ARMS AVAILABILITY AND POVERTY REDUCTION

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ARMS AVAILABILITYAND POVERTY REDUCTION

• Sharif A. Kafi, Director
• Bangladesh Development Partnership Centre (BDPC)

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POVERTY

• IN SIMPLE TERM
• POVERTY IS LACK OF
• LIVELIHOOD SECURITY
• LIVELIHOOD INSECURITY IS INABILITY AT THE FAMILY
  LEVEL
• TO MEET BASIC NEEDS

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LIVELIHOOD INSECURITY

• HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT
• LACK OF ACCESS TO INCOME
• LACK OF ACCESS TO FOOD
• LACK OF ACCESS TO RESOURCES
• LACK OF ACCESS TO SHELTER/CLOTHING
• LACK OF ACCESS TO HEALTHCARE
• LACK OF ACCESS TO EDUCATION/ KNOWLEDGE
  TECHNOLOGY
• LACK OF ACCESS TO WATER SANITATION
• LACK OF PHYSICAL SECURITY
• LACK OF SAFE ENVIRONMENT

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CAUSES OF LIVELIHOOD INSECURITYAND ITS
PERPETUATION

• THE PRINCIPAL CAUSE REFERS TO
• LACK OF GOOD GOVERNANCE
• THAT ENTAILS
• 1. POLITICAL DISCRIMINATION
• 2. ECONOMIC DISPARITY
• 3. ETHNICITY AND RELIGION BASED DISCRIMINATION
• 4. WIDE SPREAD CORRUPTION
• 5. FAILURE OF THE STATE TO DELIVER DEVELOPMENT
  AND SECURITY

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POLITICAL DISCRIMINATION

• 1. DECEPTIVE DEMOCRACY, RUBBER STAMP PARLIAMENT,
  MARTIAL LAW, ETC
• 2. DENIAL OF FUNDAMENTAL AND CIVIL RIGHTS
• 3. DENIAL OF CITIZENS PARTICIPATION IN THE
  GOVERNANCE PROCESS
• 4. RIGGED AND ENGINEERED ELECTION
• 5. INEFFICIENT/QUESTIONABLE JUDICIAL SYSTEM
• 6. DENIAL OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND INFORMATION,
  CENSORED PRESS AND MEDIA
• 7. DENIAL OF IDENTITY, LANGUAGE, SELF RULE AND
  RIGHTS OF THE MINORITIES
• 8. PROMOTION OF ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS DIVIDE,
  RACISM, ETC
• 9. INDISCRIMINATE VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

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ECONOMIC DISPARITY

• 1. POOR EDUCATION AND HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT
• 2. GEOGRAPHIC AND ETHNIC DISCRIMINATION IN
  DEVELOPMENT PLANNING
• 3. RELUCTANCE TO INVEST IN SOCIAL SECTOR
• 4. URBAN BIAS AND DOUBLE STANDARD IN EDUCATION,
  HEALTH, SERVICE, ETC SECTORS
• 5. LITTLE OR NO ACCESS TO RESOURCES FOR THE ULTRA
  POOR, WOMEN, MINORITY, ETHNIC GROUPS, ETC
• 6. STRONG SENSE OF DEPRIVATION AND
  DISENFRANCHISEMENT AMONG THE DISADVANTAGED
• 7. GROWING PAUPERIZATION, RURAL URBAN MIGRATION,
  CROSS BORDER MIGRATION, INTERCONTINENTAL
  POPULATION EXODUS

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ETHNICITY AND RELIGION BASED DISCRIMINATION

• 1. DENIAL OF JUST AND FAIR ACCESS TO GOVERNANCE
  PROCESS AND SELF RULE
• 2. DISCRIMINATION IN CIVIL AND CIVIC RIGHTS
• 3. DENAIL OF JUSTICE
• 4. DENIAL OF RELIGIOUS RIGHTS
• 5. ETHNIC CLEANSING
• 6. DINIAL OF JUST ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND
  DEVELOPMENT
• 7. EVICTION AND FORFEITING OF ASSETS
• 8. VINDICATION AND OPPRESSION, OFTEN WITH
  PURPOSEFUL BLACK LAWS

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CORRUPTION

• 1. ACCOMULATION OF RESOURCES IN THE HANDS OF A
  FEW
• 2. MONEY LAUNDERING
• 3. HIGH SPECULATIVE ACTIVITIES IN FINANCE AND
  BUSINESS SECTORS
• 4. NEGATIVE BALANCE OF PAYMENT
• 5. POOR GDP GROWTH RATE
• 6. VERY LOW RATE OF MEDIAN PER CAPITA INCOME
• 7. HIGH INFLATION AND HIGH PRICE OF ESSENTIALS
• 8. DEPENDENCE ON INFORMAL ECONOMY - SMUGGLING
  DRUG, GUN, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, EXTORTION, ETC
• 9. GRWOING NEXUS AMONG CORRUPT POLITICIANS,
  CORRUPT OFFICIALS, CRIME SYNDICATES, CORRUPT LAW
  ENFORCERS, GANGSTERS, ETC
• 10.HIGH DEMAND OF ILLEGAL GUNS FOR CRIME AND
  SYNDICATED ACTIVITIES

