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Article on Using Drones and Machine Learning to Identify PFM-1s by Baur et al

In their article “How to Implement Drones and Machine Learning to Reduce Time, Costs, and Dangers Associated with Landmine Detection,” Jasper Baur (Columbia University) et al. (Binghamton University) showed that by training a region-based convolutional neural network (R-CNN), operators can use drones/UAVs and RGB (visual) imagery to identify PFM-1s with 91.8% accuracy and save deminers time and money. Their article was posted in Issue 25.1 of The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, you can read it here: https://bit.ly/3MW5nfN.

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Cluster Munitions: According to the Cluster Munition Monitor 2021, cluster munition casualties have been on the rise since 2009, with civilians accounting for all casualties recorded since 2020 and children representing 44 percent of all known casualties. With casualties recorded in several countries (Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Iraq, Lao PDR, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, and Nagorno-Karabakh) and use in Ukraine, how are organizations handling assessments and best practices, technical/non-technical survey, land release, and risk education? #JCWD #HMA #clustermunitions #CfP

#JCWD #HMA #clustermunitions #CfP

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According to the Landmine & Cluster Munition Monitor, there were at least 1,872 child casualties in 2020. Children made up half of civilian casualties and 81 percent of child casualties are boys. Children were killed/injured by mines/ERW in 34 states in 2020, with Afghanistan and Syria having the highest number of child casualties. How have MA organizations adapted their RE programs, and what more needs to be done, especially in conflict environments such as Ukraine? What considerations will need to be taken into account in the future? And how are organizations utilizing social media to reach at-risk populations?

#JWCD #CfP #HMA #ERW

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Today, we celebrate the International Day of Living Together in Peace. This UN holiday was established to "uphold the desire to live and act together, united in differences and diversity, in order to build a sustainable world of peace, solidarity and harmony" (United Nations). CISR upholds similar values in its mission for peace and safety around the world. To learn more about this holiday, follow the link: https://bit.ly/38tX3oJ.

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Let's Recap: CISR staff attends 18th International Mine Action Symposium in Croatia

Symposium Summary: 18th International Mine Action Symposium May 2-4, 2022

Written by Sabryn Doston, CISR Publications Assistant

CISR staff attended the 18th International Mine Action Symposium hosted in Vodice, Croatia, from May 2- 4, 2022. The symposium was comprised of a wide variety of humanitarian mine action (HMA) organizations and provided a platform for experts in many sectors of the HMA field to share their knowledge and experience.  The 18th International Symposium Mine Action event was held in cooperation with the Directorate of Civil Protection, under the patronage of the Croatian Parliament and with The French Republic as this year’s partner country. Managing Director of the Center for Testing, Development, and Training, Katarina Markt, introduced the symposium and thanked its contributors to kick off the mine action event.

Day 1

The first topic of the event was the Standardization of Training in the Field of Mine Action. Eight presentations were given outlining the most recent initiatives in standardized training in the HMA field by a variety of presenters. This set of presentations addressed the strengths and weaknesses of introducing standardized testing into the HMA field and emphasized the pressing need for competence and deep understanding of the content when looking at training procedures.

The second session of the day focused on the topic of land release. Land release is especially prevalent due to its relevance to Ukraine’s rapidly increasing land contamination. This set of presentations weaved through multiple facets of land release, ranging from how difficult clearing land in Tajikistan is due to its mountainous geography to the ongoing challenges of releasing land in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The presentations concluded with speakers spotlighting the current contamination faced in Ukraine.

Day 2

The second day of the symposium opened with an outline of research and development in mine action. The presentations highlighted advancements and initiatives in the technological and mechanical aspects of HMA. This series of presentations was a podium for HMA organizations and affiliated businesses to showcase their technology and mechanical devices and to demonstrate the benefit of their creations. Many of these presentations were focused on land clearance operations and how their technology would best be able to identify explosives above and below the surface of the ground. Equipment producers were spotlighted during the presentation as well, giving them a platform to show off their most recent and successful mechanical equipment in the HMA sector.

