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New International Standards Debut October 1, 2001, Suzanne Fiederlein

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

On October 1, 2001 the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) officially released twenty-two documents that comprise the initial set of new International Mine Action Standards (IMAS). The standards replace the International Standards for Humanitarian Mine Clearance Operations. The new standards represent the culmination of two years of work to revise and expand the old standards based on changes in practices, procedures and norms that emerged from the continuing operations of mine action programs around the globe.

Global Focus On Landmines In Afghanistan, Joe Lokey

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Even though it has one of the longest running mine clearance programs, Afghanistan is still believed to be one of the most severely mine-affected countries in the world. The Mine Action Program in Afghanistan (MAPA), a United Nations-supported entity, is one of the largest and most successful national programs in the world and one almost exclusively run by the Afghans themselves with fewer than a dozen or so of the 5,000-person workforce being non-nationals.

Efficient Level 2 Surveys Using Mechanical Detonators: Returning More Land, Creating More Wealth, Saving More Lives, Daniel Wolf, Steven Barmazel

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The biggest problem facing demining enterprises is this: productivity of individual deminers is so low that total labor costs per unit of land cleared remain exorbitant—despite minuscule wages in mine-affected countries. Clearing agricultural land in developing countries typically costs many times the land’s expected mine-free annual revenues. Most remediation is uneconomic for public and private parties alike, and funding is never enough.

Combating Subterranean Terror, Her Majesty Queen Noor

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Over the past 25 years, driving past Jordan Valley mine fields fenced off by barbed wire, visiting with landmine victims, or tallying the grim statistics, I have grieved for the children and adults in the Middle East routinely maimed or killed by these weapons of mass destruction in slow motion. Our region has been called the landmine heartland of the world, with an estimated 50 million mines scarring the earth from Morocco to Afghanistan. Beyond the physical and psychological torture of those who have been injured, or lost loved ones, is the further punishment of land made desolate, lost to …

The Journal Of Mine Action Issue 5.3 (2001), Cisr Journal

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Issue 5.3: Landmines in The Middle East Focus

The United States Central Command’S Role In The Middle East, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The U.S. CENTCOM humanitarian mine action program provides a successful interaction between US military trainers, the host country, the indigenous community and the non-governmental organizations while ridding the host country of landmines. Their train-the-trainer approach insures that there is an indigenous demining operation in place before U.S. forces exit the country.

Red Cross/Red Crescent Mine Action Involvement In The Middle East, Laurence Desvignes

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The Middle East is an area significantly impacted by landmines, and there is a great need for the spread of mine awareness in mine-affected countries. The Red Cross and Red Crescent are hard at work in the region, attempting to raise mine awareness among the citizens of these nations.

Interview With Martin Barber, Chief Of United Nations Mine Action Service, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The United Nations Mine Action Service has a successful program operating in Afghanistan that employs 4,000 local Afghans in mine action. Currently, they are mobilizing their efforts to respond to the current refugee situation and the new mine action situation.

Response To Bob Keeley’S Letter To The Journal Of Mine Action, Daniel Wolf, Steven Barmazel

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

We appreciate Bob being "picky" in examining our article on applying a public-health approach to demining. The lives at stake in demining are worth the extra care. As it happens, we generally agree with his views.

First, let’s do get our terminology straight. Thanks, Bob, for the lesson in British diction. We had hoped that placing the modifier mechanical before detonator would make our intentions clear. That it did not, we apologize to our readers. More substantive issues await us.

As Bob rightly points out, our ideas are not new. The public-health/cost-benefit approach predates the birth of everyone reading these …

The Socio-Economic Impact Of Mine Action In Afghanistan: A Cost-Benefit Analysis, William A. Byrd, Bjorn Gildestad

Global CWD Repository

This study was conducted as part of the World Bank-funded "Afghanistan Watching Brief Program", jointly implemented by UNDP and the World Bank. It is an outgrowth of a report entitled Study of the Socio-Economic Impact of Mine Action in Afghanistan (SIMAA), which was subsequently revised and rewritten. The program has supported three main types of activities: (1) economic and sector studies on topics of importance for the Afghan economy and for international assistance to Afghanistan; (2) conferences, workshops, and inter-agency teamwork on topics of interest to the assistance community (i.e. education, health, and food security); and (3) short-term training for …

Ddasaccident420, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

It had been raining a lot one day before, then the ground became less hard and slippery. The truck drove on the usual track that both vehicles used to pass without any problem but due to the slippery ground conditions, the land cruiser escaped from the usual track and it activated a MAI-75 AP mine with its right rear wheel which caused an immediate explosion. This happened inside the cleared area, approximately 287 metres from the beginning of the road (at that time, 4700 metres had already been cleared).

