Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons^™

Pioneering Prosthetics, Duane Nelson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Duane Nelson, along with a friend and colleague, Jody Riggs, spent three months in 2007 assisting amputees along the Thailand/Burma (Myanmar) border. Their specialized training in prosthetics and orthotics changed the lives of the amputees, and the families and communities of these survivors. With the aid of local actors, Nelson and Riggs helped the survivors travel the road to recovery.

The Yemen Association For Landmine And Uxo Survivors, Anne Capelle

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Since its creation in September 2004 by the Yemen Executive Mine Action Centre, the Yemen Association for Landmine and UXO Survivors has played an active role in raising awareness of mine-affected areas and in promoting socioeconomic reintegration of mine/unexploded ordnance survivors through educational programs. Currently, YALS and YEMAC are working together with the goal of reintegrating 500 survivors by 2009.

Local Ngos And Firms In Mine Action, Eric Filippino, Ted Paterson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As more local nongovernmental organizations develop, establishing a distinction between local NGOs and commercial companies has become a growing concern for potential donors. The differences between NGOs and firms can be difficult to determine at times.

Pakistan, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Pakistan is not a signatory of the Ottawa Convention but is a member of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. Funding for mine action is difficult in Pakistan because the Mine Ban Convention was not ratified; consequently, prospective donors are less likely to invest in Pakistan’s landmine removal and victim-assistance endeavors. The lack of financial support as well as support from the government has made mine action—and specifically victim assistance—very difficult. The government’s stance is that landmines are important for the country’s security, especially along the borders of Afghanistan and India where disputes over land continue.

Somalia, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In 1960, Britain and Italy ended their colonial rule in Somaliland. British Somaliland and Italian Somaliland combined, creating the new state of Somalia. In 1969, however, the young nation was overthrown by Mohamed Siad Barre, who set up the authoritarian and socialist state of Somalia, bringing much-needed stability to the nation, despite his known corruption. 1991 marked the ousting of this authoritarian rule and began 15 years of anarchy and chaos as a variety of groups struggled for control of the nation or claimed regions of it as their own. At this point Somaliland broke away from Somalia as a …

Vocational Training And Wheelchairs, Huoy Socheat, Chin Yok

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article talks about two associations that work together to improve the lives of mine survivors and other persons with disabilities in Cambodia by providing skills training, counseling and wheelchairs.

Total Quality Management In Mine Action, Daniel Eriksson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Here the author relays the relationship between information management and quality management and how the latter depends on the efficiency of the former. With increasingly better tools for mine-action programs in the field of information management, such as the new versions of the Information Management System for Mine Action, the author discusses how mine action will move into a new age of information technology that will allow for better proficiency in the field.

Basra, Iraq, Prosthetics Project, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Basra, Iraq, Prosthetics Project, has given new hope to the many amputees in Iraq. With thousands already affected by the aftermath of landmines and other explosive remnants of war in Iraq, the Basra Prosthetics Project is dedicated to giving amputees their independence and futures back, literally one step at a time.

Project Documents Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities, Julie Miller

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article describes the beginning of the International Disability Rights Monitor and its advocacy for persons with disabilities. The author pays special attention to the passing of human rights laws for the disabled and future monitoring efforts to ensure that parties adhere to those laws.

Cluster Munitions: Should They Be Banned?, Henry Dowlen, Md

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Cluster munitions have been used in at least 23 countries, produced in 33 and stockpiled in over 70; their submunitions number into the billions. They cause lasting humanitarian problems and have recently been the target of campaigns to ban their use. This article aims to summarize the history, utility, legacy and legislation surrounding cluster munitions.

