Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Mine Action Process, James Trevelyan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

There are three ways to improve the mine action process to allow displaced people to return to their land sooner and with less risk of injury. Naturally, a major increase in aid funding would achieve a similar result using the existing process. Three main avenues to achieve improved outcomes with the same level of funding are as follows:

• Improving the technology, cost effectiveness and reliability of the mine clearance process,
• Applying risk management approaches to manage mine contamination problems, and
• Utilizing local resources and seeking alternative sources of funding more effectively.

World Council Of Churches, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In 1937, church leaders established a World Council of Churches (WCC), but its official organization was deferred by the outbreak of World War II until August 1948. At that time, representatives of 147 churches assembled in Amsterdam to coordinate the organization of the WCC. Since then, a growing number of churches on every continent have joined the WCC. The organization feels that they have built new bridges over ancient chasms that have separated believers from one another, while working together to stop inhumanity and injustice by active involvement in a variety of humanitarian issues. The WCC has been involved in …

Mercy Corps International, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mercy Corps International, a non-profit voluntary agency, is one of the United States most resourceful international charities, contributing close to 94 percent of its resources to the most vulnerable areas in the world. Since 1979, when Mercy Corps was founded as Save the Refugees Fund, it has dispersed over $450 million in assistance to people in more than 68 countries. With the support of several prominent Americans, Save the Refugees Fund was able to expand its efforts to assist not only the Cambodian refugees who attempted to flee by boat but also vulnerable people in other nations. In 1981, the …

Nato-Stabilization Force, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) was established in 1996 following the successful implementation of the General Framework Agreement for Peace (established in Paris in December 1995) by NATO’s Implementation Force (IFOR).

Organizations Operating In Kosovo, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Organizations Operating in Kosovo

Superman - "To Be Or Not To Be...", Dennis Barlow

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

There is a saying in the operational world that "Victory has a thousand fathers, while defeat is an orphan." The checkered path of the U.S. government-sponsored DC Comics venture in mine awareness has given that old saw new relevance. It seems that at various times during the past five years the Superman and Superwoman comic books have been described variously as being the ultimate tool in influencing appropriate behavior or as totally dysfunctional.

The U.S. Approach: Deminer Personal Protective Equipment Development, George Zahaczewsky

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The deminer and his partner began work at 0730. By 0850, they had cleared 50 square meters. Both men wore frag-jackets, helmets and visors. The victim was clearing by using his prodder. He was called to help his section leader remove grass from a large pothole in the road. As he returned at 0850, he stepped on a mine he had previously missed. (Extracted from the Database of Demining Incident Victims, 1999, Incident #53.)

Manual Demining In Afghanistan, Kefayatullah Eblagh

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article has been removed.

Comparative Study Of Different Lightweight Head Protection Systems With Full-Face Visors For Humanitarian Deminers, J. Nerenberg, S. Islam, Aris Makris, J.P. Dionne

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A key component of any Personal Protective Ensemble (PPE) for demining is the helmet and/or face shield. For obvious reasons, protecting the face of a deminer is of utmost importance in case of an accidental detonation of a mine. Currently, a wide range of head and face protective devices are available for the deminer, and this study attempts to evaluate these devices from several perspectives.

Wwii Ordnance Still Haunts Europe And The Asia-Pacific Rim, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Explosives and mines from WWI and WWII still turn up on European and Asian construction sites, backyard gardens, beaches, wildlife preserves and former military training ground. For most countries, these discoveries are not isolated incidents but are the result of hastily cleared ammunition dumps, training ground, bombings and mine fields from these wars. In the United Kingdom, over 20 percent of the entire landmass has, at one time, been used for military training. This military training has resulted in uncovered ordnance that dates from cannon and musket balls to modern weapons. Many of the older U.K. ranges can contain an …

Mines Advisory Group, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Mines Advisory Group (MAG), U.K. Registered Charity No.1 020441, started in 1992. MAG's programs integrate mine/UXO survey, demarcation and clearance with awareness-raising activities to reduce landmine risks to affected populations. MAG's integrated approach prides itself on working with conflict-affected communities to identify and address their most pressing needs.

The Facts On Protection Needs In Humanitarian Demining, Andy Smith

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

When assessing protection needs, my approach has been to determine what the risks are, what injuries result and then decide how to minimize these risks and protect against any residual danger. I also bear in mind that there is no point in prescribing an action or a garment that will not be used.

Norwegian People's Aid, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Operating on the principles of solidarity, unity, human dignity, peace and freedom, Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) is one of Norway's leading non-governmental organizations. Originating in 1939 as a result of the Norwegian labor movement, NPA quickly assumed an active role in Norway, performing rescue, first aid and public health services, assisting the elderly and disabled, offering services during natural disasters and operating reception centers for asylum seekers.

Security Devices, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Appealing to a broad range of customers from governments to commercial demining companies, Security Devices offers high quality, economic demining products and has established its presence in the demining community. Andy Smith, an international specialist in humanitarian demining, designs the majority of the equipment Security Devices markets.

Intersos, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

INTERSOS is an Italian based organization founded in 1992, by a group of individuals who had already dedicated years of aid and understanding to victims in developing countries. INTERSOS is a non-profit, independent organization that works to support public and private institutions that share its perspective in aiding the victims of humanitarian tragedies across the world.

Gerbera Gmbh, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Comprised of a staff comprehensively trained in international operations involving project management and mine clearance, GERBERA Gmbh strives to offer a range of services to mine-affected countries.

Development Of A Procedure, Cameron R. Bass

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The human toll from AP mines is large. The United Nations estimates that there are over 100 million AP mines deployed worldwide (U.N. 2000). An estimated 20,000 civilians die each year from landmine explosions.Thousands more are wounded and maimed. As there is still no inexpensive and reliable mechanical technique for removing AP mines, human deminers will be used in the foreseeable future to protect the general population from the menace of landmines.

