IANSA
Encyclopedia
The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) is an international non-governmental organization
recognized by the United Nations. IANSA is based in London
and has over 800 member organizations in 120 countries, working to stop the proliferation
and use of small arms
and light weapons.
IANSA, part of the Control Arms Campaign
, promotes an international treaty regulating the conventional arms trade. A resolution to begin work on this Arms Trade Treaty was approved by the UN General Assembly in 2006.
The US National Rifle Association
says IANSA is using the treaty as the first step in a ban on private gun ownership in the United States,
and also of making it easier for the world's dictatorships to oppress their own citizens. The Gun Owners of America
lobbying organisation has been equally vocal in its criticism of IANSA.
groups belong and is estimated to represent over 800 gun control organizations in 120 countries. IANSA opposes the use of firearm
s for self-defense
. It advocates prohibiting the private possession of many kinds of small arms, including semi-automatic rifle
s and handgun
s.
It advocates that private citizens undergo a licensing process
before they can possess any remaining firearms, and that legally possessed firearms be stored unloaded and away from ammunition
.
The referendum was defeated by 64% of the voters. "In contrast of what it is presented here, the Brazilian population voted in favor of the right of purchase and sales of weapons (85%). Unhappyly, with all the force of the media, presented lies and the support of international organizations, the lie continues. Therefore Viva-Rio and it Sou da Paz, continue trying to take off the right of the population if to defend, to sink the industry of the Brazilian Defense."
"Even though here in the Wikipedia, them they try to manipulate the truth and to delude the world-wide population. The information can be confirmed through the address - www.senado.gov.br, where the related countersignature, the totalling of the votes of the Brazilian population, and the creation of Decree-of-Law after the voting, keeping the right of purchase and sales of weapons in Brazil. Here the purchase and sales and object of register in the Federal Policy (Brazilian FBI) and in the Brazilian Army, Psychological Evaluation, Criminal Evaluation and Course/Training before the purchase (in schools and instructors registered for these agencies)."
"It would like to know if in the USA, England, etc… the register, evaluations and tests are demanded for purchase of weapons. These national organizations (Viva-Rio, Sou da Paz, etc...) and international (IANSA, etc…), they are, at least, irresponsible and false, for trying to manipulate such Brazilian official information."
The Coalition for Gun Control is composed of various unions and NGOs, including the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the YWCA, Canadian Federation of University Women, Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, the December 6th Foundation, Project Ploughshares, Canadian Labour Congress, Canadian Auto Workers, National Union of Public and General Employees, Big City Mayors, and others.
Recently, IANSA lobbied against Bill C-391, which proposed to end the requirement for registration of ordinary rifles and shotguns while leaving the licensing provisions in the Firearms Act untouched.
, Legal Community Against Violence
and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
, Rockefeller Foundation
, Compton Foundation, Ploughshares Fund
, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Samuel Rubin Foundation UNICEF, and Christian Aid
.
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Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
recognized by the United Nations. IANSA is based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and has over 800 member organizations in 120 countries, working to stop the proliferation
Small arms proliferation
Small arms proliferation is a term used by organizations and individuals advocating the control of small arms and their trade; the term has no precise definition...
and use of small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
and light weapons.
United Nations Activities
IANSA was involved in lobbying the 2001 United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms which produced an agreed programme of action. A UN Review Conference ended in July 2006 http://www.un.org/events/smallarms2006/index.html without further agreement. A subsequent meeting in 2008, agreed a substantive outcome document by a majority vote .http://disarmament.un.org/cab/bms3/1BMS3Pages/1thirdBMS.htmlIANSA, part of the Control Arms Campaign
Control Arms Campaign
Control Arms is a campaign jointly run by Amnesty International, IANSA and Oxfam International.The campaign focuses on the international trade in arms, arguing that the lack of controls on the arms trade is fuelling armed conflict, poverty and human rights abuses worldwide.The campaign seeks to...
, promotes an international treaty regulating the conventional arms trade. A resolution to begin work on this Arms Trade Treaty was approved by the UN General Assembly in 2006.
The US National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
says IANSA is using the treaty as the first step in a ban on private gun ownership in the United States,
and also of making it easier for the world's dictatorships to oppress their own citizens. The Gun Owners of America
Gun Owners of America
Gun Owners of America is a gun rights organization in the United States with over 300,000 members. They make efforts to differentiate themselves from the larger National Rifle Association , and have publicly criticized the NRA on multiple occasions for what the GOA considers to be the selling out...
lobbying organisation has been equally vocal in its criticism of IANSA.
Gun Control Activities
IANSA is described as an umbrella network to which almost all national and regional gun controlGun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
groups belong and is estimated to represent over 800 gun control organizations in 120 countries. IANSA opposes the use of firearm
Firearm
A firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
s for self-defense
Self-defense
Self-defense, self-defence or private defense is a countermeasure that involves defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. The use of the right of self-defense as a legal justification for the use of force in times of danger is available in many...