Mine Action Support Group Update, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The following article highlights the recent activities of the Mine Action Support Group, including updates on the United Nations Mine Action Service, the United Nations Development Programme and UNICEF. It is excerpted from the United Nations' newsletter covering the period from January to April 2008

Burma (Myanmar), Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Burma gained its independence from British colonial rule in 1948. Shortly afterward, the country plunged into civil war among various political groups while also facing an insurgency in the state of Karen. Over 50 years later, a military junta now controls the government and an insurgency remains in Karen. This near-constant state of conflict has resulted in the widespread use of landmines in both developed and underdeveloped parts of the country. The instability of the government and insecurity in many rural areas have made survivor assistance difficult and inconsistent

Cambodia, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Plagued by nearly three decades of war, Cambodia remains one of the countries most afflicted by landmines and explosive remnants of war despite its recent decline in mine/ERW victims. There are nearly 14 million people living in Cambodia, and it is estimated that there are 43,316 survivors of landmines/unexploded ordnance who require assistance.

Vietnam, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Vietnam, a country of more than 85 million people, has one of the world’s highest rates of disabled citizens—greater than 6 percent of the entire population. That figure is partially attributable to contamination by landmines and unexploded ordnance, which encroaches on more than 60,000 square kilometers (23,166 square miles) and up to one-fifth of the country’s land surface. As a result, the Landmine Monitor Report has estimated that there are currently some 66,380 survivors of mines and explosive remnants of war in Vietnam—4,000 of whom received survivor services in 2006.

The Halo Trust And Hstamids, Chris Boshoff, Roger Cresci

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A technology that employs multiple mine-detection techniques could improve demining around the world. Six months of using this product on-site have shown exciting results. Benefits of using this demining tool include increased effectiveness, speed and safety. This device was initially manufactured and used for military purposes only. The process of making it available to non-military organizations was difficult but successful.

Victim Assistance: Still Seeking The Way, Suzanne Fiederlein

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article looks at the progress made in the area of victim assistance since 2002 with special attention paid to data collection, funding and program coordination.

Endnotes Issue 12.1, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Endnotes Issue 12.1

In Remembrance: Silvija Bogdany, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Silvija Bogdany, Operations Manager for RONCO Consulting Corporation in Northern Sudan, died 30 April 2008, from injuries resulting from a vehicle accident outside the town of El Obeid, Sudan. Her coworker, Jan Bosman, United Nations Mine Action Office Regional Coordinator for Northern Sudan, was also killed in the accident.

Developing Medical Capacity In Lao Pdr, Barbara Lewis, Sarah Bruinooge

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Prior to 1996, Laotian victims of unexploded ordnance were left with few options for medical treatment. Since that time, however, the inadequacy of the healthcare system to handle such situations has been addressed and improvements made possible through the efforts of the World Victims Assistance Program. Though UXO accidents will continue to occur in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic well into the future, the impact of programs implemented by World Education and numerous other nongovernmental organizations and government entities has contributed to a significant increase in the number of survivors who have received effective treatment.

Occupied Palestinian Territories, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A half-century of conflict has contributed to the current unstable situation of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, split between the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and the Fatah-controlled West Bank. Both explosive ordnance and unexploded ordnance remain from the civil struggle between Hamas and Fatah political factions, as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Earlier this year, Israeli forces imposed dominion over the Gaza Strip, plunging the region into a humanitarian crisis. On 23 January 2008, a series of Hamas-detonated landmine explosions along the border wall in Rafah, Gaza Strip, opened passage for tens of thousands of Palestinians to escape into Egypt. No signs …

Empowering Iraqis: Rehabilitation Training In Bosnia, Nikola Prvulov, Julie Miller

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article discusses the role that aid workers from Bosnia have had in training Iraqi medical personnel to treat war injuries. It stresses the role that nongovernmental organizations and intergovernmental organizations have had in supporting these efforts and how countries affected by unexploded ordnance and landmines have tried to share their experience with other countries in need of training and assistance.

Improved Landmine Discrimination With An Off-The-Shelf Metal Detector, Marc Freese, Edwardo Fukushima, Shigeo Hirose

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

While a lot of improvement has been achieved with metal detectors in detection depth and ground rejection, little effort has been directed toward better discrimination capabilities; high false-positive rates not only increase clearance time, they tend to lower deminer vigilance, causing accidents. The authors have modeled a statically operating, off-the-shelf metal detector by generating volumetric sensitivity profiles. They present in-laboratory measurements and results of experiments on a test demining site in Cambodia. This article aims at giving deminers a more informed view of metallic targets, allowing them to take differentiated actions during target identification and removal.

