Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Demining Efforts In Namibia, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Previous mine clearance programs in Namibia started the country on a clear path towards demining success. Unfortunately, a current lack of funding and a spillover of the longstanding conflict in Angola have thwarted progress.

Ethiopia, Meet Eritrea: An Overview Of The Landmine Situation In Ethiopia And Eritrea As A Result Of The Border Conflict, Susanna Sprinkel

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Sparked by a controversy over Eritrean seaports, Ethiopia and Eritrea were drawn into a three-year border war that took numerous lives and permanently injured an already struggling economy. Now that the fighting has ceased and negotiations are being conducted, United Nations and humanitarian aid organizations are working to piece the two broken nations back together and eliminate the landmine threat.

Benefit/Cost Analysis Of U.S. Demining In Ethiopia And Eritrea, Michael Litzelman

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A Benefit/Cost (B/C) Analysis is a tool used to compare the rewards reaped by a program to the costs expended to accomplish it. The author discusses the B/C analysis of demining operations in Ethiopia and Eritrea and extrapolates the meaning of the results.

Educating The United States: Landmines In And Out Of The Classroom, Susanna Sprinkel

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Enthusiastic students are giving back to their global community as U.S. Department of State-assisted landmine education programs are being launched in grammar schools, colleges and universities across the nation. In these programs, students are given a chance to both learn more about the global landmine crisis and to actively contribute to the mine action community.

James Madison University Professors Teach Gis In Slovenia, Margaret S. Busé

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

GIS is one of the primary information management tools available for humanitarian demining, and is central to any national demining effort. This workshop focused on strengthening user’s knowledge of the GIS toolbox.

What Use Is A Database Of Demining Accidents?, Andy Smith

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The author has maintained a database of demining accidents for four years. It contains records of many of the explosive accidents that deminers suffer while going about their work. This article explains the uses and limitations of the database and the software developed to contain it.

The Workshop On Assistance To Landmine Survivors And Victims In Southeastern Europe: Defining Strategies For Success, Ig, Slovenia, July 1-2, 2002, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Participants from throughout southeastern Europe and around the world gathered in Ig, Slovenia, just outside the capital city of Ljubljana, to discuss and provide suggestions for improving mine victim assistance in the Balkans.

Data Integrity And Reliability Conference, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

During a four-day Data Integrity and Reliability Conference, participants discussed data entry problems and presented suggestions for improvement.

Moving Forward: Recommendations For A Landmine Victim Data Collection And Management System The Landmine Casualty Database Workshop At James Madison University (Jmu), May 13–14, 2002, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After discussing ways to develop a systematic and accurate system for the collection of victim data on a global basis, participants developed three sets of recommendations that were presented to the global community.

The U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research And Development Program, Nicole Kreger

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The U.S. Humanitarian Demining Research and Development (R&D) Program rapidly develops, evaluates and demonstrates equipment for humanitarian demining, hoping to improve the overall safety of the individual deminer and the efficiency of humanitarian demining operations worldwide. By collaborating with a number of different members of the humanitarian demining community, the R&D Program strives to cater to the needs of those in the field and effectively fill any technology gaps as quickly as possible.

Driving The Hd Machine In The African Bush, Andy Smith

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Almost every country in Southern Africa has a mine problem and most of these countries have a tradition of solving their own problems. Because the region is famous for its mine-resistant vehicles, this paper concentrates on innovative mechanical technologies—but it could just as easily have concentrated on PPE or testing facilities where Southern Africa also leads the way.

Technology's Promises, Cisr Jmu

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Every technology under development makes big promises. Here are five projects that may someday impact the world of mine action.

Pookie Rides Again, Willie Lawrence

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Following the buzz caused by sniffer wasps and the scurry from mine-seeking rats, now it seems it is time for the concept of Pookie to come into its own. Mine clearance specialist MineTech International is completing work on a three-year project to transform an abandoned Zimbabwean war relic into a cost-effective mine detection platform for the 21st century. Project leader Willie Lawrence of MineTech International plots the progress of the revival of Pookie.

Mine Resistant Boots, Jiri Chladek

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The task of demining is highly dangerous. Deminers and humanitarian workers are at risk to injury every time they step onto a minefield. Jiri Chladek and the Zeman Company have developed a special boot to reduce risks incurred when stepping on landmines.

