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Explosive Hazards In The Aftermath Of Natural Disasters: Lessons Learned, Nicole Neitzey, Paula S. Daly Apr 2016

Explosive Hazards In The Aftermath Of Natural Disasters: Lessons Learned, Nicole Neitzey, Paula S. Daly

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Natural disasters have posed problems for demining operations in the past; the heavy flooding in Bosnia and Herzegovina was one recent example of many. Over the past 20 years, natural disasters have impacted countries affected by landmines or other explosive remnants of war (ERW), causing renewed danger. Despite reoccurring in recent years, these events continue catching the international CWD community by surprise, while experience and lessons learned from previous disasters in one country must be relearned in other regions.


Small Caliber De-Armers: An Answer To Explosive Acquisition Problems, Harold S. Pearson Apr 2016

Small Caliber De-Armers: An Answer To Explosive Acquisition Problems, Harold S. Pearson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In many mine-affected countries, sourcing, transporting and reliably initiating explosives is one of the major obstacles for mine action operators. Consequently, finding a reliable method of destroying anti-personnel (AP) landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination that does not require the use of high explosives is of great interest to many in the industry.


Tiramisu Final Technology Demonstration At Sedee-Dovo, Yann Yvinec, Vinciane Lacroix, Yvan Baudoin Apr 2016

Tiramisu Final Technology Demonstration At Sedee-Dovo, Yann Yvinec, Vinciane Lacroix, Yvan Baudoin

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

On 24 September 2015, and in the presence of Her Royal Highness Princess Astrid of Belgium, the Royal Military Academy of Belgium (RMA) organized a demonstration for mine action tools in Meerdael, Belgium. At the Belgian EOD battalion premises of SEDEE-DOVO, RMA presented technology developed under the TIRAMISU project, which was co-funded by the European Union and coordinated by RMA. Designed by twenty-six different organizations, the tools covered multiple elements of mine action, including survey, operation and validation, information management, mine risk education (MRE), close-in-detection, and personnel protective equipment (PPE). Organizers held inside and outside demonstrations as well as discussions …


Stockpile Destruction Of Obsolete Surface-To-Air Missiles In Mali, Marlène Dupouy, Charles Frisby Apr 2016

Stockpile Destruction Of Obsolete Surface-To-Air Missiles In Mali, Marlène Dupouy, Charles Frisby

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Inadequate management of ammunition stockpiles can cause accidental explosions. The Small Arms Survey lists a total of 528 unplanned explosions of ammunition storage sites since January 1979, in more than half of United Nations member states. The March 2012 incident, which took place in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo, is a reminder of the danger posed by poor stockpile management, as well as the tragic consequences affecting the population, environment and governments as a result of financial costs of clean-up exercises. The explosions in Brazzaville killed at least 300 people, injured more than 2,500 and left over 121,000 homeless, according …


Unfinished Business: Cluster Munition Remnants In Kosovo, Darvin Lisica, Stuart Maslen Apr 2016

Unfinished Business: Cluster Munition Remnants In Kosovo, Darvin Lisica, Stuart Maslen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

During the period of June 1999 to mid-December 2001, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) coordinated major international cleanup activities in Kosovo, which resulted in the successful clearance of more than 12.4 sq mi (32.1 sq km) of land and the destruction of more than 50,000 landmines, unexploded submunitions and other unexploded ordnance (UXO). Kosovo had considerable mine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) contamination, including cluster munition remnants (CMR) from armed conflict between forces of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Kosovo Liberation Army in the late 1990s, exacerbated by the NATO bombing in 1999.


