Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Black Adder Disruptors, Andy Smith, William Bagley

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article reports on an empirical research and development project conducted in collaboration by researchers at University of Genoa, Italy, and Johns Hopkins University, United States. It is a progress report summarizing one element of a broader effort that is intended to provide explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) operators with reliable, open-source information to assist in the development of low-order munitions disruptors. Providing operators the information necessary to make energetic tools not only reduces cost but can also circumvent the restrictions and delays that often complicate the import of disruptor components.

Using Small Unmanned Aircraft (Sua) In Hma, Andy Smith

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

With the growing use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) within humanitarian mine action (HMA), the need for standardized training is becoming increasingly important to mitigate factors that may otherwise inhibit their wider use. The first formal training course for people in HMA to qualify as small unmanned aircraft (SUA) pilots served as an opportunity to pursue this goal and was held at the MAT Kosovo training centre in September 2017. The instructors were from a U.K. company training to U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) standards for commercial SUA pilots. Although drone and UAV are popular terms to describe all umanned …

Refining Explosive Safety Outreach, Geoff Carton, Laura Grindstaff

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Explosives safety awareness programs must identify the target audience and communicate easily understood concepts. To be effective, an audience must apply the concepts presented; however, this is not enough. The program and its message must also be adaptable to a variety of audiences based on how they assimilate information. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has at least 100 years of safety education experience. Over this time, explosives safety messages underwent several evolutions.

Preparing For The Future: How The Sdgs Impact Mine Action, Ursign Hofmann, Olaf Juergensen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Adopted by all U.N. Member States in September 2015, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2030 Agenda) and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) entered into effect on 1 January 2016 to guide development efforts. The SDGs are in the early stages of implementation and are still being mainstreamed into mine action. This article draws on a timely study from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that aims to stimulate collective thinking in the sector, provides policy recommendations, and offers implementation tools.

Making Ordnance Identification Available To Everyone, Howard Rudat

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The continued focus on the use of mobile technology in support of humanitarian demining operations has not only highlighted how these technologies can be adapted and used but has also resulted in tangible tools that can be put to use now. Despite these advances, the cost and availability of these capabilities remains a challenge when resources are limited. Together, the U.S. Army’s Unexploded Ordnance Center of Excellence (UXOCOE), the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) at James Madison University, and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) have solved a key part of that problem by providing resources …

Endnotes Issue 21.3, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Endnotes Issue 21.3

Inciting Action: Assessment Reporting Strategies That Fuel Change And Improve Learning, Kathy E. Clarke, Gretchen A. Hazard

Libraries

All assessment practitioners know the penultimate goal is loop closing. But we also live with the reality that assessment is also beholden to the Gods of Accountability. As assessment professionals, we dutifully attend to the cycle of improving student learning, but at each step in the cycle we must continue to hone our skills. Results reporting may seem like the least sexy of all of the steps in our practice, but we argue that is singularly important and represents a high art of assessment craft. Results must be engaging, actionable, meet accountability mandates, and importantly read by those who can …

Inciting Action: Assessment Reporting Strategies That Fuel Change And Improve Learning, Kathy E. Clarke, Gretchen A. Hazard

Libraries

All assessment practitioners know the penultimate goal is loop closing. But we also live with the reality that assessment is also beholden to the Gods of Accountability. As assessment professionals, we dutifully attend to the cycle of improving student learning, but at each step in the cycle we must continue to hone our skills. Results reporting may seem like the least sexy of all of the steps in our practice, but we argue that is singularly important and represents a high art of assessment craft. Results must be engaging, actionable, meet accountability mandates, and importantly read by those who can …

National Capacities And Residual Contamination I Albania, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

This case study forms part of a broader GICHD study on national capacities and residual contamination. The purpose of this report is to document Albania’s experience of developing national systems and capacities to address residual contamination and to identify and present good practices and lessons learnt.

Prioritisation Policy, Procedures And Practices Relating To Uxo Clearance In Lao Pdr, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

This report maps the current prioritisation system in Lao PDR, including UXO policies and related development policies of the Government of Lao PDR (GOL), standard operating procedures of UXO operators, and actual prioritisation practices of provincial, district and village‐level authorities, households, and UXO operators.

Promoting Civic Engagement Through Academic Library Outreach Programs, Kristen S. Shuyler, Liz Chenevey, Ryan Winfree

Libraries

How are Virginia's academic libraries promoting civic engagement? This poster presents results of a statewide civic engagement survey and shares one academic library's civic engagement outreach activities. Civic literacy competencies, such as the ability to contact representatives, are related to information literacy skills, and libraries should continue to promote them.

I Heart Communication In The Library: Exploring Communication Satisfaction, Jennifer A. Keach

Libraries

This poster presents findings about organizational communication within a mid-sized academic library. Discover if demographic differences, the number of connections, attendance at events, or use of technology helped or hindered communication. Learn about ways to do a communication audit at your own library.

