Last week, June 15-21 marked the 2009 Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence with actions taking place in over 80 countries across the world to raise awareness about the effects of gun violence and push for more effective domestic and international gun laws worldwide. Having arrived to Buenos Aires the week prior to the Global Week of Action, I quickly jumped into helping Asociacion Para Politicas Publicas (APP) gear up for the week of action, during which they also planned to launch the 2-year Disarming Domestic Violence Campaign in Argentina. 

The Disarming Domestic Violence (DDV) Campaign is a global campaign aimed at protecting women from gun violence in the home by drawing the link between gun violence and domestic violence.  For APP this includes raising awareness and forming a network around the issue of domestic gun violence, gathering statistics on the link between gun violence and domestic violence, and ultimately working to improve domestic gun laws that reflect the connection between easy access to guns and gun violence within the home.

Here in Argentina, there are little if any statistics on the impact of guns in cases of domestic violence. The government holds statistics on the number of women killed by gun violence each year, and statistics on the number of formal complaints filed each year due to domestic violence, but there are no statistics on the number of domestic violence incidents that involve guns. It makes sense when you talk with these groups and realize that those working on the issues of disarmament and gun violence in Argentina do not seem to be collaborating much, if at all, with those working on the issues of domestic violence.

APP’s DDV campaign aims to change this disunity by bringing together gun violence and domestic violence groups in Argentina, gathering statistics on the connection between the two, and utilizing new media advocacy tools to lobby the Argentine government to harmonize their domestic violence and gun violence laws. In Argentina, harmonized gun laws would be aimed at preventing somebody with a history of domestic abuse from being able to gain access a gun.

APP launched the DDV campaign last week through a series of meetings with key stakeholders, public actions, and information distribution. In my next post I will talk more in-depth about these activities and share photos (and hopefully video!) from the public campaign launch and candle light vigil.

In the meantime, for those of you who read Spanish I wanted to share a news item covering the launch of the disarming domestic violence campaign in Argentina.

Chacas News, June 17, 2009 Deputy Argentine MP Luciano Fabris raises awareness about the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, highlighting the “Disarming Domestic Violence Campaign” and urging all MPs, regardless of political affiliation, to support the initiative. In Spanish.

In solidarity!
~ Althea