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Project Renew’S Prosthetics And Orthotics Mobile Outreach Program, Dang Quang Toan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Project RENEW established a mobile outreach program to provide prostheses, orthotics and education to explosive remnants of war survivors in the remote communities of Vietnam.

Effectiveness Of Gis In Mine Action, Hansie Heymans, Arie Claassens

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

According to a survey conducted by Geometric Solutions, Ltd., the usage of a geographic information system (GIS) stands to benefit the mine action community within the context of strategic planning and operational decision-making. Furthermore, web-based GIS can provide mobile spatial data for operations and lead to an overall improvement of mine action operations.

Roots Of Peace: Cluster Munitions To Crops, Tucker Kuhn, Heidi Kuhn

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

By facilitating the removal of explosive remnants of war in rural Vietnam, Roots of Peace (ROP) aims to restore contaminated farmland to a safe, productive state. ROP encourages economic empowerment by training farmers in the production of cash crops, such as black pepper and taro.

Collaborative Ordnance Data Repository (Cord), Dionysia Kontotasiou, Olivier Cottray

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Until recently, the mine action and broader humanitarian disarmament community have relied on ORDATA for ordnance information. However, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, James Madison University and software-development company Ripple Design developed a novel aid to using ORDATA: the Collaborative ORDnance data repository (CORD). Representing a significant update to the data set, CORD is an ordnance-identification system featuring Web 2.0 concepts that allow individual users to contribute updates to the data.

Landmines In Croatia Pose Threat To Incoming Refugees, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After Hungary formally closed its border with Serbia on 15 September 2015, refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East, Central Asia and Northern Africa have turned next to Croatia as a gateway to reach countries such as Sweden and Germany. The influx of refugees traversing the areas near the Croatia-Serbia border has raised concerns that refugees will encounter residual landmine contamination in Croatia as they make their way to Slovenia and Hungary. The contamination dates back to the four-year conflict which followed the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia from 1991 to 1995. The Croatian Mine Action Centre (CROMAC) estimates that …

The Journal Of Erw And Mine Action Issue 19.3 (2015), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Focus: The Middle East | Feature: Victim Assistance | Special Report | Notes from the Field | Research and Development

Providing Integrated Peer-Support Assistance To Landmine Survivors, Amir Mujanovic

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Landmine Survivors Initiatives implemented a three-pronged, peer-support assistance system to meet landmine survivors’ needs in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This practice is the combination of an approach and methodology to provide integrated assistance to landmine survivors.

Counting The Uncountable: Measuring The Benefits Of Mre, Robert Keeley

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The aim of this article is to propose concepts that define MRE in terms of its outcomes and beneficiaries and to open a discussion on developing a means that may then be useful in measuring the efficacy of MRE. This article defines efficacy as the ability to produce a desired or intended result.

Boko Haram Uses Landmines And Ieds To Threaten Nigeria, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Forces from Cambodia, Chad and Nigeria have repeatedly combated Boko Haram’s attempts to terrorize civilians, capture hostages and hinder military advances with landmines and booby traps.

Issue 19.2 Endnotes, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Issue 19.2 Endnotes

Vietnam 40 Years After The War, Sean Sutton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Sean Sutton, photographer and international communications manager for MAG (Mines Advisory Group), provides a photographic essay of MAG's clearance work in Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces, Vietnam.

The Journal Of Erw And Mine Action Issue 19.1 (2015), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Focus on Vietnam

Feature: Cultural and Environmental Issues in Demining

Notes from the Field

Research and Development

Post-Clearance Inspection: How Much Is Enough?, Russell Gasser

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Post-clearance inspection serves to check contamination of land on a per square meter basis. Although inspection does little in the way of explaining the quality of the work done in demining operations, it can be important in providing an incentive for deminers to produce higher quality work.

Preparing For Humanitarian Demining In Post-Conflict Colombia, Carl Case

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Nearly a decade after launching an effort to build national capacity to clear landmines from its territory, the Colombian government still faces significant challenges in addressing the country’s mine problem, which has claimed more than 11,000 victims since 1991.¹ Although the overall number of new landmine victims significantly decreased over the past eight years, survey and clearance work has been limited to more secure zones of the countryside because of the threat from nonstate armed groups to deminers and people living in conflict areas. Meanwhile, the risk to civilians living in parts of the country where demining activities have …

The Case For A National Assessment On Landmine Contamination Through Nts In Colombia, Pablo Parra, Marc Bonnet

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

With a majority of Colombia’s municipalities reporting landmine or ordnance incidents since 1990, there is an urgent need to perform non-technical survey (NTS) in the country to determine the remaining threat. Assuming liability for risk, howevr, slows the process. The authors make a case for proceeding with NTS.

