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| Site Additions: September 2006 |
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22 September |
Switzerland: campaign against guns in the home
A Swiss women's magazine, Annabelle, has been running a petition to rid Swiss households of hundreds of thousands of weapons. Signed by 17,400 people, the petition comes amid discussions in parliament over whether to abandon the country's militia army tradition requiring guns and ammunition to be kept at home. |
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Turkish rally generates press coverage
Two fathers who lost young children to gun violence travelled to Turkey to attend a rally at the Izmir International Fair on 10 September. David Grimason and John Crozier report that the rally generated media coverage for several days before and after the event. David performed a song originally recorded to honour the victims of the Dunblane massacre (Scotland). |
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UN International Day of Peace
At Yemen's first ever celebration of the UN International Day of Peace (21 September), delegates discussed ways to prevent small arms violence through outreach programmes and dialogue. |
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| 15 September |
2 dead, 19 wounded in Canada shooting rampage
The destructive nature of guns was again displayed on 13 September in Canada when a man killed a woman and injured 19 other people with his legally-owned semi-automatic rifle, before shooting himself dead. The incident occurred at Dawson College in Montreal, Quebec. Several of the victims are still in critical condition. Although Canada has been a leader in gun control legislation, the Conservative government that came to power last January has retreated from preventive gun control measures such as the national gun registry in favour of longer sentences for gun-related crimes. |
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Great turnout for the International Day of Action for an ATT
IANSA members in more than 30 countries were involved in the Global Day of Action for an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) on 13 September. They campaigned to raise awareness of the effects of armed violence and pressure governments to support the global regulation of all conventional arms, including small arms. Photos, media articles and reports have been posted on the IANSA website. |
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Education for children in conflict: new report
At least 43 million children living in armed conflict are denied primary education, according to a new report by Save the Children. The Rewrite the Future report argues that education is critical for post-conflict recovery, conflict prevention and long-term development. It recommends that governments, donors and international agencies work together to make education a top priority in humanitarian relief work. |
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8 September |
Women's experience of gun violence: new report
Women describe their experience of gun violence in a new publication from the IANSA Women's Network. 'Survivors - women affected by gun violence' contains 16 stories ranging from torture in Central Africa to domestic violence in Europe; from crossfire in Asia to grieving a murdered child in the Americas. Harrowing and at times hopeful, the testimonies paint a picture of the impact of guns on ordinary women's lives.
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Deutsches Aktionsnetz Kleinwaffen Stoppen (DAKS)
Ammunition control is the subject of an interview with Small Arms Survey experts in the latest German-language newsletter by World Vision Deutschland and Deutsches Aktionsnetz Kleinwaffen Stoppen (DAKS). |
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Solomon Islands: Bridging the gap between state and society
A new report on the Solomon Islands says that disarmament is not sufficient to ensure sustainable peace unless the needs and concerns of local communities are also addressed. The report is published by Oxfam New Zealand and Oxfam Australia. |
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| 1 September |
Scottish parents support gun law campaign in Turkey
A song originally recorded to honour the victims of the Dunblane massacre (Scotland) has been re-recorded in Turkish to support the campaign for stronger Turkish gun laws. David Grimason and John Crozier, two Scottish survivors of gun violence, will travel to Turkey to attend a rally at the Izmir International Fair on 10 September. David's 2-year-old son Alistair was shot and killed by a stray bullet while on a family holiday in Foca (Turkey) in 2003. John's 5-year-old daughter Emma died in the 1996 Dunblane massacre. |
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Murder-suicide in the US
Ten murder-suicides occur every week in the US, with 90% of them involving guns, according to a study published by the Violence Policy Center. A murder-suicide is when a person kills somebody else before committing suicide. Some 75% of the total murder-suicides took place in the home, so the study recommends restricting access to guns where an individual has a history of domestic violence or has threatened suicide. |
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