25 October 2005

Brazil gun referendum defeated: a lost opportunity for victims of gun violence

Battle to reduce the gun death epidemic continues

Campaigners for gun control in Brazil and around the world today expressed disappointment at the result of Brazil’s gun ban referendum in which 64% of the population voted No to banning the sale of guns and ammunition.

‘The financial and marketing power of the gun lobby and the gun industry in Brazil won in the end,’ said Rebecca Peters, Director of the International Action Network on Small Arms. ‘We are disappointed at this lost opportunity to take a dramatic stand against gun violence, but we know the country’s strict new guns laws will continue to help save lives.’

The result is a victory for the financial and marketing power of the gun lobby and the gun industry. In the last 3 weeks before the referendum, Brazil’s election law required that each side be allocated equal air-time to promote their arguments. The pro-gun lobby used that period to run a slick, professional and misleading campaign of TV propaganda for the No vote. By contrast, the Yes vote depended on thousands of volunteers campaigning on the streets, but had very little money to produce TV ads.

The referendum was one of the measures contained in a tough national gun law introduced in December 2003, which made it illegal to carry guns, imposed tighter restrictions for obtaining a gun, and stiffened penalties for using or owning guns illegally. In 2004, 3200 fewer people died from gunshot wounds, a drop of 8% and the first decrease in 13 years.

‘We will keep fighting to prevent gun deaths,’ said Jessica Galeria of the NGO Viva Rio, an IANSA member that campaigned for the ban. ‘Most Brazilians do not own guns and do not believe guns make a household safer. But the No campaign exploited people’s fears: that police cannot protect them; that the government was trying to take away their “rights”.’

The pro-gun lobby claims that if the sale of guns is banned, only criminals will have guns. But the fact is that the majority of crime guns were originally legally owned.

The Brazilian referendum was the first time any country has put its national gun laws to a popular vote. Brazil has the highest number of gun deaths in the world, around 38,000 a year – or more than 100 every day. This is a higher rate than in many conflict zones. It is also the second largest producer of guns in the hemisphere.

For more information about the referendum see www.iansa.org (English) or www.referendosim.com.br (Portuguese).

22 Oct 2005

Brazilians go to the polls tomorrow to vote on whether the sale of guns and ammunition should be banned.

Please help us to spread the news and persuade your Brazilian friends in Brazil to vote 'Yes' to the ban or Brazilians around the world to support the 'Yes' campaign. Why not send them an email or give them a call?
You can make the difference!!!

Two months ago the 'yes' campaign had a big lead in the opinion polls. But the latest results are showing that this has been eroded, and the 'no' campaign is now moving ahead. The pro-gun lobby has a lot of money, and has been airing an expensive PR campaign including the use of false and misleading information. Most outrageous was the use of Nelson Mandela's image to make it look as if he supported the NO campaign, to which Mr Mandela's lawyers responded angrily.

YES CAMP LOSE GROUND Opinion polls asking: Should gun sales be banned? Yes: 73%; No: 24% (Source: CNT-Sensus, 13 September) Yes: 45%; No: 49% (Source: IBOPE, 15 October) Yes: 34%; No: 52% (Source: Toledo & Associados, 19 October)

Brazilian gun referendum approaches: a historic opportunity to make people safer from gun violence

Source of info:

On 23 October 2005, Brazilians will be able to vote in a radical referendum that is without precedent in the world: to choose if civilians should be allowed to buy guns.

This is a vital moment for Brazilians, who suffer the largest number of gun homicides in the world: 39,000 firearms deaths each year, many of them young people aged between 15 and 24.

Brazilian campaigners are convinced that the approval of this measure through a popular vote will be a major victory for the fight against violence in Brazil.

It is also a vital moment for the rest of the world, which will be watching carefully. If Brazil’s people vote for the prohibition of gun sales, this will reinforce the movement in favor of gun control in other Latin American countries riddled with armed violence, and back the efforts to control private gun ownership at international level.

