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International Gun Control - Long Mission Statement

Constitution Announcement Keywords: GUNS,INTERNATIONAL ACTION AND GOVERNANCE
Posted on 02/20/2000 11:39:12 PST by FSPress

Founding Document of IANSA

[this document is available for download as an Acrobat file here]

Contents:

Introduction

I. IANSA Statement of Purpose II. Policy Framework III. Program of Action IV. Organizational Structure

INTRODUCTION

Along with broad sectors of civil and political society, the international NGO community has identified the proliferation of small arms as a serious humanitarian challenge with implications for development human rights and global justice. These NGOs are spread across different regions and have a variety of priorities and mandates to pursue enhanced human security and justice in all its dimensions. However, all such organizations have a role to play because each component of their work contributes unique insights into, and energies toward, reducing the threat posed by the proliferation of small arms, and builds on and reinforces the efforts of others in the common pursuit of just and peaceful change. Within this context, the international NGO community has joined together to work on small arms issues with a view to making an important contribution toward the international struggle for peace and justice.

From 17-19 August 1998, 45 individuals representing 33 NGOs from 18 countries (8 northern and 10 southern) met in Canada to explore ways in which civil society groups and institutions around the world could work together more effectively to advance policies and actions to control the diffusion and misuse of small arms, and to respond to the devastating consequences of small arms for individuals, local communities, states, and the international community. The consensus which emerged from this meeting favored the establishment of a network of NGOs who could work together on a range of small arms-related campaigns. The overall objective of the network was envisaged as 'preventing the proliferation and unlawful use of light weapons' under the banner of the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA).

On 14 October 1998, a second international NGO meeting on small arms was held in Brussels involving 180 participants representing over 100 NGOs from all around the world. The purpose of this meeting was to discuss, and reach agreement on the scope and nature of IANSA amongst a wider international audience. A series of workshops sought to explore the range of policy objectives, the campaign and advocacy methods, and the organizational structure of IANSA. The result of the meeting was the generation of a unique sense of purpose and the conviction that working together the international NGO community could bring about constructive change. The outcomes of the Belgium and Canada meetings have been merged together into one IANSA Founding Document which is set out below.

I. IANSA STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

All human beings have the right to peace including the right to live in a secure, dignified and humane environment. In the absence of these conditions, however, the proliferation and misuse of small arms is endangering personal security, undermining good governance, contributing to violations of human rights, and frustrating social justice, development, and peace in all parts of the world.

Small arms abuse causes violent death, injury, and psychological trauma to hundreds of thousands of people each year. These casualties occur in the context of national and regional conflicts (each with its own political, economic, social, religious and ethnic dimensions and expressions) as well as in abusive law enforcement practices, violent repression of democratic rights and violations of the right to self determination. The easy availability of small arms is also directly linked to the increase in violent crime, domestic assaults, suicides, and accidents. In the context of political conflict, small arms help fuel violence and insecurity which breeds the sort of fear and instability which has led to the existence of millions of refugees and internally displaced persons. Many of these human-made tragedies could be prevented by controlling access to and availability of small arms - domestically and internationally - within the broader framework of measures to tackle the root causes of conflict.

The international governmental community is currently addressing the small arms issue at the local, national, regional, and international levels. Government initiatives to tackle the proliferation of small arms have been welcomed by the international NGO community. However, concerns remain that governments will take a piecemeal approach, not least because many remain significant producers and exporters of small arms. Thus, the international NGO community believes that a co-ordinated independent effort - both to support and challenge governmental action on small arms - is essential in order to promote effective global action to curb the proliferation and misuse of small arms.

Toward these ends, we hereby come together to establish the International NGO Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA).

IANSA is created to facilitate international NGO action that is fundamentally aimed at enhancing the security of persons by preventing the proliferation and misuse of small arms. At the same time, IANSA recognizes that assuring human security is an essential part of efforts to reduce demand for, and to control, small arms. It thus seeks to contribute to a more just and violence-free global environment in which sustainable peace, development, human security, and respect for human rights can be achieved.

The first part of this document seeks to articulate the basic approaches of IANSA to controlling small arms and to mitigating the political, social and economic conditions that generate excessive demand for small arms. The second section is followed by one detailing the range of activities and actions envisaged by IANSA participants in working to prevent the proliferation and unlawful use of small arms. The final section sets out the basic structure of the Network, including an outline of the roles and responsibilities of the individual operational elements and the rights and responsibilities of individual participants.

II. POLICY FRAMEWORK

The participants of IANSA recognize that the international trade in and diffusion of small arms is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, touching all levels of society in all parts of the world. As tools of violence, there is clear evidence that small arms contribute to human and societal destruction, compromise human rights and the rule of law, and undermine political stability and economic development. Thus it follows that any effort to curb the excessive build-up and abusive use of such weapons will require a comprehensive strategy involving civil society and concerned governments working at local, national and international levels.

In order to break the cycle of underdevelopment, violence and conflict which is fueled by the proliferation of small arms, two types of policies must be pursued simultaneously and with equal emphasis: those which address controlling or limiting the trade in and diffusion of small arms; and those which are directed towards reducing the demand for these weapons.

