Aiming for Prevention News

IPPNW elected to help steer Control Arms Campaign

July 2010

IPPNW was elected to serve on the Steering Board of the newly restructured Control Arms Campaign. Since 2003, the Control Arms Campaign has been calling for a strong and effective Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), a legally binding international instrument, which will draw together and consolidate states’ current obligations under international law. If properly implemented, such an ATT would reduce the human cost associated with the proliferation of conventional arms.

IPPNW Nigeria’s Dr. Aminu Zakari Mohammed is serving as the IPPNW representative to the Board, and Dr. Bob Mtonga from Zambia is the alternate. Dr. Mohammed is an Associate professor of Pathology with Bayero University Kano and an Honorary Consultant Pathologist at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria, and Vice Chairman of Society of Nigerian Doctors for Welfare of Mankind. He has been actively involved in research and community programmes on the effects of armed violence on health. Dr. Mtonga has been a leader for many years of Zambian Healthworkers for Social Responsibility and is current IC. He serves on the steering committee of the Cluster Munitions Coalition, and served on the official Zambian delegations to the UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons 3rd and 4th Biennial Meeting of States. He is Vice-President of the Injury Prevention Initiative for Africa (IPIFA), and is on the Advisory Board of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). Dr. Mtonga is currently attending as IPPNW’s representative to the Arms Trade Treaty PrepCom at the UN in NYC taking place July 12-23.

IPPNW recommends public health action plan to UN small arms meeting

The 4th UN Biennial Meeting of States on Small Arms, June 14-18, 2010
UN, New York

As an NGO participant at the Fourth Biennial Meeting of States (BMS), which was convened to review implementation of the UN’s action plan to combat the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, IPPNW had an opportunity to address the conference on Thursday, June 17, during a special civil society session.

Dr. Emperatriz Crespin, a physician and activist from El Salvador, told the states parties to the meeting about the public health impact of armed violence and about the role physicians play not only in treating the victims and assisting with their rehabilitation, but also in documenting the broader social dimensions of the problem.

Read more on the peaceandhealthblog.com
See additional pictures and read the conference report here.

IPPNW actively participates in WHO Violence Prevention Alliance Annual Meeting 2010 in Rome

WHO Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA) Annual Meeting 2010
Rome, Italy

IPPNW’s Aiming for Prevention coordinator Maria Valenti held a leadership role in the WHO Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA) Annual Meeting 2010 held in Rome in early June. She chaired the second day of the two-day strategic planning meeting, and helped facilitate the formation of project groups to address specific goals of a new VPA 5-year workplan.

She also presented progress to date on developing a VPA member assets database, on which she and others including the VPA Secretariat have been working for the past year. The presentation resulted in an offer of potential funding for finalization and implementation of the new resource.

The 2010 VPA Rome meeting was organized to address a restructuring and reorganization of the greatly expanded VPA network (organized in 2004) in order to develop a strengthened VPA. To that end, the nearly 50 attending VPA members discussed priorities and a strategic workplan, as well as provisions for establishing a VPA Steering committee and project groups to help advance research, education, communications, fundraising, and other key activities.

There was an affirmation over the two days of discussion of the basic values underpinning the VPA, and a consensus on the sense of urgency of violence prevention work. worldwide from an “evidence based approach.”

VPA Assets Database

The assets database will provide a roadmap of human and technical resources at member organizations. Its formation was prioritized at the 2008 annual VPA meeting in Washington DC as a potentially very useful resource for capacity building and networking both within and outside the network to help advance common goals. During the past year the assets database working group including IPPNW completed the design of a database, incorporating member suggestions and feedback via a member survey. IPPNW will continue to participate in this process until the database is realized, as well as in other VPA project groups.

IPPNW Indian Leaders Organize Series of Events for Global Week of Action against Gun Violence

The Week of Action ended with over 90 countries involved. Read additional reports on the IANSA site.
May 10-16, 2010
Worldwide

IIPDEP (Indian Institute for Peace, Disarmament & Environmental Protection) led by Drs. Balkrishna and Nalini Kurvey highlighted a health message and urgent need for arms control at a series of 6 important events throughout India as part of worldwide activities for the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence.

The first was a consultation/briefing and meetings with parliamentarians and political leaders on May 14, 2010 at Amravati, Maharashtra in west India. The topic for deliberation was "SALW in India and the Arms Trade Treaty.” Politicians were not aware of the impact of SALW and need of the government to adhere to ATT. They have promised to take this issue in parliament. The IANSA Documentary "Arms, Dealing and National Interest" was screened and IANSA materials were also presented to them.

