Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

To Walk The Earth In Safety 23rd Edition (Fy2023), Cisr Jmu

Global CWD Repository

In this year’s edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, we highlight the many ways that U.S. conventional weapons destruction assistance promotes post-conflict recovery. For example, our humanitarian demining funding enhances food security by helping to revitalize agricultural fields in countries like Sri Lanka and Vietnam. This funding is especially critical in Sri Lanka where more than 6 million people—nearly 30 percent of the population—are currently food-insecure. In Vietnam, our commitment to promoting agricultural security is a key component to successful post-conflict recovery, even decades after war ended.

The United States is the world’s top supporter of conventional …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 21st Edition (Cy2021), U.S. Department Of State

Global CWD Repository

The United States is committed to reducing these threats worldwide and is the leading financial supporter of CWD, providing more than $4.2 billion in assistance to more than 100 countries since 1993. This makes the United States the world’s single largest financial supporter of CWD. The Department of State, Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) work together with foreign governments, private companies, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to reduce excess SA/LW and conventional munitions stockpiles (including MANPADS), implement best practices for PSSM at conventional weapons storage sites, and carry out HMA programs.

In 2021, …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 17th Edition (Cy2017), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

Supporting conventional weapons destruction (CWD) is a cornerstone of our national security policy. This 2016 edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety highlights the United States programs, managed primarily by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), that keep weapons and ammunition out of the wrong hands and assist nations in clearing landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO).

The dangers posed by mines and UXO can linger for decades. In areas reeling from recent fighting, stabilization and humanitarian assistance efforts are effectively blocked until key sites are cleared of explosive …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 16th Edition (Cy2016), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

Even after a conflict ends and the fighters have gone home, the threats from landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and at-risk weapons and munitions remain. These threats foment instability; as long as men, women, and children fear to move about their communities due to the lingering threat of landmines and UXO, a society can never fully heal and rebuild.

The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA) works with foreign governments and nongovernmental organizations to deliver programs and services aimed at reducing the harmful effects of at-risk, illicitly proliferated, and indiscriminately used …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 14th Edition (Fy2014), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

For more than two decades, the United States has been at the forefront of international efforts to reduce the worldwide threat to civilians from landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and other conventional weapons of war. Just 15 years ago, landmines and other explosive remnants of war killed or injured nearly 10,000 men, women, and children every year—more than 25 every day. Thanks to the concerted efforts of the United States, partner nations, international nongovernmental organizations, and host nations, that figure has now dropped by more than 60%.

The 14th edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety documents the United States’ …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 13th Edition (Fy2013), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

The 13th edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety describes the programs and partnerships that comprise the U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) Program. Since 1993, the U.S. has led the international donor community in reducing the harmful effects of poorly secured, unstable or illegally traded conventional weapons of war. We have contributed over $2.3 billion to more than 90 countries around the world.

This mission resonates with my own experience. I started my career in Afghanistan, where explosive remnants of war had already claimed thousands of lives. I am proud to be in a position to oversee U.S. efforts …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 12th Edition (Fy2012), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

In 2013, we celebrate 20 years of U.S. Government agencies working together to lead the international donor community in supporting the clearance of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), as well as the destruction of at-risk and unsecured weapons and munitions. The United States first became involved in humanitarian demining in 1988 by sending a team to assess the landmine situation in Afghanistan. In 1993, U.S. assistance took an important step forward when the Department of State (DOS), Department of Defense (DOD), and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) formed an interagency partnership to coordinate U.S. humanitarian demining …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 11th Edition (Fy2011), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

In 2011, the United States continued to lead the international donor community in providing assistance for the clearance of landmines and explosive remnants of war, as well as the destruction of at-risk and unsecured weapons and munitions. In Fiscal Year 2011, the Department of State allocated $142 million in assistance to 42 countries, thereby helping communities recover, and countries become more secure. This 11th edition of our annual report, To Walk The Earth In Safety, details the programs and partnerships that make the United States’ Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) program a lasting success.

Increased instability as a result of …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 10th Edition (Fy2010), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

Welcome to the 10th edition of To Walk The Earth In Safety. Our annual report details the United States’ Conventional Weapons Destruction (CWD) Program, a collaborative effort by the Department of State, Department of Defense, United States Agency for International Development, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the Department of Health and Human Services. These agencies strive to help countries recover from conflict and create safe, secure environments to rebuild infrastructure, return displaced citizens to their homes and livelihoods, and establish situations conducive to stability, nonviolence, and democracy.

From its initial focus on landmines dating back to …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 9th Edition (Fy2009), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

In 2009, the Department of State continued to lead the international donor community in providing assistance for the clearance of landmines and other explosive remnants of war, as well as the destruction of at-risk and unsecured weapons and munitions, by providing $130 million in aid to 32 countries. Although significant progress has been made over the last decade, including several countries which have been declared mine impact-free, there still remains much to do to make the world a safer place for everyone.