A. Controlling availability and access to small arms (Supply-side measures) A combination of measures and instruments are required in order to curb the trade in, and diffusion of, small arms. [This list is not exhaustive, but is intended to illustrate the types of approaches and actions which are espoused by IANSA participants.]

1. Controlling legal transfers between states Relevant transfer control measures include: Promoting national, regional and ultimately global Codes of Conduct which require exporting states to implement comprehensive and effective regulations to prevent the supply of arms, ammunition, components and technology where they might be used to: -violate international human rights standards, whether in law enforcement or armed conflict situations; -breach international law including international humanitarian law applicable to international and internal armed conflict; -weaken civilian control over the military; -fuel international aggression, state-sponsored paramilitary action and regional instability; -prevent adequate social spending or thwart sustainable development programs.

Promoting regional moratoria on the import, export and production of small arms;

Obliging all governments to rigorously enforce UN and other international arms embargoes;

Reducing the economic reliance of states on arms production and sales;

Establishing strict controls over licensed production and co-production arrangements;

Establishing a uniform and effective system of end-use certification to control and monitor the final destination and use of exported small arms.

< 2. Controlling the availability, use and storage of small arms within states

Effective domestic control over small arms requires:

Establishing laws and regulations governing the ownership of small arms, including licensing and registration arrangements, along with promotion of the political will and technical capacity to enforce those laws in a transparent and impartial fashion; Reducing the availability of weapons to civilians in all societies;

Stopping government-sponsored transfers of weapons to paramilitaries, vigilantes and other armed groups;

Promoting safe storage practices for small arms on the part of citizens and states (e.g. armories);

Integrating issues of small arms control into the work of police, public health and other institutions;

Establishing regulations, training and oversight to ensure compliance with international human rights standards by state institutions, irregular armed forces and citizens in their use of small arms;

Providing resources to develop the capacity in national and local governments to achieve effective controls over small arms possession and use.

3. Preventing and combating illicit transfers Measures to curb the illicit spread of small arms include:

Promoting and developing local, national, regional and international agreements for co-operation in preventing illicit weapons trafficking;

Developing and strictly implementing, existing agreements on illicit weapons trafficking - notably the OAS Convention, the UN ECOSOC firearms protocol, and the EU Program for preventing and combating illicit trafficking in conventional arms;

Adopting practical control measures at national, regional and international levels, such as strengthened police and customs cooperation and improved border controls;

Implementing comprehensive, strict controls over the activities of national and international arms brokering agents, including a registration system for arms brokering agents, measures to ensure the prosecution of brokers operating illegally within national borders, and the extension of controls to apply to nationals operating in third countries;

Providing international assistance to help develop national and community capacity to combat illicit trafficking in arms;

Developing regional and international registers on illicit arms trafficking including details of illicit arms seized; illicit arms destroyed and a list of all third party arms brokering agents convicted of illegal brokering activities;

Closing down illicit markets in other commodities, such as drugs and precious stones, particularly where there are links to the illicit weapons trade.

4. Collecting and removing surplus arms from both civil society and regions of conflict

Measures to remove surplus arms from circulation include:

Systematic collection and destruction of weapons which are illegally held by civilians, within the context of international humanitarian and human rights law as well as legal norms concerning internal conflicts and recognition of irregular armed forces;

Collection and verifiable destruction of surplus weapons as part of UN peacekeeping operations;

Systematic and publicly monitored destruction of surplus weapons accumulated as a result of arms control and disarmament agreements;

Open destruction of weapons rendered surplus by national equipment replacement programs;

Promoting programs to encourage citizens to surrender illegal, unsafe or unwanted firearms.

5. Increasing transparency and accountability Measures to end secrecy and to promote open political processes related to decisions on small arms, at all levels of government, include:

Mechanisms which allow for prior parliamentary and civil society scrutiny of all arms export license applications;

Full parliamentary and public notification of weapons sales, imports and holdings through national, regional and international annual reports and registers;

Establishing and maintaining complete national and regional inventories of arms and ammunition and related equipment held by security forces and other state bodies;

Exchanging information on holdings and production of small arms, on a regional basis, to promote a common understanding of appropriate levels of armaments required for national self-defense;

Strengthening systems for national registration and marking of arms at the point of manufacture and import to enhance capacity to trace and monitor arms flows;

Forming an international arrangement or mechanism which could monitor adherence to international norms and rules regarding arms transfers in order that violations may be brought to the attention of appropriate bodies;

Regular reporting to the UN Register of Conventional Arms and supporting its extension in scope to include some categories of light weapons,

Establishing regional registers containing information on the transfer, import and procurement through national production of small arms;

Enhancing the role of civil society in monitoring transfers and use of small arms at national, regional and international levels;

Providing resources for capacity building to enable rigorous parliamentary scrutiny of arms export policy in practice.