Three events took place on May 15th:

The "Human Rights, International Humanitarian Laws and Arms Trade Treaty" roundtable was held. Parliamentarians were briefed regarding the work of IANSA groups including IPPNW on the illegal trade of small arms, the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), and related topics. It also featured the screening of the IANSA documentary on arms. The presidents of the Indian Medical Association, the Association of Medical Women in India, and other prominent doctors attended.

In Southeast India that same say Nav Bharat Nirmal Sangh (New India Construction Association) and IIPDEP arranged the "Culture of Violence, Culture of Peace” event at Hyderabad, South India. Andhra Padesh is hot bed of violence due to Maoist militant groups and other factors. Indian doctors and Red Cross delegates discussed violence prevention and political solutions with parliamentarians.

The third was organized by the Manipur Committee for Social Concern, Manipur, Northeast India and IIPDEP, "Proliferation of Small Arms and ATT" at Imphal, Manipur, Northeast India. Delegates from all parts of Manipur attended the event. Manipur is one of the North Indian states also rife with small arms problems, due to the to porous border with Myanmar among other things. More than 10 militants groups are active in this state. Members of parliament, government officials, NGOs, youth, religious leaders, women, and victims attended the event. IANSA materials were distributed to the delegates and arms documentary was screened. The Red Cross of Manipur as well as many medical doctors participated and addressed the delegates on medical aspects

Two events on May 16th were held, one in northeast India in Nagaland, a border area that is also a hot bed for arms and drug smuggling. IIPDEP in conjunction with the Rural Peoples Welfare Society organized “Small Arms & North East India: International Humanitarian Laws and Need for Arms Trade Treaty" at Kohima, Nagaland. It was well attended by parliamentarians, Secretary of the Government of Nagaland, Deputy Commissioner, government officials, social workers, NGOs, religious leaders and others including prominent medical doctors and the Nagaland Red Cross.

Also that day the Landmine Victims Association of India and IIPDEP member arranged the "Effects of Small Arms on Society" at Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan. Parliament leader Mr. Shankar Pannu addressed the delegates including medical doctors, parliamentarians, policy makers, military, para-military, and NGOs. Small arms victims narrated their stories and hardships due to spreading of a gun culture in Punjab and ask the government to work fast to work to stop the menace of small arms and light weapons in the border states of Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir.

For 8 years IIPDEP has been working for Culture of Peace in Northeast India and pleading and requesting the NSAs (militants) groups to settle their differences through dialogue rather than by guns and violence. Due to their work the two most powerful NSAs, National Socialist Council of Nagaland (I-M) and Kuki National Organization agreed and signed the Deed of Commitment banning use of anti-personnel mines. Some more NSAs will also sign in this year. 

Teach-VIP Injury Prevention and Control Curriculum Now Available as Online Course

January 21, 2010
Available online

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched TEACH-VIP E-Learning, online and CD-ROM version of TEACH-VIP.  Anyone with an internet connection can access a full range of lessons covering violence, unintentional injury and disability. Individuals who have limited or no access to the internet can also order the TEACH-VIP E-Learning material in the CD-ROM version through WHO free of charge.
The training material has been adapted specifically for online use, allowing for self-paced, self-administered training. It includes mechanisms for individuals to test their knowledge and track progress as well as a range of additional resources. TEACH-VIP E-Learning has received extensive pilot testing during its development phase and prior to release.

Dr. Cathey Falvo Addresses Impact of Armed Violence on Health at UN NGO Meeting

December 9, 2009
New York, NY, USA

PSR NYC president and IPPNW representative Cathey Falvo, MD MPH addressed 40 attendees at a December 9th United Nations panel discussion on the topic Small Arms and Light Weapons, Health, and Development: The Public Health Approach. The session, titled Human Development and Disarmament, was sponsored by the UN NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace & Security, and was designed to illuminate the connection between disarmament and development while addressing the issues of the Millennium Development Goals, the interplay between poor health and armed violence, and the human rights implications of disarmament. Dr. Falvo focused on the health impact and public health approaches to violence prevention, including a brief review of IPPNW’s Aiming for Prevention global work. Her presentation was drawn from her own experience as long-time health activist in this area, as well as IPPNW and World Health Organization materials. Other speakers included Dr. Eduarda Hamann from the Quaker United Nations Office DC, and Dr. Robert Zuber, Director, Global Action to Prevent War and Armed Conflict. The presentation was followed by a lively discussion including how to employ the public health approach more broadly.

