PeaceTrees Glossary
AXO: Abandoned Explosive Ordnance - explosive ordnance that has not been used during an armed conflict, that has been left behind or dumped by a party to an armed conflict, and which is no longer under control of the party that left it behind or dumped it. Abandoned explosive ordnance may or may not have been primed,
fuzed, armed or otherwise prepared for use. (IMAS definition)
BLU: Bomb live unit- part of the nomenclature of a type of submunition (i.e., BLU 26 or BLU 97)
CHA: Confirmed Hazardous Area- an area that has been surveyed and is known to contain explosive remnants of war
Cleared area: A defined area cleared through the removal and/or destruction of specified explosive ordnance hazards to a specified depth
Cluster Bomb Unit (CBU): An expendable aircraft store composed of a dispenser and sub-munitions
Cluster munition: Conventional munition that is designed o disperse or release explosive sub-munitions
DBCU: Provincial Database Coordination Unit (provide demining groups and teams about locations of suspected explosive ordnance)
DoFA: Quang Tri Province’s Department of Foreign Affairs, a key PeaceTrees partner. "DoFA has the function of advising and assisting Quang Tri Provincial People’s Committee in performing the state management of Quang Tri’s foreign affairs and national border and territorial work.”
EO: Explosive Ordnance - encompasses mine action response to the following munitions: Mines, Cluster Munitions, Unexploded Ordnance, Abandoned Ordnance, Booby traps, Other devices (as defined by Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons), and Improvised Explosive Devices
EOD: Explosive Ordnance Disposal
EORE: Explosive Ordnance Risk Education
ERW: Explosive Remnants of War - refers to Unexploded Ordnance (UXO), and Abandoned Explosive Ordnance (AXO)
GWHF (Golden West): Golden West Humanitarian Foundation- The Golden West Humanitarian Foundation is a United States based non-profit charity dedicated to the development of innovative technologies, training, and techniques that are used to enhance the global effectiveness of the humanitarian mine action community.
IMAS: International Mine Action Standard – the standard in force for all mine action operations around the world. Initially endorsed by the UN Inter-Agency Coordination Group on Mine Action in 2001, the IMAS have remained a cornerstone of all mine action field interventions for over seventeen years. In setting the standard for field operations worldwide, the IMAS framework continues to actively drive safety, quality, and efficiency. It therefore ensures confidence in mine action products across the sector.
MAG: Mine Action Group- MAG is a registered charitable group from the United Kingdom working around the globe! MAG clears landmines, performs risk education, and more. MAG works in tandem with PeaceTrees in Vietnam.
Mine action: Activities which aim to reduce the social, economic and environmental impact of mines and ERW including unexploded sub-munitions
MTT: Multi-Task Teams- these teams perform a variety of tasks such as responding to calls about suspected bombs, safely transporting bombs, and conducting on site demolitions.
NPA: Norwegian People’s Aid- Norwegian People's Aid is a politically independent membership-based organization with activities in Norway and globally. Founded in 1939 as the Norwegian Labor movement's humanitarian solidarity organization, NPA aims to improve people's living conditions and to create societies that are more just and more democratic. NPA works in tandem with PeaceTrees in Vietnam.
QTMAC: Quang Tri Mine Action Center – the provincial center in Quang Tri for anything related to mine action, QTMAC supports the operations of PeaceTrees and other demining groups
PPC: Provincial People’s Committee
PTVN: PeaceTrees Vietnam
Spot task: If someone in Quang Tri or Quang Binh finds a suspected bomb, they can call a special hotline that will alert mine action groups and send a team out to safely remove or destroy the bomb
SHA: Suspected Hazardous Area - an area where there is reasonable suspicion of explosive ordnance contamination based on indirect evidence of the presence of mines/ERW
UXO: Previously used as a blanket term for all EO - technically UXO is an explosive ordnance that has been primed, fuzed, armed or otherwise prepared for use or used. It may have been fired, dropped, launched or projected yet remains unexploded either through malfunction or design or for any other reason. (IMAS definition)
VUFO: Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, government organization that partners with
international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) working in Vietnam.
VWU: Vietnam Women’s Union. Government socio-political organization that addresses the interests of women (and children) in Vietnam, at national, provincial, and local levels. (see Women’s Union)
Women’s Union: The Quang Tri and Quang Binh Women’s Unions represent the interests of women and children; they are partners with PTVN in identifying and addressing programmatic needs that will best serve local communities in the provinces.
