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Full-Text Articles in Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration

Abandoned Ordnance In Libya: Threats To Civilians And Recommended Responses, Bonnie Docherty, Anna Crowe Jul 2013

Abandoned Ordnance In Libya: Threats To Civilians And Recommended Responses, Bonnie Docherty, Anna Crowe

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In a report released in August 2012, “Explosive Situation: Qaddafi's Abandoned Weapons and the Threat to Libya's Civilians,” researchers from Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC) examined Libya's abandoned ordnance problem and its humanitarian consequences for the local population. Based on field and desk research, the report documents the threats these weapons pose, analyzes steps to address them and offers recommendations to minimize civilian harm. IHRC co-published the report with the Center for Civilians in Conflict (formerly CIVIC) and the Center for American Progress. In this article, two of the report's authors summarize its 2012 findings and recommendations.


Securing Health Care Rights For Survivors: Developing An Evidence Base To Inform Policy, Jo Durham Jul 2013

Securing Health Care Rights For Survivors: Developing An Evidence Base To Inform Policy, Jo Durham

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Analysis of current literature on landmine/explosive remnants of war casualties in Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam reveals flaws in recording systems. An integrated course of action should aid mine action and public health communities in preventing incidents and providing care to survivors.


Preventing Unplanned Explosions At Munitions Sites, Chris Loughran, Daan Redelinghuys Jul 2013

Preventing Unplanned Explosions At Munitions Sites, Chris Loughran, Daan Redelinghuys

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Unplanned explosions at munitions sites (UEMS) frequently result in contamination and destruction similar to that resulting from conflict. Preventive measures can reduce the risk of UEMS and are significantly easier to deploy than clearance after an explosion.


Association For Empowerment Of Persons With Disabilities In Quang Binh, Vietnam, Nguyên Thị Thúy Nga Jul 2013

Association For Empowerment Of Persons With Disabilities In Quang Binh, Vietnam, Nguyên Thị Thúy Nga

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Association for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (AEPD) was established in May 2010 to continue the work of Survivor Corps in rural Vietnam. AEPD uses peer support to empower persons with disabilities who have sustained mine, explosive remnants of war or other war-related injuries. This approach employs survivors, who have successfully reintegrated into communities and recovered from psychosocial trauma, as peer-outreach workers. AEPD staff host training workshops, partner with local health clinics, assist in creating self-help groups and provide economic opportunity activities. AEPD also leads landmine advocacy action in Vietnam.


Land Release In Action, Emanuela Cepolina, Andy Smith Jul 2013

Land Release In Action, Emanuela Cepolina, Andy Smith

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As part of the EU-funded TIRAMISU project, the author conducted a comprehensive survey of land release procedures in six countries during 2012. The results show that expectations of technical survey machines should be defined and standardized through tests and evaluations.


Mass Fitting For Amputees In Tam Ky, Ken Rutherford Jul 2013

Mass Fitting For Amputees In Tam Ky, Ken Rutherford

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The VietNam Assistance for the Handicapped (VNAH), a U.S.-based nongovernmental organization founded by Ca Van Tran, provides prosthetic devices and wheelchairs for victims of explosive remnants of war in rural communities in Vietnam. Ken Rutherford and Cameron Macauley of the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery participated in a mass prostheses fitting led by VNAH in Tam Ky, Vietnam. In the article, Rutherford describes the impact this event has on nearly 200 men and women.


Making It Relevant: Risk Education In The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Vicki Peaple Jul 2013

Making It Relevant: Risk Education In The Democratic Republic Of Congo, Vicki Peaple

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

For many years MAG (Mines Advisory Group) has delivered risk education in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) through its humanitarian mine action programs. In 2012 MAG evaluated its educational methodologies and their effectiveness on different target groups in DRC.


A Stand-Off Seismo-Acoustic Method For Humanitarian Demining, Marian Bechtel Jul 2013

A Stand-Off Seismo-Acoustic Method For Humanitarian Demining, Marian Bechtel

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Using seismo-acoustics to detect landmines may be an efficient and cost-effective demining method. It may also work in wet soils and allow discrimination between mines and metallic clutter. Bechtel, as a junior in high school, was a finalist in the 2012 Intel Talent Search for her research on seismo-acoustic detection and was invited to present at the second annual U.S. White House Science Fair.


Analyzing Functionality Of Landmines And Clearance Depth As A Tool To Define Clearance Methodology, Martin Jebens Jul 2013

Analyzing Functionality Of Landmines And Clearance Depth As A Tool To Define Clearance Methodology, Martin Jebens

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Mine contamination from World War II remains in Skallingen on Denmark’s western coast. Skallingen’s dynamic coastal environment caused the mines to shift in the soil, and time, salt water and soil depth rendered some of the landmines inactive. Comparative digital-terrain models, in addition to surveys and analysis of fuze and detonator functionality, enabled clearance personnel to establish clearance depth and related criteria and facilitated efficient clearance efforts. As a result, the last functional mines were cleared in June 2012 after six years of effort.