6. Support for research and information sharing NGOs have a special role in advancing research and the dissemination of information, including:

Tracking and monitoring transfers and movements of small arms;

Examining patterns of injury and death rates associated with the use of small arms;

Exploring a variety of forms of early warning data collection, interpretation and dissemination;

Exchanging information on small arms-related policy developments which emerge at national, regional and international levels;

Researching the patterns and sources of international support for mercenaries and externally organized insurgencies as well as breaches of international arms embargoes.

B. Reducing demand for small arms

Demand for small arms, on the part of individuals, non-state actors, and states, is fueled by conditions of insecurity, oppression and instability. Positive economic, political and social environments are necessary to reduce this demand. Accordingly, policies designed to limit the availability of small arms should be pursued alongside a wide range of efforts to promote human security as well as social and political security and stability, encompassing the right to self-determination. Such efforts should include support for peace-building, conflict prevention, non-violent conflict resolution, human rights and good governance, and social and economic development. Indeed, special care should be taken to ensure that measures to control small arms do not consume resources available for economic and social development and other measures designed to mitigate demand.

Beyond basic efforts to create the conditions for sustainable peace and stability, a number of additional, and more focused, measures are necessary in order to help reduce demand for small arms. [This list is not exhaustive, but is intended to illustrate the types of approaches and actions which are advocated by IANSA participants.]

1. Reversing cultures of violence

Efforts to counter cultural encouragement of violence and illicit gun use include:

Addressing social conditioning that promotes male attitudes of support for violence;

Challenging the glorification of violence by the mass media, and in particular, the glamorization of gun use and the linking of gun possession to masculinity;

Encouraging community based programs which educate citizens about the dangers of small arms;

Banning the advertisement and promotion of small arms to civilians;

Promoting the peaceful resolution of conflict at all levels of society through community and public education projects;

Promotion of cultures of solidarity, peace and non-violence.

2. Reforming the security sector

Measures to foster public confidence in the capacity of public security institutions to assure their security include:

Establishing political and legal systems to ensure effective civilian control and monitoring of the military and of police and other law enforcement institutions;

Ensuring that law enforcement officials are given human rights training together with adequate remuneration in order to avoid bribery and the 'turning a blind eye' to illicit small arms possession, use or transfer;

Withholding aid to security forces which are corrupt or which display a poor attitude towards safeguarding human rights and encouraging the disbanding of units with a particularly poor record;

Requiring the same standards of respect for human rights from irregular armed forces;

Reducing military expenditure to the lowest level possible;

Establishing internationally accepted guidelines for the operation of private security forces and outlawing of the use of mercenaries.

3. Creating norms of non-possession

Linked to efforts to tackle cultures of violence, efforts to discourage gun possession and use include:

Developing local, national and regional public education and awareness campaigns aimed at de-legitimizing the possession of weapons as part of a process of building trust in impartial public security institutions;

Eliminating the conditions that foster reliance on, and use of, private arms for self-defense and violent struggle;

Stigmatizing the use of certain types or categories of small arms, particularly those with increased lethality and firepower.

4. Enhancing demobilization and reintegration programs Efforts to ensure the effective and sustainable demobilization and reintegration of former combatants include:

Tackling the economic incentives for the possession and use of weapons by providing former combatants with alternative, secure sources of income;

Ensuring that disarmament and demobilization programs are supported by sustained reintegration and reconciliation programs which help former combatants to be accepted back into civil society;

Providing sufficient funds to ensure that demobilization and reintegration programs are pursued to their optimal conclusion;

Promoting recognition of the fact that reintegration of combatants is a long term process;

Paying particular attention to the role that education and rehabilitation can play in helping divided societies to create social capital and networks of confidence and cooperation

5. Halting the use of child combatants

The increasing use of children as combatants - linked to the ease of use and availability of small arms - needs to be tackled by a range of measures, including:

Making it a criminal offense to abduct or otherwise recruit children for active combat roles;

Promoting special education programs aimed at teaching children the horrors of war, countering the trivialization of armed conflict and challenging the glorification of weapons;

Adopting and supporting special measures in order to reintegrate child combatants into society through culturally appropriate psychosocial trauma counseling and education programs

Demanding that all countries revise legislation to prohibit military recruitment or enlistment below the age of 18.

6. Combating impunity

Efforts to tackle the impunity which often fuels cycle of violence and retribution include:

Developing international norms and institutions which seek to hold perpetrators of violence legally accountable for their crimes, including state-sponsored crimes;

Supporting and building the capacity of local justice systems to guarantee the rights of individuals.

7. Tackling poverty and underdevelopment

Measures to tackle poverty, underdevelopment and unequal access to resources - which stimulate conflict and drive demand for small arms - include:

Addressing systemic patterns of trade and income inequalities between North and South;

Debt cancellation for the poorest countries and substantial debt remission for middle income countries, including those emerging from prolonged violent conflict;

? Recognition of the linkage between structural adjustment programs and citizen insecurity;

Investing in urban and rural regeneration programs in order to break the link between poverty and gun-related crime;

Encouraging post-conflict development and reconstruction programs which tackle unequal access to resources and other causes of violence;

Promoting policy 'coherence' in order to ensure that aid and trade relationships are mutually reinforcing and work to reduce conditions that fuel the demand for arms.