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FAILURE TO ENSURE SECURITY

• 1. POOR LAW AND ORDER FRAGILE
• INTERNAL SECURITY
• 2. EGOTIC ATTEMPT TO RESOLVE POLITICAL ISSUES BY
  MILITARY MEANS
• 3. PRESENCE OF PERPETUATED CRIME AND CONFLICTS
• 4. INCREASED DEMAND AND SUPPLY SITUATION FOR
  ILLEGAL GUNS
• 5. INCREASE IN SECURITY AND DEFENCE SPENDING BY
  STATE VIS-A-VIS NON-STATE ACTORS

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FAILURE TO ENSURE SECURITY

• 6. INCREASED ARMS AVAILABILITY
• -CROSS BORDER GUN RUNNING
• (AT REGIONAL AND GLOBAL LEVELS)
• -LOCAL MANUFACTURING OF GUNS EXPLOS.
• -GLOBAL AND REGIONAL SUPPLY OF
• GUNS AS CHARITY AND POLITICAL OR
• COVERT SUPPORT
• 7. PARTICIPATION OF NON-POOR
• ELIMENTS IN CONFLICTS AND ARMED
• VIOLENCE IN SITUATION OF
• DEPRIVATION AND OPPRESSION

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VICIOUS CYCLE OF POVERTY AND VIOLENCE

• POLITICAL DISCRIMINATION, ECONOMIC DISPARITY,
  ETHNICITY AND RELIGION BASED DISCRIMINATION, WIDE
  SPREAD CORRUPTION AND FAILURE OF THE STATE TO
  DELIVER DEMOCRACY, DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY
• CONSTITUTES
• A VICIOUS CYCLE OF POVERTY, PAUPERIZATION, GUN
  VIOLENCE AND CRIME

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PUSH AND PULL FACTORSIN GLOBAL SOUTH SITUATION

• CRIME AND CONFLICT WITH WIDESPREAD CIRCULATION
  AND
• USE OF SMALL ARMS IN GLOBAL
• SOUTH CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO
• THREE PUSH FACTORS
• AND
• THREE PULL FACTORS

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THREE PUSH FACTORS

• A. HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT POVERTY
• B. SITUATION LEADING TO STRONG SENSE OF PHYSICAL
  INSECURITY AND DESIRE FOR REVENGE, IT CAN
• BE A LAW AND ORDER OR CONFLICT SITUATION
• C. FEAR OF BEING HARMED IN CASE OF REFUSAL TO
  PARTICIPATE IN ARMED/CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES UNDER
  PRESSURE FROM ARMED GROUPS AND CRIME SYNDICATES.

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THREE PULL FACTORS

• A. POWER AND STATUS (EVEN IF IT IS
• SHORT LIVED)
• B. EASY MONEY, ECONOMIC SOLVENCY (AGAIN IF IT
  IS SHORT LIVED)
• C. APPARENT PROTECTION BY MENTORS FROM BEING
  HARMED AND FROM
• BEING BROUGHT TO JUSTICE (?)

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INITIATIVE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE

• A Programme of Action to Prevent,
• Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in
• Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its
• Aspects was adopted by the United
• Nations in 2001
• More than 42 State parties have begun to
• implement this Programme of Action

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Conclusions

• 1. There should be a holistic approach in
• addressing the illegal small arms issues. Only
• preventing, combating and eradicating illegal
• trade in small arms may not solve the
• problems of small arms, while leaving the
• issues of governance and livelihood security
• unresolved.
• 2. The issues of political discrimination,
• economic disparity, corruption and ethnic as
• well as religious violence needs to be
• addressed adequately to resolve SALW issues.

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Conclusions

• 3. Poverty eradication, employment
• generation, adequate democratic practice,
  ensured rights of all citizens, fair access to
  governance process and political approach to
  resolve political issues are required to prevent
  illegal small arms activities and resolving long
  standing armed conflicts.
• 4. For lasting success against illegal small arms
  It is needed to consider control at the
• production line, licit or illicit, to reduce
• circulation and availability of small arms.

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Conclusions

• 5. To address the small arms issues effectively,
  governments need to plan for governance and small
  arms issues when planning for poverty eradication
  and economic growth.
• 6. Illegal small arms issues are not internal or
  domestic matter of a single country any more. Now
  a days they have grown more as cross border,
  regional and international issues. As such the
  problem requires close cross border, regional and
  international cooperation.

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Conclusions

• 7. Countries that depend on defense industries
  for employment and export earnings need to think
  seriously to rehabilitate their defense industry
  units with production of alternative goods with
  growing market or have potential of marketing in
  the future. In such a case the labor force will
  have to be re-trained for alternative job market
  in the new industries. This can be one way of
  keeping industrial economy of a country
  functioning with healthy employment level and at
  the same time addressing the small arms issues.
• 8. Countries with long standing armed conflict
  need to opt for political solution to the
  problems that they have been trying to resolve
  militarily without success.

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Conclusions

• 9. Governments across the continents need to
  recognize the fact that crime and violence are no
  more absolutely dependent on factory manufactured
  sophisticated finished SALW. Locally manufactured
  low quality gun, home made explosive device,
  hands on launching technology and suicide bombing
  are very fast replacing sophisticated weapons and
  explosive devices. This situation makes it
  evident that only preventing, combating and
  eradicating illegal TRADE in small arms may not
  help the human society to get rid of armed
  violence and conflicts, so long we do not
  eradicate the root causes of conflict, crime and
  social disharmony.

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THANK YOU

• THE END