Ddasaccident366, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On the morning of the accident at approximately 10:15hrs the [Victim] was walking down the track and stepped on a large rock. This rock that was laid over the PMA3 blast mine moved and in so doing detonated the mine.

Ddasaccident794, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The 55-year-old Briton, surprisingly, smiles when asked to describe his immediate reactionThe 55-year-old Briton, surprisingly, smiles when asked to describe his immediate reaction when the Type 84 Chinese anti-tank mine he was trying to neutralise in Misurata, Libya last.

To Walk The Earth In Safety 3rd Edition (Fy2001), Us Dos Pm/Wra

Global CWD Repository

The United States first became involved in humanitarian demining in 1988 when it sent a team to assess the landmine situation in Afghanistan. Five years later, U.S. demining-related programs were underway in Afghanistan and seven other countries. By the end of 2001, we will have provided more than $500 million to 38 countries, as well as the Province of Kosovo and northwest Somalia, for various humanitarian demining efforts such as deminer training, mine awareness and mine clearance, as well as orthopedic assistance to, and socioeconomic reintegration programs for, landmine accident survivors and their families. Almost $100 million of this amount …

The Human Approach To World Peace, His Holiness The Dalai Lama

Peace and Conflict Studies

Excerpt

When we rise in the morning and listen to the radio or read the newspaper, we are confronted with the same sad news: violence, crime, wars and disasters. I cannot recall a single day without a report of something terrible happening somewhere. Even in these modern times it is clear that one’s precious life is not safe. No former generation has had to experience so much bad news as we face today; this constant awareness of fear and tension should make any sensitive and compassionate person question seriously the progress of our modern world.

Choices And Prospects, Noam Chomsky

Peace and Conflict Studies

Excerpt

In examining the attacks on the U.S. on September 11, we must first identity the perpetrators of the crimes. It is generally assumed, plausibly, that their origin is the Middle East region, and that the attacks probably trace back to the Osama Bin Laden network, a widespread and complex organization, doubtless inspired by Bin Laden but not necessarily acting under his control. Let us assume that this is true. A sensible person would try to ascertain Bin Laden’s views, and the sentiments of the large reservoir of supporters of much of what he says throughout the region. About all …

Front Matter, Peace And Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies

No abstract provided.

The Islamic Paradigm Of Nations: Toward A Neo-Classical Approach, Amr G.E. Sabet

Peace and Conflict Studies

Excerpt

As late as 1966, Martin Wight could still pose the question: “why is there no international relations theory?” By this he meant the absence of a tradition of speculation about relations between states, family of nations, or the international community, comparable to that of political theory as speculation about the state. To the extent that it did exist, it was marked by “intellectual and moral poverty” caused both by the prejudice imposed by the sovereign state and the belief in progress (Wight 1995: 15-16 &19). Unlike political theory, which has been progressivist in its concern with pursuing interests of …

The Five Year National Mine Action Plan (2002-2006) - Mozambique, National Demining Institute Mozambique

Global CWD Repository

Highlights the integration of mine action in development in Mozambique

Strategic Mine Action Plan (2001-2005) - Yemen, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

The Government of Yemen is developing a national mine action capacity capable of planning, co-ordinating and managing all aspects of mine action activities in the country. The National Demining Committee (NDC) Chaired by the Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, is the central body responsible for policy formulation, resource allocation and National Mine Action Strategy.