III. PROGRAM OF ACTION

It is recognized that effective small arms action will require a broad range of initiatives and methodologies in the years ahead. Rather than a single "campaign", a multiplicity of efforts will be needed and a wide variety of actors will have roles to play. IANSA will provide a transnational framework under which groups and organizations, working as coalitions or otherwise, and operating at the local, national, regional and international levels, can organize around particular concerns and issues (see Policy Framework, section II). This network facility will not only provide a range of services to the development and effective functioning of particular campaigns and initiatives, it will also provide a mechanism for overall strategic development and cohesiveness of small arms action within a framework of respect for the autonomy of local and national efforts, and with special recognition and support for regional efforts.

A range of the types of necessary tasks which IANSA could help to fulfill have been identified below. [The list is not tended to be exhaustive, but offers examples of the kinds of action that IANSA is created to undertake.]

1. Constituency building

Supporting and developing the network of organizations and interests which are concerned to combat the proliferation and unlawful use of small arms includes:

Identifying and bringing on board positive new constituencies and helping to consolidate existing ones (e.g. police, professional armed forces, business, legal, health, children's rights);

Assisting NGO and community capacity building, particularly in regions and localities where the use of weapons and violence is most problematic, and where NGOs are under-resourced, in order to facilitate their playing a full role in IANSA;

Encouraging the effective participation of women, youth, faith organizations, traditional leaders, and community based initiatives with local accountability;

Identifying "gaps" where groups concerned with small arms are absent or under-represented;

Encouraging support for IANSA's aims amongst commerce and industry which is negatively affected by the global proliferation of small arms, for example, the travel and tourism industry.

2. Co-ordinating and mobilizing international NGO action Assisting effective transnational mobilization and networking for particular campaigns or initiatives includes:

Facilitating the launching of "sub-campaigns" around specific policy objectives as needed;

Encouraging and assisting partnerships between different organizations in different parts of the world on specific small arms issues;

Supporting ongoing national and regional consultations to develop and co-ordinate appropriate advocacy strategies and campaign actions which can be taken forward nationally, regionally and/or internationally;

Utilizing opportunities to raise small arms concerns within work on related issues such as conflict prevention and community development;

Building up the capacity of the network to respond - quickly, effectively and in a coordinated fashion - to important international developments on small arms;

Mobilizing international opinion to support domestic actions where local NGOs have scope for influencing domestic policy;

Identifying and expanding the pool of financial and human resources required for particular campaigns or initiatives;

Building solidarity within and between groups and initiatives in order to assist action groups at risk in their work.

3. Information sharing Ensuring that IANSA participants have optimal access to the same level of information resources includes:

Establishing a yearly calendar of high profile meetings and events, such as at the UN, around which IANSA participants can coordinate work on small arms;

Establishing regular information bulletins which ensure that all IANSA participants are aware of and can engage in the ongoing work of the network;

Developing and utilizing email networks, supplementing information dissemination through traditional (non-electronic) systems, to ensure that all IANSA participants are kept informed of significant developments relating to small arms;

Building capacity for all IANSA participants to engage in electronic network participation;

Communicating the voice from the ground - i.e. enhancing the capacity of communities and grass roots NGOs to gather and disseminate information on small arms from 'the field'; Raising the profile of practical projects being run by NGOs to tackle demand for small arms or to remove weapons from society.

4. Developing culturally appropriate "message"

strategies Developing clear messages which effectively communicate IANSA's concerns to a wide audience includes:

Producing short, focused and accessible campaign documents which can engage NGOs and the public on specific small arms issues of particular concern;

Developing key slogans and popular language for different campaign themes;

Ensuring that campaigns, media and policy work maintain the human link wherever possible by, for example, 'putting a face on the victims';

Developing a who's who of IANSA participants - backed by a bibliography of written materials - so that the public, parliamentarians and the media can approach individual organizations according to the particular focus of their interest;

Enlisting, where appropriate, the support of respected and popular public figures to convey campaign messages to the media and public;

Using networks of former combatants to educate the public, policy makers and opinion shapers about the real horrors of war and small arms related violence and the possibilities of practical peace-building.

5. Campaigning and advocacy strategies

Developing a variety of advocacy strategies and activities to achieve IANSA's policy objectives will involve:

Exploring the possibility of developing small IANSA working groups in order to develop and coordinate medium-term advocacy strategies specific to each campaign;

Identifying two or three campaign foci for the first year or two of IANSA in order to provide a focus around which network participants can rally and interest can be created;

Establishing a rolling program of action with the development of new campaign foci as appropriate;

Developing campaign literature and resources (action packs), outlining the types of campaign actions envisaged, which can be easily disseminated to network participants;

Identifying key target audiences in relation to each specific small arms campaign;

"Stigmatizing" actions of state and non-state actors seen to be contributing to the problem small arms, and developing strategies for encouraging positive change and conformity with international standards;

Providing space for the development of regional strategies and frameworks appropriate and sensitive to local conditions, particularly in the South.