PHOTO:PSR NYC President, Dr. Cathey Falvo, speaks for IPPNW on public health issues at UN NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace & Security Panel

IPPNW Zambia Participates in New Research on Injuries in Sub-Saharan Africa

October 8, 2009
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

IPPNW Zambia leader Dr. Robert Mtonga, Aiming for Prevention Coordinator Maria Valenti, and IPPNW consultant Dr. Diego Zavala participated in recent meetings held at Harvard University of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Injury Expert Group, and a joint meeting of the GBD group with the International Collaborative Effort on Injury Statistics. Bob and Diego were invited to present findings from the IPPNW multi-center pilot surveillance project that documented injuries from violence at hospital emergency rooms in Zambia, DR Congo, Nigeria, Uganda, and Kenya. As a result of the meetings, Bob and Diego were invited to participate in a new African research project, with initial work to collect additional data from Zambia. The WHO Global Burden of Disease analysis provides a comprehensive and comparable assessment of mortality and loss of health due to diseases, injuries and risk factors for all regions of the world.

PHOTO:IPPNW's Dr. Bob Mtonga, Zambia, and Maria Valenti, Central Office, (seated 2nd and 3rd from left) attend Global Burden of Disease Injury Expert Group meeting at Harvard.

Mexican affiliate says "disarm now!"

September 2009
Mexico City, Mexicto

Peace and Progress through Health: A Medical Perspective was the theme of the workshop conducted by IPPNW's Mexican affiliate at the recent For Peace and Development - Disarm Now! United Nations Department of Public Information NGO Conference held in Mexico City and attended by over 1200 from around the world.

Members of Medicos Mexicanos para la Prevencion de las Guerra Nuclear (MMPGN), lead by Dr. Jans Fromow-Guerra, presented a well received workshop that included a representative from the Mexican Ministry of Health. It examined the interconnections between poverty, inequality, development, violent conflict, and health, and how health professionals can partner with others in civil society to employ a public health approach to prevent violence, promote peace building, and support healthful policies. In addition, PSR president Evan Kanter led a workshop on Nuclear Famine: The Health Consequences of Nuclear War with IPPNW speaker Khagendra Dalal. PSR and IPPNW leader Dr. Cathey Falvo was a key player on the organizing committee for the entire conference.

IPPNW Participates in Two Important Meetings on Violence Prevention in Geneva

September 2009
Geneva, Switzerland

IPPNW's Aiming for Prevention Coordinator, Maria Valenti, participated in two meetings to contribute IPPNW’s voice to key discussions on violence prevention.

1) WHO Violence Prevention Alliance - 4th Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention
Held at WHO Headquarters, and attended by over 150 including Violence Prevention Alliance (VPA) members such as IPPNW, and others - policy makers, UN and government agencies, NGOs working on health approaches to violence prevention. This meeting is held every 2 years to showcase promising violence prevention programs with a health focus, and to bring people together to brainstorm about needs/opportunities to advance the work in upcoming years.

At the VPA meeting we:

• Participated in strategy sessions on improving collaborative efforts as well as enhancing skilled human resources to work on violence prevention;
• Worked with the WHO VPA secretariat to publicize the new VPA assets database in development – IPPNW serves on a small VPA working group developing the database, which will be a searchable tool to help VPA members improve resource sharing/networking and to help build global capacity;
• Engaged in discussions with WHO and others regarding organizing a pre-conference with a focus on armed violence at the next World Conference on Safety and Injury Prevention to be held in London in Sept. 2010.
  

2) Geneva Declaration “Next Steps for Civil Society Involvement in the Geneva Declaration Process” strategy session - Held at the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO), the secretariat for the Geneva Declaration (GD). Attended by about 30 NGOs working on armed violence prevention, landmines/research. Maria attended to contribute IPPNW’s “peace through health” approach and discuss how IPPNW affiliates worldwide are working on this issue, as well as how we can help contribute to forwarding the Geneva Declaration goals. Meeting goal was to discuss strategies/actions for next 12 months.

The Geneva Declaration on Armed Violence and Development, shepherded by the Swiss government and now signed by over 100 UN member states, seeks to encourage investments in human and financial resources in armed violence prevention around the world. Earlier this year, IPPNW underscored the need for countries to prioritize health, in our contribution to a joint civil society submission to the United Nations Secretary General. IPPNW Central Office and affiliates from Canada, Zambia, Nigeria, and Nepal also sent individual letters to their UN representatives, offering IPPNW’s unique medical perspective.

PHOTO TOP:IPPNW's Maria Valenti with WHO VPA's Dr. Chris Mikton at 4th Milestones Meeting in Geneva. Ms. Valenti serves with Dr. Mikton on a working group developing a violence prevention alliance member assets database.

PHOTO BOTTOM: IPPNW's Maria Valenti attended a recent Geneva Declaration strategy session for civil society held at the Quaker United Nations Office, Geneva.

IPPNW and Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence 2009

The Week of Action ended with over 90 countries involved. Read additional reports on the IANSA site.

