Small arms and light weapons Africa Arms Trafficking The proliferation and misuse of small arms is a worldwide, progressively complex and multifaceted phenomenon that affects people of all religions. By virtue of their easy availability, low cost and manageability, small arms and light weapons (SALW) have become the weapons of choice in most conflicts in the world today and have helped raised levels of armed violence even in areas at peace. These weapons are the leading contributors to the escalation of a culture of violence and to the militarization of civil society. More than 1,000 lives are lost each day to small arms violence. Many of the victims are civilians. Small arms have a disproportionate, far-reaching and long-lasting impact that extends well past their immediate use in conflict. USA Religions for Peace Text 28p http://iffoadatabase.trustafrica.org/iff/small_arms_and_light_weapons_africa.pdf