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Minefield Indicators And Analytical Mine Contamination Assessment In Scientific Projects And In Practice, Milan Bajic, Andrija Krtalic, Cedo Matic, Dejan Vuletic

Global CWD Repository

The key factors of the application of the airborne remote sensing technology for humanitarian demining are the minefield indicators [1] or the indicators of mine presence and the indicators of mine absence [2] and the analytical assessment of the contamination by the landmines [3]. The basic simple concept of the minefield indicators was given in [1], where it was related to the ordinary physical features of the artificial and natural objects in the mine suspicious area. Similar concept was used in other works, while in [2] were introduced signatures of the minefield indicators and additional contextual features. The signatures depend …

Cursing Cambodia, Charli Carpenter

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Joel Brinkley has written a heartbreaking piece in Foreign Affairs about Cambodian society thirty-five years after Pol Pot. We are presented with anecdote after anecdote about historical trauma, corruption, and poverty. It’s a depressing picture, and an important country case to have on the US’ foreign policy radar screen.

No Show, Mark Gibney

Human Rights & Human Welfare

For someone of my generation, any mention of Cambodia conjures up a jumble of images and emotions—albeit, nearly all from the distant past. Always appearing, but in no particular order, would be: the revelation of Nixon’s secret war; the killings at Kent State; strikes that closed down a number of American college campuses; Pol Pot; the seemingly endless debate whether to use the term Cambodia or the more radical “Kampuchea”; Prince Sihanouk; and last but certainly not least: the Khmer Rouge as the personification of a Third World liberation movement.

New Government In Cambodia, Tyler Moselle

Human Rights & Human Welfare

The government of Cambodia is replete with corruption and does not respond adequately to the needs of its citizens according to Joel Brinkley’s Foreign Affairs article “Cambodia’s Curse.” Pol Pot, the killing fields, and the Khmer Rouge still linger in the memories of most Americans when Cambodia’s name is mentioned. Yet, the country is currently languishing in the arms of an unresponsive governing elite whose fortunes may continue to improve due to oil and continuous aid grafting.

Geneva International Centre For Humanitarian Demining 2008 Annual Report, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

Annual narrative report on the work of the GICHD in 2008.

Linking Mine Action And Development | National Mine Action Centres, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

Mine action programmes often are not linked early and strongly enough with key development actors. Despite the availability of extensive research documenting the need for greater coordination between mine action and development organisations, concrete guidance for practitioners and policy-makers on how to link mine action with development has been lacking. In response, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Development has published guidelines on how to ensure mine action promotes development in mine-affected countries. More specifically, the guidelines seek to:

• Increase awareness that landmines and other remnants of conflict block development in many affected countries

• Strengthen coordination between mine action and …

Linking Mine Action And Development | Official Development Cooperation Agencies, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

Mine action programmes often are not linked early and strongly enough with key development actors. Despite the availability of extensive research documenting the need for greater coordination between mine action and development organisations, concrete guidance for practitioners and policy-makers on how to link mine action with development has been lacking. In response, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Development has published guidelines on how to ensure mine action promotes development in mine-affected countries. More specifically, the guidelines seek to:

• Increase awareness that landmines and other remnants of conflict block development in many affected countries

• Strengthen coordination between mine action and …

Global Discourse, Local Context: Counter-Terrorism And Human Rights In Morocco, Christine Sargent

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Human rights and terrorism are two of the most frequently invoked, powerfully deployed, and hotly contested paradigms of our time. They are, first and foremost, words. They are words that attempt to describe concepts, values and actions. Human rights are understood as the fundamental “civil, political, economic, social, and cultural rights that all human being should enjoy” beyond the non-negotiable, fundamental right to life (United Nations). The concept of terrorism seeks to categorize and comprehend what has been perceived as a uniquely transnational, increasing phenomenon of violent, ideologically driven attacks targeting civilians. Accordingly, counter-terrorism is normatively understood to consist of …

A Coincidental Trip To Cambodia, Rebecca Otis

Human Rights & Human Welfare

In a timely coincidence, Henry Alford’s recent travel article, “Banishing the Ghosts in Cambodia,” recently tantalized this reader with visions of a destination vacation in mind. Written for the travel-inspired readership of the New York Times, Alford’s version of Cambodia as a newly reborn hotspot for far flung Westerners approaches the point of lulling his decidedly non-Cambodian audience into pleasantly myopic vision of a plush Cambodian phoenix fully risen from its mired ashes. Amidst the outcropping of chic resorts and beautiful beaches reincarnated from the elegant, pre-Khmer Rouge moment of Cambodia’s forgotten past, Alford banishes the ghosts of Pol Pot’s …

A Curse Not Limited To Cambodia, Chandra Lekha Sriram

Human Rights & Human Welfare

Brinkley’s piece draws welcome attention to the virtual farce of hybrid justice now underway in Cambodia, although the emphasis of the piece on the prevalence of corruption de-emphasizes a broader point: human rights protections are not respected in Cambodia, and serious accountability for the abuses by the Khmer Rouge or any subsequent abuses are unlikely, not merely because leaders are corrupt, but because the wide scale culture of impunity makes the protection of human rights and functional rule of law virtually impossible.

