Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

10 Best Practices For Effective Program Management, Paula S. Daly

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

James Madison University College of Business Professor, Paula Daly, reflects on her experiences teaching the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery’s Senior Managers’ Course in ERW and Mine Action and provides a list of best practices for senior mine action managers.

Best Practices In Managing Government Grants, Nicole Neitzey

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Dwindling funds have steadily created more competition for organizations in mine action and conventional weapons destruction. Given the current funding landscape in these fields, it is increasingly imperative for organizations to employ sound program-management practices to prove themselves worthy for continued funding. This article was adapted from several of the author’s presentations on securing funding, managing grant funds and project risk management.

Mine Risk Education In Mindanao, Philippines, Harshi Gunawardana

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Since 1968, the Bangsamoro region of central and southwestern Mindanao in the Philippines has experienced fighting between Muslim separatists and autonomists and the Philippines government. The conflict, including recent fighting initiated by breakaway insurgent groups, continues to leave unexploded ordnance (UXO) contamination around Bangsamoro. UXO threaten the safety, livelihoods and security of communities in the region. Since 1999, more than 500 landmine/UXO casualties have been identified.

The Humanitarian And Developmental Impact Of Anti-Vehicle Mines, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

Anti-vehicle mines (AVMs) have always had a humanitarian impact, but their significance has often been overshadowed by the higher-profile topic of anti-personnel mines (APMs), and thus the need to address AVMs has been neglected. In some countries, AVMs now present a greater threat to civilian populations than APMs, yet they are often viewed as a marginal issue in international fora. This publication seeks to depict the physical, social, economic and developmental impact of AVMs. AVMs are landmines designed to be triggered by vehicles rather than individual people. They can remain active for decades, and a number of them are difficult …

Doing No Harm? Mine Action And Land Issues In Cambodia, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

Land conflict, tenure insecurity and an inequitable distribution of land are among the most pressing challenges facing Cambodia today. In a country in which most people depend on agriculture, livestock rearing, fishing and forest products for their livelihoods, secure access to safe and productive land is crucial. Yet, over the past decade land conflict has increased dramatically, with one NGO reporting having recorded disputes involving 700,000 people between 2000 and 2012. Land distribution is highly unequal: In 2010 it was estimated that just one percent of the population owned 30 percent of Cambodia’s land.

In addition to land-related disputes, landlessness …

The Maputo Review Conference Outcome Document, Apmbc

Global CWD Repository

A valuable reference manual about the Convention has been released by the Implementation Support Unit (ISU), thanks to funding provided by the European Union.

The brochure serves as a valuable reference tool, as it contains the Convention’s text and the main outcome documents from the June 2014 Maputo Review Conference:

• the Maputo Action Plan,
• the Maputo +15 Declaration and,
• the mandates of the Convention’s committees and office holders.

Promoting Firearms Marking In Latin America And The Caribbean, Lourdes Rincon

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Marking firearms is an important step in combating illicit weapons trafficking. To promote marking and tracing among countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, the Organization of American States has strengthened national capacities to mark firearms by providing equipment and related training since 2009.

Achieving Local Ownership In Mine Action, Blake Williamson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Sustainable development is key to maintaining a self-sufficient national mine action program. To achieve self-sufficiency, programs must build capacity and transition away from the international community’s financial and technical support.

Kurdistan’S Erbil Mine Action Center, Jamal J. Hussein

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Erbil Mine Action Center (EMAC) of the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Agency increases mine risk education efforts in the spring to reduce high casualty rates during this season. EMAC also conducts landmine clearance in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Cwd Response To Ammunition Depot Accidents, George Zahaczewsky

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

While casualties inevitably occur during wars as a result of hostilities, munitions explosions are far more dangerous because they can injure or kill thousands of civilians and military personnel in a single incident. These detonations are not a new occurrence; they have happened as far back as World War I.

Disability Rights In Laos, Megan Hinton, Ken Rutherford

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Relatively poor immunization and health standards, inadequate transportation infrastructure, and explosive remnants of war from previous conflicts are prevalent causes of disability in Laos. The exact number of disabled people living in Laos today is unknown due to inadequate surveys, poor reporting and little incentive for individuals to register as disabled. Despite the large number of disabled persons in Laos, they are a highly underrepresented minority. However, disability issues have become increasingly mainstream in Lao society in recent years, and a renewed effort to secure disability rights has ensued.

New Mine/Erw Risk Education Initiatives In Afghanistan, Samim Hashimi

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Many steps, including training midwives, police officers and teachers in mine and explosive remnants of war risk education (mine/ERW RE), have been taken in Afghanistan to ensure that mine/ERW RE is integrated into local networks. This article outlines the move toward integrating mine/ERW RE within local networks in Afghanistan to assure that high-quality and sustainable material is delivered in the areas that need it most.

Advanced Ordnance Teaching Materials, Allen D. Tan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Advanced Ordnance Teaching Materials (AOTM) program leverages recent advances in the accessibility of 3-D printing to raise the quality of humanitarian explosive ordnance disposal education worldwide.

A Discrimination Method For Landmines And Metal Fragments Using Metal Detectors, Alex M. Kaneko, Edwardo Fukushima, Gen Endo

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

While discrimination methods for distinguishing between real mines and metal fragments would greatly increase the efficiency of demining operations, no practical solution has been implemented yet. A potentially efficient method for the discrimination of metallic targets using metal detectors uses a high-precision robotic manipulator to scan the minefield. Further field research is needed, however, before this method can deploy for operational use.

Meeting Pm/Wra’S New Director Col. (Ret.) Stanley L. Brown, Alexandra Berkowitz

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Continuing the funding for conventional weapons destruction programs remains a primary objective for Stan Brown, the new director of the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA). This interview introduces the director, provides a snapshot of his past experience and shares his hopes for the future of humanitarian demining.

The Journal Of Erw And Mine Action Issue 18.1 (2014), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Focus on land release issues

Feature: Best Practices of Residual Clearance

Special Report: Declining Donor Funding and Strategies to Attract New Donors

Environmentally Responsible Saa Disposal, Ian Biddle

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The need to dispose of small arms ammunition (SAA) for short-term stability and security concerns has traditionally outweighed the long-term need for environmentally responsible disposal. The author suggests the international community should change its procedures concerning SAA disposal and promote more environmentally friendly disposal methods.

Survivors’ Assistance In Conflict: Challenges From Eastern Drc, Douglas Felix Kilama

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Because of the ongoing conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), providing aid and rehabilitation assistance to survivors of mine-related injuries is difficult. Beyond essential rehabilitation services, the United Nations Mine Action Service's victim assistance efforts in DRC aim to provide economic skills to promote self-reliance and enable survivors to provide for their families.

Amendments To The Imas Land Release Series, Helen Gray

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) review board formally endorsed amendments to the Land Release IMAS in April 2013 that clarify and standardize the language and practices in the series.