6. Identifying research and evaluation needs Ensuring that IANSA participants address all aspects of the proliferation and misuse of small arms will involve:

Facilitating the development of a policy and advocacy community on small arms issues in regions where it does not exist or where it is not well developed;

Undertaking coordinated policy-related research on the key advocacy and campaign themes of IANSA;

Encouraging data collection and dissemination on the spread and misuse of small arms by groups working on the ground;

Conducting research into areas where little is known of the link to small arms, for example, the role of third parties in instigating insurgencies and local arms trafficking, the role of Western intelligence agencies in supplying arms, the militarization of both the drug and the anti-drug trafficking campaigns, and the links between small arms trafficking and trafficking in other commodities.

7. Monitoring the international political and social context of small arms

Monitoring adherence with international norms and rules regarding the proliferation of small arms includes:

Critically assessing the arms export and development aid policies of suppliers of small arms;

Evaluating adherence to international human rights standards and international humanitarian law in the use of small arms by government and non-government groups;

Promoting discussion of international norms and standards relating to the proliferation small arms at local, national, regional and international levels;

Developing mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of disarmament initiatives.

IV. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

To develop and manage the international action network, some infrastructure is required - to promote the aims of the Network and to help to provide the services and fulfill the functions outlined in the previous section. The initial institutional structures for IANSA are described below. These early structures and guidelines will periodically be reviewed, and it is envisaged that they will be revised and developed as IANSA evolves.

IANSA itself should be inclusive, and open to individuals, non-governmental organizations, community groupings and professional associations which promote and respect human rights and which broadly support the aims, policy objectives and overall program of action of the Network. Participants of IANSA will have a variety of interests, needs and priorities, and should respect, and be supportive of, the differing needs and priorities of other participants. Applications for participantship will be vetted by the Facilitations Committee in the first instance and ultimately by the Reference Group.

In order to join the International Action Network on Small Arms, all participants of IANSA must fulfill the following criteria. They must:

Support at least some, if not all of IANSA's policy objectives (at section II of this Document) and must not oppose or advocate opposition to those objectives which they do not explicitly support.

Recognize that under some circumstances small arms can have a legitimate use e.g. by Peacekeeping forces in strict accordance with international human rights standards and international humanitarian law, or in collective self defense.

Be prepared to speak only from their perspective as an IANSA participant and not for other participants of IANSA.

Be vigilant in ensuring that their actions, and the actions of other participants, serve only to reinforce and strengthen the Network and do not threaten or undermine its influence, effectiveness or cohesion.

The Reference Group (RG) is responsible for the overall management, governance, and program objectives of the network. The NGO participants at the Canadian meeting (August 17-19, 1998) constitute the Reference Group in the first instance (See Appendix II). This group will be expanded through the addition of new participants willing and able to contribute to the governance of IANSA, according to a transparent nomination and acceptance procedure to be determined by the Group. Its composition should reflect regional and gender diversity, balance participants' expertise and specificity, and include a wide range of organizational technical expertise including advocacy, grassroots campaign organizations, and research. The Reference Group reserves the right to refuse participantship to any individual or organization who's interests are inimical to those of IANSA.

The Facilitating Committee (FC) is responsible to the Reference Group for the week-to-week management and development of the Network. Its participants will be nominated and selected by the RG, taking into account the same composition and principles as the RG, and will be chosen so that participantship of the committee is both expressive of the diversity of the Network and capable of carrying-out the substantial work required. participantship of the FC should rotate periodically, with participants serving limited terms although - to ensure uniformity - all participants' terms should not expire at the same time.

The responsibilities of the Facilitating Committee will include:

Consolidating and expanding the Network to include participants from the full range of desired constituencies and regions;

Ensuring that the desired services and functions of IANSA are developed and maintained, including associated fundraising;

Identifying and pursuing strategic opportunities to develop the network and promote its goals;

Managing the Secretariat of IANSA. It will carry out this work within guidelines set by the Reference Group.

The Secretariat will be established to help to provide the required services for network participants, and to help the Facilitating Committee to build the capacity and pursue the goals of the Network. The Secretariat will operate in a way that strengthens decentralized capacity within the network.

Functions of the Secretariat will include:

Disseminating information on small arms policy issues;

Facilitating the development of different campaigns involving network participants from different regions;

Maintaining the links and building bridges between IANSA participants;

Matching participants' affinities in order to build coalitions on specific issues

Supporting the fund-raising actions of IANSA participants. Some international services may be provided by other organizations, for example, the dissemination, exchange and management of relevant public information amongst network participants.

There remains the possibility to create regional secretariats which could coordinate activities in certain regions or sub-regions. The work of any regional secretariats should nevertheless complement and reinforce the work of the main Secretariat.

Participants of the network continue to be responsible for their own work on small arms issues. The Facilitating Committee, the Secretariat, and all individual participants of IANSA have no mandate to represent or speak on behalf of IANSA in policy debates.

