Bonn International Center for Conversion

About: Bonn International Center for Conversion is a facility organization based out in Bonn, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Poison control & Emergency management. The organization has 30 authors who have published 53 publications receiving 923 citations.

Chapter 3 World military expenditures

Abstract: Military expenditure is difficult to define. Major issues are functional versus institutional approaches to defense, indirect and intangible costs and benefits and current versus comprehensive accounting. Authoritative institutions have adopted standard definitions but national governments are free to use their own definitions. Specific inflation pressures complicate the creation of real time series of military expenditures. International comparisons are influenced by the choice of exchange rates. For some countries, no credible data are available. Data series on military expenditures and arms transfers must be used with caution as the publishing institutions have only limited resources to deal with the numerous conceptual and practical problems.

Demobilization of combatants after civil wars in Africa and their reintegration into civilian life

Abstract: In the past few years, several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa conducted large scale demobilizations. These are positive signs and create opportunities for sustainable peace and human development. However, demobilization appears to be a complex process. It is closely linked to security issues; and the impact of demobilization depends largely on whether the ex-combatants are able to reintegrate. Demobilized soldiers and guerrilla fighters have usually great difficulties re-establishing themselves in civilian life. Frustrated ex-combatants may jeopardize the peace and development process. This paper identifies on the bases of the recent experiences some of the risks that are involved in demobilization and several conditions that have to be met in order for demobilization to attain a lasting positive impact on peace and human development in Africa.

Identifying deficiencies in national and foreign medical team responses through expert opinion surveys: implications for education and training.

Abstract: Introduction: Unacceptable practices in the delivery of international medical assistance are reported after every major international disaster; this raises concerns about the clinical competence and practice of some foreign medical teams (FMTs). The aim of this study is to explore and analyze the opinions of disaster management experts about potential deficiencies in the art and science of national and FMTs during disasters and the impact these opinions might have on competency-based education and training. Method: This qualitative study was performed in 2013. A questionnaire-based evaluation of experts’ opinions and experiences in responding to disasters was conducted. The selection of the experts was done using the purposeful sampling method, and the sample size was considered by data saturation. Content analysis was used to explore the implications of the data. Results: This study shows that there is a lack of competency-based training for disaster responders. Developing and performing standardized training courses is influenced by shortcomings in budget, expertise, and standards. There is a lack of both coordination and integration among teams and their activities during disasters. The participants of this study emphasized problems concerning access to relevant resources during disasters. Conclusion: The major findings of this study suggest that teams often are not competent during the response phase because of education and training deficiencies. Foreign medical teams and medically related nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) do not always

The challenges of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration in Liberia

Abstract: The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) succeeded in disarming and demobilizing more than 100,000 former fighters between December 2003 and November 2004. The disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and rehabilitation (DDRR) process played an important role in stabilizing Liberia after 15 years of civil war. However, some elements of the programme were unsatisfactory. For example, fewer than 28,000 guns were collected, raising severe doubts about the qualification criteria for admission to the process employed by UNMIL. Even more worrisome for regional peace and stability was the fact that UNMIL failed to provide reintegration opportunities for the demobilized fighters in an adequate and timely manner, creating a dangerous disconnect between the disarmament and the reintegration phases of the DDRR process.

Core Competencies in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance: A Systematic Review.

Abstract: Disaster response demands a large workforce covering diverse professional sectors. Throughout this article, we illustrate the results of a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies to identify existing competency sets for disaster management and humanitarian assistance that would serve as guidance for the development of a common disaster curriculum. A systematic review of English-language articles was performed on PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, ERIC, and Cochrane Library. Studies were included if reporting competency domains, abilities, knowledge, skills, or attitudes for professionals involved disaster relief or humanitarian assistance. Exclusion criteria included abstracts, citations, case studies, and studies not dealing with disasters or humanitarian assistance. Thirty-eight papers were analyzed. Target audience was defined in all articles. Five references (13%) reported cross-sectorial competencies. Most of the articles (81.6%) were specific to health care. Eighteen (47%) papers included competencies for at least 2 different disciplines and 18 (47%) for different professional groups. Nursing was the most widely represented cadre. Eighteen papers (47%) defined competency domains and 36 (94%) reported list of competencies. Nineteen articles (50%) adopted consensus-building to define competencies, and 12 (31%) included competencies adapted to different professional responsibility levels. This systematic review revealed that the largest number of papers were mainly focused on the health care sector and presented a lack of agreement on the terminology used for competency-based definition.