June 15-21, 2009
Worldwide

IPPNW affiliates worldwide participated in a range of activities during this year's Global Week of Action (June 15 - 21, 2009) to highlight the health effects of armed violence. IPPNW launched the new Medical Voices Against Violence project with video and written stories contributed by medical students and doctors from the US, India, Germany, and Nigeria. Drs. Andrew Winnington and Nick Wilson published in the New Zealand Medical Journal about IPPNW/New Zealand medical student violence prevention work, including injury research in Papua, New Guinea. Nigerian student leaders Ogebe Onazi and Homsuk Emmanuel Swomen launched the "Bringing Peace to the People" radio series on Rhythm FM in Jos, Nigeria to educate on the human costs of violence. Nepalese medical students led by Chudamani Giri and Prakash Paudel conducted a range of activities, from letters to the editor to collecting One Bullet Stories to teach-ins at high schools. Physicians for Global Survival (IPPNW/Canada) physician Andrew Pinto, attending the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, organized a call for disinvestment of the school's endowment fund from the arms industry, and hosted a screening of the film "Lord of War."

LOGO: In 1988, IPPNW was a founding member of the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA). IANSA is a global movement against gun violence - a network of 800 civil society organisations working in 120 countries to stop the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW). In early 2005, IPPNW assumed the role of international coordinator of IANSA's new Public Health Network, to focus on addressing firearm violence from a public health perspective.

Reaching Across the Airwaves in Nigeria

June 12, 2009
Jos, Nigeria

Medical student members of Society of Nigerian Doctors for the Welfare of Mankind (IPPNW /Nigeria), led by Ogebe Onazi, African Regional Student Representative for IPPNW, and Homsuk Emmanuel Swomen, National Student Representative for IPPNW Nigeria, launched a radio series on peace and violence prevention called “Bringing Peace to the People” on Silverbird Rhythm FM 93.7 radio, Jos. It is scheduled to air every two weeks and is designed to educate about and inspire people to work for peace in Nigeria, and to support IPPNW’s global “Aiming for Prevention” campaign. The first show was broadcast on June 12 entitled "Introducing Peace to the People." It described the concept “peace through health,” the human dimensions of small arms effects on health, and the leadership work of SNDWM and the medical community in Nigeria and IPPNW’s goals and achievements. Additional productions are planned specially on gun violence and other topics. SNDWM collaborates with other civil society groups to promote a culture of peace. Their campaigns have proposed policy changes to prevent injuries and violence in Nigeria by addressing it from a public health approach, using the tools of action-oriented research, education, and advocacy for policy changes. They are an active member of NANSA (Nigerian Action Network on Small Arms). Click here to read the script from the inaugural show.

PHOTO: Nigerian medical students launch Raypower radio project in Jos, Nigeria

Session on Global Health held at Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran

May 19-22, 2009
Tehran, Iran

During the Students' International Conference on Biomedical and Interdisciplinary Research (SICOBAIR) in Tehran, Dr. Suheir Khajuria (on right), Leila Moein (in middle) and Fatemeh Bahmee(on left) coordinated a session on Global Health.

The session included descriptions of IPPNW's campaign Aiming for Prevention and the health effects and consequences of small arm injuries and violence. Fatemeh Bahmaee also gave a presentation on health effects of chemical weapons used during the Iran-Iraq war.

National Student PSR Conference Attendees Aim to Prevent Violence

April 3-5, 2009
New York, New York

Aiming for Prevention coordinator Maria Valenti and students working on violence prevention activities participated at the recent national Student Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR) conference held April 3-5, 2009 at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. The conference drew around 100 students and others from around the world and featured expert speakers on nuclear weapons, environmental health, and global violence. Maria presented information on IPPNW's international violence prevention work and projects, with an emphasis on student activities and how students can become involved, at a well-attended workshop. Other workshop presenters included PSR Philadelphia Executive Director Pat Harner, and medical students Mike Russo of Penn in Philadelphia and Jack Wang of Stanford in CA. Medical student and past international IPPNW student representative from Ecuador Nidia Rodriguez teamed up with Maria to launch IPPNW’s “Voices Against Violence” project during the SPSR conference, to record stories of personal experiences with violence, and how these experiences influenced their involvement in working for peace.