1 Posted on 02/20/2000 11:39:12 PST by FSPress
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Bump.

Stay well

2 Posted on 02/20/2000 11:50:09 PST by harpseal
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This was quite a long read, but worth it...George W's NWO and WTO group is tied in with this bunch...Pat B doesn't use the isolation word, but I will...We need to isolate the United States from this World group of communists...

3 Posted on 02/20/2000 12:19:29 PST by Iscool
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GET US OUT OF UN
GET UN OUT OF US

4 Posted on 02/20/2000 13:09:19 PST by dhuffman@awod.com (Doug Huffman)
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And none too soon. Is what they are doing now in Kosovo a forerunner for anyone who does not "comply"? Apparently those who refuse to open doors to UN troops to search and confiscate any weapons have their private residences broken into. Michael did the right thing to not be a part of this type of storm trooper tactics. The current push to disarm American must be resisted or the whole constitution will be gone and with it freedom.

5 Posted on 02/20/2000 13:23:11 PST by COHIBA
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"[this document is available for download as an Acrobat file here]"

Where?

I'd like to download a PDF of the doc; can you post the link to it?

--Boris

6 Posted on 02/20/2000 13:26:51 PST by boris
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PDF of Document

7 Posted on 02/20/2000 18:01:10 PST by FSPress
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My goodness so much recycled vegitation from so many south ends of north going horses.

8 Posted on 02/20/2000 18:48:19 PST by drot
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Thanks.

9 Posted on 02/21/2000 07:05:59 PST by boris
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A bump in light of new BATF 'administrative regulations' and the ongoing struggle.

10 Posted on 08/21/2000 21:42:20 PDT by Covenantor
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...just a reminder of the international aspect of American 'reasonable gun-control".

11 Posted on 08/21/2000 21:44:12 PDT by Covenantor
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fyi

12 Posted on 08/21/2000 21:46:22 PDT by Covenantor
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Are you tracking things of this sort?

warmest regards......Covenantor

13 Posted on 08/21/2000 21:59:01 PDT by Covenantor
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I sure am! Thank you so much for the heads up!!!

14 Posted on 08/21/2000 22:03:24 PDT by Alamo-Girl
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my pleasure...

stay well.....Covenantor

15 Posted on 08/21/2000 22:08:15 PDT by Covenantor
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One word comes to mind ........... NAZI's !

16 Posted on 08/22/2000 06:03:56 PDT by Squantos
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Thx 4 the BTTT !

17 Posted on 08/22/2000 06:10:28 PDT by Squantos
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What was the original URL for this piece?

It helps others to locate your source document if you put it in the "Source URL:" field when you post the article.

Thanks in advance-

GS

18 Posted on 08/22/2000 06:25:00 PDT by George Smiley (george.smiley@lycos.com)
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NAZIS

That my friend is a four oh evaluation of them.

Stay well - Yorktown

19 Posted on 08/22/2000 06:32:45 PDT by harpseal
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We concur.

harpseal...I neglected to flag you only through oversight.

Standfast.......Covenantor

20 Posted on 08/22/2000 11:08:17 PDT by Covenantor (digging-in@The.Eastern.Front.com)
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see FSPress no.7.

here's a direct link, IANSA Mission

21 Posted on 08/22/2000 11:12:59 PDT by Covenantor
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A bump back at you. We have all been at Free Republic long enough that these kinds of things are never a problem.

Stay well my friend - Yorktown

22 Posted on 08/22/2000 12:34:24 PDT by harpseal
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Click here to see the results of Gun Control.

Those who don't learn from history are bound to repeat it.

23 Posted on 08/22/2000 12:42:45 PDT by rollin
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Roger that.

Stay well - Yorktown

24 Posted on 08/22/2000 12:56:32 PDT by harpseal
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A volley in response.

Standfast.......Covenantor

25 Posted on 08/22/2000 13:27:04 PDT by Covenantor (digging-in@The.Eastern.Front.com)
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We made the radio today on the Michael Medved (spelling ??) show. He was talking about FR, some good and some bad press ..... You , me, Jeff head, Travis McGee, Lazamataz, Harpseal, JoanieF, and more that I can't remember were all refered to as "Bunker Buddies" ! I don't think he was making us a compliment in the manner he presented it.

Any one know more about this weenie ? Did a search and other than waiting for his 1-800 number tomorrow can't respond. He said the sight was a regular meeting place for a bunch of Bunker Buddies and general discussion of conseravtive values and news .

Guess it wasn't that bad, just PR for FR !!

26 Posted on 08/22/2000 17:00:32 PDT by Squantos
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Bunker Buddies...eh? Just throw us in their with Tom Paine, Washington, Jefferson, de Tocqueville and the rest, the finest kind there is. Too bad he hasn't a clue about that. He should spend some time doing some serious reading here on this thread.

Medved is a neo-con doing the Hollywood beat. So, he reads the threads, amd keeps a list or has a very good memory for things that are on his periphery....hmmm.

I'll feel free to address him directly then.

What was the context of the 'Bunker Buddy' remark?

27 Posted on 08/22/2000 18:29:28 PDT by Covenantor (bunker-buddy@The.Eastern.Front.com)
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...just a reminder of the international aspect of American 'reasonable gun-control".

