Email Louise Rimmer (IANSA Communications Officer) for the contact details for the organisers of these events.
Americas
The Mercosur Working Group on Small Arms held a meeting to discuss the strengthening of controls on ammunition and the impact of gun violence on women. Representatives from Asociación para Políticas Públicas (Argentina), Amnesty International (AI) Paraguay, AI Chile, Viva Rio (Brazil) and IEL Sur (Uruguay) also attended the two-day meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Argentina
On 5 June the MDZ newspaper in Mendoza promoted a short documentary about children and guns“Les Enfants”, which includes inspirational images of sculptures made from weapons destroyed during previous disarmament projects in Mendoza. The Week of Action has been marked by both Fundación Lebensohn and the government of Buenos Aires.
Canada
The film ‘Lord of War’ was shown at Steeps Tea Lounge in Edmonton, Canada. The screening was hosted by peace activists Michael Kalmanovitch and Patti Hartnagel. A 45-minute discussion followed the film.
Chile
* Control Arms newspaper coverage
The Control Arms campaign received coverage in national media, with a focus on the need for a strong ATT. Media coverage included
Iqueque Online, El Mercurio and the latinamerican news service ADITAL, in Spanish and Portuguese.
* Amnesty International takes Control Arms underground
Amnesty International highlighted the global gun crisis to commuters in Santiago during the Week. The local chapter set up a lively information stall at the Manuel Montt metro station, where they distributed materials and invited passengers to write messages of support for the Arms Trade Treaty.
Colombia
Thirty survivors of gun violence took their individual stories, questions and recommendations straight to the heart of Columbian government in an event facilitated by REDEPAZ on Friday 6 June. The survivors presented their recommendations to parliamentarians and the Senate President, Nancy Patricia Gutierrez. A Citizens’ Observatory was established to monitor the progress of the recommendations.
On 7 June , 300 young people joined REDEPAZ to march for peace and disarmament on the streets of Bogota. Meanwhile the Colombian Commission of Jurists (CCJ) presented parliamentarians with a report on national gun law reform. The report findings were sent the press.
Costa Rica
* Police attend public debate on gun violence
Police officers joined campaigners from WILPF and the Centro de Amigos para la Paz at a public debate on 5 June in San José.
* 1000 toy guns collected and destroyed
UNDP held a toy gun buyback scheme in a school where toy weapons were exchanged for books and sports equipment. The event was part of a project aiming to reduce armed violence, organised by the government, UNDP, UNICEF, UN-LiREC and Fundación Arias para la Paz y el Progreso Humano.
Dominican Republic
The Caribbean Institute for the Rule of Law (Instituto Caribeño para el Estado de Derecho or ICED) held a press conference to launch its report, ‘Gun Control in the Caribbean: Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and Puerto Rico’. The report indicates that 65% of Dominicans have guns, and that most homicides result from personal quarrels rather than ‘crime’. The conference in Santo Domingo was attended by 20 journalists from print and broadcast media. Speakers included Orlidy Inoa, an ICED researcher who worked on the report and Sergio Tulio Castaño, Executive Vice President of Fundación Institucionalidad y Justicia (FINJUS). The event received wide media coverage including Listin Diario, El Nuevo Diario and El Nacional.
Ecuador
Plans for a national firearms register were discussed at a meeting between SERPAJ, (Justice and Peace Service Ecuador), the Regional UN Centre for Disarmament (UNLiREC), UNDP and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. SERPAJ also sent a letter to the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs calling on Ecuador to play an active role in supporting the ATT.
El Salvador
CEMUJER organised a full program of activities designed to highlight the need to prevent gun violence against women. Activities included:
- A press conference on 2 June in Soyapango, one of the most violent towns in the country.
Eight journalists from different media outlets attended.
- A discussion forum at
Villa Alegre
school using the ‘Stop the Bullet’ video.
- A march through San Salvador on 3 June, carrying banners in support of the Week of Action and against femicide. The march passed several significant sites including the National University of El Salvador, the National Civil Police emergency centre, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Security and Justice.
- An exhibition at the National Museum, distributing information on the campaign against gun violence and war in Spanish and English.
- A demonstration on 4 June outside the Universidad Pedagógica to raise awareness amongst students on the impact of guns.
- A demonstrationoutside the Congress building (Legislative Palace) on 5 June.
- Creating a symbolic cemetry on 5 June, commemorating the women who have been killed so far this year.
- The closing ceremony in
Plaza Barios, the main plaza in San Salvador.
The campaign was featured on the Idealistas website, and received considerable media coverage from TV stations, El Salvador.com and Diario Co Latino.
Guatemala
IEPADES and Red por la Vida led 60 schoolchildren to the National Palace in Guatemala City to deliver a petition calling for the government to strengthen gun control and reduce armed violence. The petition, signed by 1300 children, was delivered to Orlando Blanco, Secretary for Peace and Human Rights and Raúl Velásquez from the Ministry of Interior. The event was followed by the public destruction of 1000 toy guns which had been collected from around the country.
