| Global Week of Action Against Small Arms 2006 - action in Europe
Europe
Belarus:
 Regional seminar on small arms control
Experts from regional governments (Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs) attended a seminar with civil society organizations from Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania and Poland, along with international organisations and donors focused on arms control issues.
Belgium:
EU parliamentarians support Control Arms
Control Arms campaigners collected over 2700 pictures for the Million Faces petition at university campuses around the country. At the European parliament, the campaigners took photos of 70 European MPs in support of the campaign.
National Million Faces handover
Karel De Gucht, Minister of Foreign Affairs, accepted the 25,000 faces of the national Million Faces petition from campaigners on 21 June. Belgium confirmed its support for the campaign. Click here to read the press release.
Control Arms concert
15,000 people attended a concert in Antwerp on 24 May organised by Amnesty International – Belgium (Flemish section).Hundreds of photos were collected for the Million Faces petition! Photos from the event.
Czech Republic:
National Million Faces delivery
The government supports an Arms Trade Treaty, the Political Director of Ministry of Foreign Affairs assured campaigners when he received the national Million Faces photo petition on 25 May. The del9ivery was organised by Amnesty International – Czech Republic, who had collected 500 photos for this event (4mb PDF file).
Denmark
National Million Faces petition delivery
Danish Control Arms campaigners presented the photos collected from their national handover of the Million Faces petition to the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee in Parliament Square in Copenhagen, 1 June 2006.
No less than 61 parliamentarians from all political parties stopped by to support the campaign with their photo.
Collecting photos for Million Faces petition
High schools have been visited by the Amnesty International - Faroes Island section, part of a campaign that has resulted in 1,000 sign-ups for the Million Faces petition. This corresponds to one-fiftieth of the island's population. The section has also participated in a music festival, arranging their own concert with Faroese artists.
France:
Concert for Control Arms
Over the course of a week in 36 towns around France, young campaigners gathered more than 2000 new signups to the Million Faces petition. The activities finished with a concert featuring artists Zap mama, Ba Cissoko, Daby Touré.
Germany
National delivery of Million Faces petition
About 700 Control Arms campaigners braved the rain to present the national Million Faces petition to some 600 members of the public, the media and politicians on 3 June in Berlin. Participants displayed some of the "Faces" collected in Germany on a march through the city.
Speeches were given by Irene Khan (Director of Amnesty International) and by Paul Bendix (Director of Oxfam Germany). To commemorate the victims of the uncontrolled weapons trade, Irene called for a minute's silence after her speech. Photos from the event.
Greece:
Women Under Fire event
In Patras, students organised an event to raise awareness about the impact of armed violence on women’s lives and collected photos for the Million Faces petition.
Ireland
Million Faces projections
Control Arms activities on 5 June
Control Arms campaign messages and images will be projected onto public buildings in Dublin during three weeks of activities organised by Amnesty International - Ireland and Oxfam Ireland. Million Faces petition leaflets and posters have been distributed through all the Body Shop outlets in the country since May. Activities before the UN Small Arms Review Conference will include a week of action at each of the outlets.
Italy:
 Concert for Control Arms
Pizzicarms was a concert in Rome on 24 May for the benefit of Control Arms in Italy.
Women Under Fire event
In Trieste, activists from three youth groups organized a stunt to raise awareness about the impact of armed violence on women’s lives.
Macedonia:
Rally and poster campaign
Following the tragic shooting of six young people on 19 May, there has been a popular campaign to stop gun violence in the community. Click here to read more.
Campaigners call for tougher arms control
Campaigners held a press conference in Skopje on 16 March to mark the start of the 100 days countdown, calling on the government to support tough international controls to stop small arms proliferation.
Netherlands
National Million Faces handover
The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs received the national Million Faces petition on 14 June from the Control Arms Coalition, in the Netherlands represented by Amnesty International, Oxfam Novib, UNICEF and Pax Christi Netherlands.
Dozens of cardboarded silhouettes shaped the scenery of the plaza in front of Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague. Almost 100 000 people called for more control on the international arms trade. 44 600 people signed the petition and 56 266 Dutch people took a picture, part of the One Million Faces Petition that was handed over to Kofi Anan. Minister Ben Bot stated that the Dutch Government will support the realisation of an international Arms Trade Treaty.
Portugal
Control Arms exhibition
An exhibition on the Control Arms campaign was organised by Amnesty Portugal between 29 – 31 May. On 31 May, the Million Faces petition will be delivered formally to the government. In preparation, campaigners have been collecting photos in Lisbon on 26 and 27 May.
Russia
Training workshop
From 17-19 May, the PIR Centre organised a training workshop in Vladivostok. Click here to read the report.
Spain:
IANSA report Publisher in Catalan
Fundació per la Pau in Barcelona published the 2006 IANSA report in Catalan on 25 May.
1000 persones moren cada dia a causa de la violència armada
Control Arms public meeting
On 31 May, the Control Arms coalition held a public meeting in support of the campaign, with speakers including Raul Romeva, member of the European Parliament. Click here for the flyer.
Sweden:
Officials answer questions from the public
Officials from the foreign office, national police, justices, development and other agencies were questioned on the implementation of the Programme of Action by the Swedish Action Network on Small Arms (SANSA) and the general public in a public debate on 18 May at the parliament in Stockholm.
Control Arms concert
Control Arms campaigners raised awareness in central Stockholm on 16 March, with DJ-music and speeches (by Carl Söderbergh amongst others). Soft air guns were smashed on an anvil by two female smiths and children.
Turkey:
Report launch and Control Arms campaigning
Control Arms campaigners collected Million Faces after launching the IANSA report. Click here for more information.
UK:
Toy gun sculpture presented to Government
Comedian Mark Thomas joined London schoolchildren to present a peace petition and sculpture made from toy guns to the residence of the Prime Minister on 15 June. The event was organised by GlobalGang.org.uk. Click here to read the press release.
Lobbying event at Parliament
Activists from all over the UK will gather together on 10 May at the House of Commons in London to discuss with their parliamentarians the importance of an international Arms Trade Treaty. Organisers planned to have more than 500 people to London for the event.
Campaigners highlight UN arms embargo violations
David Grimason and Dr. Mick North joined forces with Control Arms campaigners at a campaign event and public meeting in Glasgow, to highlight how UN weapons embargoes have been systematically violated over the past 10 years. David Grimason, whose two year old son Alistair was shot dead in a Turkish café in July 2003, announced his decision to back the campaign and joined Dr North, whose five year old daughter Sophie was killed during the 1996 Dunblane Massacre.
"Blood baths" across the country
Campaigners launched the countdown on 16 March by taking a “blood bath” near the Houses of Parliament in London, to highlight the fact that 1,000 people die each day across the world as a result of arms. Campaigners lay in a bathtub filled with fake blood to represent the blood bath caused by the illegal trade in arms. Photographers and film crews from national and international media caught the action, which was also repeated in Pontypridd town centre.
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