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Mine Action And Development, Earl Turcotte

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The author explains why he thinks the international mine action and broader development communities are moving in the right direction by mainstreaming mine action into development programs where the degree of landmine contamination warrants.

Becoming Part Of The Hope, Tracey Begley

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Visiting Laos and Cambodia can be a bit frightening for anyone— especially a 14-year-old girl. “Why are we going there?” I whined on the plane to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I had just been reading an article about Asia’s most dangerous countries, and it featured Cambodia. Why would my parents take me there?

Unsung Hero: Chris North, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In many of his colleagues’ eyes, Chris North is someone who is determined to fight for mine action and make changes, whether those changes are through managing projects or expressive poetry. His unwavering dedication to mine action makes North a hero in his field.

Blast Protection For Uxo Operations Including Demining, Glenn Miles

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mines, UXO and improvised explosive devices are explosive hazards that have proliferated for many decades. In a post-conflict scenario, these are sometimes known collectively as explosive remnants of war. While global initiatives have limited the spread of certain types of devices (especially anti-personnel mines), a considerable problem still exists and will continue for many years to come.

Mine Free: Not Anytime Soon, Richard Kidd

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mine action is changing. This is not 1997 and what the international community has learned in the past eight years clearly indicates that the path forward is something different from what a literal reading of the Ottawa Convention would suggest. The Landmine Impact Survey process has demonstrated very clearly that only a small portion of the minefields—normally less than 20 percent—account for the vast majority of casualties and lost economic opportunities. The mine action community has a responsibility to profit from this new knowledge and to adjust its approach accordingly.

Taking Learning To The Field: Fort A.P. Hill Demining Equipment Demonstration, Sarah Sensamaust

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As part of the Senior Managers Course con- ducted by the Mine Action Information Center during the summer of 2005, representatives from international mine action organizations had the opportunity to see the latest demining equipment demonstrations at Virginia’s Fort A.P. Hill. Watching from the bleachers in the mid-summer heat, the participants saw demonstrations high- lighting over a dozen pieces of demining equipment ranging from detection to neutralization technologies. Their visit was hosted by the U.S. Department of Defense Humanitarian Demining Research, Development and Engineering Center, Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate at Fort Belvoir, VA., as part of the Department …

Destroying The Mother Of All Arsenals: Captured Enemy Ammunition Operations In Iraq, George Zahaczewsky

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Although the much-publicized weapons of mass destruction have not been found in Iraq, less has been said about what munitions were found there, the hazards they present or the efforts of Coalition Forces to remove the stockpiles. This article gives a first-hand view of the perils in Iraq.

Developing Alternatives: The Locality Demining Model In Cambodia, Rupert Leighton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mines Advisory Group has developed a new demining model that trains local citizens to clear mines in their own villages. After using the model for almost 12 months, MAG shows this method is as thorough as Mine Action Team units and requires fewer resources.

Laos, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

No abstract provided.

Qr Hits A Homerun: Landmine-Detection Systems Based On Quadrupole Resonance Technology Show Progress, Peter Turner, Caroleen L. Williams

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This study explains how quadrupole resonance technology in mine-detection systems improves with use and drastically reduces false alarms and deminer fatigue.

Roadmap For Mine Action Robotic Technology Development, Pedro Santana, António Mestre, José Barata, Luís Flores

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This paper presents some of the AMI-02 project preliminary work. The project is being developed by Integrators for Robotic Systems (IntRoSys) with funding from the Portuguese National Defence Ministry. The strong bond between Portugal and some African countries (i.e., former Portuguese colonies) is the main drive for the application of this project.

Protection Against Secondary Fragmentation From Ap Mines Based On Natural Fibre Composites, Paul Wambua, Marc Pirlont, Ignaas Verpoest

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The 1997 Ottawa Convention defines a mine as "a munition designed to be placed under or near the ground or other surface area and to be exploded by the presence, proximity or contact of person or a vehicle." An AP mine is defined as "a mine designed to be exploded by the presence, proximity or contact of a person and that will incapacitate, injure or kill one or more persons."