Students Participate in 58th General Assembly of IFMSA, Hammamet, Tunisia

March 3 - 9, 2009
Hammamet, Tunisia

International student reps Agyeno Ehase and Wenjing Tao, who along with Alexander Unge from Sweden brought the IPPNW banner to the International Federation of Medical Students Association (IFMSA) 58th General Assembly Conflicts and Health held in Hammamet, Tunisia March 3rd to 9th 2009. They presented a series of workshops on Aiming for Prevention, Peace through Health, and the The Threat of Nuclear War and the Medical Effects of Nuclear Weapons, Agyeno presented, Small Arms, A Global Health Problem, A Public Health Approach using the presentation developed by the Central Office and distributed to all chapters in the resource binder with other materials. This was followed by a One Bullet Story to show the participants one way they could be involved in the violence prevention campaign. IPPNW set up a One Bullet Story poster stand and used the opportunity to distribute Aiming for Prevention and ICAN materials.

Making a difference on the ground in India

February 2009
Rajasthan, India

IPPNW’s Dr. Balkrishna Kurvey, Coordinator of the Indian Campaign to Ban Landmines, and a leader of the Indian Institute for Peace, Disarmament & Environmental Protection, helped organize Making a Difference on the Ground - marches & a public rally of landmines survivors and others in Sri Ganga Nagar, Rajasthan (a landmines affected state) India, in February 2009. The events marked the 10th anniversary of the Mine Ban Treaty and were held during the global week of action on landmines. 128 landmine victims marched to raise awareness of the human suffering inflicted by these devastating weapons, and served a petition to local administrators and legislators that was also sent to national government leaders asking for physical and economic rehabilitation support for victims of landmines and cluster munitions, and strongly urged the government of India to sign the Mine Ban and Cluster Munitions Treaties to prevent more casualties and suffering. Over 150 states have signed the Mine Ban Treaty, and 96 the Cluster Munitions.

Zambian Healthworker for Social Responsibility raise Aiming for Prevention Banner

December 16, 2008

In December 2008 Zambian IPPNW leader Dr. Robert Mtonga hosted with Joseph Dube of IANSA a workshop on disarmament, "Towards a Common Understanding of the Arms Trade Treaty in Zambia." Other participants included the Deputy British High Commissioner, Paula Walsh, and the Director of the Zambia Anti-Personnel Mine Action Centre, Sheila Mweemba, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fashion Phiri, were in attendance. Dr. Bob brought the message that “guns are bad for health” to the proceedings and spoke about the need for an arms trade treaty to prevent the human suffering caused by gun violence.

Read more on this blog.

Bringing "Risk and Resilience" discussion to the UN

July 14-18, 2008
New York

IPPNW members and associates raised the public health message once again at the 3rd Biennial Meeting of States of the United Nations Programme of Action on Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons on July 14-18, 2008. Aiming for Prevention activists from Africa, Latin America, and the US participated in the week-long conference in New York in meetings, strategy sessions, panel discussions, side meetings and delegate lobbying.

For more on IPPNW's participation in the conference.

Aiming for Prevention activists present numerous papers at the 9th World Conference on Violence Prevention and Safety Promotion

March 2008
Merida, Mexico

IPPNW members from six countries presented thirteen papers and posters on violence prevention and public health at this year's 9th World Conference on Violence Prevention and Safety Promotion (otherwise known as Safety 2008) held in Merida, Mexico. Attendees also participated in meetings organized by regional departments of the World Health Organization (WHO), the WHO Violence Prevention Alliance of which IPPNW is a member, and the International Society for Violence and Injury Prevention. The delegates spread the message that "Guns are Bad for Health," continued our discussions with the Small Arms Survey regarding future projects, and released a press release with IANSA in which IPPNW co-president Dr. Ime John called for more international donor investment in violence prevention.

A special section of Medicine, Conflict and Survival edited by Medacts' Dr. Jack Piachaud will be developed based on several of the IPPNW papers presented at Safety 2008.

For more on IPPNW's participation in the conference.

Healing the Wounds of War in Africa

September 7-, 2007
Nairobi, Kenya

IPPNW delegates from Africa, Europe and Australia attended the IPPNW 6th African Regional Meeting Healing the Wounds of War in Africa – The Role of Health Professionals in Nairobi, Kenya 7-9th September, 2007. The event was organized by the African regional office led by IPPNW African Regional Vice President from Kenya Dr. Walter Odhiambo. IPPNW Co-president from Nigeria Dr. Ime John opened the proceedings and also presented a gift to the ‘’Gun Free Africa’’ Ambassador, Dr. Amritpal Kalsii, Miss India-Kenya beauty queen 2006/7. Presentations ranged from reports on IPPNW’s African multinational injury surveillance pilot project conducted at hospitals in Nigeria, Zambia, DR Congo, Kenya and Uganda, to those on Nuclear Issues and Africa and to Poverty and Conflict. A medical student conference was held prior to the main event.

Download a copy of the meeting program.

