July). Read the first page and the second page of their report. Another IANSA member, Bonne Generation, was also interviewed on Radio Public Africaine by the journalist Claude Nzibavuga (7 July). They were invited back to do a question-and-answer session with the radio listeners. (9 July).
To find out more about the events planned in Burundi click here |
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Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
IANSA member Groupe Amos received media coverage in the national newspaper Express du Congo.
To find out more about the events planned in DRC click here |
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| Cameroon |
On 5-6 July, youth groups went on national television and radio to campaign against small arms.
To find out more about the events planned in Cameroon click here |
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Ghana
200 guns retrieved from illegal sources were destroyed in Accra. The Vice President gave a speech in which he announced a number of government interventions, including the establishment of a database and an arms register for the security services, the marking of registered weapons in State institutions and private arms, the strengthening of security at armouries and the monitoring of locally manufactured weapons. The event was reported by GNA. |
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Kenya
The press conference that launched the Week of Action in Kenya on 2 July received good press coverage, including the national newspaper The Sunday Standard (2 July). On 3 July the Kenyan Action Network on Small Arms (KANSA) also secured an opinion piece in the same newspaper as part of a substantial public awareness campaign, involving TV and radio shows. On 2 July KANSA members appeared on a radio talk show “Maoni yako” where listeners called in to participate in the debate and discussion on small arms. On 8 July it was the Breakfast show on Capital FM and on 13 July it was Radio Waumini: The Day in Kenya.
On 6 July the People’s Daily and the Daily Nation reported on KANSA activities, and the East African Standard reported on a seminar organised by KANSA member National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) on 14 July. Full texts here
Prayers were held nationwide in churches (on 4, 7 July) and mosques (2, 9 July).
To find out more about the events planned in Kenya click here |
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Liberia
The Liberian Action Network on Small Arms (LANSA) received coverage from national newspaper The News (Monrovia), reproduced on the AllAfrica website. Reports and photos.
To find out more about the events planned in Liberia click here |
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Malawi
The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) nationwide campaign to raise awareness of the need for the government to support the ATT was covered on radio and in the newspapers, including an article in the Lilongwe Chronicle.
To find out more about the events planned in Malawi click here |
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| Mozambique |
The Transforming Arms Into Ploughshares project started creating a ‘Tree of Life’ sculpture from guns left over from conflict. Report and photos.
To find out more about the events planned in Mozambique click here |
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| Sénégal |
IANSA member MALAO did media work during the Week, including a book launch
To find out more about the events planned in Sénégal click here |
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Sierra Leone
Florela Hazeley of the Sierra Leone Action Network on Small Arms (SLANSA) launched the Week of Action with a press conference in Freetown, alongside statements from other NGOs, the police and the coordinator of the UNDP project Arms For Development (AFD) (1 July).
To find out more about the events planned in Sierra Leone click here |
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South Africa
Joseph Dube of Amnesty was interviewed by Radio Unitra in Umtata, Eastern Cape Province (1 July).
To find out more about the events planned in South Africa click here |
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Sudan
The Human Security Initiative Organisation obtained wide media coverage for the Week of Action, including the English-language newspaper Sudan Vision and the Arabic-language newspaper Al-Rayaam.
To find out more about the events planned in Sudan click here |
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| Tanzania |
Week of Action events organised by the Tanzanian Action Network on Small Arms (TANANSA) culminated in a rally in Dar es Salaam on 9 July.
To find out more about the events planned in Tanzania click here |
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| Togo |
In addition to Control Arms football matches on 9-10 July organised by Cercle des Jeunes pour une Societé de Paix (CJSP), the Government destroyed 5,137 firearms in public on 9 July. The destruction event was organised by the National Commission on Small arms and was observed by representatives from PNUD, UNREC, the Ministry of National Defence and journalists.
To find out more about the events planned in Togo click here |
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Uganda
The press conference organised by Eastern Africa Action Network on Small Arms (EAANSA) was well reported by the national media. The Minister of State for Internal Affairs attended, along with the representative of the European Union, the President's Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Ugandan government expressed its support for the ATT at a workshop held 1-2 July. This was covered in both major Ugandan newspapers, the New Vision and the Monitor. IANSA participant People With Disabilities - Uganda also generated public support for the treaty through radio talk shows during the Week.
To find out more about the events planned in Uganda click here |
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Zambia
The Zambia Times published an article by the Zambian Action Network on Small Arms calling on the Government to support the ATT. The article inspired the newspaper to refer to the gun problem in its editorial on Sudan that day.
