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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research And Development Program Provides "Reach-In" Technology, Chris Wanner
U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research And Development Program Provides "Reach-In" Technology, Chris Wanner
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
When mine clearance operations closed down on June 12, 2004, for the last time in Honduras, U.S. Army Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) prototype equipment on trial was there to help complete the work started nearly one decade ago. Progress in reaching this milestone had stalled in 2002. Lack of a solution to a troublesome combination of environmental and threat factors remained beyond the capability of normal clearance procedures at one of the last remaining mine-suspected areas left in Honduras. Conventional clearance methods had revealed evidence of a mixture of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines buried under a meter …
Beyond Mine Removal, Juan Carlos Ruan
Beyond Mine Removal, Juan Carlos Ruan
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
For over a decade, the Organization of American States (OAS) has been coordinating landmine removal operations throughout the Americas. The program has been the responsibility of the Mine Action Program of the Unit for the Promotion of Democracy of the OAS, which provides overall coordination and management. The OAS has been successful with the technical assistance of the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB), the hard work of the national armies and the generosity of international donors. While the national armies of mine-affected countries carry out the actual demining in the field, the IADB provides a team of international supervisors and military …
Community-Based Rehabilitation Program Design And Implementation In Central America, Michael Lundquist
Community-Based Rehabilitation Program Design And Implementation In Central America, Michael Lundquist
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Since 1997, the Polus Center for Social & Economic Development, Inc., has been supporting orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) services in Central America. In 1999, Polus expanded its effort and, in collaboration with local citizens of Leon, Nicaragua, opened Walking Unidos, an outreach O&P workshop. Since the success of Walking Unidos, the Polus Center has helped develop two other O&P programs: Vida Nueva in Choluteca, Honduras, and the other in Managua, Nicaragua, a venture made possible with the support of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). In addition, the Polus Center developed several other disability-related programs, including the Disability …
An Interview With Mine Awareness Expert Mr. Porfirio Gomez, Juan Carlos Ruan
An Interview With Mine Awareness Expert Mr. Porfirio Gomez, Juan Carlos Ruan
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
One of the key components of the Mine Action Program of the Organization of American States (OAS) is mine risk education (MRE). It is the belief of the program that the most important measure one can take to ensure that affected communities practice safe behavior is to educate them on the risks associated with landmines and UXO. The objective of this component is to not solely attain the reduction of the risk of injury or death by promoting safe behavior, but also provide solutions to high-risk behavior that is observed in some affected communities. This is done through a number …
Public-Private Partnerships Paving The Way For Success In Sri Lanka, Margaret S. Busé
Public-Private Partnerships Paving The Way For Success In Sri Lanka, Margaret S. Busé
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
"Most young people, including those in their 20s in Sri Lanka, have never seen a day without war because of the fighting that has lasted for the past two decades in Sri Lanka. For them to see new construction underway, schools reopening, and for locals to be able to move out of refugee camps back onto their land—these all come as welcome sights."-Mary Eisenhower, President, People to People International
Operation Emirates Solidarity: An International Model And Mine Clearance Success Story, Chris Clark
Operation Emirates Solidarity: An International Model And Mine Clearance Success Story, Chris Clark
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Landmines and unexploded munitions remaining from the 22-year Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon, as well as previous periods of conflict in the area, severely hindered the much-needed restoration of peace and security in the area. Reconstruction, socio-economic development and general community life were severely affected by the massive landmine contamination left following the Israeli withdrawal in 2000.
The National Demining Office In Lebanon, 1998–2004, George Massaad, Salim Raad, Kassem Jammoul, Chip Bowness
The National Demining Office In Lebanon, 1998–2004, George Massaad, Salim Raad, Kassem Jammoul, Chip Bowness
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Mine action in Lebanon only became highlighted internationally since the withdrawal of Israeli forces in May 2000. Wars and occupation during the past 25 years have left hundreds of thousands of mines and UXO scattered throughout Lebanon, including cluster munitions. The draft national Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) indicates that as of September 2003, more than 30 percent of the national population of 3.7 million is affected, and estimates that 1.4 percent of the landmass or about 137 million square metres remains potentially contaminated by mines and/or UXO. This is a significant detriment to socio-economic development.