Mine Detonation Trailers: Stresses Induced By Wheels Below The Surface Of A Soil Road, Peter Renwick

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article examines the use of wheels to detonate mines buried in soil roads. Realistic pressure patterns and loading of the footprints of two types of detonation wheel were established. Solid modeling created typical tire footprints above a medium representing soil. Finite element analysis investigated stress patterns in the soil for two types of wheel at loads of both 1,800 and 5,000 kgf.

Global And Functional Strategic Issues, Antulio J. Echevarria Ii

Articles & Editorials

No abstract provided.

Inside Unlv, Grace Russell, Michelle Mouton, Shane Bevell, Diane Russell

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Clark County Town Advisory Boards And Citizens Advisory Councils: Participation Rates, Lucy Greger, Jason Hafen, Aaron Mueller, Heather Rosich, Rebecca Saoud

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Citizen participation rates in Clark County Town Advisory Boards (TABs) and Citizens Advisory Councils (CACs) were assessed. We measured citizen participation by analyzing attendance at TAB and CAC meetings over a two-month period. We designed a survey and distributed it to TAB and CAC meetings to profile volume of attendees, demographic characteristics, and other relevant data. Each member of our group also personally attended two TAB and CAC meetings to collect observations and conducted an interview with the Clark County liaison for that group. We also examined the Clark County website to determine if it could be better used to …

Policy Analysis: Compressed Workweek, Rick Crosby, Matt Richardson, Stephen Nowicki, Ly Doan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Today the economy has slowed down and inflation has risen to near record highs. Corporations, governments, and agencies are looking at ways to save costs. Budget expenditures on payroll are addressed as well as the cost of utilities, resources, and the costs of doing business. One implicated method to help solve these problems is for the use of compressed workweeks. Compressed workweeks are both beneficial to the agencies and the employees. The employee can have more time for home life while putting in the same amount of hours at work, and save money on commuting to work. Additionally the agency …

Parenting From Prison: Family Relationships Of Incarcerated Women In Massachusetts, Erika Kates, Sylvia Mignon, Paige Ransford

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

Historically in the United States, there has been little concern about the needs of incarcerated women and their family members, especially children. This began to change with the tremendous increase in the number of incarcerated women. The rate of women’s incarceration increased dramatically during the 1980s and today the number of female inmates continues to rise faster than the number of male inmates. In 1986, 19,812 women were incarcerated in the United States and this number rose in 1991 to 38,796. Today, over 112,000 women are incarcerated in state or federal facilities (Sabol et al., 2007; Snell 1994). While in …

Call To Action: A Pay Equity Resource Guide, Kacie Kelly

Publications from the Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy

Women continue to enter the workforce at record levels and laws on the state and federal levels prohibit gender discrimination in the workplace. Yet employment discrimination persists and women’s wages remain lower than men’s wages for comparable positions and occupations. With the 2005 publication of GETTING EVEN: Why Women Don’t Get Paid as Much as Men and What To Do About It by Economist and former Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Murphy, the issue of wage equity is finally receiving the widespread and sustained attention it deserves.

This resource guide provides an overview of the issues related to the wage gap …

City Of Las Vegas Human Resources Promotional Selection Process Program Evaluation, Rik Holman, Cecil Johnson, April Thomas, Steve Weber

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The City of Las Vegas Human Resources Department requested the evaluation team examine the perception of fairness in the promotional selection process as demonstrated by the results of the 2007 Diversity and Inclusion Survey and related complaints from some of the employees. Based on discussions with the Human Resources department and subsequent interviews with other stakeholders, the main focus of the evaluation team covered the strengths and weaknesses of the promotional process and determining the reasons for the perceived preferential treatment in the promotional process as expressed by city employees who responded to the 2007 Diversity and Inclusion Survey. While …