To find out more about the events planned in Zambia click here |
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Zimbabwe
IANSA members Frederick Sadomba and Gwinyayi Dzinesa of the Centre for Defence Studies at the University of Zimbabwe published a detailed op-ed in the Harare Herald (2 July)
To find out more about the events planned in Zimbabwe click here |
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Americas
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Argentina
IANSA member Espacios organized a variety of activities for the Week of Action, including student competitions in poetry, sculpture, writing, short stories, and poster making; the launch of the web site 'Argentina without weapons', and the screening of the documentary 'Desarmados' in Buenos Aires, Mendoza and Rosario.
Nearly 500,000 schoolchildren participated in 'Disarmament in the Schools' Week.
All activities received extensive coverage in La Nacion, Diario Uno, and an editorial in Diario Clarín.
To find out more about the events planned in Argentina click here |
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Brazil
Adital featured an article in Spanish focussing on the Week of Action events in Brazil, particularly those of IANSA members Sou da Paz and Viva Rio and the website Desarme.org.
To find out more about the events planned in Brazil click here |
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Canada
Project Ploughshares issued a press release on their website and Amnesty International - Canada collected over 500 faces for the Million Faces petition at the Sunfest in London, Ontario, as reported in the London Free Press
To find out more about the events planned in Canada click here |
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El Salvador
The launch of the campaign 'Safe zones, No guns on the streets' was reported by the national newspaper La Prensa Gráfica in three articles. The Diario de Hoy and the website Sociedad sin violencia also covered the campaign.
Adital published an article on the small arms problem and related death rates in El Salvador which quoted IANSA members at the Universidad Centroamericana de El Salvador.
To find out more about the events planned in El Slavador click here |
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Guatemala
The National Commission, of which IANSA participant IEPADES is a member, announced its programme to reduce gun violence (9 July). EFE and ANSA covered the story, which has also been reproduced online in Terra and Crónica.
To find out more about the events planned in Guatemala click here |
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Mexico
The national newspaper Excelsior published an opinion piece by Luis Gutiérrez Esparza of the Círculo Latinoamericano de Estudios Internacionales (CLAEI) / Latin American Circle for International Studies (LACIS) (1 July). Report and photos |
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Paraguay
A new interagency working group to advise on improving the national legislation and implementation of existing gun control measures was announced at a press conference in the offices of Amnesty Paraguay. National newspapers, Diario ABC Color and Diario Noticias, covered the story along with Canal 9 and Diario Última Hora. Maria Cecilia Gortari (of Sociedad Paraguaya de Criminología) was also interviewed on Radio FM Trinidad and Radio Cáritas. Report and photos
Cecilia Gortari was later interviewed on Canal 2-RED GUARANI. (8 and 9 July), Canal 13 (12 July) and CNN (13 July) about the Week of Action, Control Arms and the small arms situation in Paraguay. On 14 July the 'Siglo a Siglo' program on RED GUARANI featured Cecilia Gortari and Jose Caballero (both Sociedad Paraguaya de Criminología); Carlos Ayala (Amnesty International - Paraguay) and Ligia Fraulob (women’s group Fundación Kuña Aty).
NEIKE, the online news magazine, covered the International Gun Destruction Day. Report and photos
The Week of Action went to the Police Academy on 9 July, with a showing of 'Bowling for Columbine' and a panel presentation and discussion. About 150 police officers and final year students took part. Report and photos
To find out more about the events planned in Paraguay click here |
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Trinidad & Tobago
WINAD members were interviewed for an hour on the TV programme Morning Edition. They followed this with participation in an hour long panel discussion on national radio. The theme of the discussion was the proliferation of guns in Trinidad and Tobago and the relevance of new firearms legislation introduced in May 2004. This weekly programme is hosted by an organisation of former convicts.
National newspaper Trinidad and Tobago Express published a long article about the activities of WINAD and their collecting of photographs for the Million Faces petition in three shopping malls during the Week of Action.
To find out more about the events planned in Trinidad & Tobago click here |
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Uruguay
The press conference held by IANSA member Asociación de Lucha para el Desarme Civil (ALUDEC) - which presented a draft bill for a national gun control system and an advertising campaign on the theme “If you've got a gun, you've got a problem” - was covered by national newspaper La Republica in 2 articles. Second article
To find out more about the events planned in Uruguay click here |
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USA
On 7 July a Bill on small arms was introduced to the Senate. To read the proposed Bill, click here and enter S. 2627 in the Bill Number box.
On 9 July an opinion piece was published in Common Dreams, written by Frida Berrigan of the World Policy Institute.
