Aiming for Prevention

One-Bullet Stories show the human face of small arms violence

Small arms and light weapons kill an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 people each year. Hundreds of thousands more are injured, often with lifelong repercussions. Behind the statistics are the individual stories of people, families, and communities whose lives have been shattered by small arms violence.

A key educational tool of IPPNW’s Aiming For Prevention program is the One-Bullet Story (OBS), a close look in words and pictures, at the devastating human consequences of the global proliferation of guns and gun violence. The first One-Bullet Story was produced by physician activists in Kenya, and was presented to hushed audiences at the United Nations. “Linking dollars to human suffering strikes a chord with most ambassadors here,” said one UN delegate after seeing the Kenyan OBS. Since then, One-Bullet Stories have been created by doctors and medical students in Nepal, Nigeria, and Zambia, with more to follow.

The typical OBS documents in graphic, sometimes shocking, detail the nature and extent of the physical injuries that can be caused by just a single bullet wound. The complexities and cost of treatment and rehabilitation are then described, from the points of view of the victim, his or her family, and the doctors who must try to repair the damage. The psychological and social scars, which can persist long after the initial trauma, are also described. Each OBS concludes with a powerful appeal for primary prevention through stronger national and international controls on small arms trafficking.

To download One-Bullet Stories from Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, and Zambia, click here.

Click on the following countries to view One Bullet Stories in web browser:

Kenya

[Support More One Bullet Stories]

Nepal

[Support More One Bullet Stories]

Nigeria

[Support More One Bullet Stories]

Zambia

[Support More One Bullet Stories]