This ninth edition of our annual report, To Walk The Earth In Safety, describes the programs and achievements …

Study Of The Effects Of Aging On Landmines, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

Most of the mines that currently threaten populations were manufactured more than 50 years ago and many have been in the ground for 30 years or more. Despite the inevitable and obvious deterioration, there has been very little research into the effects of aging on landmines. In 2008, James Madison University (JMU), the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR), and C King Associates Ltd (CKA) began a study designed to understand the aging process and the range of implications for the various components of mine action. The two-and-a-half year study was funded by grants from the US Department of …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 8th Edition (Fy2008), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

Welcome to the 8th edition of To Walk The Earth In Safety. Although we have seen real progress in combating the threat of mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), conflicts persist, and the destabilizing effects of other weapons threaten peace and stability around the world.

The United States works with other nations to clean up the debris of war, combat trafficking in small arms and light weapons, and improve the security and management of munitions stockpiles. Catastrophic explosions at munitions storage facilities in populated areas have become a growing problem and have the potential to create more casualties than …

U.S. Army/ U.S. Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center (Coin), Cisr

Global CWD Repository

As we prosecute the current campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and the Philippines, the military must also prepare for an uncertain security situation beyond the present theaters of conflict. It is a future that will be heavily influenced by global competition for declining natural resources, rapidly rising populations in underprivileged and underdeveloped areas, unstable economic markets, and the continuing resurgence of violent religious and secular ideologies challenging democracy as a credible political theory. Additionally, U.S. Force must account for the impact of rapid information transfer, porous national borders, globalization, increased indigent migrating populations with elevated expectations, and …

Colombia Humanitarian Demining Planning Workshop Executive Summary, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

From 9 to 12 June 2009, representatives of the Colombian government’s humanitarian mine action office and the Humanitarian Demining Department of the Colombian military met to devise a way forward in planning for the expansion and enhancement of the country’s program to eradicate landmines from the national territory.

The Mine Action Information Center at James Madison University facilitated the Colombia Humanitarian Demining Planning Workshop (Taller de Planificación del Desminado Humanitario en Colombia) in Bogotá, Colombia. The workshop was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, and was attended by representatives from the U.S. and …

Scoping Study Of The Effects Of Aging On Landmines, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

During the past year, the Mine Action Information Center at James Madison University has partnered with a British EOD consultancy company, C King Associates Ltd, to conduct a preliminary study into the effects of aging on landmines. This project entailed examination and disassembly of several types of anti-personnel mines, a literature review of relevant material and analysis of the initial findings.

2009 Colombia Humanitarian Demining Planning Workshop, Cisr/Jmu

Global CWD Repository

From 9 to 12 June 2009, representatives of the Colombian government’s humanitarian mine action office and the Humanitarian Demining Department of the Colombian military met to devise a way forward in planning for the expansion and enhancement of the country’s program to eradicate landmines from the national territory.

The Mine Action Information Center at James Madison University facilitated the Colombia Humanitarian Demining Planning Workshop (Taller de Planificación del Desminado Humanitario en Colombia) in Bogotá, Colombia. The workshop was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, and was attended by representatives from the U.S. and …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 7th Edition (Fy2006-Fy2007), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

We are pleased to offer the 7th Edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, the report of the interagency U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program for Fiscal Years 2006 and 2007. This report also describes the conventional weapons destruction efforts of the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement located in the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. This office directs programs that encompass humanitarian mine action, and elimination of at-risk small arms, light weapons, man-portable air-defense systems (MANPADS), and munitions.

Every edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety, archived at www.state.gov/t/pm/rls/rpt/walkearth, is a look back in time. This …

Adaptive Technology Catalog, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

By design, the purpose of this Adaptive Technology Catalog is to provide a resource for governments, survivor-assistance and other agencies to help victims of landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW) and other disabled workers get back to self-sufficiency and paid work.

Designing, developing and identifying simple and inexpensive tools and programs that assist with survivor work reintegration is a challenge with broad implications for the economic recovery of communities and nations as they emerge from conflict. The Adaptive Technology Catalog was created to offer information pertaining to both products that are readily available for use and those that …

Global Education And Training Initiatives Directory (Geti), Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The Global Education and Training Initiatives Directory has been created through the generous funding of the U.S. Department of State, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA).

The Global Education and Training Initiatives Directory represents a first effort to document the collective training and education opportunities that span a range of technical activities within mine action, explosive ordnance disposal and small arms/light weapons control and destruction. Efforts to counter the threats of landmines, unexploded ordnance and small arms/light weapons have traditionally been treated as separate entities; however, this directory is an effort to bring them together.

Training and education opportunities …

How Students And Educators Can Get Involved In Mine Action, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

Students have a number of available options for getting involved in helping the global mine action community. Below are some examples of programs in which students can participate!

