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Articles 1 - 16 of 16
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
Bridging A Critical Mine Action Information Management Gap: Complex Conflict Environments, Isam Ghareeb Barzangy
Bridging A Critical Mine Action Information Management Gap: Complex Conflict Environments, Isam Ghareeb Barzangy
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Historically the Republic of Iraq is one of the most severely landmine, explosive remnants of war (ERW), and improvised explosive device (IED) afflicted nations in the world. Though possessed with a robust humanitarian mine action (HMA) program in the three northern Kurdish governorates before the Iraq War (2003–2011), the remainder of the country was largely without any HMA focus until the removal of the Ba’ath regime. Iraq’s border with Iran contains major military minefields and ERW, while small arms and innumerable stockpiles of ammunition remain throughout the country. High levels of landmine, ERW, and IED contamination are a major challenge …
21.2 Endnotes, Cisr Jmu
The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 21.2 (2017), Cisr Jmu
The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 21.2 (2017), Cisr Jmu
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Feature: The Evolving Nature of Survey | Special Report: 21st Century Survey in Eastern Ukraine and the use of Technology in Insecure Environments | Spotlight: Southeast Asia | Field Notes | Research and Development
Interpreting Submunition Fragmentation Marks On Hard Surfaces For The Survey Of Cluster Munition Strikes, Roly Evans
Interpreting Submunition Fragmentation Marks On Hard Surfaces For The Survey Of Cluster Munition Strikes, Roly Evans
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Submunition fragmentation can produce distinct patterns on hard surfaces that can assist in establishing if a cluster munition has been used. This article will review some of the submunition fragmentation impact patterns seen in current and former conflict zones around the world. It will also underline the risks of misidentifying such patterns and the need to corroborate them with associated evidence such as the submunition fragmentation itself. Trying to accurately identify evidence of cluster munition strikes is an important skill, not just for those surveying contamination for subsequent clearance, but also for journalists and human rights advocates seeking to document …
Military-Ngo Partnerships: Lessons Learned For The 8th Theater Sustainment Command's Hma Mission In Vietnam, Shawn Kadleck, Richard Calvin
Military-Ngo Partnerships: Lessons Learned For The 8th Theater Sustainment Command's Hma Mission In Vietnam, Shawn Kadleck, Richard Calvin
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
In August 2016, U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and medical personnel executed the first phase of a four-year mission in support of Vietnam. The goal of this mission is to develop indigenous, International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) Level 3 certified instructors for the recently established Vietnam National Mine Action Center (VNMAC). USARPAC partnered with Golden West Humanitarian Foundation, an NGO that runs mine action operations around the world. Golden West provided insight and recommendations on equipment purchases, curriculum development, and other aspects of program development as it related to EOD tasks. As USARPAC looks toward the future, …
Social Inclusion Of Marginalized Communities: Mine Action In Laos, Tina Kalamar
Social Inclusion Of Marginalized Communities: Mine Action In Laos, Tina Kalamar
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
A complex array of factors including gender, age, disability, ethnicity, geographical location, language, religious affiliation, and economic and educational status are enabling or constraining social inclusion of people in different contexts. This paper presents a case study that illustrates how mine action can both contribute to and benefit from greater social inclusion.
Epidemiological Study Of Landmines/ Erw Accidents And Victims In Kachin, Kayah, And Shan States, Burma, Julien Zwang, Pascal Simon
Epidemiological Study Of Landmines/ Erw Accidents And Victims In Kachin, Kayah, And Shan States, Burma, Julien Zwang, Pascal Simon
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
In Burma, there is no systematic and organized victim information system (VIS) of landmine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) victims, and few studies have been conducted on the topic, in particular in Kachin, Kayah, and Northern Shan States (NSS), where most of the accidents have recently occurred. Between 2015 and 2016, casualty reports compiled by the Mine Risk Working Group (MRWG) chaired by the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) showed that the number of mine/ERW victims increased by 58% in the country, particularly in Kachin and Shan States, while the number of victims decreased in Kayin State. Documenting victims’ …
Addressing The Explosive Hazard Threat In Northern Syria: Risk Education On Landmines, Uxo, Booby Traps, And Ieds, Louise Skilling, Marysia Zapasnik
Addressing The Explosive Hazard Threat In Northern Syria: Risk Education On Landmines, Uxo, Booby Traps, And Ieds, Louise Skilling, Marysia Zapasnik
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Explosive hazards pose a great threat to civilians in Syria. A rapid return of displaced people usually occurs as soon as an area is declared newly taken. During this period, there is limited medical and explosive clearance capacity although there are high risks from explosive hazards, including booby traps and improvised explosive devices (IED) specifically targeting civilians in their homes. This article focuses on addressing the threat of explosive hazards in northern Syria and draws on risk education material designed by humanitarian mine action
Mediawiki: Supporting Imsma Documentation, Dionysia Kontotasiou, Olivier Cottray
Mediawiki: Supporting Imsma Documentation, Dionysia Kontotasiou, Olivier Cottray
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Over the last few years, wikis have arisen as powerful tools for collaborative documentation on the internet. The Encyclopedia Wikipedia has become a reference, and the power of community editing in a wiki allows people all over the world to contribute their knowledge. Use of a wiki for software documentation provides an effective collaboration tool as information can be easily fed into the system. Certain wiki implementations, such as MediaWiki, are project-oriented and include functionalities such as automatic page versioning, easy navigation, simple search mechanisms, as well as online, offline, and mobile usage.