You Are Welcome Here: The Genesis And Evaluation Of A New Employee Orientation Program Within The Library, Rebecca French, Jennifer A. Keach, Elizabeth Price, Susan Thomas, Michael Trocchia

Libraries

Your library may hire new employees throughout the year, but do you prepare them to succeed in your environment? Learn how James Madison University Libraries developed a new employee orientation program designed to meet the needs of new employees, their supervisors, and the entire organization.

To Build The Fire Of Revolution, Stephen Roddewig

James Madison Undergraduate Research Journal (JMURJ)

Scholarly examinations of naturalism in Jack London’s 1908 short story “To Build a Fire” often overlook the influence of the socialist political movement. After surveying the American Socialist Party movement and London’s activism in “How I Became a Socialist,” this essay uses the frame of Marxist rhetorical criticism to inspect sociopolitical themes in London’s famous story. London’s critiques of Individualism in “How I Became a Socialist” parallel one of his concerns in “To Build a Fire” as his unnamed protagonist progresses through the Yukon with the larger ideals of American society and the capitalist economy guiding his actions. Although masculinity, …

Ddasaccident814, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The accident occurred in one of the remote Mine Field (MF) tasks (HZTJ-335-MM10) located in TAB region of Tajikistan, Shamsiddin Shohin district: 30 km from nearest hospital, 60 min of driving by narrow and bad condition restricted border zone road, and was caused due to hand excavation tool (demining trowel) penetration into the liquid explosive container of an AP blast mine type PFM-1. Penetration, fortunately, did not provoke any detonation, but resulted in rupturing the plastic mine casing and spraying of the liquid explosive charge contents into the eyes, mouth and facial area of the deminer operating the demining tool.

Ddasaccident826, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On the 6th of September 2017at [International demining organisation] task CBU-575 FO, an uncontrolled detonation of an M77 sub-munitions occurred while [International demining organisation] BAC 2 searcher [the Victim] was working in his lane at 07:33 am, 5 minutes before taking his first break, and led to an injury.

The injuries sustained by [the Victim] resulted in severe wounds and fractures in his hands and legs, fragmentations in the chest and head and injuries to the eyes.

Based on all available evidences, the BOI team concludes that the accident occurred with the searcher while he was cutting vegetation in his …

The Seventh Meeting Of States Parties To The Convention On Cluster Munitions (2017), Ccm

Global CWD Repository

The Seventh Meeting of States Parties (7MSP) to the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) took place from 4 to 6 September 2017 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The 7MSP, presided by Germany, was the second formal meeting of the Convention after the adoption of the Dubrovnik Action Plan, a five-year action (2015-2020) plan that provides a roadmap for States Parties to implement and universalize the Convention. 393 participants from States, international and non-governmental organizations took part in the three-day Meeting to take stock of the implementation of the CCM’s steering action plan.

Volume 1, Issue 1 (2017) Inaugural Issue

International Journal on Responsibility

Contents:

1 – 4 Terry Beitzel, Who is Responsible to do what for Whom? A letter from the Editor-in-Chief.

5 – 20 Arun Gandhi, What Does Responsibility Mean to Me?

21 – 42 T.Y. Okosun, Political Flip-flopping, Political Responsibility, Current Governance, and the Disenfranchised.

43 – 54 Hal Pepinsky, Resolving the Paradox of Holding People Responsible.

55 – 66 Kendra A. Hollern, Dying with Dignity: Where is the Compassion in Compassionate Release Programs?

67 – 82 Sabiha Shala & Gjylbehare Muharti, Who is Responsible for Ethical Legal Education, for what and to whom? Case of Kosovo.

83 Acknowledgments.

Technology, Information Literacy And Social Work Education, Laura Trull, David Vess

Libraries

This poster will demonstrate a unique series of interactive lessons, designed and implemented collaboratively by Social Work and Library faculty to support student information literacy skill development. This series of six lessons was implemented with junior-level social work students and focused on topics such as determining quality of sources, constructing citations, identifying research methodology, utilizing technology, research ethics and search techniques. Lesson outlines will be made available to participants and future research and evaluation plans will be discussed.

Mediawiki: Supporting Imsma Documentation, Dionysia Kontotasiou, Olivier Cottray

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Over the last few years, wikis have arisen as powerful tools for collaborative documentation on the internet. The Encyclopedia Wikipedia has become a reference, and the power of community editing in a wiki allows people all over the world to contribute their knowledge. Use of a wiki for software documentation provides an effective collaboration tool as information can be easily fed into the system. Certain wiki implementations, such as MediaWiki, are project-oriented and include functionalities such as automatic page versioning, easy navigation, simple search mechanisms, as well as online, offline, and mobile usage.

From The Director, Ken Rutherford

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This June, the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) partnered with Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA) to facilitate the Southeast Asia Cluster Munition Remnants Survey (CMRS) Workshop in Washington, D.C. This two-day event, hosted by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), brought together a number of organizations working in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam to discuss best practices in CMRS in the region.

