Digital Commons Network^™

Mechanical Demining: From 1942 To The Present, Pehr Lodhammar

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Although demining machines have been in existence since 1942, they were not used in the field of mine action until about the early 1990s. Demining machines were initially only used by the military. With the growing number of casualties stemming from landmines, especially among civilians, it became necessary to employ machines for humanitarian purposes. From the first demining machine constructed in early 1942 to the present, tremendous improvements have been made.

Gis Technology Helps Rid Southeast Asia Of Landmines And Uxo, Carla Wheeler

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Southeast Asia remains one of the most heavily mined regions in the world. Cambodia, which has a 2009 deadline for the Ottawa Convention, has requested a deadline extension because it will be impossible to meet its clearance obligations by then. The Cambodian Mine Action and Victim Assistance Authority is being aided by software from ESRI, which is used to create databases, maps and charts to record the location of mines and unexploded ordnance. This information is used to more effectively locate and demine contaminated areas. As Cambodia’s population increases, it is becoming more critical to clear the land of mines.

The Reintegration Of Landmine Survivors In Mine-Affected Northeast Albania, Melanie Reimer

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

No abstract provided.

Unmas/Gichd Technology Workshop, Nicole Neitzey

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article highlights the United Nations Mine Action Service/Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining Technology Workshop held in September 2008 in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Gichd Land Release Project, Tim Lardner

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In the past, inconsistent and inefficient methods of identifying and clearing mines and unexploded ordnance have wasted precious demining resources and left affected areas contaminated. In 2006, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Deming recognized the need for a more effective land-release process in the international mine-action community and subsequently developed the Land Release Project.

The Association Of Volunteers In International Service Foundation, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Association of Volunteers in International Service is an international not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization founded in Italy in 1972. The AVSI mission is to support individuals in developing countries focusing on education and dignity of all people according to the teachings of the Catholic Church. It is currently operating in 39 countries with 120 expatriates in extended field assignments and 700 local staff managing 111 long-term projects benefiting about 4.15 million people

Ncdr And Women In Jordan, Adnan Telfah, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

High levels of gender inequality exist within Jordan—inequalities that affect the workforce. In a nation like Jordan, where women have minimal political participation and only 26 percent of women are active economically, it is difficult for women to be incorporated into the workforce. Fewer women are employed outside of the home when compared to men, with only 9 percent of Jordanian women above the age of 15 working outside their homes. Among females, unemployment rates are double those for males; further, high percentages of women are discouraged from seeking employment outside of the home. Women who are employed are typically …

Mixing It Up: The Rotary Mine Comb, Chris Wanner

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Rotary Mine Comb has been put to the test on Angola’s most dangerous stretch of road. In the province of Cuando Cubango, The HALO Trust has deployed the vehicle-based RMC system with impressive results. This article assesses the system’s features and minimal-metal anti-tank mine-clearance capabilities in the field.

Experimenting With New Technologies For Technical Survey In Humanitarian Demining, Fernando Termentini, Salvatore Esposito, Marco Balsi

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Humanitarian Demining Laboratory of Università La Sapienza di Roma, Italy, currently performs research and experimental work for multisensor explosive-remnants-of-war detecting platforms. In this article, the authors report preliminary testing results on a new, active thermal technique discovered through their research.

Gender In Mine Action: The Tajikistan Experience, Shahrinisso Davlyatova

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article discusses the involvement of Tajik women in educating those in their communities about the threats of landmines and unexploded ordnance. It also highlights why there is an increased danger from landmines and unexploded ordnance for women and children.

Gender Stigma And Erw Injuries, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Although men account for a greater number of unexploded ordnance- and landmine-related casualties, explosive remnants of war accidents carry a distinct set of grim implications for women in many cultures. This article examines the specific social and economic repercussions for women in mine-contaminated regions and discusses some of the efforts to alleviate them.

Gender In The Mine-Action Community, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Comparing the perspectives of multiple gender specialists and detailing real-world examples, this article provides a multi-faceted look at gender mainstreaming in the mine-action community. The authors analyze four of the five mine-action pillars: clearance, mine-risk education, victim assistance and advocacy.

An African Perspective On The Cluster Munitions Convention, Sheila Mweemba

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

On 30 May 2008, the international community adopted the Convention on Cluster Munitions. It is little wonder that those who were against a convention of this sort are still reeling from the shock of it. Africa, on the other hand, can give itself a well-deserved pat on the back for having played a pivotal role in the adoption of a groundbreaking, legally-binding instrument of which posterity will judge the results.

Npa’S All-Female Demining Team In Sudan, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Norwegian People’s Aid’s commitment to gender mainstreaming in mine action is reflected by the organization’s present work in Sudan. This article looks at the successes of the country’s first all-female demining team, established in 2007, as well as at the larger cultural and practical considerations of women in demining.

