Disarmament

The United Church works on small arms trade issues with Project Ploughshares*, a key Canadian partner in the International Action Network on Small Arms* (IANSA).

At present, there are no internationally agreed-upon controls on the arms trade. Unregulated arms transfers exacerbate armed conflict and inflict extraordinary suffering on populations around the globe. Dozens of ongoing wars are fuelled by these irresponsible weapons sales.

The uncontrolled proliferation and misuse of arms also leads to greater social and economic inequalities. Sustainable development can be undermined as high costs of major weapon systems add to the debt load of poorer nations or displace funding for education, health, or other social programs.

Small arms and light weapons make up a small proportion of trade measured in dollar value, but have a disproportionate and devastating impact on human safety and security. The problem is not restricted to war zones. Amnesty International has documented persistent serious human rights violations such as unlawful killings, abduction, rape, and torture by state security forces in a third of all countries.

The easy availability of small arms also fuels violent crime and increases the lethality of disputes and domestic violence. Many of the weapons and ammunition used to commit such crimes were obtained through legal international arms transfers—transfers that should have been stopped.

In Canada, Project Ploughshares, an ecumenical peace centre of the Canadian Council of Churches, has been addressing arms trade concerns since 1976. Over 80 Canadian NGOs and individuals are part of the Small Arms Working Group of the Canadian Peacebuilding Coordinating Committee*, coordinated by Project Ploughshares, and have been working on the issue for a number of years. A co-founder of IANSA, Ploughshares acts as the contact agency in Canada, along with Amnesty International Canada (English speaking) and Oxfam Canada.

Resources

Suggested Order of Worship [RTF: 3 pp/51 KB]

A worship service on a small arms control theme, by the Rev. Thomas Leepile.

To Disarm, Body and Soul [RTF: 3 pp/13 KB]

A reflection from the Brazilian churches for sermon illustration or small group discussion

A Disarmed Discipleship [RTF: 5 pp/32 KB]

A theological reflection by the Rev. Brian Perkins-McIntosh