Transition And National Capacity After Article 5 Compliance, Hans Risser, Christian Ruge Apr 2016

Transition And National Capacity After Article 5 Compliance, Hans Risser, Christian Ruge

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In June 2014, State Parties to the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) met in Maputo, Mozambique, for the 3rd Review Conference of the APMBC, fifteen years after its entry into force. As the review conference approached, State Parties faced a growing call from civil society and some State Parties to commit to complete all obligations in the treaty as rapidly as possible. The majority of State Parties have already completed their APBMC obligations to destroy stockpiles of anti-personnel (AP) mines. However, surveying and clearing all known mined areas in a state’s territory in accordance with obligations under Article 5 of …


Endnotes Issue 20.1, Cisr Journal Apr 2016

Endnotes Issue 20.1, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction 20.1 Endnotes


Providing Integrated Peer-Support Assistance To Landmine Survivors, Amir Mujanovic Dec 2015

Providing Integrated Peer-Support Assistance To Landmine Survivors, Amir Mujanovic

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Landmine Survivors Initiatives implemented a three-pronged, peer-support assistance system to meet landmine survivors’ needs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This practice is the combination of an approach and methodology to provide integrated assistance to landmine survivors.


Landmines In Croatia Pose Threat To Incoming Refugees, News Brief Dec 2015

Landmines In Croatia Pose Threat To Incoming Refugees, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After Hungary formally closed its border with Serbia on 15 September 2015, refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East, Central Asia and Northern Africa have turned next to Croatia as a gateway to reach countries such as Sweden and Germany. The influx of refugees traversing the areas near the Croatia-Serbia border has raised concerns that refugees will encounter residual landmine contamination in Croatia as they make their way to Slovenia and Hungary. The contamination dates back to the four-year conflict which followed the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia from 1991 to 1995. The Croatian Mine Action Centre (CROMAC) estimates that …


Effectiveness Of Gis In Mine Action, Hansie Heymans, Arie Claassens Dec 2015

Effectiveness Of Gis In Mine Action, Hansie Heymans, Arie Claassens

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

According to a survey conducted by Geometric Solutions, Ltd., the usage of a geographic information system (GIS) stands to benefit the mine action community within the context of strategic planning and operational decision-making. Furthermore, web-based GIS can provide mobile spatial data for operations and lead to an overall improvement of mine action operations.


Landmine Detonates On South Korean Side Of Demilitarized Zone, News Brief Dec 2015

Landmine Detonates On South Korean Side Of Demilitarized Zone, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Tensions between North Korea and South Korea rose as a result of the first major exchange of artillery fire in five years. On 4 August 2015, a landmine severely wounded two South Korean staff sergeants patrolling the DMZ.Officials from Seoul accused North Korea of planting three mines near the guard post on the south side of the DMZ, 440 meters (481 yards) away from the demarcation line; officials from Pyongyang denied these accusations. The explosives found were placed in wooden boxes, not unlike mines previously used by North Korea.


Remote Risk Education In Syria, Nikolaj Søndergaard Dec 2015

Remote Risk Education In Syria, Nikolaj Søndergaard

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Unable to be physically present in Syria due to ongoing conflict, DanChurchAid (DCA) is collaborating with a network of journalists and activists in order to assess the need for risk education in the country. By framing its risk education curriculum and strategies around this information, DCA’s mine action initiatives are tailor-fit for the hard-to-reach populations of war-ravaged Syria.


Risk Education In Northern Jordan, Lindsay Aldrich, Suzanne Fiederlein, Jessica Rosati Dec 2015

Risk Education In Northern Jordan, Lindsay Aldrich, Suzanne Fiederlein, Jessica Rosati

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In 2013 and 2014, the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at James Madison University led a project funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA) to provide explosive remnants of war risk education to Syrian refugees living in urban areas of northern Jordan. At the time, it was unclear whether the hundreds of thousands of Syrians fleeing the civil conflict and seeking refuge in neighboring countries would be able to return home in the near future, but there was still significant hope this would happen.