Brazil has already been taking dramatic steps against the scourge of guns. After a decade of campaigning by Brazilian society, with increasingly strong demands for concrete changes from the government, the Disarmament Statute was passed in December 2003.

This new law banned the carrying of guns, drastically restricted their sale, and included measures to decrease the number of guns already in circulation. It also requires this new referendum to be held: the first referendum on any subject in Brazil, and the first referendum on gun ownership in the world.

A unique opportunity

For IANSA members in Brazil, the referendum is a huge opportunity and the culmination of years of campaigning.

The outcome is difficult to foresee. Opinion polls suggest that 60 to 80% of Brazilians favour a prohibition on gun sales to civilians.

But the powerful lobby of the Brazilian national arms and ammunition industry, with support from the National Rifle Association in the US, is also gearing up, and has announced it will invest US $1 million in the campaign.

Already the Brazilian pro-gun lobby has tried to prevent the referendum taking place, with ten months of political maneuvering. These delaying tactics were only overcome through enormous efforts by Brazilian civic organisations, who held constant rallies and distributed statistics on firearms violence to congressmen. The final vote on the referendum was 258 votes in favour, 48 against, and 5 abstentions.

A YES vote would be a message from the people that they do not want their houses, streets, schools and public spaces awash with guns; that they do not want their young people to risk being in the path of bullets every time they step outside. It would be a message to the world that the majority of people do not believe that having guns in their communities makes them safer.

http://www.iansa.org/regions/samerica/brazil-referendum.htm

In support of the referendum on Control Arms, 23rd October 2005, Brazil

by Luzia Laffoux Independent Dj Promoter/Events Org. & Oxfam Campaigns' Volunteer

This Brazilian arms referendumis set to be the first national gun vote in the world and, if the Brazilian people vote for tougher controls, it could help reduce the violence on the streets and this will serve as an example for other societies. Amnesty International volunteers are going to be present to promote the campaign profile.

Armed violence kills 40 thousand civilians a year in Brazil, according to "Sou da Paz Institute", (Control Arms coalition partner in Brazil), associated to Oxfam, Amnesty International and IANSA.

The Brazilian government, through its competent departments, has forbidden Brazilian people to vote if they are living outside Brazil.

A series of popular manifestation in front of Brazilian Embassies around the world is being organised for the 16th October, one week before the gun vote in Brazil (23rd October), demanding total rights for the Brazilians to vote for the Referendum on control arms in wherever country Brazilian citizens are based. Brazilians should have the right to go to their Embassies and say “YES” to stop the profitable massive violence armed industry in Brazil.

I interviewed Dr. Jean Carbonera, Brazilian, Solicitor pos-graduated at PUC University in Sao Paulo, leader of projects at the State Commission of Human Rights Brazilian Law Organisation (OAB), activist supporter of the Control Arms Campaign said:

“For the Brazilian electoral organization the voters who live abroad only vote for the President of Republic. In Italy, for example, it is different, diverse positions receive votes from the residents "al estero", wherever they live, also for referendums, which deals with issues as important as the presidency. There are 60,000 apt Brazilian voters living abroad. These, who left Brazil for some reason (many to look for a better life), have for times more interest in the results of an election, which could decide their return to home. The right of Brazilians to vote abroad for the Referendum on gun control in Brazil is likely not to be granted, as there is no much time left for organizing voting sessions at the Brazilian Consulate and Embassies worldwide. The voting in Brazil almost was not possible this year due to delay of the approval in the Congress.

But I consider the manifestation very positive and serves to show the Brazilians disappointment, demanding their right for voting for: 1) if the results of the referendum have a difference of less than 60.000 votes, Brazilians should claim for power of contesting this same results; 2) to force the government and the TSE (Superior Tribunal Electoral) to include the residents living abroad, in the next votings with national character (not regional).”