. It advocates prohibiting the private possession of many kinds of small arms, including semi-automatic rifle
Semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is a type of rifle that fires a single bullet each time the trigger is pulled, automatically ejects the spent cartridge, chambers a fresh cartridge from its magazine, and is immediately ready to fire another shot...
s and handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
s.
It advocates that private citizens undergo a licensing process
Firearms licence
A firearms licence is a licence or permit issued by some Governments of a country , that allows the licensee to buy, own, possess, and use firearms, often subject to a number of conditions or restrictions, especially with regards to storage requirements or the completion of a firearms...
before they can possess any remaining firearms, and that legally possessed firearms be stored unloaded and away from ammunition
Ammunition
Ammunition is a generic term derived from the French language la munition which embraced all material used for war , but which in time came to refer specifically to gunpowder and artillery. The collective term for all types of ammunition is munitions...
.
Brazil
IANSA membership in Brazil includes the groups Instituto Sou da Paz and Viva Rio which campaigned for a complete ban on civilian gun sales in Brazil. The ban was subject to a national referendum in 2005. A week before the vote, IANSA coordinated an international day of support for the Brazilian ban, with demonstrations taking place in Britain, Italy, South Africa, and other countries. IANSA urged support of the ban to "reinforce the movement in favor of gun control in other Latin American countries riddled with armed violence, and back the efforts to control private gun ownership at [an] international level."The referendum was defeated by 64% of the voters. "In contrast of what it is presented here, the Brazilian population voted in favor of the right of purchase and sales of weapons (85%). Unhappyly, with all the force of the media, presented lies and the support of international organizations, the lie continues. Therefore Viva-Rio and it Sou da Paz, continue trying to take off the right of the population if to defend, to sink the industry of the Brazilian Defense."
"Even though here in the Wikipedia, them they try to manipulate the truth and to delude the world-wide population. The information can be confirmed through the address - www.senado.gov.br, where the related countersignature, the totalling of the votes of the Brazilian population, and the creation of Decree-of-Law after the voting, keeping the right of purchase and sales of weapons in Brazil. Here the purchase and sales and object of register in the Federal Policy (Brazilian FBI) and in the Brazilian Army, Psychological Evaluation, Criminal Evaluation and Course/Training before the purchase (in schools and instructors registered for these agencies)."
"It would like to know if in the USA, England, etc… the register, evaluations and tests are demanded for purchase of weapons. These national organizations (Viva-Rio, Sou da Paz, etc...) and international (IANSA, etc…), they are, at least, irresponsible and false, for trying to manipulate such Brazilian official information."
Canada
The IANSA network includes Canadian gun control organizations such as the Coalition for Gun ControlThe Coalition for Gun Control is composed of various unions and NGOs, including the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the YWCA, Canadian Federation of University Women, Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, the December 6th Foundation, Project Ploughshares, Canadian Labour Congress, Canadian Auto Workers, National Union of Public and General Employees, Big City Mayors, and others.
Recently, IANSA lobbied against Bill C-391, which proposed to end the requirement for registration of ordinary rifles and shotguns while leaving the licensing provisions in the Firearms Act untouched.
United States of America
IANSA membership in the United States includes gun control organizations such as the Coalition to Stop Gun ViolenceCoalition to Stop Gun Violence
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence , and the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence , its sister organization, are two parts of a national, non-profit gun control advocacy organization.-History:...
, Legal Community Against Violence
Legal Community Against Violence
Legal Community Against Violence is a national public interest law center dedicated to preventing gun violence. LCAV provides legal assistance to elected officials, government attorneys and activists across the United States to promote effective, legally defensible laws and policies to reduce gun...
and the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.
Funding
IANSA’s work has been supported by funders including the Governments of Belgium, Sweden and Norway, as well as the Ford FoundationFord Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
, Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
, Compton Foundation, Ploughshares Fund
Ploughshares Fund
The Ploughshares Fund is a public grantmaking foundation that supports initiatives to prevent the spread and use of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and other weapons of war, and to prevent conflicts that could lead to the use of weapons of mass destruction. Ploughshares is a 501...
, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Samuel Rubin Foundation UNICEF, and Christian Aid
Christian Aid
Christian Aid is the official relief and development agency of 40 British and Irish churches and works to support sustainable development, alleviate poverty, support civil society and provide disaster relief in South America, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa and Asia...
.
External links
- International Action Network on Small Arms
- IANSA Director in Gun Debate with the NRA
- The Advocacy Project partners with The International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA). Follow The Advocacy Project's 2009 Peace Fellow, Aaron Fuchs, in the field.
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