James Cowan, CEO of the HALO Trust: When the War Is Over, the Danger Remains
James Cowan, CEO of the HALO Trust, joins Alberto Lidji on the Do One Better Podcast to explore what happens when the fighting stops, but the dangers of war remain.
The HALO Trust has been working since 1988 to save lives and restore livelihoods in communities affected by conflict. Today, it operates across 32 countries with around 10,000 staff, clearing landmines and other explosive remnants of war, while also tackling small arms and light weapons.
James shares his perspective on the lasting impact of conflict and why landmines can continue to threaten civilians, often children, decades after a war has ended. He explains how HALO is using new technologies, including AI, satellite imagery, drones, robotics, ground penetrating radar, and magnetic resonance, to make clearance faster and safer.
The conversation also looks at the people behind the work, the importance of employing and empowering local communities, and the role of governments and philanthropy in addressing the enormous scale of the challenge.
They discuss mine risk education, the changing nature of conflict, the growing use of drones, and how humanitarian action can contribute not only to saving lives, but also to restoring livelihoods and helping countries move towards greater stability.
And despite the sobering realities of today's conflicts, James leaves listeners with a powerful message: there is hope.
About James Cowan
Major General James Cowan joined the HALO Trust as its chief executive in 2015 following a distinguished career in the British Army. The landmine clearance organisation was founded in 1988 in Afghanistan and achieved global prominence when Princess Diana visited HALO operations in Angola in 1997.
Under James’s leadership, HALO has increased its global workforce by a third and expanded its footprint. With about 9,000 staff, - men and women recruited from the communities we serve - HALO is now operating in more than 30 countries, including Syria, Libya, Yemen, Ukraine, Afghanistan and the Solomon Islands,
James has achieved all this against a backdrop of unparalleled geopolitical turbulence. HALO Afghanistan weathered the withdrawal of NATO and the accession of the Taliban, continuing its lifesaving work and employing Afghans across all provinces with the consent of the authorities. HALO Ukraine re-located from the Donbas to Kyiv oblast and is now the largest humanitarian mine clearance operator in the country with an annual income of $60 million. It has tripled its Ukrainian workforce to meet the challenge of the greatest amount of mine laying seen in Europe since WWII. James has also played a pivotal role in securing HALO access across the Middle East, ensuring that the organisation’s life-saving work continues to assist civilian urban populations trapped in conflicts, from the West Bank to Yemen.
The HALO Trust’s ’s work has saved the lives and limbs of more than two million people and enabled over 10 million people to have improved access to schools, health clinics, and safe agricultural land. Guided by James’ strategic vision, HALO is funded by a growing cohort of government and private donors as well as corporates. In addition, strategic partnerships play a critical role in HALO’s work, enabling the organisation to pioneer new technology, including GIS and OSI mapping, remote robotics and heavy machinery. Other significant partnerships with conservation experts in Angola and the Horn of Africa, show exciting potential.
In addition to clearing landmines, since James’s arrival, HALO has expanded its programming in ammunition and weapons stockpile management, as well as armed violence reduction initiatives.
James is based in Southwest England. He is a seasoned public speaker and appears regularly as a commentator in global media.