Armed violence, fuelled by the widespread availability of small arms, jeopardizes sustainable development in combat zones or gang-affected urban areas.

In collaboration with development agencies and NGOs, Project Ploughshares is developing policy and practices to address the links between development and armed-violence reduction, with particular attention to the threats from small arms.

• In 2006, 42 states from developed and developing regions drafted the 2006 Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, which commits participating states to: "strengthen [their] efforts to integrate armed violence reduction and conflict prevention programmes into national, regional and multilateral development frameworks, institutions and strategies."
• As of May 2008, 85 countries, including Canada, have signed the declaration and it is becoming an important international touchstone for policy and programming work around the world.
• In "Towards Safe and Sustainable Communities: Addressing Armed Violence as a Development Priority" - produced as policy guidance for the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) - Project Ploughshares outlines the multilateral and Canadian policy framework that should inform and support programming to advance development and reduce violence.
• Project Ploughshares is working with Canadian development NGOs to compile and assess "lessons-learned" from their field experience in communities and regions affected by armed violence. 
• This research will be used in activities in Canada with NGOs and Canadian government officials as well as internationally in the policy advocacy of an NGO working group shadowing the Geneva Declaration process.

Major Publications

Armed Violence Reduction and Development Programming: The Canadian Experience and Status May 2008

Armed Violence Reduction Through Development Programming: Implications for Canadian Policy May 2008

Towards Safe and Sustainable Communities: Addressing Armed Violence as a Development Priority May 2007

Dialogue in Ottawa: Linking Development Programming and Armed Violence Reduction February 2007

photo: David Gough/IRIN