To draw attention to the problems caused by the spread and misuse of small arms and light weapons globally, Project Ploughshares launched a public awareness and education campaign during 2005-2006 called, Take Action to Control Small Arms. The main aim of the campaign, supported by our sponsoring churches, was to urge churches and all Canadians to take action to ensure greater national and international governmental commitment to control small arms and deal with the underlying conditions that lead people to take up arms. Canada was encouraged to show leadership at the June 2006 UN Review Conference on Small Arms and light weapons. Click here to see a letter sent to the Minister of Foreign Affairs by the Commission of Justice and Peace of the Canadian Council of Churches.

Ploughshares created a Resource Guide to assist church and community groups in organizing local events. Canadians were asked in particular to add their faces to the "Million Faces" petition in support an international arms trade treaty. Other suggested actions were to send a letter to Canadian Government leaders, draft a resolution to send to the Prime Minister and to support Project Ploughshares.

As a result, many groups did hold successful events - click here to see a listing.

On March 16th, Oxfam, Amnesty and Project Ploughshares launched the 100 Days of Action (before the UN Review Conference) to further mobilize public support to end the global threat of gun violence. The final results of the total campaign were very encouraging as more than 10,000 Canadians supported the "Million Faces" petition and raised politician’s awareness about the issue and put pressure on the government to take seriously their role at the UN Review Conference. Over 2400 of these pictures were gathered by the extended Ploughshares network.

MPs support negotiation for an Arms Trade Treaty

Over 40 MPs also signed onto the "Million Faces"petition and the issue was also raised
at a Foreign Affairs Standing Committee meeting on 20 June 2006 at which the following
motion was passed:

Notice of Motion

That the Committee demands that the government of Canada join the 45 countries
in favour of the negotiation of an international treaty on arms trade and clearly
indicate its support for the adoption of global transfer principles at the next United
Nations Conference on small arms and light weapons, scheduled to open on June 26.

The Committee asks Canada’s representatives present at that same conference to
take up the matter strongly with other countries on the considerable and negative
impact the proliferation of small arms and light weapons has on the development of
countries afflicted and on human rights.