South Asia Students' Meet - A call from the medical community for hte prevention of small arms violence

August 28 - 29, 2007
Bhaktapur, Nepal

The student chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, Nepal (PSRN) organized a two day meeting August 28-29 in Bhaktapur, a historical city of Nepal. The goal of the meeting was to address “the specter of small arms violence haunting the region.” Students from various medical and public health colleges in Nepal, India, Bangladesh and Germany actively participated in the program. Presentations on issues of major concern, including a new Nepalese One Bullet Story, were interspersed with workshops. Professor Dr. Mathura Prasad Shrestha, the President of PSRN and eminent figure of civil society, inaugurated the program by highlighting a holistic approach to world peace. Dr. Rajan Suwal praised the students’ role in working for social responsibility. Dr. Mahesh Maskey, the former IPPNW South Asian Vice President and currently the Chairperson of the Nepal Health Research Council, highlighted the role of the public health approach to small arms violence prevention. Dr. Khagendra Dahal, International Medical Student Representative of IPPNW, expressed his commitment for supporting IPPNW student activities fully. Mr. Chudamani Giri, a key organizer of the event and the National Student Representative of PSRN, highlighted the program objectives. All the delegates were warmly welcomed by a Nepali cultural performance.

Download a report from the Indian organizers here and from the Bangladeshi students here.


PHOTO: C.GIRI

IPPNW-Nigeria's leaders attend conference on securing peace and security in West Africa

July 26 - 27, 2007
Abuja, Nigeria

Leaders of IPPNW Nigeria, Dr. Ime John (On left: IPPNW co-president) and Emmanuel Eduru (on far right), participated recently in a two-day regional conference in Abuja, Nigeria, on the ratification of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and Other Related Materials.

The conference was organized by the West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The agenda was to develop strategies for lobbying the various governments of ECOWAS (15 West African states) to ratify the convention that was signed by regional leaders in June 2006. It was reported by the allAfrica.com press that Nigerian Inspector-General of Police (IG) Mike Okiro said that the major challenge facing peace and security in the West African Sub-region is the constant proliferation of small arms. According to Mr. Eduru, representatives from the Nigerian Parliament in attendance gave their word that once the ratification bill is brought to the Parliament they will not hesitate to pass it into law.

Taking advantage of their participation at the WAANSA meeting in Abuja, the Nigerian Action Network on Small Arms (NANSA) held a crucial side meeting to discuss and chart a new way forward to enable the network to be more efficient and effective. The meeting was attended by 21 members and was facilitated by IPPNW's Dr. Ime John.

The final report from the June 14th ECOWAS meeting is available on IANSA's website.
The program from the July WAANSA conference is available here.

PHOTO: DR. EMMANUEL EDURU

2007 Global Week of Action: research, dialogue, workshops and creating a future generation of advocates for gun violence prevention

June 21-29, 2007
National University
El Salvador

Dr. Emperatriz Crespin brought together students at the National University of El Salvador for a week long workshop on how medical professionals can incorporate advocacy as a tool for gun violence prevention in their field. The students included physiotherapists, nurses, and anaesthesiologists and the framework of the workshop was endorsed by PAHO, National University and the IANSA/IPPNW Public Health Network.

PHOTO: EMPERATRIZ CRESPIN

"I play without arms"; using soccer to launch 2007 Global Week of Action in El Salvador

June 11-17, 2007
El Salvador

Every year, the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence prompts activists to raise awareness, campaign for better gun laws and push for stronger regulation of the global arms trade. In El Salvador, members of Aiming for Prevention participated in several events for the public and specific events for health professionals. Dr. Andrew Pinto from IPPNW's Canadian affiliate, Physicians for Global Survival (PGS) joined local doctor, Emperatriz Crespin and gave lectures at Evangelica University on small arms and light weapons and the impact on health. Two local radio stations (VOX FM and Radio Que Buena) and IANSA/IPPNW held a soccer game at Gambeta Stadium in San Salvador to raise awareness on the impact of gun violence on Salvadorans. In the photo above, Ademar Guardado is seen in a soccer uniform that reads "Yo juego sin armas" (I play without arms) next to Dr. Andrew Pinto.

PHOTO: ADEMAR GUARDADO

Student Activists in Latin America Speaking Out

October 2006
At the National University of El Salvador

Medical students from El Salvador organized and participated with peers from nicaragua in a lively and informative four-day Latin American Medical Student Congress at the National University of El Salvador. Featured speakers included representatives from PAHO, the Ministry of Health, Oxfam and IANSA. IPPNW/Mexico's Dr. Jans-Fromow Guerra and IPPNW's Aiming for Prevention program coordinator, Maria Valenti, also gave presentations at the Student Congress.


