Small Arms
Small Arms Working Group
The Small Arms Working Group (SAWG) seeks to engage Canadian civil society in the development and promotion of national and international policies and measures to reverse the diffusion and misuse of small arms and light weapons. Through meetings, workshops and roundtables on small arms, the Working Group provides a forum, which encourages members to exchange information, share lessons learned and explore specific areas of collaboration. SAWG informs members about ongoing work by Canadian and international agencies active on small arms issues, including transnational networks such as the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) and serves as a link between the NGO community and the Canadian government by engaging in policy dialogue with relevant departments.
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Campaigns
DISARMING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
An International Campaign to Reduce Gun Deaths in the Home
June 2009 - December 2010
During the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence (June 15-21), organizations in 85 countries hosted events to draw attention to the human toll of small arms proliferation and misuse. In Canada, Peacebuild's Small Arms Working Group, the Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children (CRVAWC) of the University of Western Ontario, and Peacebuild member Project Ploughshares are jointly coordinating the Disarming Domestic Violence campaign, the first international campaign to protect women from gun violence in the home. The risk of physical harm, threats and intimidation increases when a gun is present in the home. The international campaign is coordinated by the Women’s Network of the International Action Network for Action on Small Arms. The aim is to reduce gun deaths in the home by ensuring that all persons with a history of domestic abuse are denied access to a firearm, or have their licenses revoked. Canada’ Firearms Act provides for controls that restrict access to guns by actual or potential perpetrators of domestic violence and can serve as a model for other countries where such laws do not exist.
The Canadian campaign was launched on June 14 at the opening of the 1st Annual Canadian Conference on the Prevention of Domestic Homicides at London Convention Centre in Ontario. Over 400 participants – social science researchers, policy makers and practitioners (coroners, medical examiners, police, crown attorneys, anti-violence community agencies) attended the conference, organised by the University of Western Ontario’s Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women and Children, one of five centres which make up the Alliance of Canadian Research Centres on Violence. The aim of the conference was to enhance research and practice collaboration to review and prevent domestic homicides.
Reports
- Armed Violence Reduction and Development Programming: The Canadian Experience and Status
- A Dialogue in Ottawa: Linking Development Programming and Armed Violence Reduction
- Reporting the results of the Second UN Biennial Meeting of States to review the implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms July 2005
- Report of the CPCC Small Arms Working Group Meeting
