The Defuser

The Robots Are Evolving!

At the forefront of the current wave of development and technology is the innovative team at Demine Robotics. On this episode, CLMF intern Tefsi Golla and I sit down with the CFO of Demine Robotics (DR), Douglas Blair, to discuss the progress of the company's work in Cambodia. Doug shares his experience working in the field with DR's team of Canadian and Cambodian engineers. As well, Doug explains the evolution of DR's robot excavator from simple prototype to marketable product, and the environmental challenges that have catalyzed this evolution. Now locally sourced, fully mobile, and (technically) capable of surviving a landmine explosion, the Jevit excavator is a lean, mean, demining machine! And Demine Robotics needs your help for the finishing touches! Check out their Kickstarter and help make the world a safer place, one landmine at a time: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/445791472/jevit-saving-land-limbs-and-lives [https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/445791472/jevit-saving-land-limbs-and-lives] This podcast is powered by Pinecast [https://pinecast.com].

Demining and Development

This episode features Olivia Fernandes, a Canadian Landmine Foundation board member, and an expert in humanitarian relief and development work. She explains some of the practical connections between demining and other pillars of the humanitarian agenda, including education, gender equity, and program integration.

Pups for Peace

What happens to landmine-sniffing dogs after they retire? Well, some of them could be adopted into Canadian homes through a new Wilfrid Laurier University student startup, Pups for Peace! In this episode, I interview Pups for Peace founder Emilio Castillo on dogs, demining, and the potential challenges of intercontinental pet adoption! Contact: pupsforpeacekw@gmail.com This podcast is powered by Pinecast [https://pinecast.com].

A Canadian Angle

Why is the Canadian Landmine Foundation raising money for landmine clearance in a distant country twenty years after the treaty that was supposed to solve the landmine problem forever? Why doesn’t Cambodia pay for its own mine clearance? We're called upon to answer this question a lot here at the Canadian Landmine Foundation, and we believe it's important for Canadians to understand their own complicity in the Vietnam War, as well as the terrible consequences of 30 years of conflict for the Cambodian people. In this episode, I interview Canadian Landmine Foundation president Dr. Alistair Edgar, who has conducted field work in a number of landmine-affected nations including Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Cambodia. This podcast is powered by Pinecast [https://pinecast.com].

The Economics of Demining

Is the cost of demining greater or lesser than the economic benefit? Should we even ask that question? Is the Landmine Ban Treaty's requirement that all known minefields be removed actually hurting the efficiency of global mine action, and what is Canada's role in trying to meet the 2025 of global mine eradication? In this episode, I interview development economist Ted paterson. Ted has worked on international development for many years with Canadian NGOs, the North-South Institute and as an independent consultant. He began working on mine action in 2000 and, after 10 years heading the Policy Research & Evaluation section at the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, returned to Canada in 2014. He now works as a consultant focussing on how mine action relates to broader development, humanitarian and peacebuilding programmes. This podcast is powered by Pinecast [https://pinecast.com].