(Harrisonburg, Va.—May 29, 2008) The Mine Action Information Center at James Madison University was awarded two grants totaling $419,528 from the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM/WRA), funding two mine-action projects.
The “Explosive Remnants of War Awareness in Schools†project was granted $264,098. This project is aimed at providing mine-risk education through art and dramatic plays to children and teens in northwest Jordan. The purpose of the project is to reduce mine- and ERW-related accidents in this at-risk population by engaging the viewers’ minds in a creative manner to help them learn to avoid these hazards.
The “Effects of Aging on Landmines†project was granted $155,430. It will implement a basic study on the relationship between the life span of landmines and the effects of age and environment on landmines located in Cambodia. This study will inform understanding about how landmines age over time in order to determine if they are rendered inert by environmental factors. It will also point the way toward a larger scientific Phase 2 study on aging and landmines.
The Mine Action Information Center, located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S.A., is a public-policy center that manages information and conducts training relevant to humanitarian mine clearance, victim assistance, mine-risk education and other landmine-related issues. The organization also produces the Journal of Mine Action, a field-written, print and electronic magazine dedicated to landmine-related topics. For more information, visit http://maic.jmu.edu.