VIEW PHOTOS FROM CO-ORGANIZER, ADEMAR GUARDADO

IPPNW medical students speak with British consulate officials in Nigeria

2006
Kano, Nigeria

IPPNW students from the Bayero University Medical School in Nigeria paid a visit to the British Consulate and the Consul library at Kano, Nigeria. Highlights of the visits included presenting materials and books on Aiming for Prevention and small arms violence to the Consul. The Consul invited the students to the monthly NGO's forum meeting at the council's peace club. IPPNW students were also invited to participate in the preparations for the celebration of this year's UNESCO peace day at the council.

Photo: Medical student Mansur Ramalan (on right) seen here with officials of the British Consulate in Nigeria holding up One Bullet Story posters.

IPPNW and the Violence Prevention Alliance

November 2006
Geneva, Switzerland

IPPNW Co-Presidents, Drs. Ime John (left) and Gunnar Westberg (second from left) meet with WHO Violence Prevention Alliance Medical Director Dr. David Meddings (second from right) and Director Dr. Alex Butchart (far right) in Geneva to discuss IPPNW's role in the global network.

IPPNW Raises a Public Health Voice and Highlights the Human Face of Suffering at the United Nations Review Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons

June / July 2006
New York City

IPPNW leaders Drs. Robert Mtonga, Zambia, Dra. Emperatriz Crespin, El Salvador, Christin Ormhaug, Norway, Nic Marsh, Norway (also a member of the official Norwegian delegation), Dr. Ilkka Taipale, Finland (also a member of the official Finland delegation), and Maria Valenti, Central Office "Aiming for Prevention" program coordinator, actively participated at the UN Review Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons (RevCon) in New York City, June 2006. They attended to ensure that the health aspects of gun violence are considered during the UN PoA deliberations and in the finalization of the official outcome document of the Review Conference, and also to represent the leadership of the International Action Network on Small Arms' (IANSA) Public Health Network that is coordinated by IPPNW. Action-oriented research, called for in the UN PoA, was a central theme of their discussions with delegates and attendees.

IPPNW's "Aiming for Prevention" program emphasizes a public health approach to armed violence, and has been instrumental in highlighting the human face of suffering via our "One Bullet Stories" originally developed several years ago Dr. Walter Odhiambo and other leaders of IPPNW Kenya. New campaign materials that illustrate how "Every Bullet Tells a Story of Injury and Suffering" that were distributed at the RevCon can be found on the IPPNW web site: Small Arms Materials.

Conference highlights continued here, click to see a PDF of the full report.

E-MESARES and the Global Week of Action Against Small Arms: A million faces, one message

May 22 - 29, 2006
El Salvador

IPPNW's student affiliate in El Salvador, E-MESARES, led by Emperatriz Crespin MD, MPH, conducted a series of events to raise awareness about the health effects of armed violence during the International Action Network on Small Arms' (IANSA) recent Global Week of Action Against Small Arms in late May.

Events included the following:

• Dr. Crespin, who is also the Latin American director for the IANSA Public Health Network coordinated by IPPNW, addressed over 100 medical students at the National University of El Salvador about how public helath measures can help prevent armed violence, the need for gunshot survivor assistance, and the costs of armed violence in the region, including the impact on development;
• Student leaders met with members of the El Salvador National Congress to advocate for more legislative controls of small arms to prevent violence;
• Students held an aikido event at the university to collect faces for the global Million Faces Campaign Against Small Arms Violence, being organized by the Control Arms group to support a global arms trade treaty. Aikido is a discipline dedicated to non-violence. The Million Faces petition will be delivered to government delegates at the upcoming UN Programme of Action on Small Arms Review Conference in New York City June/July 2006.

IPPNW affiliate members present compelling research at major international public health conference on injury prevention

March 31 - April 1, 2006 [preconference]
April 2 - 5, 2006 [main conference]
Durban, South Africa

Twenty-two affiliate member physicians and medical students from eleven countries contributed to the strong medical presence at the 8th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, "Data to Action," in Durban, South Africa. A detailed report from the pre and main conference are available. Reports and abstracts presented by IPPNW affiliate member physicians are available here.

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VIEW MAIN CONFERENCE PHOTOS

Physicians and medical students participate in training for 6-country pilot study on firearm injuries

March 27-30, 2006
Nairobi, Kenya

A training program was held in March in Nairobi, Kenya for physicians from five African countries who are participating in an IPPNW sponsored multinational hospital-based research pilot study on injury due to firearm violence.

13 representatives from Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo attended the 3 1/2 day training in Nairobi, Kenya. Dr. Diego Zavala of Puerto Rico conducted the hospital-based training and Dr. Walther Odhiambo coordinated the field test of the data collection at the Kenyatta Hospital. A more detailed report and the training agenda can be viewed here.