Maryknoll , the U.S.-based Catholic mission movement, featured the Week of Action in their online magazine (6 July).
To find out more about the events planned in the USA click here |
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Venezuela
18,000 surplus firearms were publicly destroyed by the Government. The event was covered widely in the national media, including Unión Radio. |
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| Asia |
Cambodia
4,426 surplus military weapons were destroyed by burning in a ‘Flame of Peace’ ceremony organised by EU-ASAC in Kampong Thom province on 13 July. 3,000 people attended and particularly encouraging was the very strong government delegation.
The event was covered by Rasmei Kampuchea, the leading national newspaper. Virtually all the local TV channels ran footage of the destruction. Report and photos
IANSA member Working Group for Weapons Reduction (WGWR) issued a press release to coincide with their workshop on gun destruction in Cambodia. Read the release here
To find out more about the events planned in Cambodia click here |
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India
IIPDEP organised a seminar in Abohar (border town in Punjab) on ‘Illegal Trade of SALW and Its Effects on Society’. Report and photos.
To find out more about the events planned in India click here |
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Nepal
The national newspaper Kathmandu Times published an article on Gender and Small Arms by Shobha Gautam of the South Asia Small Arms Network - Nepal (SASA-Net - Nepal).
To find out more about the events planned in Nepal click here |
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Pakistan
IANSA participant Community Appraisal & Motivation Programme (CAMP) held an anti-gun rally in Peshawar on July 9. The event was covered by Urdu and English newspapers. Report and photos.
CAMP held a poster competition, the results can be found here.
South Asia Partnership (SAP-Pakisan) also ran a poster competion. Click here for images.
To find out more about the events planned in Pakistan click here |
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Philippines
PHILANSA showed the Michael Moore film 'Bowling For Columbine' to students at the International Studies Class at the Miriam College in Quezon City, Metro Manila. This was the start of a series of film screenings to more than 10 universities and communities in Metro Manila, Central and South Philippines. (1 July). Report and photos
A symbolic gun destruction ceremony was held after a press conference on 9 July. Toy guns were destroyed using a hammer, and some were run over by a car. The event was covered by newspapers and TV. In the evening, a programme on Channel 23, ‘Wazzup Wazzup’ featured the event and included interviews with Jessica Soto (AI – Pilipinas), Fred Lubang (PHILANSA) and David Dasilva (Canadian Embassy). Report and photos
To find out more about the events planned in Philippines click here |
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| Europe |
Italy
Amnesty International - Italy did a variety of media work relating to International Gun Destruction Day, including Radio Onda d'Urto, Rai News 24, Amisnet and Tele Radio Padre Pio (9 July). |
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Macedonia
Natasa Dokovska of Journalists for Children and Women Rights and Protection of Environment in Macedonia (JCWE) organised a wide range of activities during the Week of Action. Report and photos
IANSA member CIVIL also organised a range of activities, as outlined in their press release.
To find out more about the events planned in Macedonia click here |
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Serbia
The Balkan Youth Union gathered 40 photographs and 120 names for the Million faces petition in two hours at an event in Belgrade. As the event was very well organised and eye-catching it was covered by local media including a nation-wide TV channel. Report and photos.
Local television in Vojvodina, in the north of Serbia, featured a live discussion on the campaign by local NGO European Movement - Local Council Zrenjanin to raise awareness about SALW among the mixed ethnicity population of Zrenjanin Municipality (8 July).
To find out more about the events planned in Serbia click here |
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Spain
National newspaper El Mundo featured an article covering the Spanish Week of Action events, including the online campaign and the parody of a fashion parade.
The gun destruction on International Gun Destruction Day received very wide media coverage. Report and photos
A letter written by IANSA member Vicente Giménez was published in the newspaper La Opinión (1 July).
To find out more about the events planned in Spain click here |
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Sweden
The national newspaper Svenska Dagbladet reported that the government would be strengthening gun laws, including stricter psychological testing and tightening the ‘good reason’ requirements for owners of more than six rifles. |
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UK
Family members of gun violence victims took part in the destruction of 300 symbolic replicas of guns in London to mark International Gun Destruction Day (9 July). The event was widely covered by the UK press, including the BBC. Report and photos
To find out more about the events planned in the UK click here |
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| Middle East |
Lebanon
Fadi Abi Allam, president of IANSA member the Permanent Peace Movement was interviewed in a lengthy article on small arms for the national newspaper the Daily Star (10 July) |
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| Pacific |
New Zealand
Oxfam New Zealand promoted the ATT in an opinion piece published in national newspaper the New Zealand Herald (12 July) |
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