CURRICULUM VITAE

for Thomas Weber Carlsen

Born on May 19, 1957 in Esbjerg , Denmark.

1980-86: University of Aarhus, Institute of Art History.

1986: Finishing studies at University of Aarhus, with a bachelors degree in Art History.

Exam in technical drawing from Horsens Tekniske Skole/Technical School.

1986-94: Aarhus School of Architecture. 2 years basic architectural training. Specialization: Industrial Design, with 1 year additional training as a construction Architect. 1 term at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy, department of Industrial Design. Study trips to: Italy, Germany, Holland, Russia, Spain. During work on my final project field studies of humanitarian mine clearance in Cambodia and cooperation with Danish Technological Institute and the Danish Army Engineers on the development and design of mine clearance equipment.

1993-98: Associated with Danish Technological Institute. Creation of my own organization, ”Danish Demining & Development Associates/3D”.

1994/95: Feasibility study on development of high tech mine detection equipment with Center for Advanced Technology, the RISOE national laboratory, Danish Technological Institute, the Danish Foreign Ministry, the Danish Army Engineers, and Nea-Lindberg A/S.

1995: 3 months additional research of humanitarian mine clearance in Cambodia, sponsored by Caritas Denmark. Contacts to various NGOs including Caritas Cambodia.

1995-97: Project ”Low Tech Mine Demolition in Cambodia”, funded by the Royal Danish Embassy in Bangkok. Local administrator: Caritas Cambodia. Development of the ”MineBuster” mine demolition device. Product development at the workshops of the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia. Cooperation and tests with the Cambodian Mine Action Center, HALO Trust, and Mines Advisory Group. During the project period travels throughout most of the country and studies of Cambodian culture, history, geography and language.

July 1996: Participation with demonstration prototype of the ”MineBuster” at the International Mine Clearance Technology Conference in Copenhagen, July 2-4.

March 1997: Invitation by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance to Afghanistan (UNOCHA) to study mine clearance in Afghanistan with mine dogs groups in preparation for a ”MineBuster Afghanistan” project (project never realized due to lack of funding).

1998: Training of refugees in Denmark with Danish Refugee Aid (Dansk Flygningehjælp).

Employment at the Folkecenter for Renewable Energy, Thy, Denmark. Work experience: transfer of adapted renewable energy technology to developing countries and related duties in an international research and development environment. Project experiences in Romania and Uganda.

In May 1998 responsible for transportation of components to as well as assemblage of a stand-alone energy system in Transylvania, Romania. The system consisted of a 3 kW windmill supported by a solar cell panel, and was installed on a small farm where previously there had been no electrical power supply at all.

July 1998: Study trip to Cambodia during national elections campaign.

1998/99: Study trip to Cambodia. Basic research regarding the impact of poverty related exploitation of natural resources such as at the water birds protected area of Prek Toal. Studies of illegal logging and related problems. Contacts to the ministries of Environment and Tourism with proposals for an eco tourism development project as a means to a sustainable development and protection of natural resources and preservation of traditional lifestyles of ethnic minorities in Cambodia.

1999/00: Further studies in Cambodia on various subjects such as repatriation, community building and development in former Khmer Rouge controlled areas with CARE.

2000/01: Consultancy work for The Danish Organization for Renewable Energy, OVE, in Phnom Penh, related to squatter communities and relocation of urban poor.

2001/02: Cooperation with DIB – Danish International Resettlement Services. Production of ”Anger of the Spirits” – a video documentary about the Tampuan, a Cambodian hilltribe people and its attempt to adapt to the demands of globalisation. 6 months recording on location in the Ratanakiri province in northeastern Cambodia. Production granted by the Danish Film Institute/Video Workshop in Haderslev, and the Film Workshop in Aarhus. The production was supported by the following local NGOs: CARE Cambodia, Cambodian Medical Services and Support Organization, The Non Timber Forest Products Project, and the indigenous network organization DRIVE (Developing Remote Indigenous Villages Education). Sponsored by the Danish Center for Culture and Development/ DCCD, Danish Metal.

2002/03: December 2002 - juni 2003: research and recording of "Voices of Khmer Rouge - a video memory document" in Cambodia in cooperation with Danish video artist Jan Krogsgård.
Supported by the DDV/Video Workshop and Danish National Television, Aarhus. Sponsored by Danish Metal. September 2003: Various activities related to the ”Images of Asia” festival in Aarhus. Host for Cambodian high school teacher, Chiv Try, and lecturing with him in Danish schools. Cooperation with O3V (Information Center about the Third World).

September 8, 2003: ”Anger of the Spirits” is shown at the cinema East of Eden in connection with the Images of Asia festival. October 2003: Workshop activities for "Operation Dagsværk", an initiative by Danish high school students in support of Third World countries.

2003/04: Research for a project with Danish labour union HK Aarhus’ International Committee regarding training and organising of female textile workers in Cambodia. February/March 2004: Cultural tours arrangements and tour leader in collabration with Cambodian travel agency Great Angkor Tours and Danish travel agency Viktors Farmor. Spring 2004: Editing, translations and subtitling of Voices of Khmer Rouge in Phnom Penh in collaboration with local media organisation Fit Media. Contacts with DC-Cam (Documentation Centre of Cambodia). Supported by the Aarhus Film Workshop and DDV/Video Workshop in Haderslev. Sponsors: Danish Center for Culture and Development/ DCCD, Danish Metal, FAF, the Politiken-foundation, Danish Film Directors. Agreement with leader of NAT Filmfestivalen/cph:dox documentary festival Kim Foss, Copenhagen to show Voices of Khmer Rouge.

2005: February: second group of Viktors Farmor tourists. Spring 2005: I commence cooperation with cambodian media NGO FIT Cambodia. April: I take on the position as Chief Technical Advisor for FIT Cambodia with special responsability for fundraising, supervision of audio-visual productions and layout for a new organisational structure. June: grant from Danish Center for Culture and Development/ DCCD to finish the production of Voices of Khmer Rouge. June 22: foundation of a new danish NGO, Danish-Cambodian Development Group with me as its chairman. July 22-24: 16 minutes trailer of Voices of Khmer Rouge is shown at the Lucania Film Festival, Italy, War Video Section.

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