Killing, Letting Die, And The Alleged Necessity Of Military Intervention, Laurie Calhoun

Peace and Conflict Studies

Recent international developments have introduced the possibility of war waged on behalf of people unable to defend themselves, and when the attacking parties’ interests appear not to be at stake. Are purely military forms of “humanitarian intervention” sometimes morally required? Can such military missions be reconciled with the widely held belief in the moral distinction between killing and letting die? In exploring these questions, the two dominant paradigms in writing about war are considered: just war theory and utilitarianism. The moral centrality of intentions emerges through an explanation of the distinction often made between natural and man-made catastrophe. Ultimately, the …

The United States, The West And The Rest Of The World, Johan Galtung

Peace and Conflict Studies

Excerpt

The world will never be the same again after the terrible attack on the economic U.S., the military U.S., the foreign policy U.S., and on human beings like all of us. We embrace the victims of the violence, of all violence, in deep grief, and express our hope that perpetrators will be brought to justice. Violence at this level can only be explained by a very high level of dehumanisation of the victims in the minds of the aggressors, often due to a very deep level of unresolved, basic conflict. The word “terrorism” may describe the tactics, but like …

Volume 8, Number 2 (November 2001), Peace And Conflict Studies

Peace and Conflict Studies

No abstract provided.

Ddasaccident364, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The soil was rocky, highly metallic and with dense vegetation, but still he carried on working only with the detector. After he finished that lane he returned to the second lane, which he had cleared that same morning. He was walked to the East in order to cut the vegetation of the third lane from another angle when his left foot stepped on a mine and detonated it. This was a PMN mine.

Veterans International Technical And Medical Rehabilitation Support Services In Cambodia, Usaid-Leahy

Global CWD Repository

Evaluates project to establish rehabilitation centers for people disabled by war in Cambodia. Interim evaluation covers the period 1996-10/01. Veterans International/Cambodia (VI/C) is the implementing agency. VI/C's USAID-funded rehabilitation efforts are providing highly successful and valuable interventions for people with disabilities. The grant support has enabled people with amputations, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, polio, and a number of other pathologies to receive high-quality rehabilitation and prosthetic and orthotic services. Numerous patients have had significantly positive functional and social outcomes, with particularly good outcomes for patients with amputations and clubfeet, and good outcomes for those with polio and spinal cord …

Handheld Metal Detectors: Nicaraguan Field Test Report October 2001, U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research And Development

Global CWD Repository

This final technical report details the results of a joint project between the United States Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (OASD-SO/LIC), the US Army Communications and Electronics Command (CECOM) Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD), the Organization of American States (OAS) (Organizacion de los Estados Americanos [OEA]), the Assistance Mission for Mine Clearance in Central America (la MisiÛn de Asistencia para la RemociÛn de Minas en CentroamÈrica, [MARMINCA]), the Program for Demining in Central America (el Programa de Apoyo al Desminado de CentroamÈrica, [PADCA]), and the Inter-American-Defense Board (IADB) (Junta Interamericana …

Aardvark Mark Iv Joint Services Flail Unit Capabilities Demonstration, U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research And Development

Global CWD Repository

The Aardvark Clear Mine, Limited (a private British company) of Scotland has been designing and producing a variety of mechanical minefield clearance machines for seventeen (17) years. The Mark IV Joint Services Flail Unit (MKIV, see picture 1 on the next page) has been in production since 1999, and it is the product of years of improvement to the Aardvark Flail System basic design. Improvements affect engine performance, flail depth, flail control, steering control, operator safety, operator comfort, navigation and maintenance. The steering control (dual steering) can be switched from the operator (in the left seat) to the operator (in …

Ddasaccident373, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

At approximately 1320hrs on the day of the accident, the team leader of 13M [the Victim] was called forward by one of his deminers [name excised] to remove a PMA3 blast mine that he had located approximately 10cm beyond his base stick. [The Victim[ instructed the deminer to return to the rest area and wait until he had completed removing the mine. As [the Victim] got into the prone position to remove the mine he knelt on another PMA3 mine that was in the cleared lane.

Ddasaccident353, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

07:00 Casualty arrived in cleaning area at the minefield tasks site and began to prepare the machine for operations. [Ex pat No.1] took over responsibility for the demining operations from [Ex-pat No.2] in the neighbouring minefield. 07:15 Flailing operations began. 07:35 Detonation occurred.

Ddasaccident370, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

The Victim was working on a slope and the initial blast caused him to fall backwards and roll a little way down the hill. The team leader witnessed the explosion and then assisted the Victim to the rest area where they then awaited the arrival of the team medic. [The control group] was notified of the accident and a helicopter CASEVAC was requested. When the medic arrived he applied first aid treatment to his eyes. He was then assisted to the helicopter winch area by the medic and the remainder of the team and awaited the arrival of the CASEVAC …