One particularly interesting method of landmine detection was presented by Ross Gillanders from St. Andrews University. During his presentation, Biological Methods (Bees) for Explosives Detection: a summary, he elaborated on the extensive research his team has conducted to determine if bees might be a feasible instrument in detecting explosive particles.

At the end of day two, participants of the symposium had the opportunity to visit Krka National Park in Lozovac, Croatia, a park renowned for its exceptional waterfalls and greenery.

Day 3

On the final day of the conference, CISR’s Senior Project Manager, Brenna Matlock, and Publications Assistant, Sabryn Dotson, presented on The Journal of CWD. More specifically, the presentation outlined the most recent initiatives that The Journal has been implementing to ensure its accessibility for its readership and its advancements as an online publication. The symposium concluded with a demonstration of the EOD – TURNPIN Database and a presentation on demining and socio-economic integration as exampled in Croatia.

The CISR staff that attended the mine action symposium greatly enjoyed learning about the most recent initiatives in the sector and hearing new perspectives and prospective Journal topics.

#Ukraine #CISR #Croatia #Croatian #Land mines #NPA #uxo #hma #james madison university #humanitarian #jmu

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#TBT Series 3 of 4: Former CISR Director Ken Rutherford (now in JMU’s Department of Political Science) tells us how he joined the JMU community and what it was like leading the Center. Listen now on SoundCloud: https://bit.ly/3Nz3xCj. #25YearsoftheJournal 

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Millions of metric tons of #UXO are lying on & under the #seabed, seeping toxic waste into the ecosystem. Chris Price (@okstate) poses the opportunity for multi-sector strategies in #UW #UXO remediation in his latest article. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3Kw5Qnf.

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#TBT Series 2 of 4: When the Center began, former Director Ret. Col. Dennis Barlow’s understanding of how and why landmines could be prohibited or limited helped shape CISR’s drive to limit the effects of these weapons through information exchange. Listen now on SoundCloud: https://bit.ly/3DsuPFV.

#25YearsoftheJournal

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Student Employee Appreciation Blog

This past January, CISR hired three new student research assistants and they have been helping the Center fulfill its mission this semester: Dylan Marti, Jona Roka, and Victoria Shemo.

Dylan is a junior intelligence analysis major with double minors in Computer Science and Geographic Science. He is interested in keeping up with global events, programming, and creating maps. Previously, Dylan was a research assistant for Dr. Danzell, an Intelligence Analysis faculty member, where he managed statistical data looking at the impact of education on levels of conflict in African countries. At JMU, he is a member of the Diversity and Inclusion in Global Security (DIGS) club and a Resident Advisor. Dylan’s favorite hobbies include playing Animal Crossing and Wordle, sketching, thrifting, and hiking. After finishing his degree, Dylan hopes to be an analyst at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

Jona is a student in her last semester of the master’s in public administration (MPA) program at JMU. She received her undergraduate degree from JMU in Health Sciences in May 2020. She previously worked for CISR as an intern and now she is a research assistant! Jona is passionate about researching social welfare, healthcare policies, and anything related to nutrition. During her undergraduate years, she was a member on the Women’s Tennis Team and now volunteers as the assistant coach. While she was on the tennis team, she volunteered for the Boys and Girls Club, Salvation Army, and nursing homes. Jona enjoys travelling, cooking, and playing and watching various sports. Post-graduation, Jona hopes to be a project manager in the healthcare field and eventually work at the United Nations.

Victoria is a senior political science and philosophy double major. She is interested in research and activism projects including combatting gender violence, the effects of conflict on the environment, and post-conflict recovery. Victoria is especially interested in understanding the causes of sexual violence as a weapon of war and realistic solutions to combat that. She is a Specialist in the United States Army Reserves as well as an Adventure Trip Leader in the Adventure Center at UREC. At JMU, Victoria is a member of Club Climbing, the president of Model United Nations, and a member of Dancing Dukes. Victoria adores the outdoors, especially hiking, camping, and rock climbing, and the multitude of other outdoor activities, including her new favorite hobby, snowboarding! Post-graduation, Victoria hopes to work for the State Department or an international organization working in stability operations in post-conflict areas.