Landmine Casualty Data: Best Practices Guidebook, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

This Landmine Casualty Data: Best Practices Guidebook reports on advances being made in casualty data collection and management and offers lessons learned that countries can reflect upon as they undertake the challenging task of building mine/ ERW victim information systems that meet their needs for data to use in planning and implementing their comprehensive mine action programs, including mine clearance, mine risk education and victim assistance. While the Guidebook is premised on the advances being made in some countries, much more progress is needed before effective landmine/ERW victim information systems will be operating in all mine-affected countries. It is important …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 6th Edition (Fy2004 And 2005), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

This sixth edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety summarizes the accomplishments of the inter-agency U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program for fiscal years 2004 and 2005. In a strict sense, it is a combined annual report for two years on what was then and still is the world’s largest such program. But it is also a chapter in a real-life story that has a beginning, middle, and, we now know because of more than fifteen years of practical experience, an end.

Public safety and regional stability can be endangered by illegally traffi cked small arms and light weapons, abandoned …

Report Of The Focus Group Workshop On Victim And Casualty Data Collection And Support Requirements For Imsma Version 4, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The Mine Action Information Center (MAIC) at James Madison University (JMU) hosted a focus group workshop on 15-16 August 2005 in support of the development of version 4 of the Information Management System for Mine Action (IMSMA). Mr. Alan Arnold, the IMSMA program manager, tasked the MAIC to organize and host the workshop in order to bring together subject matter experts in the fields of Mine Risk Education (MRE) and Mine Victim Assistance (MVA). The objective was to elicit, categorize and record comment on and suggestions for the proposed design of Victim and Casualty Data Collection and Analysis modules for …

To Walk The Earth In Safety 5th Edition (Fy2003), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

This fifth edition of To Walk the Earth in Safety contains information on specific programs and accomplishments of the U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program through the end of 2003. Although the United States did begin providing substantial mine action assistance to Afghanistan as early as 1988 and then to Cambodia and some other countries starting in 1991, the formal program as we know it today really began in 1993. Thus, 2003 is a milestone, marking ten uninterrupted years of genuine and signifi cant U.S. action to eradicate persistent landmines—both anti-personnel and anti-vehicle—as well as unexploded ordnance wherever they threaten civilian …

The Landmine Action Smart Book, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

There are a number of resources available at the MAIC and elsewhere to help people get involved. This edition of The Landmine Action Smart Book is perhaps the best place to start. This book was designed to give readers a basic introduction to the subject of mine action, a discipline that includes a diverse set of activities such as landmine clearance, research and development of new demining technologies and practices, mine risk education, survivor assistance, planning and coordination, and policy formulation.

Each chapter of the Smart Book provides an overview of the components involved in reaching our ultimate goal of …

Decision Tools Manual Humanitarian Mine Action Projects, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

In 2003, the United States Department of State, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs/Weapons Removal and Abatement, (PM/WRA) tasked the James Madison University Mine Action Information Center (MAIC) with producing a cost-benefit analysis of two demining programs to be used to develop a model to analyze the quantitative impacts, expected results, and suggested prioritization of mine clearance activities. Prioritization was to be accomplished within the context of socio-economic development programs. Lessons learned from UN guidance, earlier studies, experts in the mine action community, and field studies influenced the development of the decision tool for prioritization of humanitarian mine action projects.

The MAIC …

Afghanistan Ordnance Identification Guide, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

This guide provides information to facilitate international unexploded ordnance (UXO) awareness and identification. This guide is not intended for use by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians. Rather, it is designed for other personnel who, of necessity, are trying to identify ordnance in the absence of trained EOD military professionals.

Enhancement Of Casualty Data Collection & Management, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The MAIC built upon research conducted in earlier phases of the project (2001-2002) to investigate the following unresolved questions regarding the development of an effective landmine casualty data system.

1. 1. What kind of data about landmine victims is being collected and is it adequate to the needs of victim assistance service providers?
2. 2. If it is not adequate, what additional data should be collected and how should it be managed?
3. 3. What can be done to improve the dissemination of landmine casualty data?

These questions were addressed by investigating developments in landmine casualty data collection and management since 2002 and …

Iraq Ordnance Identification Guide, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The Iraq Ordnance Identification Guide supports the U.S. Department of Defense humanitarian mine action program. This guide provides information to facilitate international unexploded ordnance (UXO) awareness and identification. This guide is not intended for use by Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians. Rather, it is designed for other personnel who, of necessity, are trying to identify ordnance in the absence of trained EOD military professionals.

Regional Seminar On Antipersonnel Landmine Victims, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

More than 125 representatives from across the Hemisphere met in Bogotá from November 12 through 14, 2003 to take part in the “Regional Seminar on Antipersonnel Landmine Victims,” sponsored by the Organization of American States Mine Action Program, the Mine Action Information Center of James Madison University and the Office of the Vice President of the Republic of Colombia, and made possible with financial support from the Department of State of the United States. The purpose of the seminar was two-fold. First, it aimed to bring together experts and practitioners in the field of victim assistance from national and local …