Marminca's Experience: Coordinating Humanitarian Demining, Luiz Felipe Ramos Gonzalez
Marminca's Experience: Coordinating Humanitarian Demining, Luiz Felipe Ramos Gonzalez
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Humanitarian demining is an essential component of mine action, which encompasses a series of activities such as mine and UXO removal, technical studies, mapping, the returning of cleared land to the communities, victim assistance, and mine risk education (MRE), among others. Since 1995, the Organization of American States (OAS) has carried out demining programs in Central America, concentrating its efforts in four countries: Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. This program has been carried out in the region with the support of donor countries, beneficiary countries, contributing countries and the Inter-American Defense Board (IADB).
Machines Can Get The Job Done Faster, Alexander Griffiths
Machines Can Get The Job Done Faster, Alexander Griffiths
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) published A Study of Mechanical Application in Demining in June 2004. The study looked at the most suitable roles for machines in demining, examined the potential for machines to be considered a primary clearance tool, explained factors involved in protecting operators and presented a software model to help programme managers understand the cost-effectiveness of their mechanical assets. In 2005, the GICHD plans to release six more sub-studies related to mechanical demining. The following article explains some aspects of the operational tasks where machines are currently employed.
The Gichd Regional Support Centre: An Approach To Regional Information Management, Simon Berger, Alan Arnold
The Gichd Regional Support Centre: An Approach To Regional Information Management, Simon Berger, Alan Arnold
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Ask most people in mine action what is meant by regional information management and they will talk to you about the consolidation of country-specific mine action information at centralized regional locations. They may talk about the need for data aggregation, the reluctance of programmes to provide data and the generally slow pace of the work. In almost all cases, they will mention data analysis and comparisons between the work completed in different programmes as key elements in regional systems. Most of the examples given will focus on efforts that fell short of expectations and failed to deliver on the promise …
A Civilian-Military Relationship: Vvaf Support To Hdtc, Joseph M. Donahue, Rodney Robideau
A Civilian-Military Relationship: Vvaf Support To Hdtc, Joseph M. Donahue, Rodney Robideau
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The Humanitarian Demining Training Center (HDTC) at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation's (VVAF's) Information Management and Mine Action Programs (iMMAP) are pleased to announce the establishment of a non-governmental organization (NGO) chair on the HDTC faculty. This effort is the culmination of several years of planning that began in 1999 with faculty-training exchanges between the two organizations. These initial training exchanges were begun with the intent of establishing shared mechanisms between the military and humanitarian mine action (HMA) communities so that interoperability could be improved and lessons learned by either community might benefit the …
Geneva Diary: Report From The Gichd, Ian Mansfield
Geneva Diary: Report From The Gichd, Ian Mansfield
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) recently released a major publication titled A Study of Mechanical Application in Demining. The last 15 years have seen the evolution of machines used in demining. At the beginning of the 1990s, the few machines on the market tended to be large and heavy. Today, there is a much greater array of machines of varying size and armour protection to suit the different physical environments and threat levels found in mine-affected regions of the world (seeGICHD Mechanical Demining Equipment Catalogue 2004).
On The Ground In Iraq, Jo Foster
On The Ground In Iraq, Jo Foster
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
MineTech International (MTI) has been stationed in southern Iraq since May 2003, working on humanitarian mine and ammunition clearing projects and as part of its brief, working to deliver rapid response demining support for the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS).
After The Taliban: Opportunities And Challenges In Mine Action In Afghanistan, 2002–2003, Patrick Fruchet
After The Taliban: Opportunities And Challenges In Mine Action In Afghanistan, 2002–2003, Patrick Fruchet
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
This article has been removed.
Afghan Technical Consultants: A Brief Overview, Kefayatullah Eblagh
Afghan Technical Consultants: A Brief Overview, Kefayatullah Eblagh
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC) was established in 1989 as the first humanitarian mine clearance organization sponsored by the United Nations. Through February 2004, ATC had cleared 82.4 sq km of high-priority mined areas and 192.7 sq km of former battlefields. During its 14 years of operations, ATC has located and destroyed a total of 3,437 anti-vehicle mines, 143,392 anti-personnel mines and 1,611,676 pieces of UXO. ATC currently employs nearly 2,000 personnel working in every region of Afghanistan.