Mechanically Assisted Mine Clearance Operations, Greg Caison

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Force XX1 Solutions International recently developed a separate organization devoted to global humanitarian operations known as Humanitarian Force. Using mechanically assisted methods, the Humanitarian Force team worked with the Namibia Defense Force (NDF) to clear several hundred mined berms in northern Namibia.

The Landmine Menace: The Great Humanitarian Challenge, Thomas Himmler

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

On the basis of the conflict scenarios and the resultant threat, it is necessary to develop methods and means to eliminate the threat. Simply using available tools is not always easy. What is necessary is to optimally combine existing detection and clearance methods and, if necessary, to develop new, promising technologies in a targeted manner.

Angola, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

During the 13th century, Angola’s first known residents migrated from west Africa. In 1575, imperialism found its way to this nation through Portuguese colonizers. After World War II, Angola became an important coffee supplier, and the colonial population grew to over 80,000. Consequently, clashes began between the Portuguese and the original inhabitants. The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA), the National Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA) and the Capitalist National Union for the Independence of Angola (UNITA) finally gained independence in 1975. Except for a brief period during 1991, UNITA has aggressively rebelled against the established government and …

Burundi, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

A monarchy ruled Burundi from the 17th century until it was overthrown in 1966. After this overthrow, the First Republic went into effect, a tumultuous time marked by the 1972 genocide of the Hutu community. In 1976, the First Republic government was overthrown, leading to the Second Republic, headed by Jean Paptiste Bagaza. In 1987, Pierre Buyoya overthrew him and created the Third Republic. Despite Buyoya’s efforts to bring peace and unity to the country, violence similar to that of 1972 erupted in 1988 between the Hutu and the Tutsi. Since 1993, Burundi’s ethnic-based conflicts have reportedly claimed over 150,000 …

Chad, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

After centuries of domination by several autonomous and constantly warring kingdoms, the land that would eventually make up the nation of Chad was subjugated by France in the 1890s. The French colonized Chad only half-heartedly, using it primarily as a source of raw materials and unskilled labor, never bothering to institute any unifying or modernizing policies. Chad gained its independence from France in 1960 but immediately became ensnared in a morass of ethnic warfare. Like so many other post-independence African nations, internal strife—sporadically punctuated by outside incursions—delayed all national development programs for decades. In Chad, a 1975 military coup and …

Ethiopia And Eritrea, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Conflicts existed between Ethiopia and Eritrea from 1935 until 1993, when Eritrea became an independent nation. In 1997, a trade war developed between the two nations, causing further disputes. Hostilities ceased in 2000, and the governments are now working to institute a clear borderline between the two countries. Meanwhile, mine action programs are being established to clear the large number of AT mines, AP mines and UXO that remain scattered along the border and throughout Ethiopia and Eritrea as a result of these and other conflicts.

Mozambique, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Between the 1890s and 1920, Portugal led a military campaign to colonize Mozambique. After over 40 years of Portuguese rule, nationalist groups in Mozambique united to form the Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO). In 1964, FRELIMO began a movement of guerilla warfare against the Portuguese, starting a trend of civil war that would ravage Mozambique for decades. By the early 1970s, FRELIMO’s 7,000 guerilla fighters controlled most of central and northern Mozambique. In 1974, the Portuguese military overthrew the government and installed leadership that was sympathetic toward Mozambique. Portugal struck a mutual cease-fire agreement with FRELIMO and gave Mozambique its independence …

Rwanda, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Ethnic conflicts have troubled Rwanda for over 50 years, resulting in nearly continuous warfare and bloodshed. Prior to 1959, a monarchy led by the minority Tutsi ethnic group dominated the region’s politics, persecuting the majority Hutus. That year, the Hutus rebelled and overthrew the Tutsi government before imposing a violent retribution on thousands of Tutsi civilians, driving 150,000 of them into exile. The children of these banished Tutsis formed the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and returned to Rwanda in 1990, sparking a civil war. The RPF eventually defeated the Hutu regime, but they first had to endure the genocidal murder …

Somalia, Country Profile

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Somalia’s first known inhabitants were Arabs who established trading posts over 1400 years ago. During the 19th century, Britain, France and Italy colonized the area, and it remained three separate colonies until Britain combined the region under one rule in 1941. This unity was sustained until 1950, when the area once colonized by Italy became a UN territory under Italian rule and was named Somalia. In 1960, the nation finally achieved independence from European rule; however, this newfound liberty brought about many conflicts. Clashes with Ethiopia began in the late 1960s and, for the most part, lasted throughout the late …