The Journal Of Erw And Mine Action Issue 19.2 (2015), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Focus on Colombia | Risk Education | Notes from the Field | Research and Development

Healing And Reconciliation For Survivors Of War In North Central Colombia, Cameron Macauley

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Between 2009 and 2011, a project was implemented to help survivors of war in a small Colombian community learn how to help each other recover from their trauma. Twenty local residents received extensive training on how to lead peer groups to help survivors come to terms with the past and coexist peacefully with ex-combatants. The project concluded with the construction of a memory wall to honor victims of armed violence.

Mre Certification Courses In Mali, Sri Lanka And Tajikistan, Sebastian Kasack

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

UNICEF developed a mine risk education (MRE) certification course to regulate the accreditation of MRE educators. The certification courses have had varied success in Mali, Sri Lanka and Tajikistan.

Mine Action In Myanmar, Roger Fasth, Pascal Simon

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In two Myanmar states, Danish Demining Group and Danish Refugee Council recently conducted a landmine victims survey that helped to document the epidemiology of landmine accidents and the situation of landmine victims more efficiently as well as recommend improved services to landmine survivors and persons with disabilities.

Child-To-Child Risk Education, Tycie Horsley

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Children are especially susceptible to the dangers of landmines. Through its Children Against Mines Program, the Marshall Legacy Institute extends mine risk education through club participation to children, who subsequently spread the valuable information to peers.

Unplanned Explosions Of Munition Stockpiles, Ken Rutherford, Matthew Williams

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Unplanned explosions at munition sites in places such as Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United States result in mass casualties to civilians and government personnel. Although new ammunition-storage practices in the United States expanded to include a military role, not all countries have evolved their practices as quickly, leaving them more susceptible to continued explosions. The increasing role of urbanization will make ammunition site management even more important in the 21st century.

Islamic State Plants Landmines Around Palmyra Ruins, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) laid landmines around the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Palmyra in Syria.

Observations On Cluster Strike Patterns In Laos, Roly Evans

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Cluster strike footprints are being surveyed and subsequently cleared in Laos. Little information is available regarding the nature of cluster munition strike patterns. If more evidence from different types of strike footprints is collected, analyzed and distributed, operators will be better prepared for future survey and clearance tasks

Influence Of Mre Education On Explosive Ordnance Disposal In Quang Tri, Hien Xuan Ngo, Phu Thanh Nguyen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In collaboration with local and international organizations, Project RENEW is facilitating comprehensive mine risk education initiatives in Vietnam’s Quang Tri province.

Implementing Culturally-Sensitive Risk Education In Somalia, Abigail Jones, Kjell Ivar Breili

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Somali Compact 2014–2016 outlines the objectives of the Somalia federal government to guide the process of stabilization and peace building. The Compact also recognizes the vital contributions by representatives of women, youth, civil society organizations, traditional elders, religious leaders, diaspora and the business community from all segments in each region.¹

The Democratic Republic Of The Congo’S National Landmines Contamination Survey, Pascal Simon, Kevin Thoma

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The absence of accurate data on the scope and location of landmine contamination negatively affected more than a decade of mine action activities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This article discusses the 2013 National Landmines Contamination Survey and its results.

Building Capacity To Promote The Rights Of People With Disabilities In Vietnam, Cameron Macauley, Heather Holsinger

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In Vietnam, legislation to guarantee the rights of persons with disabilities has advanced significantly during the past decade; however, implementation of laws and reduction of social barriers has been slow. An ongoing campaign focuses on changing the attitudes of Vietnamese government officials and of the public to promote education, employment and inclusion for Vietnam's large population of persons with disabilities.

Mine Risk Education In Vietnam, Ta Thi Hai Yen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has focused their recent efforts on successfully implementing mine risk education (MRE) programs in Vietnam that have proven to increase knowledge and awareness about landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). This teacher and student MRE training prevents mine/ERW incidents in high-risk areas of Vietnam.

Train-The-Trainer Trauma Care Program In Vietnam, Dang Quang Toan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

By conducting a train-the-trainer trauma care program in collaboration with the Norwegian Tromsø Mine Victim Resource Centre and the Quang Tri Department of Health, Project RENEW hopes to develop the first-aid capacity of first responders in order to minimize the number of deaths and injuries caused by incidents involving landmines and unexploded ordnance.

Vietnam Veterans Of America Foundation, Ha Nguyen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF) expanded its scope by developing a national system to coordinate mine-action activities in Vietnam. VVAF’s previous collaboration with organizations served as a fundamental step toward establishing an effective national program.