Uruguay has long been one of Latin America’s most progressive countries when it comes to a bevy of issues from gay rights to foreign diplomacy, and its government’s new gun swapping program is lockstep with this country’s agenda. The Uruguayan Interior Ministry launched a “Weapons for Life” program, in which citizens can trade in their guns for computers or bicycles. This country of 3 million citizens is home to half a million guns; according to the Ministry, the goal of this program is to promote responsible gun ownership, a safe disarming of society and to “achieve a more harmonious existence.” The government also claims it will crack down on illegal gun ownership and bolster proper training for weapons owners. It will be interesting to see whether a program to combat violence via an incentive for bicycling will find success.

Cities in the U.S. have rolled out cash for guns programs in the past with mixed results. Would you think such a program outside of Uruguay would work?

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Leon Kaye

Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division, GGP Media. Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event. His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). He writes for San Francisco-based Triple Pundit, Inhabitat and now The Guardian, for which he writes about corporate responsibility, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's Architect Magazine. Leon works out of Fresno and Silicon Valley, California, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 60 countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.