Using Mobile Geographic Information Systems To Improve Operational Efficiency, Data Reliability, And Access In Mine Action, Paul Rittenhouse, Lindsay Aldrich

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The inherently complex field of mine action, with its many political, financial, and physical considerations, is also a spatial, data-driven field; and as a result, geographic information systems (GIS) stand to play a major role. Spatial data can help address questions such as: Where are the hazardous areas and what has been cleared or cancelled? Where have teams already surveyed? Where should they go next? How many square meters have been cleared? Due to the complexities surrounding assigning tasks and prioritization, standard operating procedures (SOP), quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) and database design, GIS often gets limited to high-level planning, database …

Interpreting Submunition Fragmentation Marks On Hard Surfaces For The Survey Of Cluster Munition Strikes, Roly Evans

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Submunition fragmentation can produce distinct patterns on hard surfaces that can assist in establishing if a cluster munition has been used. This article will review some of the submunition fragmentation impact patterns seen in current and former conflict zones around the world. It will also underline the risks of misidentifying such patterns and the need to corroborate them with associated evidence such as the submunition fragmentation itself. Trying to accurately identify evidence of cluster munition strikes is an important skill, not just for those surveying contamination for subsequent clearance, but also for journalists and human rights advocates seeking to document …

The Journal Of Conventional Weapons Destruction Issue 21.2 (2017), Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Feature: The Evolving Nature of Survey | Special Report: 21st Century Survey in Eastern Ukraine and the use of Technology in Insecure Environments | Spotlight: Southeast Asia | Field Notes | Research and Development

21st Century Survey In Eastern Ukraine And The Use Of Technology In Insecure Environments, Nick Torbet, Patrick Thompson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The conflation of humanitarian and military spheres has long been a feature of modern conflict, restricting access to areas in which the need for humanitarian assistance is greatest. However, the advent of mobile technology has provided novel opportunities to circumvent old problems. In Ukraine, The HALO Trust’s (HALO) ability to conduct nontechnical survey is restricted in certain areas, and the security environment means this is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, HALO pioneered a number of techniques that allowed for systematic assessments of the region, painting a general picture of contamination that will facilitate pro-active non-technical survey once …

Catholic Relief Services: Information And Communication Technology In Monitoring And Evaluation, Nguyen Tuan Phong, Ta Thi Hai Yen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In February 2015, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) Vietnam initiated a new project to support the reintegration and rehabilitation of survivors of accidents involving landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). With funding from the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), CRS’ Access and Reintegration (A&R) project takes a comprehensive approach to serving the needs of 3,219 survivors of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces. Through collaboration with the Government of Vietnam’s provincial Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA), CRS provides survivors …

Military-Ngo Partnerships: Lessons Learned For The 8th Theater Sustainment Command's Hma Mission In Vietnam, Shawn Kadleck, Richard Calvin

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In August 2016, U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC) Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and medical personnel executed the first phase of a four-year mission in support of Vietnam. The goal of this mission is to develop indigenous, International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) Level 3 certified instructors for the recently established Vietnam National Mine Action Center (VNMAC). USARPAC partnered with Golden West Humanitarian Foundation, an NGO that runs mine action operations around the world. Golden West provided insight and recommendations on equipment purchases, curriculum development, and other aspects of program development as it related to EOD tasks. As USARPAC looks toward the future, …

Social Inclusion Of Marginalized Communities: Mine Action In Laos, Tina Kalamar

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A complex array of factors including gender, age, disability, ethnicity, geographical location, language, religious affiliation, and economic and educational status are enabling or constraining social inclusion of people in different contexts. This paper presents a case study that illustrates how mine action can both contribute to and benefit from greater social inclusion.

Addressing The Explosive Hazard Threat In Northern Syria: Risk Education On Landmines, Uxo, Booby Traps, And Ieds, Louise Skilling, Marysia Zapasnik

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Explosive hazards pose a great threat to civilians in Syria. A rapid return of displaced people usually occurs as soon as an area is declared newly taken. During this period, there is limited medical and explosive clearance capacity although there are high risks from explosive hazards, including booby traps and improvised explosive devices (IED) specifically targeting civilians in their homes. This article focuses on addressing the threat of explosive hazards in northern Syria and draws on risk education material designed by humanitarian mine action

Epidemiological Study Of Landmines/ Erw Accidents And Victims In Kachin, Kayah, And Shan States, Burma, Julien Zwang, Pascal Simon

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In Burma, there is no systematic and organized victim information system (VIS) of landmine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) victims, and few studies have been conducted on the topic, in particular in Kachin, Kayah, and Northern Shan States (NSS), where most of the accidents have recently occurred. Between 2015 and 2016, casualty reports compiled by the Mine Risk Working Group (MRWG) chaired by the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) showed that the number of mine/ERW victims increased by 58% in the country, particularly in Kachin and Shan States, while the number of victims decreased in Kayin State. Documenting victims’ …