The Journal Of Mine Action Issue 4.2 (2000), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Deminers, Manual Demining & Their Personal Protection

A Full-Scale Evaluation Of Lightweight Personal Protective Ensembles For Demining In Providing Protection Against Blast-Type Anti-Personnel Mines, Aris Makris, J. Nerenberg

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A wide range of equipment, in the form of helmets, vests, aprons and trousers, is currently in use around the world to protect deminers against the effects of AP mines. Significant variations exist in terms of the level of protection afforded, operational usefulness, quality of manufacturing and cost of each of these components. To date, there have been limited studies undertaken to systematically and quantitatively assess the effectiveness of the different protective components applied to both the civilian and military demining theaters. This study summarizes the efforts of numerous full-scale test series carried out in 1999, with particular emphasis on …

The Human Touch, Russell Gasser, Terry Thomas

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Biting insects, inaccessible terrain, impenetrable bamboo thickets and thorn bushes. Mine clearance in Cambodia is a hot, sweaty business at the best of times. Because tripwires hidden in the undergrowth could trigger explosions, the vegetation has to be cleared by hand before mine detection can start. It is a tedious matter and can occupy two-thirds of a mine clearer's working day.

Quality Standards For Demining, James Trevelyan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In the last two years, several authors have commented critically on the 99.6 percent standard for humanitarian mine clearance adopted by the United Nations and its agencies. These standards are being redrafted, yet from the literature and recent comments, it is clear that there is little intellectual foundation on which to build a new standard. There are three issues that need to be addressed. First, what is an acceptable quality standard for humanitarian demining? Second, how can one measure the quality levels actually achieved in humanitarian demining? Third, how can one implement a cost-effective training and monitoring process to ensure …

Conquering The Insurmountable, Stephanie Schlosser, Virginia Saulnier

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Canadian Center for Mine Action Technologies (CCMAT) is a partnership of resources from the Department of National Defense and Industry Canada. The Center is co-located with the Defense Research Establishment Suffield (ORES) at Canadian Force Base Suffield in Alberta.

Mozambique: A Country Ravaged By Civil War And Nature, Stephanie Schlosser, Virginia Saulnier

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mozambique, a nation fraught with the aftermath of civil war and, more recently, torrential downpours devastating the countryside, has attained sufficient stability to attempt the mammoth task of reconstructing its social and economic foundation. After suffering through 16-20 years of civil war, which eventually subsided in 1992, Mozambique's demining efforts were progressing when the nation was struck by Cyclone Eline in late February 2000 and Cyclone Hudah in mid-April 2000, complicating the demining mission. Initial reports indicated that mine fields that had been previously mapped for clearance had suddenly vanished, as the violent storms swept the mines to unknown locations. …

Central America Landmine Survivors: The Need For Action In Nicaragua, William Boyce

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Landmines are indiscriminate weapons, wounding and killing not only soldiers but women and children as well. Although hostilities may cease, landmines continue to maim and kill 500 victims a week, the equivalent of 26,000 additional disabled persons each year. There are at least 250,000 landmine-disabled people in the world, and the number continues to grow.

Afghan Technical Consultants, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article has been removed.

Mines Clearance International, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mines Clearance International (MCI) is an established humanitarian demining agency and a registered charity in the U.K. A fairly new organization, MCI was established, in April 1996, to respond to the problem landmines and unexploded ordnance posed to civilians, particularly in the underdeveloped nations of the Southern Hemisphere. MCI staff, though newly on board, includes well-qualified technical and aid personnel with experience in humanitarian responses to the landmine issue.

Stiftung Sankt Barbara, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Stiftung Sankt Barbara is a private foundation with its central headquarters in Munster, Germany. The organization was established in 1995, but its first mission was organized in October 1996. Sankt Barbara is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to protect the native people of different countries through knowledge of landmines, accurate demining and rehabilitation.

The Spider Boot: An Effective Foot Protection System Against Anti-Personnel Mine Blasts, S. Islam, Aris Makris, Denis Bergeron

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

It is estimated that about 70 million AP landmines are deployed worldwide, slowing down the economic recovery of war torn countries and causing indiscriminate injuries to returning civilian populations long after the end of a conflict. Several military and non-military organizations are currently engaged in mine clearance, either in support of peacekeeping operations or for humanitarian demining.

The Effectiveness Of Different Personal Protective Ensembles In Preventing Injury To The Thorax From Blast-Type Anti-Personnel Mines, J. Nerenberg, Aris Makris, H. Kleine

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

It is well established from numerous documented cases of bomb blasts that, under certain conditions (determined by the amount and proximity of explosive), the transmitted shock wave and associated overpressure generated by the detonation of an explosive device can cause critical and fatal injuries to the thorax, e.g., “blast lung.” As such injuries tend to be internal and thus difficult to detect, there has been considerable debate in recent years on the significance of the blast overpressure injury in the context of demining/mine clearance compared to more visible injuries, such as, amputation of extremities, fragmentation wounds and blindness. A wide …

Deminers, Manual Demining And Their Protective Equipment, Norman Stewart

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In Cambodia, a deminer was working in the prone position and set off an anti-personnel type 72 Chinese tilt mine. The resulting blast went over his head and did not damage his exposed hands. The blast over-pressure sucked air and dirt into his helmet visor and punctured his eye, which recovered fully. This over-pressure problem was caused by an air gap between the helmet visor and his protective jacket. Within seven days a new visor was dispatched from the manufacturer to my specifications, tested and found to remove the air gap problem. As part of the daily safety checks carried …