Sigh. It's the stuff from which civil wars are made. Comin' atcha, Real Soon Now...

28 Posted on 08/22/2000 18:58:54 PDT by Noumenon
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They are intent upon it. It's either infantilize or demonize. As I've said before, the 'I and Thou' relationship no longer exists for them and is in steep decline in general.

ps. see Squantos' #26 re: Michael Medved remarks. I feel sure that you were included in that statement..;>)

29 Posted on 08/22/2000 19:13:34 PDT by Covenantor
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BUMP

THANKS GREAT INFO.

30 Posted on 08/22/2000 19:18:38 PDT by righthand man
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PEOPLE FORGET PICTURES LIKE THESE,THINKING THAT IT WILL

NEVER HAPPEN HERE.

31 Posted on 08/22/2000 19:23:56 PDT by righthand man
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I can't read this whole thing, I'm tired of this crap and just tired tonight. I am just stocking up my bunker.

FReegards to all of you "bunker buddies", and see you all, reluctantly, at the wall...

32 Posted on 08/22/2000 19:43:38 PDT by MileHi
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Of all the ones who ought to know better, Medved has some serious denial going. He just can't take that next logical step and follow his premises to their conclusions. Instead, for him, and so many others like him, it'll be the transition from
"It can't happen here, to
"I can't believe this is happening to them", to
"I can't believe this is happening to me."

The denial of the victims. Regrettably, there's ample historical precedent.

33 Posted on 08/22/2000 19:59:21 PDT by Noumenon
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Are you bringing your cross-bow to the wall?

34 Posted on 08/22/2000 20:01:02 PDT by rollin
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BUMP

35 Posted on 08/22/2000 20:02:45 PDT by righthand man
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Thanks for the heads-up, Covenantor.

In reading this, I feel as though I am reading something penned by Hitler. The policy framework, program of action, and organizational structure are so Mein Kampf-ish that it is as if the formulators of this document used that one as their model!

Just as most people who read this idiotic drivel about small arms....endangering personal security, undermining good governance, contributing to violations of human rights, and frustrating social justice, development, and peace in all parts of the world, will come away with a warm and fuzzy feeling about the altruistic, do-gooder adherents to this nonsense, few people could comprehend, let alone believe, Hitler's intentions.

Today we are dealing with people who do not believe that the present gun control attempts are leading to total gun confiscation and a police state. They choose to believe that the anti-gun activists are speaking from a love of their fellow human being. They, like the unbelievers in 1939, will not take the time to research this movement.

Mein Kampf contains two chapters on propaganda....War Propaganda, and Propaganda and Organization....in which Hitler laid out an extensive propaganda plan. The authors of this document have followed his indoctrination advice down to the last letter.

Just a few examples:

Unfortunately, those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it. Americans (and the human race in general) are very slow learners....

36 Posted on 08/22/2000 20:04:48 PDT by joanie-f
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You know, it struck me that once they accomplish this total disarmament, individuals with hand to hand skills could take out most of these peacenicks before the UN forces find them. Wonder how they would respond to the question "don't you wish you had kept a gun for personal use" right before they expire?

They are really getting on my nerves. So, have they figured out how they are going to eliminate the applicability of the US Constitution? Sheesh.

37 Posted on 08/22/2000 20:28:15 PDT by Abundy
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Thank you for the revealing comparisons.

I found this most revealing

In order to join the International Action Network on Small Arms, all participants of IANSA must fulfill the following criteria. They must:

Support at least some, if not all of IANSA's policy objectives (at section II of this Document) and must not oppose or advocate opposition to those objectives which they do not explicitly support.

Recognize that under some circumstances small arms can have a legitimate use e.g. by Peacekeeping forces in strict accordance with international human rights standards and international humanitarian law, or in collective self defense.

Be prepared to speak only from their perspective as an IANSA participant and not for other participants of IANSA.

Be vigilant in ensuring that their actions, and the actions of other participants, serve only to reinforce and strengthen the Network and do not threaten or undermine its influence, effectiveness or cohesion.

The Reference Group (RG) is responsible for the overall management, governance, and program objectives of the network. The NGO participants at the Canadian meeting (August 17-19, 1998) constitute the Reference Group in the first instance (See Appendix II). This group will be expanded through the addition of new participants willing and able to contribute to the governance of IANSA, according to a transparent nomination and acceptance procedure to be determined by the Group. Its composition should reflect regional and gender diversity, balance participants' expertise and specificity, and include a wide range of organizational technical expertise including advocacy, grassroots campaign organizations, and research. The Reference Group reserves the right to refuse participantship to any individual or organization who's interests are inimical to those of IANSA.

Conducting research into areas where little is known of the link to small arms, for example, the role of third parties in instigating insurgencies and local arms trafficking, the role of Western intelligence agencies in supplying arms, the militarization of both the drug and the anti-drug trafficking campaigns, and the links between small arms trafficking and trafficking in other commodities

No mention of the PRC N. Korea, Libya, Iran, Iraq, Cuba, et al.

stadfast.......Covenantor

38 Posted on 08/22/2000 20:39:10 PDT by Covenantor
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Hey, saw the Medved characterization on the other thread...guess I'm a bunker buddy too. Is that somehow supposed to denigrate me and invalidate my years of police experience and my law degree. Guess any moron can sit behind a mike and pass judgement....