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IANSA Public Health Network and IPPNW activists raise the issue that "guns are bad for health" at the United Nations

January 9-20, 2006
PrepCom to the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons

Highlights of IPPNW and IANSA PHN activities include:

• A special session on the Public Health Network attended by 35 conference delegates, UN representatives, and NGOs.


• Development of a position paper on health and the UNPoA that outlines specific actions that States can take to incorporate health education, research and advocacy into National Action Plans.


• The public health message was included in the Mexican delegate presentation at a thematic discussion session and prompted a range of health related comments from other states.


• Dissemination of information to delegates and other NGOs on why public health is an important approach to mitigating the armed violence crisis.

The PrepCom leads up to the UNPoA Review Conference scheduled for the end of June/early July 2006. For more information, please contact IPPNW Aiming for Prevention Coordinator, Maria Valenti, mvalenti@ippnw.org. IPPNW and the IANSA Public Health Network thank in particular the Foreign Affairs Canada for support for these activities.

Photo: IANSA Public Health Network Medical Director Dr. Robert Mtonga, IANSA board member Dr. Kathy Kaufer Christoffel, WHO Programme Officer Khadija Rejto, IPPNW's Dr. Emperatriz Crespin

VIEW PHOTOS (JAN 2006)
VIEW PHOTOS (JULY 2005)
READ PRESS RELEASE ON PHN (JULY 2005)
READ BIENNIAL MEETING OF STATES CONFERENCE SUMMARY

Washington DC: Dr. Ruku Bhileni special guest on international broadcast, "Straight Talk Africa"

Washingon, DC
May 2005

Dr. Ruku Bhileni of Congolese Physicians for Peace appeared on the Washington, DC-based Voice of America's "Straight Talk Africa" radio program that is broadcast and web-cast worldwide, relating the history of IPPNW, its goals, and campaigns to promote peace through health, particularly through our "Aiming for Prevention" program. He appeared with the Senegalese Foreign Minister, Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, to discuss how to overcome the challenges of development in Africa. Dr. Bhileni was in the US on scholarship at a conference organized by the Landmine Survivor's Network

Pictured from left to right: Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, "Straight Talk Africa" host, Shaka Ssali and Dr, Ruku Bhileni of IPPNW/DR Congo.

Nairobi, Kenya: members from six IPPNW affiliates attended the Control Arms conference: "Action for Arms Control in a World Awash with Weapons"

April 2005

They brought IPPNW's Aiming for Prevention message to over 200 delegates from around the world gathered to strategize on preventing small arms violence. The conference was sponsored by the Control Arms Campaign of Amnesty International, Oxfam, and IANSA. Our affiliates raised the profile of the new IANSA Public Health Network coordinated by IPPNW, with Dr. Robert Mtonga of IPPNW/Zambia as the Medical Field Director. They conducted a session on the need for a public health approach to small arms violence. Dr. Walter Odhiambo of host affialiate IPPNW/Kenya, in another session, presented the human face of suffering via the innovative One Bullet Story developed by IPPNW/Kenya.

Pictured: IPPNW affiliate leaders and colleagues at the Control Arms conference in Nairobi, Kenya: Dr. Walter Odhiambo, IPPNW/Kenya, Dr. Emperatriz Crespin, IPPNW/El Salvador, Khuleni Xoma of ISS South Africa, Dr. Ime John, IPPNW/Nigeria, Patrick of Niger Delta Project, Nigeria, Angela, MSR Kenya, Dr. Robert Mtonga, IPPNW/Zambia. Not pictured but in attendance: Drs. Simon Bokongo and Ruku Bhileni of IPPNW/DR Congo.

El Salvador: Small arms coalition persuades President to review gun laws

February 4, 2005
(www.iansa.org)

Members of the Society without Violence Coalition in El Salvador, which was co-organized by IPPNW's El Salvador affiliate Médicos Salvadoreños para la Responsabilidad Social (MESARES), have persuaded President Elias Antonio Saca to create a National Commission to review the gun laws and to incorporate representatives from the coalition. The Commission will recommend improvements to a proposed new gun law.

The coalition presented research on injuries caused by firearms that was compiled by MESARES from hospital records and interviews, that details the cost to the national public health system of small arms violence - that treatment of gunshot wounds uses up more than 7% of the public hospital system's budget.

MESARES will present this report, which includes an extensive profile of the causes and effects of weapons use, at a public meeting on March 3 that includes speakers from the United Nations Development Program, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and Fundación para el Estudio y Aplicacion del Derecho (FESPAD), an El Salvador legal group.

Other members of the Society Without Violence include the Instituto Universitario de Opinión Pública (IUDOP), the Technology University, Radio station UPA, the Tin Marin Children's Museum and the UN Development Program (UNDP).