CISR is very excited to have these three talented students join the team.

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#TBT Series 1 of 4: To celebrate CISR’s 25th anniversary, CISR reached out to leadership throughout the years to gather perspectives on the Center’s start and where it’s going. Former Director Dennis Barlow described how CISR started as “information central” – something that we continue to strive for today through our current programs and publications. Click the video to hear the full story.  #25YearsoftheJournal

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Last night CISR was pleased to attend the UXO/Demining Caucus's event on Capitol Hill recognizing International Mine Awareness Day. Thanks to @HALOTrustUSA for organizing the event that brought together so many organizations and government representatives who are dedicated to saving lives through humanitarian demining.

To quote Nana Athraya, Deputy Assistant Administrator of @USAID, “No one should ever be left out. We stand by the caucus and those all those supporting people to live safe and dignified lives."

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In recognition of International Mine Awareness Day, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins will release the 21st edition of To Walk the Earth at Safety today at the Department of State daily press briefing at 2 pm. You can watch live on BNET http://bnet.state.sbu/ or Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/statedept).

#IMAD2022 #minefree2025 #SafeGroundSafeStepsSafeHome

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In recognition of International Mine Awareness Day, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins will release the 21st edition of To Walk the Earth at Safety today at the Department of State daily press briefing at 2 pm. You can watch live on BNET http://bnet.state.sbu/ or Facebook Live (https://www.facebook.com/statedept).

#IMAD2022 #minefree2025 #SafeGroundSafeStepsSafeHome

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Reminder! Support and give back to recently arrived Afghan refugees in our community with essential items. CISR is collaborating with Church World Services to provide basic hygiene kits to those who are newly settling into our community. We are collecting new toothbrushes and toothpaste. Collection boxes are located at Union 1st floor and the Student Success Center.

Donations will be collected until APRIL 4. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.

To learn more about how you can give back to refugees, visit our site here: https://bit.ly/3MCmFPl.

#GlobalHumanitarianWeek #GHW

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Come learn how present-day conflict affects communities for decades to come. Join CISR TONIGHT at 7PM as we screen “Into the Fire” to learn how Yazidi women in Iraq are working to clear their land from explosives laid by ISIS. Following the film, hear MAG’s Executive Director, Jamie Franklin, and Grants Manager and JMU alum, Alex Pate, discuss the film and their career paths in international development.

To learn more and RSVP for accommodations, visit our site: https://bit.ly/3MCmFPl.

** Don't forget that we are still collecting donations for local Afghan refugees! Donation boxes will be available through April 4. Learn more about how and where you can contribute on our site (link above). **

#GlobalHumanitarianWeek #GHW

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Want to learn more about how to make the changes you want to see in the world? Join Kristen Stevens, head of Congressional Affairs for The HALO Trust, TONIGHT for a virtual intro to discuss tools that can be used to raise awareness, pass legislation, and learn about the importance of grassroots advocacy. For those requesting accommodations, RSVP here: https://bit.ly/3pUCG9F. To attend, follow the link: https://bit.ly/3MCmFPl. Reminder: Check out tomorrow's post to learn about CISR's free screening of "Into the Fire." Visit our site for more details: https://bit.ly/3MCmFPl.

#GHW #GlobalHumanitarianWeek

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🌍 Reminder: CISR's Global Humanitarian Week 2022: Learn, Be Involved, Give Back is THIS week! Join us for events focused on grassroots advocacy, the effects of conflict, gender and war, and how you can be involved with our local refugee community. Learn how CISR’s work is more relevant now than ever, and how to get involved. For more information, and to request accommodations, please see: https://bit.ly/3MCmFPl.

#GlobalHumanitarianWeek #GHW