Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Handicap International 1995–2005: Learning How To Respond To The Needs Of Mine-Affected Communities, Stan Brabant

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Handicap International (HI) was born 23 years ago, in a refugee camp on the Thai-Cambodian border. The organization was created in order to respond to the suffering caused by landmines and to provide support to people with disabilities in general. Ten years later, in 1992, HI was one of the founding members of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). Simultaneously, the organization started developing mine action programs in the field.

Adopt-A-Minefield®: Engaging Civil Society In Mine Action, Nahela Hadi

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In 1998, following the signing of the Ottawa Convention, the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) began developing a program to address the landmine issue. The challenge was UNA-USA wanted to do more than just raise awareness of the landmine problem. We did not want to leave people without the ability to act once they had learned about the problem and felt compelled to act. We wanted to do something different through a program that would engage civil society in clearing minefields. Thus, the Adopt-A-Minefield (AAM) campaign was born.

The Marshall Legacy Institute: The Development Of A Mine Action Non-Profit Organization, Amy Eichenberg

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI) celebrated its eighth anniversary in March 2005 as a successful mine action non-profit organization. The goals and focus of the organization have evolved over time to help war-torn countries help themselves.

Raking It All Up After 10 Years, Andy Smith

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

For two years, Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) in Sri Lanka has provided assistance to the Tamil demining groups and authorities, helping them to refine their own systems and to meet the requirements of the International Mine Action Standards. Uniquely, they have achieved this without losing the low-cost features that are essential to any locally sustainable method. Recently NPA has begun to support a similar process in government-controlled areas, working with both the army—in cooperation with RONCO—and civil demining groups. Their civil partners are the Milinda Morigoda Institute for People's Empowerment, HORIZON and SARVATRA—the first is a local Sri Lankan non-governmental …

Reflecting On 10 Years Of Ronco Operations In Mine Action, John Lundberg

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Ten years ago, RONCO was carrying out mine action operations in five countries: Afghanistan, Angola, Bosnia, Mozambique and Rwanda. Today, the company has over 200 demining-related projects in its portfolio, has worked in almost 30 countries, and has emerged as a world leader in landmine and UXO removal. While the underlying principle of RONCO's work remains the same—building local capacity by training, mentoring and overseeing host-nation organizations—its methodology and the environments in which it is asked to operate have changed considerably.

Intersos Mau: Demining Operations And Lessons Learned, Fernando Termentini

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

INTERSOS' involvement in demining activities originated from its experience in humanitarian operations in post-war contexts, during which it confronted a large number of mine casualties and severe constraints to the restart of socio-economic life due to mine contamination. Therefore, INTERSOS decided to get involved directly in the mine action efforts of the international community, establishing in 1997 the Mine Action Unit (MAU) on a permanent basis.

Engaging Civil Society Through Public-Private Partnerships, Stacy Davis, James Lawrence

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Remember when you washed cars with your classmates to raise money for a band trip? Or perhaps your children sell wrapping paper to raise funds for their schools. These, and a variety of other fundraising techniques, from the simple to the sophisticated, are being used across the United States and around the world to raise awareness and generate resources for humanitarian mine action. The U.S. Department of State’s Public-Private Partnership Program seeks to harness the power and creativity of individuals, civil society and the private sector to address the harmful effects of landmines, as well as unexploded ordnance and other …

Over A Decade Of Oas Mine Action, Juan Carlos Ruan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A number of countries in the Americas have lived with the legacy of landmines that remains from, at times, decade-old conflicts. The Organization of American States (OAS) has been at the forefront in alleviating the negative effects this weapon has on communities in its member states. Over the course of 15 years, the OAS program has evolved significantly to better react to the needs of mine-affected communities. This evolution, and the adoption of a collaborative civil-military structure, has ensured the OAS remains an effective and efficient means to provide assistance in all facets of mine action.

From Demining To Mine Action: The Development Of Mine Action And The Role Of The United Nations, Martin Barber

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The aftermath of the Russian withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1989 marks the start of the United Nations’ involvement in mine action. In the early 1990s, programmes started in Cambodia, Mozambique and Angola, and in 1996 in Bosnia. Today, the United Nations supports mine action in 35 countries. During the past 15 years, the United Nations has learned many lessons in mine action—some the hard way.

Estonian Humanitarian Demining, Stan Reber

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Estonian Rescue Board, under the Ministry of Interior, is responsible for demining activities, planned operations, emergency response, training in mine clearance and explosive ordnance disposal (EOD), and mine risk education (MRE) in Estonia. The Estonian Defense Forces are responsible for military bases and ranges. The Rescue Board's EOD center is based in Tallinn, and there are three other regional units, described as militarized companies, in Tallinn, Tartu and Jõhvi. In total, there are 35 fully trained Estonian deminers, including 17 at the EOD center. Planned demining operations are usually conducted from April to October.