Using Mobile Geographic Information Systems To Improve Operational Efficiency, Data Reliability, And Access In Mine Action, Paul Rittenhouse, Lindsay Aldrich
Using Mobile Geographic Information Systems To Improve Operational Efficiency, Data Reliability, And Access In Mine Action, Paul Rittenhouse, Lindsay Aldrich
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The inherently complex field of mine action, with its many political, financial, and physical considerations, is also a spatial, data-driven field; and as a result, geographic information systems (GIS) stand to play a major role. Spatial data can help address questions such as: Where are the hazardous areas and what has been cleared or cancelled? Where have teams already surveyed? Where should they go next? How many square meters have been cleared? Due to the complexities surrounding assigning tasks and prioritization, standard operating procedures (SOP), quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) and database design, GIS often gets limited to high-level planning, database …
21st Century Survey In Eastern Ukraine And The Use Of Technology In Insecure Environments, Nick Torbet, Patrick Thompson
21st Century Survey In Eastern Ukraine And The Use Of Technology In Insecure Environments, Nick Torbet, Patrick Thompson
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The conflation of humanitarian and military spheres has long been a feature of modern conflict, restricting access to areas in which the need for humanitarian assistance is greatest. However, the advent of mobile technology has provided novel opportunities to circumvent old problems. In Ukraine, The HALO Trust’s (HALO) ability to conduct nontechnical survey is restricted in certain areas, and the security environment means this is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, HALO pioneered a number of techniques that allowed for systematic assessments of the region, painting a general picture of contamination that will facilitate pro-active non-technical survey once …
Catholic Relief Services: Information And Communication Technology In Monitoring And Evaluation, Nguyen Tuan Phong, Ta Thi Hai Yen
Catholic Relief Services: Information And Communication Technology In Monitoring And Evaluation, Nguyen Tuan Phong, Ta Thi Hai Yen
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
In February 2015, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Vietnam initiated a new project to support the reintegration and rehabilitation of survivors of accidents involving landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). With funding from the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), CRS’ Access and Reintegration (A&R) project takes a comprehensive approach to serving the needs of 3,219 survivors of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces. Through collaboration with the Government of Vietnam’s provincial Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA), CRS provides survivors …
Mine Detecting Rats Make An Impact In Cambodia, Cynthia Fast, Håvard Bach, Paul Mccarthy, Christophe Cox
Mine Detecting Rats Make An Impact In Cambodia, Cynthia Fast, Håvard Bach, Paul Mccarthy, Christophe Cox
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Despite decades of national and international mine action efforts, Cambodia remains littered with landmines. The casualty rates are among the world’s highest, and there is considerable socioeconomic damage from landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW). Cambodia has established the goal to clear all known minefields by 2025. To achieve this, funding must be secured, and land release rates must be increased. This can only be achieved by taking advantage of available resources and improving land release methodology.
Mine Action In Burma: Building Trust And Incremental Gains, Greg Crowther, Josephine Dresner, Michael Aaron
Mine Action In Burma: Building Trust And Incremental Gains, Greg Crowther, Josephine Dresner, Michael Aaron
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Burma has long been known to be heavily contaminated by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW), with 3,693 casualties reported since 1999.1 The area is a complex and dynamic environment for humanitarian organizations, with multiple overlapping and interlinked conflicts between a number of disparate Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAO) and the Burmese Armed Forces, fought over several decades. In this context, international humanitarian mine action (HMA) operators have not been able to provide any form of technical response; there is currently no mine action coordination center, no agreed national standards, and no demarcation, technical survey, or clearance operations recognized by …
An Apt Demining Machine, Andy Smith
An Apt Demining Machine, Andy Smith
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
This paper introduces a new machine for use in support of humanitarian mine action. Developed under the EU FP7- TIRAMISU R&D initiative, the machine is reliable, easy to deploy, and has a low cost of ownership. It is designed to withstand anti-personnel (AP) mine detonations as it drives over an area preparing it for manual demining. Small and highly maneuverable, it can climb steeper inclines than other machines and drive over roads to deploy without an expensive transporter. With dual driver controls, it can be remotely controlled when working in hazardous areas. This article describes how it is appropriate and …
From The Director, Ken Rutherford
From The Director, Ken Rutherford
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
This June, the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) partnered with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) to facilitate the Southeast Asia Cluster Munition Remnants Survey (CMRS) Workshop in Washington, D.C. This two-day event, hosted by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), brought together a number of organizations working in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam to discuss best practices in CMRS in the region.