Africa: It's Big!, Dennis Barlow

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

The great opera commentator, John Culshaw was once asked to describe the monumental Wagnerian “Ring Cycle” using only one word. After pondering the question for a moment he responded by characterizing it as, “long.” At first, this obvious answer seemed more flippant than serious, but a little thought leads one to conclude that Culshaw was on to something. Many words could describe the Ring: monumental, bombastic, fantastic, convoluted, stirring, mythological, but each limits the scope or makes a judgment which may not be ultimately true. The truth is that someone who wants to tackle the Ring must be prepared to …

Adolescents At Work: Gender Issues And Sexual Harassment, Susan Fineran Phd, Licsw

School of Social Work

This study by Dr. Susan Fineran, Professor Emerita, University of Southern Maine, describes adolescents' experiences with sexual harassment while working part-time and attending high school. In a sample of 712 high school students, 35% of the 332 students who work part-time report experiencing sexual harassment (63% girls, 37% boys). Results revealed that there are differences in the experience of sexual harassment by gender, work relationship, and emotional reaction. Students experienced harassment from supervisors (19%), coworkers (61%), and unidentified others at work (18%). Girls reported being significantly more upset and threatened by the sexual harassment they experienced at work than boys …

Hudson Valley Catholic Deaf Center, August 2002

Hudson Valley Catholic Deaf Center

A newsletter published for Deaf Catholics in Poughkeepsie,NY

Hudson Valley Catholic Deaf Center Finding Aid

Clinically Relevant Aspects Of Chronic Pain: Normal Personality Predictors, Stephen Ray Nitch

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examined the normal personality characteristics of chronic pain patients using cluster analysis. To date, much of the research involving chronic pain and personality has assumed that signs of psychopathology are likely to be present (Jay, Grove, and Grove, 1987; Love and Peck, 1987). There have been some exceptions to this trend by researchers who sought to measure the normal personality structure of individuals with chronic pain (see Wade, Dougherty, Hart, and Cook, 1992). One of central aims of the current study was to further refine the psychosocial taxonomy of chronic pain patients by paying more attention to individual …

Comparative Perceived Breast Cancer Risk Before And After An Intervention, Constance F. Welebir

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Breast cancer screening has the potential of early detection, more effective treatment, and possible arrest of certain breast cancers, yet many women do not adhere to screening guidelines. With research showing that people use social comparison while making risk judgments, often holding optimistically biased beliefs about their health, women who maintain an optimism bias about their breast cancer risk may not practice routine breast cancer surveillance. Therefore, effective interventions designed to inform women of their breast cancer risks and to encourage adherence to breast cancer screening guidelines are necessary. This study investigated the role that social comparison plays in risk …

Civic Leadership By People With Disabilities, Tom Seekins Ph.D., Joyce Brusin, Karen Rimel, University Of Montana Rural Institute

Independent Living and Community Participation

Now as perhaps never before, Americans are recognizing heroes in everyday life. From “the Greatest Generation” of World War II to the firefighters of the New York City Fire Department, we are recognizing the extraordinary contributions which citizens make to their communities and to our nation. People with disabilities are among the contributors. The World Health Organization’s new International Classification of Function, Disability and Health (ICIDH) recognizes the importance of their contributions – to themselves as well as their communities. It identifies participation in community life as a critically-important outcome and specifically highlights participation in civic and political affairs (ICIDH-2, …

Agents Of Socialization: Effects On The Attitudes And Beliefs Of African Americans On Interracial Marriages, Jashard Justice

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Using the 2 000 General Social Survey I analyzed appropriate variables to assess the effects of agents of socialization in relation to the attitudes and beliefs of African Americans toward interracial marriages. Socialization theory was examined and used as a framework to guide this current study. Regression analyses indicated that neighborhood composition is the best predictor of facilitating positive attitudes for African Americans toward interracial marriages. In line with past research, African Americans, despite ongoing discrimination and prejudiced attitudes, still prefer to reside in neighborhoods that are mixed 50-50 (Farley, Schuman, Bianchi, Colasanto, and Hatchett 1978). Contrary to expectations, education, …