Evaluation Of Ec-Funded Mine Action In Africa: Volume 2-Country Reports, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

The Evaluation of EC support for mine action in Africa is the first of six regional mine action evaluations that the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) will conduct or commission for the European Commission (EC). These regional evaluations follow from a Global Assessment of EC support for mine action completed in 2005. Given the broad scope of a regional evaluation, no attempt was made to assess the performance of individual projects; rather, the focus was on EC mine action strategy and programming issues at the country and regional levels. In addition to a document review, the evaluation team …

Assessment Of Post Demining Impact Assessment For The Mine Action Coordination Center Of Afghanistan, Sippi Azerbaijani-Moghaddam

Global CWD Repository

In May 2007, after training Landmine Impact Assessment Teams (LIATs) for the job, Mine Action Center Afghanistan (MACA) started to conduct PDIA. LIATs perform their duties conscientiously and are generally more comfortable with the figures and calculations involved in economic analysis related to demining rather than the slightly more nebulous aspects related to the ‘people'‐end of activities and social impact assessment. Foremost among the latter would be the relatively unexplored aspects of how mines affect the intimate relations between people and the landscape in predominantly rural or agrarian communities. According to the LIATs basic comparison between forms exploring the pre‐ …

Ddasaccident716, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

[The Victim] was working in one of the closest lanes to MDU, therefore, he also stopped the operations and wanted to keep safety distance with operating machine, he crossed the boundary of minefield and entered to a suspected area, he stepped on a mine there, and the accident happened. The consequences of this accident were traumatic amputation of left leg plus some superficial injuries on right leg and right hand fingers of deminer.

Ddasaccident608, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

According to the preliminary investigation the incident is caused due to a pressure applied to the mine from the heavy RAKE (the excavation tool) used by the deminer and the deminer didn’t expect to find a mine in that spot with that depth and may like accident could be avoided by using the metal detector to locate the non visible mine before using the standard RAKE drill.

Ddasaccident602, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

While the deminer trying to recover an AP M14 mine using the heavy RAKE he applied a pressure in the pressure plate of a non visible M14 which in turn activated that mine in a depth of about 5-7 cm

Ddasaccident781, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On 20 January 2009 while de-miner [the Victim] was working in his clearance lane excavating a detected signal, his bayonet stroked the top of a PMN mine and caused it to explode. According to the investigation report the de-miner has not maintained and considered the default clearance depth during the excavation and used his bayonet carelessly, therefore, caused the accident. Unfortunately the victim was not fully dressed with PPE and his visor was up during the accident. Thus he has got several injuries on his face, legs and different parts of his body.

Ddasaccident727, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

On 19 January 2009 at 10:15 10 hours while [the Victim] was busy in excavating a detected signal, the explosion occurred due to PMN mine and caused the accident. Unfortunately as he was not fully dressed with PPE, therefore, he has got severe injuries on his face and lost his both eyes and some minor injuries on his hand and leg. According to the investigation report, it seems that he was working with pick instead of standard excavation tool and started excavation directly from the centre of the signal.

Ddasaccident739, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

A cluster bomb left over from the Israel-Hizbullah war in 2006 wounded a member of the demining team [Demining group] in south Lebanon on Friday. The National News Agency said [the Victim], 26, was wounded when the bomb exploded near the southern Lebanese town of Arabsaleem

Ddasaccident647, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

According to the preliminary investigation the incident is caused due to a pressure applied to the mine from the heavy RAKE (the excavation tool) used by the deminer and the deminer didn’t expect to find a mine in that spot with that depth and may like accident could be avoided by using the metal detector to locate the non visible mine before using the standard RAKE drill.

U.S. Army/ U.S. Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Center (Coin), Cisr

Global CWD Repository

As we prosecute the current campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and the Philippines, the military must also prepare for an uncertain security situation beyond the present theaters of conflict. It is a future that will be heavily influenced by global competition for declining natural resources, rapidly rising populations in underprivileged and underdeveloped areas, unstable economic markets, and the continuing resurgence of violent religious and secular ideologies challenging democracy as a credible political theory. Additionally, U.S. Force must account for the impact of rapid information transfer, porous national borders, globalization, increased indigent migrating populations with elevated expectations, and …

Ddasaccident617, Hd-Aid

Global CWD Repository

According to the preliminary investigation the incident is caused due to a pressure applied to the mine from the heavy RAKE (the excavation tool) used by the deminer and the deminer didn’t expect to find a mine in that spot with that depth and may like accident could be avoided by using the metal detector to locate the non visible mine before using the standard RAKE drill.

