The Mine Action Information Center (MAIC) at James Madison University is soliciting articles for The Journal of Mine Action. The Journal focuses on the safe and efficient identification, destruction and eradication of antipersonnel landmines around the world. 

Because of the wide range of interests addressed by MAIC and the global Mine Action community, submissions will vary in length, style and structure. Supporting photos and graphics are welcome. Please refer to the "Submission Guidelines" for submission information. Our upcoming issues include:

Version 4.3 – Publication October 2000

Mine Awareness and Community Risk Reduction

One of the most effective methods of reducing landmine-related injuries and deaths is an aggressive and comprehensive mine awareness program that seeks to educate the local community and children, in particular, about the dangers associated with landmines and other unexploded ordnance. This issue of the Journal will focus on soliciting articles from around the world that highlight a variety of mine awareness programs and will seek to capture as many of the instructional and graphic tools available in getting a message of safety and security across to local populations.

Deadline for Submission: August 25, 2000

Also wanted:

1. Current Activities and Operations

These activities include, but are not limited to, mine clearing, mine awareness, training methods and techniques, mine dog programs, mine field identification, surveying, marking and management, host-country program management, logistics support to demining operations, landmine handling, transportation, storage and disposal methods, medical techniques for landmine injuries, trauma management, field medicine and public information and media relations.

2. Current Issues and Challenges

The wide scope of landmine issues has created many challenges and systematic shortfalls for mine action efforts. There are regional and country-specific issues that could provide the demining community with various solutions to many demining activities. (See note)

3. Current Technologies and Research

Significant effort is being invested in developing more efficient and effective methods of humanitarian demining that improves on the basic "man-with-a-prod" approach to demining. This research and body of knowledge crosses functional disciplines, providing an opportunity to leverage limited funding with other efforts to expedite the fielding and use of modern demining technologies and methods.

Also Needed...

Six-month calendars of events and activities to share with the demining community. Profiles or features on demining individuals. Identification data to ensure currency of our global demining directory.

Please send submissions and questions to...

Mine Action Information Center
Attn: Margaret Busé, Editor, Journal of Mine Action
James Madison University
ONE Court Square - MSC 8504
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22807, USA
Tel: 540.568.2503
Fax: 540.568.8176
Email: maic@jmu.edu

Please Note: Articles that are predominantly political statements will not be considered unless a clear relevance to removing existing mines from the ground is established.

Submission Guidelines

The Journal requests that all submissions be electronic or on disk and be accomplished in Microsoft Word version 6.0 or higher and Times New Roman 12pt font. Graphics and photos are encouraged. English is the accepted language, but foreign phrases and words accompanied by English translation are acceptable.

Articles

The Journal requests that articles be no fewer than 500 words and no longer than 1,500 words, unless length is needed to adequately cover the subject.

• All articles should be submitted in digital format
• Only Microsoft Word97 (.doc), plaintext (.txt) or rich text format (.rtf) files will be accepted

Images

• Original photos are encouraged.
• If not possible, digitized photos should be a minimum of 300 dpi.
• Please do not embed images into Word documents as it automatically decreases the resolution to an unusable level for print purposes.
• TIFF format is preferred, but JPEG format is acceptable. GIF formatted photos cannot be used for print.
• Line art, such as line graphs and organizational charts, should be 600 dpi if the original is not available

Profiles

The Journal is soliciting profiles of individuals and organizations involved directly, or peripherally, in Mine Action. These pieces must show a direct link with demining. This is not advertisement space for corporate associates.

Demining News & Notes

News items should be short, no more than a paragraph with a date and a title. A published news item will describe an event or activity as well as the source of the information.

Demining Calendar & Activities

Activities and events calendar entries should be concise, answering the basic Who, What, When, and Where issues of the activity or event. The Journal asks that sources and contacts be provided for further inquiry. Reviews of demining-related web sites are also encouraged. These reviews will be 200-400 words in length. The web sites must support humanitarian demining and mine action. Please direct any inquiries or submissions to the Mine Action Information Center.