Golden West Humanitarian Foundation is an American
Non-profit (501C3) organisation
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of the 29 types of 50 ...
that develops technology to address the technical limitations of
humanitarian mine clearance.
[
]
The Golden West Humanitarian Foundation is based in
Woodland Hills, Los Angeles
Woodland Hills is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California.
Geography
Woodland Hills is in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley, which is located east of Ca ...
,
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.
History
The Golden West Humanitarian Foundation was founded in 1998 to address shortcomings in
humanitarian mine clearance.
Role in Mine Action
Research and development
Explosive Harvesting Program
The Explosive Harvesting Program (EHP) is a manufacturing program which recycles the explosives contained in stockpiled explosive
ammunition into the explosive charges used for humanitarian mine clearance.
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]
Cluster Munitions Destruction
In 2010, the GWHF worked with
Norwegian People's Aid
Norwegian People's Aid ( no, Norsk Folkehjelp) was founded in 1939 to provide post-conflict reconstruction assistance and humanitarian relief during conflicts. NPA is now engaged in more than 33 countries in de-mining, humanitarian relief, promot ...
in a groundbreaking
cluster bomb stockpile destruction program.
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]
Mine Risk Education (MRE)
Undercover UXO: Game for $100 Laptop (OLPC)
GWHF partnered with the
Michigan State University M.I.N.D. Lab to develop a game for the One Laptop Per Child (
OLPC) platform that teaches children the indicators of
land mine
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
and
unexploded ordnance contamination.
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]
This game underwent field trials in Cambodia in June 2010.
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]
Indicator Program
The Golden West Humanitarian Foundation has developed what they call the "Indicator Program", which trains people of all ages how to recognize the indicators of
land mine
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
and
UXO contamination. This program has been deployed in Mozambique, Angola and Azerbaijan, and Cambodia.
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]
Vinh & Trinh's Adventure
The GWHF published a 34-page illustrated storybook titled ''Vinh & Trinh's Adventure''. The book is designed to teach Vietnamese children the dangers of
unexploded ordnance, and it has received positive reviews.
[
] In 2010, the book underwent a third round of distribution, bring the total number of book published to 6,000.
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]
Current Operations
Cambodia
In Cambodia, the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation is partnered with the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) to provide research and development support to mine action activities in the
Kingdom of Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
. These activities include the Explosive Harvesting Program, Mine Risk Education
Central America
The Golden West Humanitarian Foundation has undertaken ordnance stockpile destruction programs for the
Organization of American States.
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]
Vietnam
In 2009, the GWHF partnered with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation to undertake a research and development project sponsored by the
U.S. Department of State
The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other ...
.
[
]
Past Operations
Angola
In
Angola
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, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
, religion_ref =
, coordina ...
, the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation has introduced their "Indicator Program", a Mine Risk Education program designed to teach the indicators of
land mine
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
and
UXO contamination.
Azerbaijan
In
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
, the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation has introduced their "Indicator Program", a Mine Risk Education program designed to teach the indicators of
land mine
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
and
UXO contamination.
Moldova
In 2009 & 2010, the GWHF worked on a
cluster bomb disposal project in the
Republic of Moldova
A republic () is a " state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th ...
.
Mozambique
In
Mozambique
Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...
, the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation has introduced their "Indicator Program", a Mine Risk Education program designed to teach the indicators of
land mine
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
and
UXO contamination.
Nicaragua
In
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
, the Golden West Humanitarian Foundation has worked with the
Organization of American States on stockpile destruction programs.
References
External links
Official GWHF Website ''U.S. State Department'' Humanitarian Mine Action and Unexploded Ordnance Removal report, 15th anneversity of U.S.-Vietnam Relations.
Golden West HF Partners with Don Bosco FoundationPhotos of Golden West HF by Ben JohnsonU.S. DOD Humanitarian Demining R&D Partners ListLA Timesarticle on GWHF.
{{Authority control
Mine warfare and mine clearance organizations
Charities based in California