The Bishop of Bristol, Rt Revd Mike Hill, has joined Oxfam in calling on people to sign a worldwide petition to control the global arms trade as a result of seeing the impact of former child soldiers in Uganda.
Through its link with the Church of Uganda, the Diocese of Bristol supports families and communities in Uganda, dealing with the consequences of civil war including the rehabilitation of former child soldiers. Bishop Mike has joined forces with Oxfam to urge local people in Bristol and across the South West to support the campaign for a strong Arms Trade Treaty as current negotiations hang in the balance.
The worldwide petition calling for support for a global Arms Trade Treaty is aiming for over one million signatures as talks take place to place restrictions on the sale of arms and ammunition. Local MPs, Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East) and Martin Horwood (Cheltenham), are representing the UK at these talks in New York until Friday 27 July.
Every day 1,500 people die in armed violence around the world and enough bullets are produced every year to wipe out the Earth’s entire population twice over. Oxfam, Amnesty International and other organisations including the Diocese of Bristol have campaigned for tighter controls on arms for many years. The Control Arms campaign (www.controlarms.org) was formed in 2003 and has now culminated in the current negotiations taking place in New York this month. Firm restrictions on who can buy and sell weapons would reduce abuses against civilians by governments, armies and gangs.
The Diocese of Bristol shares a formal link with the Church of Uganda where the consequences of a horrific and brutal civil war, hugely abetted by paramilitaries’ ready access to guns and ammunition, are still at the forefront of the Church’s work.
“Having seen nine-year-old boys carrying around AK47s in Uganda, the scandal of arms trading with unstable regimes is a curse that needs to be curtailed as soon as possible,” said Bishop Mikle. “I encourage all people to support the campaign and sign the petition.
“Our partners in the North of Uganda are actively involved in the rehabilitation of child soldiers who were abducted by paramilitaries and in the rebuilding of communities that have been shattered by years of chaotic violence. We want everyone to call on delegates at the United Nations talks to seek to ensure that such violence is less likely ever to be repeated. They must work towards the introduction of strong controls regulating the international movement and sale of arms.”
Revd Willy Akena, Information Officer in the Diocese of Northern Uganda, said:
“Small arms have made our people orphans, homeless, widows and widowers. We would strongly advocate against small arms proliferation.
“As a diocese we are trying to provide a holistic support to people as they return to their villages through psychological and practical support. We are nurturing physical healing through the provision of seed and farm implements, rebuilding roads and water points, and training the communities in modern agronomic practices. We provide trauma counselling, we are working for the reconciling of victims and victimizers and the healing of memories.”
Young people from Bristol have just returned from visiting Uganda at the moment: 18 girls from the Red Maids School in Westbury-on-Trym were with Bishop Johnson at Gulu in the Diocese of Northern Uganda, and a group from St Michael’s Church in Stoke Gifford, Bristol, were in the Diocese of Ankole.
The Church of Uganda is a major player in the country alongside international relief agencies. Its unique work is in healing rifts and resentment within communities because it is a part of those communities and a fellow-sufferer.
However vital negotiations to end the irresponsible and poorly-regulated international arms trade are at risk of failure, as negotiations at the United Nations enter a critical final week. The talks are now being dominated by sceptical governments and China and Russia are opposed to effective human rights and humanitarian rules in any deal whilst the US wants exclusions that could undermine the effectiveness of any treaty.
Jeff Abramson, director of the Control Arms secretariat, said:
“There is everything to play for this week. A strong treaty is still within our grasp but there is a real risk it could slip through our fingers at the last minute. Now is the time for action. All states that have called for a strong Arms Trade Treaty for years in the past, must now deliver on their promises.”
Sign the Control Arms petition >>
Visit the Oxfam website to find out more about the Arms Trade Treaty >>
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