National Strategic Plan For The Uxo Sector In The Lao People's Democratic Republic 2010-2020 "The Safe Path Forward Ii", Lao People's Democratic Republic

Global CWD Repository

This strategy aims to contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the other development objectives captured in the NSEDP in accordance with the principles of the Vientiane Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. It also aims to guide the implementation of several important international conventions and declarations, including:

1. The Convention on Cluster Munitions

2. The Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities

3. The UNESCAP Declaration on the Decade of the Disabled

Scoping Study Of The Effects Of Aging On Landmines, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

During the past year, the Mine Action Information Center at James Madison University has partnered with a British EOD consultancy company, C King Associates Ltd, to conduct a preliminary study into the effects of aging on landmines. This project entailed examination and disassembly of several types of anti-personnel mines, a literature review of relevant material and analysis of the initial findings.

Mine Action Strategy (2009-2013) - Azerbaijan, Gichd

Global CWD Repository

The mine/UXO problem in Azerbaijan is mainly resulted from the military aggression of Armenia over the territory

of Azerbaijan. Although the hostilities had ceased in May 1994, a permanent peace is yet to be achieved

(negotiations are underway with the assistance of OSCE Minsk Group, chaired by the USA, France and Russia).

Despite this, the rehabilitation of accessible war-torn areas are continuing since 1996.

The Scope of the Problem in this publication refers to problems in the accessible war torn territories. This is where

the presence of mine/UXOs are impacting livelihoods of population and impeding development and rehabilitation

efforts of …

Unmas 2008 Annual Report, Unmas

Global CWD Repository

In 2008, mine action operations supported by UNMAS enabled hundreds of thousands of people and local communities to resume normal lives and reclaim their livelihoods by regaining access to previously contaminated lands. The clearance of thousands of kilometres of mined roads and essential infrastructure has contributed to the protection and empowerment of men, women, girls and boys in the nine countries or territories where UNMAS operates and in other countries and territories supported by UNMAS. One of the more remarkable achievements of the year was the clearance of 84,000 anti-personnel mines in Afghanistan, which is more than double the average …

Apopo Annual Report 2009, Apopo

Global CWD Repository

In 2009, APOPO has made tremendous progress in reaching its mission to become the Centre of Excellence in detection rats technology and achieving social impact for underprivileged communities and people in Africa.

Implementation of the strategic plan and transformation process, which was started in 2008, has improved both APOPO’s internal structure and operational outputs. These changes have strengthened the management team and fostered the formation of strategic partnerships that will provide the basis to further enhance the impact of APOPO’s life-saving technology and facilitate the sustainable growth of the organization.

However, the most tangible results of this year can be …

2009 Colombia Humanitarian Demining Planning Workshop, Cisr/Jmu

Global CWD Repository

From 9 to 12 June 2009, representatives of the Colombian government’s humanitarian mine action office and the Humanitarian Demining Department of the Colombian military met to devise a way forward in planning for the expansion and enhancement of the country’s program to eradicate landmines from the national territory.

The Mine Action Information Center at James Madison University facilitated the Colombia Humanitarian Demining Planning Workshop (Taller de Planificación del Desminado Humanitario en Colombia) in Bogotá, Colombia. The workshop was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, and was attended by representatives from the U.S. and …

Colombia Humanitarian Demining Planning Workshop Executive Summary, Cisr

Global CWD Repository

From 9 to 12 June 2009, representatives of the Colombian government’s humanitarian mine action office and the Humanitarian Demining Department of the Colombian military met to devise a way forward in planning for the expansion and enhancement of the country’s program to eradicate landmines from the national territory.

The Mine Action Information Center at James Madison University facilitated the Colombia Humanitarian Demining Planning Workshop (Taller de Planificación del Desminado Humanitario en Colombia) in Bogotá, Colombia. The workshop was sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, and was attended by representatives from the U.S. and …

Hstamids Long Term Operational Evaluations, U.S. Department Of Defense

Global CWD Repository

The HALO Trust has established an HSTAMIDS training site in Cambodia to support HALO Trust Operations in other mine impacted countries in Asia and Africa. HALO Trust has acquired additional 50 HSTAMIDS units of their own to support its global operations in Cambodia, Afghanistan and Angola.

Consolidating Post Conflict Development: Unexploded Ordnance And The Legacy Of The Conflict In Laos, Kearrin Sims

Global CWD Repository

Over thirty-four years since the 1960-1975 Second Indochina War, Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) continues to inhibit a multitude of development priorities in Laos. One of only three remaining Least Developed Countries in Southeast Asia, greater understanding of the socio-economic effects of UXO is crucial to the development of Laos. Drawing on three weeks of field work in June 2009, primarily composed of semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation and literature analysis, this thesis examines the effects of UXO alongside an analysis of how existing responses to UXO contamination in Laos may be improved.

Furthermore, it is argued in this thesis that discrepancies over …