Mag: Mine Clearance In Lebanon, Sean Sutton Dec 2015

Mag: Mine Clearance In Lebanon, Sean Sutton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mines, cluster submunitions, and unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination plague Lebanon as a result of a 15-year civil war ending in 1990, two Israeli invasions in 1978 and 1982, and the July–August conflict with Israel in 2006. The Lebanon Mine Action Centre (LMAC) identified 2,598 mined areas covering 191,000,000 sq m of land. Following non-technical survey (NTS) and clearance operations, there is an estimated 30,316,080 sq m of suspected hazardous area remaining. Although some cluster munition contamination remains from the 1982 conflicts, much of the contamination is the result of the 2006 conflict with Israel, during which nearly four million cluster …


Solutions For Increasing Physical Accessibility, Capacity Building And Psychological Support In Tajikistan, Reykhan Muminova Dec 2015

Solutions For Increasing Physical Accessibility, Capacity Building And Psychological Support In Tajikistan, Reykhan Muminova

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In order to fulfill requirements of the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, modified the architecture of three public buildings and implemented a new psychological training process for medical centers in the area to provide awareness about disability rights and increase provision of psychological aid. The desired end goal is that advocacy will allow for increased public acceptance and understanding of disability while moving Tajikistan toward signing the CRPD.


Caught In The Crossfire: Challenges To Providing Victim Assistance In Colombia, Michelle Miller Dec 2015

Caught In The Crossfire: Challenges To Providing Victim Assistance In Colombia, Michelle Miller

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Due to ongoing civil conflict, many Colombian civilians experience both financial and physical harm, but those living in rural areas have limited or no access to much-needed medical and economic assistance. In conjunction with governmental and nongovernmental organizations, as well as multi-national corporations, the Polus Center for Social and Economic Development assesses the needs of and provides rehabilitative services to residents in these remote areas.


Project Renew’S Prosthetics And Orthotics Mobile Outreach Program, Dang Quang Toan Dec 2015

Project Renew’S Prosthetics And Orthotics Mobile Outreach Program, Dang Quang Toan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Project RENEW established a mobile outreach program to provide prostheses, orthotics and education to explosive remnants of war survivors in the remote communities of Vietnam.


Roots Of Peace: Cluster Munitions To Crops, Tucker Kuhn, Heidi Kuhn Dec 2015

Roots Of Peace: Cluster Munitions To Crops, Tucker Kuhn, Heidi Kuhn

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

By facilitating the removal of explosive remnants of war in rural Vietnam, Roots of Peace (ROP) aims to restore contaminated farmland to a safe, productive state. ROP encourages economic empowerment by training farmers in the production of cash crops, such as black pepper and taro.


Integrating Mre Into Humanitarian Responses In Iraq, Tammy Hall Dec 2015

Integrating Mre Into Humanitarian Responses In Iraq, Tammy Hall

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As a result of conflict in Iraq, the safety and well-being of millions of refugees and internally displaced persons is at stake due to explosive remnants of war (ERW). In order to mitigate that threat, the Danish Refugee Council enlisted the help of the Danish Demining Group to incorporate mine and ERW risk education into existing humanitarian efforts in Iraq.


Humanitarian Mine Action In Afghanistan: A History, Ian Mansfield Dec 2015

Humanitarian Mine Action In Afghanistan: A History, Ian Mansfield

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After a decade of Soviet occupation in Afghanistan and the resulting internal conflict, the removal of explosive remnants of war (ERW) became a complicated issue. Systematic clearance of ERW was difficult to establish due to the volatile security situation and an inability to regulate clearance work. However, due to collaboration between the United Nations and Afghan nongovernmental organizations, mine clearance operations were successfully established in Afghanistan in the 1990s.


Evolution Of Disability Rights In Iraq, Ken Rutherford, Megan Hinton Dec 2015

Evolution Of Disability Rights In Iraq, Ken Rutherford, Megan Hinton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Due to the many years of conflict in Iraq, landmines and explosive remnants of war resulted in a large population of persons with disabilities. People with disabilities in Iraq lack adequate housing, medical care, educational opportunities and legislation protecting their rights. Now is the time to create the legal framework protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.


