Risky business or constructive assistance? community engagement in humanitarian mine action

Abstract

During the past two decades, engaging local capacities in development operations has become commonplace within general development thinking. Within humanitarian mine action (hma), however, this trend has not been dominant. This article looks at recent examples of local engagement in hma operations, sketching some of the opportunities for and constraints on improved integration of local capacities. The article argues that local capacities are too often disregarded and overlooked, but also cautions that any integration of such capacities must rest on a well functioning support system in order to ensure safety for the community.