Wwii Cleanup: Munitions Contaminate German Seas, News Brief Jul 2013

Wwii Cleanup: Munitions Contaminate German Seas, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

During World War II Nazi forces began dumping chemical and conventional weapons in the ocean to avoid devastation by enemy aerial bombings. Following the Nazi Party's unconditional surrender in May 1945, the Allied powers continued with this practice to dispose of German arsenals.


Addressing Underwater Ordnance Stockpiles In Cambodia, Allen D. Tan Jul 2013

Addressing Underwater Ordnance Stockpiles In Cambodia, Allen D. Tan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Cambodian rivers and tributaries contain vast amounts of munitions from sunken watercraft, and the task of locating and extracting these munitions is difficult. In response, Golden West Humanitarian Foundation designed a rigorous diver preparation course to train Cambodian nationals in advanced diving skills and basic recovery procedures needed to organize effective explosive ordnance salvage teams.


Weapons And Ammunition Security: The Expanding Role Of Mine Action, Elena Rice Jul 2013

Weapons And Ammunition Security: The Expanding Role Of Mine Action, Elena Rice

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Significant expertise is necessary to meet the security challenges posed by unsecured and poorly stored weapons and ammunition. To address this threat, many donors and mine action actors, including the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS), are including weapons and ammunition security management as a core role.


Going Mobile: Information Sharing And The Changing Face Of Digital Data Collection, Edward Lajoie Jul 2013

Going Mobile: Information Sharing And The Changing Face Of Digital Data Collection, Edward Lajoie

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Effective crisis management requires current and credible information archives, but with limited resources and mobility, gathering such information proves difficult for humanitarian aid organizations and policymakers. Accessing real-time information means having the right tools at your disposal, and technology platforms like Frontline SMS and Ushahidi enable organizations to do just that at no cost.


From Church Mission To Invention, Gary Christ Jul 2013

From Church Mission To Invention, Gary Christ

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After a mission trip to improve the sanitation needs of orphanages in Cambodia, Gary Christ recognized the great need for a better demining machine and developed the “Peacehammer.”


Detecting And Classifying Uxo, Laurens Beran, Barry Zelt, Stephen Billings Apr 2013

Detecting And Classifying Uxo, Laurens Beran, Barry Zelt, Stephen Billings

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article presents state-of-the-art unexploded ordnance detection and classification, including examples from recent field-demonstration studies. After reviewing sensor technologies, with a focus on magnetic and electromagnetic systems, the authors discuss advanced processing techniques that allow for reliable discrimination between hazardous ordnance and harmless metallic clutter. Finally, the article shows results from a large-scale field demonstration conducted in 2011. In this case study, electromagnetic data acquired with an advanced sensor is used to identify ordnance at the site, reducing the number of excavations required with conventional metal detectors by 85%.


Building Capacity To Clear Erw In Georgia, Gvantsa Kvinikadze Apr 2013

Building Capacity To Clear Erw In Georgia, Gvantsa Kvinikadze

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

From October 2010 to September 2012, NATO’s Georgia Explosive Remnants of War and Medical Rehabilitation Partnership for Peace project provided extensive explosive ordnance disposal training to the Georgian Military Engineering Brigade and supplied needed medical rehabilitation equipment to Gori Military Hospital.


A Review Of External Post-Clearance Inspection: How Cost-Effective Is It?, Åsa Gilbert, Aron Larsson Apr 2013

A Review Of External Post-Clearance Inspection: How Cost-Effective Is It?, Åsa Gilbert, Aron Larsson

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining conducted a study in early 2012 to consider the effectiveness of performing external post-clearance inspections. GICHD took into account the practices of the International Mine Action Standards, the International Organization for Standardization and the numerous mine action programs worldwide. It also worked with the Swedish company Preference Consulting to determine the mathematical probability of finding a mine/explosive remnant of war during external post-clearance inspections. Lastly, GICHD examined the normative effect of external post-clearance inspections as well as the financial cost associated with their execution.


Legal Aspects Of The Land Release Process, Pehr Lodhammar Apr 2013

Legal Aspects Of The Land Release Process, Pehr Lodhammar

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article explores areas of liability in mine action operations. It defines the concept of residual risk after completion of survey and clearance efforts and presents methods of assigning responsibility for it. The author offers further legal considerations in mine action, including the extent to which contractors are liable for their equipment, employees and the cleared land both during and after operations as well as the process by which national mine action standards are incorporated into the legal liability of all concerned actors.


Aicma Helps Demine Nicaragua’S Gocen District, Addison Embrey Apr 2013

Aicma Helps Demine Nicaragua’S Gocen District, Addison Embrey

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Gocen district of the Mateare municipality in Chiltepe Peninsula, 20 km (12 mi) outside of Managua, Nicaragua, was contaminated with explosive remnants of war from the artillery school that operated nearby. With support from Acción Integral Contra las Minas Antipersonal (Comprehensive Action Against Antipersonnel Mines, AICMA), a program of the Organization of American States, a large portion of the contaminated land in Gocen was cleared and released in 2012.


How To Improve Demining Activities Through Gender-Sensitive Mine Risk Education, Abigail Jones, Arianna Calza Bini, Stella Salvagni Varó Apr 2013

How To Improve Demining Activities Through Gender-Sensitive Mine Risk Education, Abigail Jones, Arianna Calza Bini, Stella Salvagni Varó

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Until recently, mine action was widely perceived as a military and technical field where an almost exclusively male staff planned and implemented activities. However, there is still a need for a better understanding of what mine-affected communities can gain from including gender and age perspectives in mine action and how the different pillars of mine action mutually improve the quality and impact of mine action programs.


Minesweepers: Towards A Landmine-Free Egypt, An Outdoor Humanitarian Demining Robotic Competition, Alaa Khamis Apr 2013

Minesweepers: Towards A Landmine-Free Egypt, An Outdoor Humanitarian Demining Robotic Competition, Alaa Khamis

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Listed as one of the most contaminated countries in the world, Egypt has an estimated 22.7 million landmines and other explosive remnants of war. In order to foster the research, development and application of robotics in humanitarian demining in Egypt, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Robotics and Automation Society – Egypt Chapter organized Minesweepers: Towards a Landmine-Free Egypt, an outdoor robotic competition hosted by the German University in Cairo from 15–17 September 2012.


Post-Conflict Recovery: Gender And Age Issues, Stella Salvagni Varó, Ciro Hamo Apr 2013

Post-Conflict Recovery: Gender And Age Issues, Stella Salvagni Varó, Ciro Hamo

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Despite improvements in victim assistance programs, injured survivors of landmines/explosive remnants of war still struggle to obtain health care and employment. Differentiating between the age and gender of survivors will enable service providers to identify socioeconomic needs.


Afghanistan’S Landmine-Removal Extension Request, Justyna Pietralik Apr 2013

Afghanistan’S Landmine-Removal Extension Request, Justyna Pietralik

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Recent conflicts, lack of funding and limited information about mined areas in Afghanistan has prevented the country from meeting its 2013 deadline of becoming mine impact-free. The Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan, along with the Afghan government, submitted a plan proposing to extend Afghanistan’s landmine-removal deadline to 2023. The extension request included almost 200 pages of details regarding mine history and future plans.


The Need For Collaboration Between Ordnance Manufacturers And Uxo Clean-Up Personnel, Jack Imber Oct 2012

The Need For Collaboration Between Ordnance Manufacturers And Uxo Clean-Up Personnel, Jack Imber

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The ability to locate unexploded ordnance remotely and accurately increases the safety and efficiency of clearance efforts. To achieve maximum effectiveness, UXO manufacturers and removal groups should coordinate resources and information to create new and practical technologies to assist in efforts to identify failure rates and prevent civilian casualties. The Lost Puppy Proposal is one example of a life-saving technology that could result from such collaboration.


Msu Mind Lab's Undercover Uxo, Cisr Journal Jul 2012

Msu Mind Lab's Undercover Uxo, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In 2010, the Media, Interface and Network Design Lab at Michigan State University completed a computer training game, Undercover UXO, to provide unexploded ordnance and mine-risk education to Cambodian children.


Congolese Soldiers Learn To Combat Uxo And Mines, Amanda Mccarty Oct 2011

Congolese Soldiers Learn To Combat Uxo And Mines, Amanda Mccarty

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article focuses on how U.S. Africa Command (U.S. AFRICOM) supports the Democratic Republic of the Congo in carrying out its mine-action objectives by providing train-the-trainer and supervisory services and mine-action equipment to the DRC.


Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme, Edwin Faigmane Oct 2010

Lao National Unexploded Ordnance Programme, Edwin Faigmane

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In this article, UXO Lao reports on its development from 1996 to the present. Focuses include issues related to productivity, quality control, capacity building, gender equality, UXO clearance, and development and funding.


The Journal Of Erw And Mine Action Issue 13.1 (2009), Cisr Journal Jul 2009

The Journal Of Erw And Mine Action Issue 13.1 (2009), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Focus: Central and South America | Feature: Mine-risk Education | Special Report: Small Arms/Light Weapons and MANPADS | Notes from the Field | Research and Development


New Uxo Detector With Metal-Discrimination Option, Jürgen Braunstein, Armin Merz, Markus Sautter, Gerhard Vallon Jul 2008

New Uxo Detector With Metal-Discrimination Option, Jürgen Braunstein, Armin Merz, Markus Sautter, Gerhard Vallon

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A forerunner in the field of metal detection, Vallon GmbH has recently developed the VMXC1—an unexploded-ordnance detector specifically designed to determine the presence of submunitions. The detector’ innovative metal-discrimination option allows for fewer false alarms during UXO clearance. Field results of the new detector are discussed below.


Iraq Mine And Uxo Clearance Organization, Cisr Journal Jul 2008

Iraq Mine And Uxo Clearance Organization, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

For Iraq, being plagued by landmines is only one of the many problems that it is currently facing. The country also suffers from sectarian violence, internal instability and economic hardship. As the government transforms its mine-action policy, one organization, the Iraq Mine and UXO [Unexploded Ordnance] Clearance Organization, has proven itself to be a powerful force in addressing the urgent needs of the Iraqi community. Though it faces challenges itself, IMCO shows great promise for rebuilding Iraq and stands as a model for future Iraqi nongovernmental organizations.