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| Global Week of Action Against Small Arms 2005 |
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Americas
Argentina | Bolivia | Brazil | Canada | Ecuador | El Salvador | Guatemala | Paraguay | Peru | Uruguay |
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| Argentina |
Espacios, the Ministry of Justice & Security, Save the Children and the Argentina Disarmament Network had an interesting mix of events including a football match to promote the campaign 'Mendoza without arms'. IANSA groups launched sculptures made from guns by the 100 most important artists in Argentina, organised two seminars and screened the film ‘Bowling for Columbine’. The Mendoza State government organised the collection of toy guns and a drawing competition. The activities received media coverage in the Los Andes and the Noti Express
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| Bolivia |
The Observatorio de Democracia y Seguridad (Universidad De La Cordillera) organised a series of interviews with radio and TV stations. Radio Erbol broadcast a programme on Sin Censur - which means uncensored - the global, regional and national problem of trafficking, manufacturing and commercializing small arms. Radio FIDES broadcast a summary on the problems of small arms and the project on small arms control in Bolivia. The interview with TV network Cadenaon on their programme ‘Libre Expresión’, focused on the socio economic impact of the use of arms on citizens security and public health.
There was also an interview with the Parliamentarian Dionisio Nuñez at the Governmental Commission on the arms control project; a conference on military spending and acquisition during the 90s in Bolivia and the publishing of a series of articles on “Arms in the world, the region and in Bolivia”. A press conference, a seminar with government officials and civil society and an event for students were also held. |
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| Brazil |
Instituto Sou da Paz, IANSA member in Brazil launched a children’s disarmament campaign in Sao Paulo where participating children created 150 Control Arms self-portraits and painted squares for a huge disarmament and peace quilt. Children’s disarmament campaign involving 500 schools was also launched throughout the Rio de Janeiro state in Queimados. The children also walked through the ‘Tunnel of Life’ where they entered by turning in a toy gun and leave the tunnel with a book. Click here for reports and photos
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| Canada |
| Oxfam Canada held information booths and art and photo contests in the Byward market in Ottawa to support the Control Arms campaign. There were reports on the arms issues in the Vancouver Sun and the Ottawa Citizen. |
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| Ecuador |
| The Human Rights Centre displayed a huge gun to attract public attention in Guayaquil where photos for the Million Faces Petition was collected. The organisers meet every Wednesday outside the Court House together with families of victims of crimes carried out by security forces, while also informing the public on the Control Arms Campaign. Click here for reports and photos |
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| El Salvador |
| Life & Peace Institute, an IANSA member, together with the Latin American Council of Churches, held a seminar on youth, delinquency and violence in Central America. The seminar was attended by some 130 participants, including civil society organisations, police officials, university representatives, media and others. |
| Guatemala |
| Events organised by IANSA members Oxfam, IEPADES and Luciérnaga included a wide range of media activities. There was also a conference with government officials and civil society on the UN PoA and a presentation on the Control Arms report ‘Impact of Guns on Women’s Lives, supported by data on the situation in Guatemala. A presentation was held on the situation and impact of arms in Guatemala at a breakfast meeting by the women journalists’ network. IANSA Director Rebecca Peters spoke at the launch of the Amnesty report on female victims of homicide. A photo exhibition and a festival for children were among other activities organized by the group. The events received media coverage in Revista D, a weekend magazine, which published a 3-page photo spread on the theme of bystanders in the culture of gun violence. The Prensa Libre newspaper published a full-page article and there was also coverage by several other local newspapers and radio. Click here for reports and photos |
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| Paraguay |
| Amnesty International Paraguay, SERPAJ, the Criminology Society of Paraguay, the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers and RAICES organized a meeting with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held a bike ride in a bid to promote human rights through sports and collected signatures for the Million Faces Petition. Canal 2 TV interviewed IANSA members in Paraguay. An article on the Global Week of Action was published in Semana en Noticias Paraguayas. |
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| Peru |
| In a joint effort by the municipalities and youth organisations, a group of graffiti artists painted posters and drew pictures on disarmament issues in four districts in Lima.
On 11-12 the IANSA Andean network “Red Andina de Organisaciones de la Sociedad Civil para el Desarme y la Cultura de Paz” which includes NGOs from Ecuador Bolivia, Colombia and Peru was launched during the Week of Action Click here for more information
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| Uruguay |
| VTV Uruguay interviewed the parliamentarian Daisy Tourne, who is advocating for the control of arms and stricter regulation of private gun ownership in Uruguay. Among several issues, the 25-minute interview highlighted the number of deaths caused by firearms and the number of arms in civilian possession. The interview was part of the events organised by the Asociation de Lucha para el Desarme Civil. |
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