Visit www.soudapaz.org and send an email to: heather@soudapaz.org , even if you are not Brazilian, to say that the worldwide community supports the Referendum on Gun Control in Brazil. Heather will forward your support to the local authorities.

www.soudapaz.org.br
www.vivario.org.br

Sunday, 16 Oct, 2pm
Outside the Embassy of Brazil
32 Green Street, London W1
Tube: Marble Arch

Brazilians in London say “Yes” to a ban on gun sales back home

Up to 100 members of the Brazilian community will gather at the Brazilian Embassy in London on Sunday, October 16 to join the SIM ("Yes") campaign to support their country's historic referendum proposing a ban of the sale of guns to civilians. On 23 October some 122 million registered voters in Brazil will be able to vote on whether the sale of guns and ammunition to civilians should be made illegal. It will be the first vote in the world that proposes to tackle gun ownership through direct democracy. This is a vital moment for the country, which has the largest number of gun-related homicides in the world. There are at least 38,000 firearm deaths each year, most of them young people aged between 15 and 24. That is more than 100 gun deaths every single day.

In London, the Brazilian community will gather outside the Brazilian Embassy on Green Street, W1, in a vibrant display of support for the “SiM” campaign, which asks Brazilians to vote “Yes” for life. Brazilian artists and street performers will attend to create a carnival atmosphere, after which a debate on gun use will take place. Some of the Brazilians attending have lost relatives to gun violence and have fled to Britain. They will be available for interviews and photos. Outlines of dead bodies will be drawn on the ground for people to lie in and then symbolically rise up from, to signal the fact that they choose life.

The London event is part of a co-ordinated International Day of Action where Brazilians will gather outside their embassies in a show of solidarity for the SIM campaign. Events are planned in South Africa, Angola, Mozambique, Spain, Turkey, Italy and Paraguay among others.

“Not only is this an important moment for Brazilians, but also for the rest of the world, which is watching carefully. If Brazil’s people vote for the prohibition of gun sales, it will reinforce the movement in favour of gun control in other countries,” said Rebecca Peters, director of the International Action Network on Small Arms.

"In countries all around the world, Amnesty International has seen the deadly impact of armed violence on human rights. The proliferation of unregulated guns not only jeopardises people’s right to life, but their right to a decent standard of living, health and education. Given the exceptionally high level of gun violence in Brazil and the country's leading role as a gun producer in Latin America, we support a YES vote in the Brazilian Disarmament Referendum as the best way of ensuring human security in Brazil and as a first step towards support for an international treaty to control the arms trade," said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

Simon Gray, Oxfam's Campaign Manager for Control Arms said: "This referendum is ground-breaking globally. We hope it will start lots of governments thinking about arms control. If you look at civilian gun legislation in other countries, it is quite clear that tightening the law leads to reduced death rates."

A fact file will be available for press on the day. For more information, contact: Marcia Walker, 07752 356274 mwalker@oxfam.org.uk or Severine Gould, 020 7802 9982 sngould@oxfam.org.uk

Notes to Editor:
• The Control Arms Campaign, launched by Amnesty International, Oxfam and IANSA (International Network on Small Arms) is calling for an International Arms Trade Treaty (IATT) to establish legally-binding requirements to control the supply of weapons globally. Visit www.controlarms.org for more information.
• For more information on the Brazil Referendum, see: http://www.iansa.org/regions/samerica/brazilreferendum.htm
• The Office of National Statistics, using the 2001 census, says there are 15,215 Brazilians recorded as living in the United Kingdom, of which 8,162 live in London.
• In December 2003, in response to campaigning, the Brazilian government passed the Disarmament Statute banning the carrying of guns and restricting their sale. In 2004, gun deaths fell by 8 per cent (3,234 lives saved compared with 2003), the first decline in Brazil for 13 years.
• www.brazilianartists.net will be holding a debate on guns from 5pm at the Sols Arms, 65-68 Hampstead Road, London, NW1. For more information, see the website.
• ‘Gun Free South Africa’ has asked all religious groups to have a moment of silence or prayer for the vote that will be taking place in Brazil.

YES TO LIFE,
YES TO ARMS CONTROL
CLICH HERE GO BACK TO THE EVENT
ORGANISED BY www.BrazilianArtists.net
ON 16th OCTOBER IN LONDON