Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Regional Seminar On Mine Action In The Americas, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The third annual regional landmine action seminar entitled “En Camino Hacia un Hemisferio Libre de Minas Antipersonal,” hosted by the Government of Perú and sponsored by the Government of Canada and the Mine Action Program (AICMA, for its initials in Spanish) of the Organization of American States (OAS), was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lima, Perú, on August 14–15 2003. The two-day gathering brought together over 100 mine action experts from 24 countries and more than a dozen regional and international organizations to discuss a wealth of mine action topics including, among others, the definition of national …

Workshop On Assistance To Landmine Survivors And Victims In South-Eastern Europe, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The “Workshop on Assistance to Landmine Survivors and Victims in South-Eastern Europe: Defining Strategies for Success” held in Ig, Slovenia July 1-2, 2002 was a unique forum to address the existing gaps in services and possible solutions for filling these gaps for mine victims assistance (MVA) in the region. This workshop was initiated by the International Trust Fund (ITF) Board of Advisors, who determined there was a need to bring donors together with those working for MVA.

The goal of the workshop was “to identify possible strategies and venues for regional resourcing, cooperation and coordination in the field of landmine …

Landmine Casualty Database Workshop, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

JMU's Mine Action Information Center (MAIC) held a workshop on May 13-14, 2002 to examine issues related to landmine victim data collection. The U.S. Department of State, Office of Humanitarian Demining Programs was the sponsor of the two-year long casualty database project conducted by the MAIC, of which the workshop was the culminating phase. Based on its research and the workshop activities, the MAIC has developed a list of "action items" which it recommends to improve the collection and management of landmine casualty data. That list immediately follows this executive summary.

Managing Landmine Casualty Data: Designing And Developing The Data Structures And Models Necessary To Track And Manage Landmine Casualty Data, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The Mine Action Information Center (MAIC) at James Madison University, through a grant from the US Department of State via RONCO Consulting Corporation, implemented this project to develop a framework for the systematic collection and management of landmine casualty data. This report focuses on Phase II of the project, with Phase I already completed and Phase III to build on the results of Phase II.

The project was premised on the lack of an adequate system for collecting and managing landmine casualty data on a global basis. Data on landmine and UXO casualties is being collected in a systematic manner …

The Role Of Civil Affairs In Mine Action, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

This study, “The Role of Civil Affairs in Mine Action,” is not intended to be read from cover to cover by most users. It has been researched and written with three target audiences in mind: 1) the Mine Action official who would like to learn more about the application of Civil Affairs capabilities to humanitarian demining activities, 2) the Civil Affairs officer who would like to learn more about challenges and actions within the realm of humanitarian demining operations, and 3) US military officials who have a responsibility for, or an interest in, the proper unit design and uses of …

Developing And Integrating A Lessons Learned Methodology For Humanitarian Mine Action, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The demand for a centralized lessons learned database has made it clear that there is value in consolidating the experience derived from the numerous de-mining missions by a variety of teams in a variety of countries. Consequently, the James Madison University Mine Action Information Center developed a methodology for collecting, validating, and distributing lessons-learned within the mine action community.

In order to develop this lessons-learned system, individuals involved in the wide spectrum of activities (victim assistance, mine clearance, survey, mine awareness, etc.) and belonging to the myriad agencies (NGOs, military demining, United Nations, MACs, etc.) related to the field of …

Mozambique Mine Awareness Education Module, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

Mine Awareness Education Module - Mozambique is based on information acquired through a variety of expert sources. The document incorporates information gathered through

• a review of ecological theories,
• an extensive review of existing humanitarian demining mine awareness and prevention programs,
• a review of effective strategies of community-change efforts,
• and interviews with persons conducting mine awareness programs in Mozambique and other sub-Sahara countries.

In addition, interviews and briefings were conducted with personnel from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense, Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict, US. Army Special Operations Command, 4th Psychological Operations Group and Special Operations …

Mozambique: A Listing Of Organizations Conducting Humanitarian Demining/Mine Awareness Activities, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The following list describes organizations that have been active in conducting humanitarian demining activities in Mozambique. The list includes NGO’s, IO’s, commercial firms, governmental and military organizations. Printouts for some organizations with websites are included in Appendix A and are coded with an asterisk in the list.

Task 1c3 Humanitarian Demining Requirement Analysis Final Report, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

The Humanitarian Demining Information Center (HDIC) at James Madison University is developing a plan for identifying, analyzing, enhancing, and disseminating electronic and hard copy information relating to humanitarian demining. The first step toward realizing this objective was identifying the information needs, information availability and optimal methods for organizing and delivering information to the humanitarian demining community.

Broadly conceived, the humanitarian demining community consists of ten components.

• U.S. government agencies that have as part of their mission the development of programs for humanitarian demining in selected countries • volunteer organizations that are directly involved in the task of humanitarian demining …