39 Posted on 08/22/2000 20:47:15 PDT by Abundy
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Great job at comparing the two! Sounds like they have similar goals. The frightening realization is how easily this (get rid of the guns and we can all live in a peaceful world community) way of thinking could be sold to the masses just about now.

Thanks for the post!

Fellow bunker buddy.

40 Posted on 08/22/2000 20:49:21 PDT by backtobasics
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This is so STUPID. These socialist dreamers with nothing better to do than mess with somebody else's life have no concept for how an economy works. Just substitute the word Drugs for Guns and you know how well it will work. Let's see, control sources of manufacture, uh, every lathe? every drill bit? mills? electricity? files? alloys? uh... ALL RAW MATERIALS?

No way. The vast bulk of misery in the world due to firearms is due to illegitimate governments; that is, government without consent of the governed. This will make that problem worse. This is a recipe for mass murder and guerrilla war.

Welcome to the NWOE (Now WE Order Everybody).

41 Posted on 08/22/2000 21:01:14 PDT by Carry_Okie
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My cross, my bow, and any thing else I can carry. You you gonna be there to help me carry it all if I should stumble?

42 Posted on 08/22/2000 21:10:30 PDT by MileHi
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43 Posted on 08/22/2000 21:11:24 PDT by joanie-f
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And....[we must] address social conditioning that promotes male attitudes of support for violence;

Damned FReepers need some counseling...

44 Posted on 08/22/2000 21:14:53 PDT by MileHi
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or a kick in the @ss (oops, there's that violence thingy again)

45 Posted on 08/22/2000 21:17:23 PDT by Abundy
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I knew you would show up here...

I love you, man!!

No, I don't want your law practice... hehehe.....

46 Posted on 08/22/2000 21:18:24 PDT by MileHi
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47 Posted on 08/22/2000 21:25:06 PDT by MileHi
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Can't have my Budwieser either....I was a devout Miller Lite man until I found out they are anti-firearm...that really hurt. Negra Modella is just too damn expensive...

48 Posted on 08/22/2000 21:25:58 PDT by Abundy
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"Small arms abuse causes violent death, injury, and psychological trauma to hundreds of thousands of people each year."

And small arms use saves about 2.5 million lives a year in the U.S. alone, without a shot ever being fired.

Is there room in the bunker for one more?

49 Posted on 08/22/2000 21:28:19 PDT by gc4nra
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{:0)

50 Posted on 08/22/2000 21:30:06 PDT by MileHi
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Good thing "they" weren't in Burro Canyon on Saturday!

51 Posted on 08/22/2000 21:31:08 PDT by gc4nra
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How many more innocent children have to die before yo NRA extremists realize that the only people that need guns are the cops & military.

52 Posted on 08/22/2000 21:39:36 PDT by Lsimmons
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Are you related to Richard?

53 Posted on 08/22/2000 22:04:00 PDT by gc4nra
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I went to the PDF link. One thing that didn't show up on your post is very important.

The PDF version had a superscript numeral 1 after "small arms"

"I. IANSA STATEMENT OF PURPOSE"

"All human beings have the right to peace including the right to live in a secure, dignified and humane environment. In the absence of these conditions, however, the proliferation and misuse of small arms ..."

The definition of "small arms" is as follows (verbatum):

"The term 'small arms' is used to encompass the terms small arms, light weapons, and ammunition and explosives. Small arms are described as those which can be operated by one or two persons and can be carried by one or two persons or by a pack animal or light vehicle. A recent United Nations report provided the following definitions: small arms includes revolvers and self-loading pistols, rifles and carbines, sub-machine guns, assault rifles and light machine guns; light weapons includes heavy machine guns, hand-held under-barrel and mounted grenade launchers, portable anti-aircraft guns, portable anti-tank guns, recoilless rifles (sometimes mounted), portable launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems (sometimes mounted) and mortars of calibre's less than 100mm; amunition and explosives includes cartridges (rounds) from small arms, shells and missiles for light weapons, mobile containers with missiles or shells for single-action anti-aircraft and anti-tank systems, anti-personnel and anti-tank hand grenades, landmines and explosives. From "Report to Governmental Experts on Small Armes," A/52/298, United Nations, 27 August 1997.

In other words, just about anything they want them to be!

54 Posted on 08/22/2000 22:12:39 PDT by Mark7975
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TO ALL: Go to www.iansa.org/mission/index.htm for all the info you can stomach!

55 Posted on 08/22/2000 22:14:39 PDT by Mark7975
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Outstanding!

BTTT

Dear Pray4USA, I hope this isn't too much for you.

56 Posted on 08/22/2000 22:19:33 PDT by Mark7975
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Medved (sp?) is a pretty good conservative. He probably sees some of this, or us, as conspiracy the