Buy or Barter: The History and Prospects of Voluntary Weapons Collection Programmes

This research paper examines the challenges of managing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, particularly in post-conflict settings, and argues that traditional supply-side controls are insufficient for reversing existing weapon circulation.

• The prevalence of weapons in communities is linked to increased violence, crime, and fatal accidents, and in post-conflict nations, the lack of control over these arms hinders social and economic development and compromises citizen security.
• Traditional gun and arms control measures have primarily focused on limiting supply through legislation and import/export restrictions, but these are often ineffective because proliferation has already occurred, making the challenge one of reversal rather than control.
• The legacy of Cold War proxy wars created an extensive arms market of light weapons, including 9 mm pistols and surface-to-air missiles, which now circulate internally, rendering traditional export bans by supplier states irrelevant.

APA

Meek, S. (n.d.). Buy or Barter: The History and Prospects of Voluntary Weapons Collection Programmes. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-22-buy-or-barter-the-history-and-prospects-of-voluntary-weapons-collection-programmes-sarah-meek

Chicago

Meek, Sarah. Buy or Barter: The History and Prospects of Voluntary Weapons Collection Programmes. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-22-buy-or-barter-the-history-and-prospects-of-voluntary-weapons-collection-programmes-sarah-meek.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Meek |first1=Sarah |title=Buy or Barter: The History and Prospects of Voluntary Weapons Collection Programmes |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-22-buy-or-barter-the-history-and-prospects-of-voluntary-weapons-collection-programmes-sarah-meek |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{meekndbuy, author = {Meek, Sarah}, title = {{Buy or Barter: The History and Prospects of Voluntary Weapons Collection Programmes}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/monographs/monograph-22-buy-or-barter-the-history-and-prospects-of-voluntary-weapons-collection-programmes-sarah-meek}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }