Peace and Conflict Studies Commons^™

Npa’S Survey And Clearance Of Cluster Munitions Along The Thailand-Cambodia Border, Atle Karlsen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The February conflict at the Thailand-Cambodia border over disputed territory has left Cambodia with the burden of clearing cluster munitions. By applying to the Thai-Cambodian conflict strategies for cluster munitions removal that were successful in other post-conflict areas, NPA is assisting the Cambodian Mine Action Centre in cleaning up the problem. Thailand and Cambodia have not acceded to the ban on cluster munitions established in the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions and are therefore not subject to its provisions. Both countries attended the CCM 2011 intersessional meeting in June, leaving many hopeful that the two countries will become States Parties.

Secession Leads To Demining Challenges In Sudan, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In the months following South Sudan’s July 2011 electoral secession from the former Sudan, the South’s ability to successfully maintain a demining program has become heavily dependent on its economic and post-conflict recovery. At this point in time, however, much of the South’s sustainability is ultimately reliant on its relationship with the North and, more significantly, the international community, thereby rendering its demining program into an uncertain future.

Clearing Minefields In Israel And The West Bank, Dyhan Or, Heidi Kuhn

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Recent legislation in Israel has opened the door to demining in Israel and the West Bank. Roots of Peace campaigned for this legislation and will begin demining a village near Bethlehem before the end of 2011.

The Impact Of Erw On Children, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article provides a brief description of the threat cluster munitions, landmines and other explosive remnants of war pose to children worldwide. The discussion of children’s physical susceptibility and the psychological and socioeconomic effects that accompany wounds and disabilities provides a broad picture of the impact ERW have on children. The article also explores rehabilitative support, as several sources provide a variety of recovery strategies that focus on community support for the future well-being of child survivors.

New Database Provides Resource For Mine-Action Community, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Launched in July 2011, the World Bank’s Landmine Contamination, Casualties and Clearance database is a valuable resource for those working in mine action. The database allows users to create spreadsheets, reports and graphics based on a wealth of landmine-contamination data from around the world.

The Information Management & Mine Action Programs, Eric Sawyer

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Information Management & Mine Action Programs use information management and technology to increase humanitarian mine-action safety and efficiency. The work conducted in Iraq, which supports mine-clearance and victim-assistance activities, is an example of iMMAP facilitating improved information sharing in HMA. In addition, these improved information-management activities allow iMMAP to provide ongoing victim-assistance services to persons with disabilities in Iraq and to other patient populations.

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.

Landmines In Libya, Colin King

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Landmines are an unfortunate part of Libya’s past and present. As such, the author discusses the various types of mines that have been found so far, providing a technical overview of each. With his landmine analysis, King warns of the difficulties that lie ahead as deminers begin to address the problem.

Thailand And Compliance With The Apmbc: Mission Impossible... Or A Feasible Task?, Håvard Bach

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

This article addresses the mine-action challenges Thailand faces in maintaining compliance with the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention. Given the uncertainty of mine locations and the Thailand Mine Action Centre’s limited capacity, the delegation of Thailand’s mine-action resources can be an issue, as hazardous areas can be difficult to determine. The emergence of a new national land-release mineaction standard, however, means that Thailand’s ability to efficiently identify hazardous areas will allow limited resources to be appropriately assigned to areas needing clearance.

Crescent And Dove: Peace And Conflict Resolution In Islam, Book Review

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Crescent and Dove: Peace and Conflict Resolution in Islam is a collection of essays synthesized by Qamar-ul Huda to create a compelling read for peacemakers, mine-action experts and anyone interested in conflict studies. The authors elaborate on Islamic approaches to nonviolence while bridging the gaps between economic thought, political science, religious texts and spirituality.

Pathways To Resilience Workshop Promotes Leadership And Peer Support, Anne Stewart, Lennie Echterling, Cameron Macauley, Nicole Neitzey, Hasan Hamdan

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Pathways to Resilience (P2R) created a unique leadership program to help landmine survivors promote resilience and create secure collegial relationships. This article provides background regarding the curriculum and training activities and recounts how P2R helped survivors experience posttraumatic growth after tragedy.

Metal Detector Pinpointing Accuracy Under Field Conditions, Kazunori Takahashi

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

As ordnance and landmine-detection technology advances, mine-action organizations across the world are increasingly using more sophisticated types of metal detectors. Each metal detector contains its own strengths and weaknesses, and until now, no accurate way exists to quantify the differences between the models. In this article, a method is shown to successfully evaluate metal-detector accuracy in a controlled field condition and provides data on the differences between single coil, double-D coil and other metal-detector types. The International Test and Evaluation Program for Humanitarian Demining conducted the 2009 evaluation in Germany that provides the data used in this article.

Lateral-Approach Methodology And Hstamids, Clifford Allen, Shathel Fahs

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

MAG Cambodia has used the Handheld Standoff Mine Detection System (HSTAMIDS) with lateral-approach methodology for three years within an operational field evaluation funded by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate. MAG’s current research tested the productivity of two ways of using LAM combined with HSTAMIDS against the productivity of the traditional one-man one-lane drill methodology; this article presents the findings.

The United States Aids Danish Humanitarian Mine Action In Lebanon, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Cluster munitions, landmines and other unexploded ordnance have long polluted Lebanon.

Nepal Declared Mine-Free, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After four years of demining operations, Nepal’s final landmine was destroyed on 14 June 2011, rendering the country officially mine-free.

Conflict Resolution In The Twenty-First Century: Principles, Methods, And Approaches, Book Review

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In Conflict Resolution in the Twenty-first Century: Principles, Methods, and Approaches, Bercovitch and Jackson create an accessible and well-organized analysis of the best approaches to resolving conflicts in the world today.

Japan Funds Humanitarian Demining In Sri Lanka, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Ambassador of Japan Kunio Takahashi recently extended a grant valued at US$650,000 (70 million rupees) to support the Government of Sri Lanka’s humanitarian-demining efforts in northern Sri Lanka.

Issue 15.3 Endnotes, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Issue 15.3 Endnotes

The Eu And The U.S. Provide Grant To Lao Pdr, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

MAG (Mines Advisory Group) has recently been tasked with a new project to collaborate with the UXO sector in Lao PDR to clear UXO from Boualapha, Mahaxay and Xatbuathong of Khammouane province.

In Remembrance: John Noftsinger, Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Dr. John B. Noftsinger, Jr., Vice Provost for Research and Public Service at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., U.S., died suddenly of an apparent heart attack at the age of 48 on 10 November 2011. Many mine-action managers knew him through his supervision and support of the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery.

Toward Locostra: Blast-Resistant Wheels Test, Emanuela Cepolina, Matteo Zoppi, Vittoria Belotti

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Technical Survey, often an efficient method of achieving land release, can also be prohibitively expensive for certain communities due to the utilization of the same hulking, heavily-armored machines used in clearance operations. If Technical Survey could be achieved through the use of less expensive agricultural equipment that is already present in communities near suspected areas, land release could be achieved at a much lower price. The following study explores this possibility by examining the explosion resilience of four different designs of blast-resistant tractor wheels, each made of commercial off-the-shelf components and designed for easy reproduction in mine-affected communities.

Conflict In Libya And The Future Risk To The Demining Community, Adrian King

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The evolving face of modern warfare in Libya and elsewhere will leave behind an explosives legacy that the humanitarian-demining community must manage. This article examines the innovation of the anti-government forces in employing modified weaponry and assesses some of the challenges this might bring to humanitarian demining and explosive-ordnance-disposal teams in the future.

Kabul City Clearance Project, Mohammad Akbar Oriakhil

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After decades of conflict in Afghanistan, the Kabul City Clearance Project is addressing the dangers of mine and unexploded ordnance that pose a threat to the safety and livelihood of Kabul’s expanding urban population. KCCP is an 18-month collaborative project that utilizes the resources of Afghan Technical Consultants, a local clearance nongovernmental organization, to implement a mine-clearance plan in 36 impacted communities.

Syria Plants Landmines On Lebanese Border, News Brief

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

According to BBC and CBS news reports, Syrian troops planted landmines along its border with Lebanon, further perpetuating the uprising that began in March 2011 against President Bashar Assad and his regime.

Mine-Action Challenges And Responses In Georgia, Emil M. Hasanov, Petri Nevalainen

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Following an international conflict in 2008, Georgia faces a greater threat from landmines and explosive remnants of war than that posed by previous violence. In response to this threat, Georgia, with assistance provided by the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA) and the Government of Canada, created national bodies to coordinate and implement landmine and ERW clearance. This article documents Georgia’s past ERW, landmine and cluster-munitions contamination, as well as efforts to remove these threats.

Peacebuilding And Rule Of Law In Africa: Just Peace?, Book Review

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

In Peacebuilding and Rule of Law in Africa: Just Peace?, terms such as peacebuilding and rule of law, which initially seem broad and sometimes ambiguous, are broken down by a variety of scholars from different fields to cite specific examples of trial and error in both processes within the African context.

Survey And Clearance Of Unexploded Submunitions Versus Landmines And Other Erw, Åsa Gilbert, Michael Creighton

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The authors argue that survey and clearance methods in areas contaminated solely by unexploded submunitions (from cluster munitions) should be different than those in areas contaminated by mines and other explosive remnants of war to achieve the most efficient outcome. This article seeks to explain how and why procedures are different, and proposes a land-release methodology for dealing with unexploded submunitions.

How To Sever The Legs Of An Octopus: Tunisia’S Ongoing Revolution, Matthew Hammel

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Kasbah square is large and covered in barbwire. Military men stand on the inside of the fence cradling automatic rifles, joking, chatting, texting on their cell phones. Coming out from the bustle of the souks the square feels tranquil. It is September, seven months since the square became a temporary home to thousands of protestors who demanded the end of oppressive government in Tunisia. It was here that the Tunisian people solidified their revolution, refusing to be appeased by the flight of a figurehead while the tentacles of his regime remained.

Ben Ali ruled Tunisia for twenty-three years. During …

Assessing Mental Health Care For Iraqi Refugees In Jordan Looking To New Solutions For The Future, Hannah B. Egan

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Across the globe citizens flee their native countries in search of newfound safety and stability. These people are known as refugees. Since 2003 refugees from Iraq have entered Jordan in search of a better life. Unfortunately, the terrors that Iraqi refugees escape do not disappear after crossing country lines. These memories cause serious mental health conditions for Iraqi refugees. Such conditions are intensified by the living environment in Jordan where Iraqis are not granted legal status. While some refugees are wealthy and others are resettled to the United States or Europe, the majority remain “stuck” in Jordan.

This study seeks …

Coming Home: Considering Sustainable Human Development In Jordan’S Palestinian Refugee Camps After The Conflict, Jordan Young

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The study explores the views of Palestinian refugee camp residents in Jordan on the long-term provision of health and education services in the camps and their status as residents of the Hashemite Kingdom, contrasting these views with the policies and future plans of the Jordanian government. Special attention is given to the Right of Return discussed in UNGA Resolution 194 and the possibility that many refugees would willingly choose to remain in Jordan if given the option of returning. The study asks how Jordan and the refugees it hosts would be affected by a possible solution to the broader Israeli- …