Collaborative Ordnance Data Repository (Cord), Dionysia Kontotasiou, Olivier Cottray Dec 2015

Collaborative Ordnance Data Repository (Cord), Dionysia Kontotasiou, Olivier Cottray

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Until recently, the mine action and broader humanitarian disarmament community have relied on ORDATA for ordnance information. However, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, James Madison University and software-development company Ripple Design developed a novel aid to using ORDATA: the Collaborative ORDnance data repository (CORD). Representing a significant update to the data set, CORD is an ordnance-identification system featuring Web 2.0 concepts that allow individual users to contribute updates to the data.


The Journal Of Erw And Mine Action Issue 19.2 (2015), Cisr Journal Jul 2015

The Journal Of Erw And Mine Action Issue 19.2 (2015), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Focus on Colombia | Risk Education | Notes from the Field | Research and Development


Counting The Uncountable: Measuring The Benefits Of Mre, Robert Keeley Jul 2015

Counting The Uncountable: Measuring The Benefits Of Mre, Robert Keeley

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The aim of this article is to propose concepts that define MRE in terms of its outcomes and beneficiaries and to open a discussion on developing a means that may then be useful in measuring the efficacy of MRE. This article defines efficacy as the ability to produce a desired or intended result.


Best Practices In Managing Government Grants, Nicole Neitzey Nov 2014

Best Practices In Managing Government Grants, Nicole Neitzey

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Dwindling funds have steadily created more competition for organizations in mine action and conventional weapons destruction. Given the current funding landscape in these fields, it is increasingly imperative for organizations to employ sound program-management practices to prove themselves worthy for continued funding. This article was adapted from several of the author’s presentations on securing funding, managing grant funds and project risk management.


Gender And Disability Equality In Mine Action Program Management, William Hankey Nov 2014

Gender And Disability Equality In Mine Action Program Management, William Hankey

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Women and persons with disabilities endure multiple challenges in mine action work. Thongvone Sosamphan and Mikael Bold provide insight into how such issues have been addressed in the professional sphere, what legislation frames them and how the mine action community can further respond to their inclusion in mine action.


The Mine Action Visitor Center In Vietnam, Phu Thanh Nguyen, Chuck Searcy Jul 2014

The Mine Action Visitor Center In Vietnam, Phu Thanh Nguyen, Chuck Searcy

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

To raise public awareness of the dangers of explosive remnants of war and current mine action activities, Project RENEW created the Mine Action Visitor Center in Quang Tri province, a former demilitarized zone during the Vietnam War.


Promoting Firearms Marking In Latin America And The Caribbean, Lourdes Rincon Jul 2014

Promoting Firearms Marking In Latin America And The Caribbean, Lourdes Rincon

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Marking firearms is an important step in combating illicit weapons trafficking. To promote marking and tracing among countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Organization of American States has strengthened national capacities to mark firearms by providing equipment and related training since 2009.


Disability Rights In Laos, Megan Hinton, Ken Rutherford Jul 2014

Disability Rights In Laos, Megan Hinton, Ken Rutherford

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Relatively poor immunization and health standards, inadequate transportation infrastructure, and explosive remnants of war from previous conflicts are prevalent causes of disability in Laos. The exact number of disabled people living in Laos today is unknown due to inadequate surveys, poor reporting and little incentive for individuals to register as disabled. Despite the large number of disabled persons in Laos, they are a highly underrepresented minority. However, disability issues have become increasingly mainstream in Lao society in recent years, and a renewed effort to secure disability rights has ensued.


New Mine/Erw Risk Education Initiatives In Afghanistan, Samim Hashimi Jul 2014

New Mine/Erw Risk Education Initiatives In Afghanistan, Samim Hashimi

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Many steps, including training midwives, police officers and teachers in mine and explosive remnants of war risk education (mine/ERW RE), have been taken in Afghanistan to ensure that mine/ERW RE is integrated into local networks. This article outlines the move toward integrating mine/ERW RE within local networks in Afghanistan to assure that high-quality and sustainable material is delivered in the areas that need it most.