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 …

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 …

The Benefits Of A Regional Approach To Mine Action, Suzanne Fiederlein

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

For well over a decade, landmine clearance has figured prominently in the post-conflict reconstruction and national reconciliation processes in Latin America. During armed conflicts in Central America in the 1970–80s, combatants on both sides used anti-personnel landmines. As the conflicts drew to a close and peace agreements were negotiated, the removal of landmines emerged as both an agenda item in negotiations and an obstacle to address in the post-conflict reconstruction phase. El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua all commenced landmine clearance efforts in individualized ways based on the context of their national conflicts.

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.

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.

Angola, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Since it gained independence from Portugal in 1975, Angola has faced many landmine challenges as a result of civil wars. Mines that were laid during conflicts now litter the environment, blocking roads and bridges and contaminating agricultural fields. These mines prove a constant threat to the people of the country as well as to those who are working to prevent future accidents through mine removal. Fernando Arroyo of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Huambo, Angola, said, “Everyone ... appears to have buried landmines here. You’ll find Portuguese mines from the 1960s, Cuban mines from …

Colombia, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Colombia is the only country in Latin America where landmines are still being emplaced, and it is also considered the country most affected by landmines in the Western Hemisphere. The severity of the landmine problem in Colombia is a result of the ongoing 40-year internal conflict among armed rebel groups. Illegal armed groups are responsible for placing over 80,000 mines in Colombia's rural areas. Of Colombia's 1,119 municipalities, one out of two is affected by mines across 31 of its 32 departments; essentially, half of the country's territory is affected. Colombia ranks fourth in the world behind Chechnya, Afghanistan and …

Development Of Mine Hand: An Extended Prodder For Protected Demining Operations, Naota Furihata, Shigeo Hirose

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Manual operations remain indispensable in the demining process despite the use of heavy machines in the field. Although considerable research has focused on demining sensors, automated machines and heavy machines, research has paid little attention to devices used in manual operations. The objective of this paper is to detail the development of a new device for manual operations. This machine increases the safety of manual operations and aids in the most dangerous process of APM removal.

Some Steps To A Refined Rest Technology, Kai-Uwe Goss

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In the Remote Explosive Scent Tracing (REST) technology, air from a suspect site is passed through a filter in order to trap the target odor. The filter is then analyzed in a laboratory environment, usually by animals. Although REST is a potentially efficient technology for area reduction, it appears that there has not yet been any strict optimization of the technical procedure. The following work gives a theoretical analysis of the REST concept and first results of a lab study on the performance of various filters for the sampling of gaseous 2,4-DNT.

Kosovo, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Kosovo

Mine Action In Yemen: An Example Of Success, Faiz Mohammad

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

During the past 30 years, from the revolution to the period of civil confrontation in 1994, Yemen has witnessed a number of conflicts, each leaving behind a significant level of problems with mines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). In 2000, a Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) was carried out in Yemen. The survey provided vital information about the landmine and ERW impact on the Yemeni communities. A total of 592 communities were identified as heavily impacted by landmines and ERW. Fourteen communities, with a population totaling 36,000, were found to be highly impacted, while medium or low impact was reported …

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.

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.

Iraq, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Some of the landmines uncovered in Iraq in recent years date as far back as World War II and many are left over from previous conflicts that were meant to isolate or expel citizens from the country. In the 1960s and 1970s, Iraqis utilized landmines against Kurdish mountain fighters to prevent military action by the Kurds. Numerous mines were laid during the Iraq/Iran war of 1980–1988, as well.

Systematic Test And Evaluation Of Metal Detectors: The Ec's Stemd Project, Dieter Guelle, A.M. Lewis

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

There is an international need for people within the humanitarian demining community (HDC) to be informed about appropriate metal detectors for the clearance process. Those involved in information exchange within the HDC will know that metal detector trials are performed regularly. User requirements and test results can easily be published because a network exists within the HDC. The Journal of Mine Action itself is part of this network and readers will probably also be familiar with the websites and publications of the International Test and Evaluation Program for Humanitarian Demining (ITEP) and the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD). …

The Missing Link In Strategic Planning: Alara And The End-State Strategy Concept For National Mine Action Planning, Chip Bowness

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Planning for mine action programs has come a long way since 1989 when the United Nations first supported mine clearance under the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan (UNOCHA). The first mainstream use of the term “mine action” occurred when the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) stood up as a national institution in 1993, with responsibilities extending far beyond clearance of mines and UXO. The world had begun to understand that solving the landmine and UXO problem would be a huge undertaking and require an incalculable amount of time and money to alleviate human suffering …

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.