Spirit Of Soccer: Enriching And Saving Lives Through The Beautiful Game, Jim Marshall, Scotty Lee

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

According to the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), a mine risk education (MRE) project should achieve the following:

• Provide information, assurance and encouragement required to encourage mine-safe behaviour.
• Identify and promote model mine-safe behaviour.
• Teach essential skills and ensure that beneficiaries can utilise these skills.
• Provide a social environment that supports mine-safe behaviour.
• Provide ongoing encouragement to sustain mine-safe behaviour.
• Encourage beneficiaries to transfer knowledge and information to others.

Intersos: Thinking Over And Practicing Mre In Iraq, Pia Cantini, Valentina Crini

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mine risk education (MRE) has become ever more essential to any humanitarian mine action programme and, recently, to any reconstruction and development strategy of mine-/UXO-affected countries. MRE has been passing through an evolution, both in terms of policies and international/national capacities.

The Landmine Victim Assistance Component Implemented By The Oas In Nicaragua, Carlos Orozco

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In 1990, Nicaragua registered approximately 135,000 mines buried within its national territory and another 133,435 mines in military stockpiles as a result of the internal conflict witnessed in Nicaragua during the 1980s. Although this article does not touch on the details related to the operations, it is important to note that Nicaragua is the most heavily mined country in Central America and on the entire continent. As of June 2004, approximately 27,400 APMs remain buried within Nicaraguan territory.

Geneva Diary: Report From The Gichd, Ian Mansfield

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) has recently initiated a range of activities designed to improve the standard and effectiveness of mine action evaluations. The Centre is following a two-track approach. One aspect is to develop a range of tools available to all, which will assist in improving the standard of evaluations, and the second is to undertake a range of evaluations itself where appropriate.

The Mine Detection Dog Center For Southeast Europe, Marija Alilovic

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Mine Detection Dog Center for Southeast Europe (MDDC) is an institution of the Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) government. The center was established by a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the U.S. Department of State, the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH. The MDDC is located in Borci near Konjic, and officially opened on October 14, 2003. For the first three years, operations are being funded by the U.S. government.

Anama Expands Demining Operations Towards An Azerbaijan Free From The Impact Of Mines, Emil M. Hasanov

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Azerbaijan, located south of the Caucasus on the western shore of the Caspian Sea, is a country rich with oil resources. As of 2005, Azerbaijan has a population of 8.1 million people living in 65 regions of the country and the autonomous exclave of Nakhchivan to the west. One-fifth of Azerbaijan territory is currently occupied by Armenia.

Itf: A Look At The Past, Present And Future Of Mine Action, Dorijan Marsic, Iztok Hočevar

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance (ITF) was established March 12, 1998, by the government of the Republic of Slovenia. The main activities of ITF are demining, mine victims assistance (MVA), training, mine awareness, mine risk education (MRE), Geographical Information Systems (GIS) development and regional cooperation. In the years since its inception, ITF has developed into the main regional actor in the field of mine action (MA) in the region of southeastern Europe (SEE). In addition, ITF is strongly involved in connecting the region through the Southeastern Europe Mine Action Coordination Council (SEEMACC).

Unmee Macc's Four Years: Challenges And Responses, Andrea Poelling

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The 30-year struggle between Ethiopia and Eritrea (1961–1991), as well as the border conflict between the two countries (1998–2000), left a legacy of serious mine and UXO contamination throughout much of Eritrea. The problem was not seriously addressed until four years ago with the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea in 2000. This peace process rapidly opened the doors for a number of interested mine action players—including the United Nations as well as international mine action non-governmental organizations (NGOs)—to enter the arena and tackle the landmine problem of Eritrea. [Prior to this moment,] there was only …

Clearing Mined Roads For Agricultural Development In Angola: Hdi's Unique Public-Private Partnership, Daniela Kempf

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI) is putting the pieces together again—again! This time, HDI is putting together landmines, agriculture, milk and the U.S. government to create and implement an innovative partnership project for mine clearance in Angola.

Survivor Assistance Profile: Clear Path International Rebuilding Shattered Lives In Southeast Asia, Imbert Matthee

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

When Clear Path International (CPI) staff first met Le Van Phuc in the spring of 2001, the 29-year-old Vietnamese UXO survivor's situation was desperate. He had suffered multiple injuries after he set off an unidentified piece of ordnance while hoeing in the backyard of his family's home in Dong Ha.

Ronco-Trained Sri Lankan Army Demining Teams Respond To Post-Tsunami Clearance Tasks, Stacy L. Smith

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In the early morning of December 26, 2004, a powerful tsunami hit the eastern seaboard of Sri Lanka, devastating fishing communities lining the shore and impacting villages as far as 1 kilometer (0.62 mile) inland. Within days of the catastrophic event, reports reminiscent of the migrating mine situation in Central America following Hurricane Mitch surfaced. As in Honduras in 1998, the possibility of displaced mines and other hazardous ordnance posed a threat to the local population and to emergency relief workers moving into the region to bring supplies and rebuild vital infrastructure. The mine action community in Sri Lanka responded …

Masg Update, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The following article highlights the recent activities of the Mine Action Support Group (MASG), including updates on the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)