Cluster Munitions Monitoring And Information Campaign In Azerbaijan, Hafiz Safikhanov

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article describes the initiatives undertaken by the Azerbaijan Campaign to Ban Landmines to confront the threat of cluster munitions in the country. Since the publication of its report in January of 2008, AzCBL has continued to lobby the government of Azerbaijan to ban the use of cluster munitions.

Proud Students Against Landmines, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

At St. Francis de Sales Central Catholic School in Morgantown, West Virginia, which has students ranging from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade, what began in 1998 as an art project with old shoes became an inspiration for social justice and change. Today, a small organization of students at St. Francis, known as the Proud Students Against Landmines, or PSALM, meets once a week in the school art room to work on projects related to mine action.

Geneva Diary: Report From The Gichd, Ian Mansfield

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining provides operational assistance to mine-action programs and operators, creates and disseminates knowledge, works to improve quality management and standards and provides support to instruments of international law.

Transfer And Dissemination Of Appropriate Wheelchair Technology, William K. Smith, Nikola Prvulov, Kathryn Jackson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Since 1996, the Center for International Rehabilitation has been dedicated to providing assistive devices to landmine victims. The CIR, in collaboration with Whirlwind Wheelchair International and the Afghan Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled, designed and distributed a centrally fabricated, locally-fitted wheelchair designed for post-conflict countries and tested it in Afghanistan and Jordan. The following discusses the outcome of that collaboration.

Swiss Campaign To Ban Landmines: Gender And Mine Action Programme, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Swiss Campaign to Ban Landmines’ Gender and Mine Action Programme has worked to create a resource where mine-action organizations can find information and support for their endeavors to mainstream gender considerations in mine action. In this pursuit, the Swiss Campaign has created a gender portal and conducted a global research study.

United Nations Development Fund For Women, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) has taken several measures to promote gender equality in all areas of life. These include not only several operational programs around the world but also a number of important areas of information collection and dissemination through various publications. These areas of work have been invaluable for organizations attempting to further gender equality in mine action. They have provided a starting line of information on how women are disproportionately affected by armed conflict and ERW as well as how women can be better integrated into solving the problems following a mine- accident.

An Update On The Itep Program And Activities, Franciska Borry

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Since 2000, the International Test and Evaluation Program for Humanitarian Demining has been a crucial instrument in the research and development field, providing comprehensive test and evaluation information to the demining community worldwide. This article summarizes the main ongoing and planned test and evaluation activities carried out by the ITEP participants, either as coordinated efforts or as national projects.

News Briefs, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

News Briefs

Ddasaccident689, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

While he was prodding in the Mine Field suddenly a stone slipped down.

Ddasaccident684, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The Team member established rest area in the one side of the previously cleared BAC task#228, during the off time the deminers wants to rest in the designated rest area in the task # 228, on the way to the rest area the deminers hit a stone by foot and the accident happened to them.

Ddasaccident564, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

According to the deminer statement: He starts his work. At 6.45 AM. After short break for 15 minutes from 7.30 to 7.45 he restart his work and found an AP mine approximately at 7.55 AM .The mine was RSP by the team Leader and he restart his work after few minutes his detector indicate a signal and after pin pointing the signal he use the prodder and start excavating the ground with his shovel. While he was excavating his visor fall down and simultaneously he activate the buried mine with his shovel. (

Victim Assistance In The World Today, Mike Boddington

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

According to average budgets of the 2007 Portfolio of Mine Action Projects, victim-assistance programs are the third most-funded category after clearance and humanitarian mine-action program oversight. The author thinks the global mine-action community needs to reconsider how it handles victim assistance. This article outlines the qualities necessary for effective victim assistance and calls the community to action.

Itf Enhancing Human Security Annual Report 2008, Itf-Enhancy Human Security

Global CWD Repository

Since 1998, ITF has grown into an internationally recognized organization, supported by donations from extensive number of governments, public and private organizations, companies and individuals that has already surpassed the figure of 330 million USD. ITF contribution to the global fight against landmines and especially to the one in South East Europe (SEE) can not and must not be measured solely by numbers and statistical data. The contribution must be viewed in terms of its input to the restoration of conditions for cultural, social and economic lives of individuals and communities living in or emerging from war-torn society. Stable conditions …

Apopo Annual Report 2008, Apopo

Global CWD Repository

2008 was a year of transformation and consolidation for APOPO.

Besides the technical achievements in the training and research programmes, APOPO went through a phase of restructuring and strategic revision of future plans. I firmly believe that this collective effort will result in a more sustainable social enterprise with a higher social impact in the future.

I am also proud to say that the long anticipated output of the Mine Detection Rats finally materialized in Mozambique, and we are confident this will trigger more operational deployment of the Mine Detection Rats in the region soon.

The research carried out with …

Ddasaccident532, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On the 15th of August 2004 an accident occurred in MF011 in Guuxaa during clearance. [The Victim] was carrying out clearance using the rake method when he detonated a P-4 Anti Personnel Mine.