Jamaica
UNICEF, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), issued a press release calling for tighter control of illegal arms in Jamaica. It draws attention to the report "The Impact of Small Arms on Children and Adolescents in Central America and the Caribbean" and calls upon governments to adopt measures that increase the security of civilians. This initiative between UN agencies was reported in Radio Jamaica, Jamaica Today and El Mercurio de España. The Jamaica Gleaner published an article followed by an opinion piece.
Mexico
The Colectivo de Análisis de la Seguridad con Democracia has launched a webpage devoted to issues of gun control and armed violence. Available information includes analysis, legal frameworks, data, and links to other resources. This is the first website of its kind in Mexico and been shared with nearly 3,000 academics, political decision makers, business professionals and members of civil society.
Nicaragua
The National Commission of Nicaragua organised a mass weapons destruction on 4 June with the support of the Central American Programme on Small Arms Control (CASAC). 5907 weapons, including 492 AKM rifles, 993 pistols, 70 revolvers, 79 mortars, 200 machine guns, 71 rifles BZ-52, 2 mortars of 81 mm were destroyed. The event was one of twelve that the National Commission has planned as part of its arm control process. This was reported in the Mundo Hispano on 4 June. CASAC's involvemnet in the Week of Action was also reported in El Economista (Mexico).
Panama
An urgent appeal for a comprehensive approach to stop gun proliferation and armed violence against children was issued by the regional director of UNICEF for Latin America and the Caribbean.
Paraguay
Amnesty International delivered the inaugural performance of 'Burumbum par Pensar’ (Food for Thought), a play that examines the risks of guns in the home. The performance was held on Thursday 5 June at Infante Rivarola Square in Asunción. Audience members included members of the National Gun Control Authority (DIMABEL) and the police firearms division. 200 students from three local schools also attended. Channel 9 TV and Radio Caritas reported on the event.
Peru
On 5 June Amnesty International held a seminar on armed conflict and international humanitarian law. The event attracted over 60 students and was held at the San Martín de Porras University in Lima. Guest speakers included Silvia Loli, Director of AI Peru, Miguel Huertas from the Commission of Human Rights, and Gabriel Prado from the Institute for Citizen Security.
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20,000 guns melted down
Campaigners celebrated when 20,000 guns were melted down at a steel complex in Lima on Thursday 5. The destruction was organised by the Peruvian National Police. Spokesman Colonel Wilther Jimenez declared that a further 60,000 weapons will be destroyed in the near future. The event was attended by AI Peru and UNLiREC, the UN regional centre for disarmament in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Puerto Rico
Wanda Cortes of the Peace and Justice Organisation conducted radio interviews with IANSA’s Control Arms Coordinator Cesar Marin and Orlidy Inoa, a researcher at the Caribbean Institute for the Rule of Law (Instituto Caribeño para el Estado de Derecho or ICED). Cesar and Orlidy discussed the rate of armed violence in the Caribbean and current gun control measures.
St Vincent & the Grenadines
Young men were urged to keep their island green and to ‘scatter seeds not bullets’ during a community event organised by the Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA). CAFRA also lobbied MPs to sign the parliamentarians’ declaration on the ATT and secured numerous signatures from the opposition party.
Trinidad and Tobago
The Women’s Institute for Alternative Development (WINAD) hosted a workshop for secondary school students on 3 June on the topics of gun violence, peace and justice. The school plans to establish a violence free zone during the remainder of the week with the help of WINAD’s visiting Peace Fellow, Jennifer Scott. Read Jennifer’s blog here.
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Schoolchildren look to Gun Free South Africa
WINAD members have been busy visiting secondary schools during the week, where they showed documentaries on gun violence in Central America and ran workshops on the role of students in local disarmament campaigns. At least 18 students signed up to work with WINAD on a variety of projects, including playwriting, peer counselling, designing posters and T-shirts and writing in the local media. WINAD representatives also circulated reports from Gun Free South Africa with the aim of inspiring Gun Free Zones in Trinidadian schools. Students plan to launch violence-free zones on International Peace Day (21 September 2008).
US
ReACTion held an after-school discussion group in Brooklyn, New York on the role of the international community in the struggle against armed violence. Participants analysed armed crime statistics and discussed the relationship between poverty and gun violence.
Venezuela
* AI and Control Arms at Metropolitian University
Amnesty International Venezuela is running an information stall at the Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas. The stall is highlighting the Control Arms campaign for an Arms Trade Treaty, as well as an AI campaign for tougher gun controls in Venezuela. 25 students signed up immediately as volunteer campaigners and many more collected ATT-related materials.
* Youth workshop
Young activists from Amnesty International launched an awareness campaign for the Week of Action with a workshop in a local high school on the impact of the gun proliferation and the need for national and international controls. The event involved 60 students between 13-15 years old. The ‘Stop the Bullet’ video also continues to be broadcast in different universities throughout the country.
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Anti-gun slogans stuck on bus bumpers as city strikes
Amnesty International held a public demonstration in Caracas to raise awareness of the movement against gun violence reduction. Activists carried banners and placed anti-gun bumper stickers on public buses.
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