The U.S. Department Of Defense Humanitarian Demining Training Center: A Center Of Excellence, Lloyd Carpenter, Paul Arcangeli, Rodney Robideau
The U.S. Department Of Defense Humanitarian Demining Training Center: A Center Of Excellence, Lloyd Carpenter, Paul Arcangeli, Rodney Robideau
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Humanitarian mine action (HMA) is a field known for its paradigm shifts. Just as technological advances create more efficient and less expensive alternatives to old products and methodologies, emerging technologies offer newer and safer ways to detect landmines. Integrating these advances into the HMA community and thereby the training curriculum, is one challenge faced by the staff of the U.S. Department of Defense Humanitarian Demining Training Center (HDTC).
The Quick Reaction Demining Force: The United States' Response To Humanitarian Demining Crises, Hayden Roberts
The Quick Reaction Demining Force: The United States' Response To Humanitarian Demining Crises, Hayden Roberts
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
Humanitarian crises, particularly crises in which landmines are involved, may occur without warning and require an immediate response. Examples of such crises include Hurricane Mitch, which struck Central America in 1988, the rapid, post-air war return of refugees to mine-infested Kosovo in 1999, and tropical cyclones Hudah and Eline that ravaged Mozambique in 2000, displacing thousands of landmines. To respond to such emergency situations quickly and efficiently, the United States developed a Quick Reaction Demining Force (QRDF).
Itep/Jmu Database Of International Experiences: Supporting The Test And Evaluation Community, Franciska Borry, Dieter Guelle
Itep/Jmu Database Of International Experiences: Supporting The Test And Evaluation Community, Franciska Borry, Dieter Guelle
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
A new database has been added to the James Madison University (JMU) Lessons Learned database, with more specific content and aim. The specific content reflects the main tasks that the International Test and Evaluation Program (ITEP) for humanitarian demining has agreed on in its Memorandum of Understanding, namely to evaluate and standardise the process of equipment testing in the humanitarian demining industry. The JMU Mine Action Information Centre (MAIC) maintains the database, whereas the ITEP Secretariat is responsible for its content.
Geneva Diary: Report From The Gichd, Ian Mansfield
Geneva Diary: Report From The Gichd, Ian Mansfield
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
As the theme of this edition of the Journal of Mine Action is about the use of the military in mine action, I would like to remind readers of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) publication titled "The Role of the Military in Mine Action." This study was originally requested by the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) and completed in mid-2003. The study found that over the past 15 years, military forces—both local and visiting—have made a significant contribution to mine action.
The Sdok Kok Thom Integrated Demining Project, Paddy Blagden
The Sdok Kok Thom Integrated Demining Project, Paddy Blagden
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The Sdok Kok Thom Project in Thailand was an ideal project in order for the Japan Alliance for Humanitarian Demining Support (JAHDS) to create a mine clearance capability. The project site was compact, easily accessible and the vegetation varied from sparse to very dense, which made it possible to create a progressive training scheme of increasing complexity. This allowed the mine clearers to progress in steps towards the most difficult and challenging stages. One of the main points of the project was to incorporate a high degree of integrated demining, i.e., demining using the three major tools in the mine …
Serving Mine Action With Technology, Pehr Lodhammar
Serving Mine Action With Technology, Pehr Lodhammar
The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction
The Swedish Rescue Services Agency (SRSA) is a Swedish governmental organization. It maintains a high level of emergency preparedness so that, with short notice, it can assist during international relief operations with specialist personnel and equipment. SRSA involvement in international mine action mainly supports Mine Action Coordination Centers (MACCs) through the United Nations Office of Project Services (UNOPS), where SRSA personnel hold positions within the MACC. SRSA has been contributing to research and development of new mine detection and clearance technology by concentrating on two specific projects: BIOSENS and DEMAND.