Ken Rutherford (political scientist)
Encyclopedia
Kenneth R. Rutherford is co-founder of the Landmine Survivors Network
and a researcher in the field of political science
.
. Since graduating in 1985, he has worked in Mauritania
, Senegal
, Kenya
and Somalia
, and was a Fulbright Scholar in Jordan
.
Rutherford began his international career as a Peace Corps
volunteer in Mauritania (1987–1989). During this period he was contracted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
to assist in refugee camp
s on the border between Mauritania and Senegal.
He returned to the US to earn his MBA at the University of Colorado, then in 1993 went to work for the International Rescue Committee
in Kenya and Somalia, where he was injured by a landmine.
Together with Jerry White
he co-founded Landmine Survivors Network in 1995 which later became Survivor Corps. He and White accompanied Princess Diana to visit landmine survivors in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1997, only three weeks before her death. Rutherford was a prominent leader in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
which won the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize
. In 2000 he earned his doctorate in Political Science from Georgetown University
.
He was Associate Professor of Political Science at Missouri State University
from 2002 until 2010. In 2005, Rutherford went to Jordan on a Fulbright Fellowship where he taught international politics at the University of Jordan
in Amman.
In 2008 Rutherford played a key role in the drafting of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
and the Convention on Cluster Munitions
. He was a board member of Survivor Corps until it closed in September 2010.
In February 2010, Rutherford became Director for the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery
, which includes the Mine Action Information Center, at James Madison University
.
in Somalia, Rutherford's vehicle struck a landmine, injuring him severely. After a medical evacuation during which he nearly bled to death, one leg was amputated
to save his life and the second one amputated several years later. He has since spoken to the United States Congress
against landmines. “It was an experience that fundamentally altered my life for the good,” Rutherford said. “It crystallized my vision of what I believe I was put on this Earth to do.”
, Journal of International Politics, International Journal of World Peace, Alternatives
, Non-Proliferation Review, Harvard International Review
, The Journal of ERW and Mine Action,, Journal of Transnational Associations, Pain Medicine, and Security Dialogue
. He has contributed book reviews to Armed Forces and Society, and National Security Studies Journal.
Everyday Hero Award, and the 2002 Adopt-A-Minefield
Humanitarian Award, presented by Paul McCartney
and Lady Heather Mills.
As an advocate for people with disabilities affected by landmines, he has appeared on Dateline
, Nightline
, The View and National Public Radio's Morning Edition
and All Things Considered
. His personal story of recovering from his accident to pursue his dreams of marrying his fiancée, having children and becoming a professor has been profiled by The Oprah Winfrey Show
, Reader's Digest
and the BBC
.
Landmine Survivors Network
Survivor Corps is a global network of survivors helping survivors to recover from war, rebuild their communities, and break cycles of violence. The organization currently operates programs in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Burundi, Colombia, Croatia, El Salvador, Ethiopia,...
and a researcher in the field of political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
.
International work
While studying political science at the University of Colorado in the mid-1980s, Rutherford decided to work in international developmentInternational development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
. Since graduating in 1985, he has worked in Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
, and was a Fulbright Scholar in Jordan
Jordan
Jordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
.
Rutherford began his international career as a Peace Corps
Peace Corps
The Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a government agency of the same name. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping...
volunteer in Mauritania (1987–1989). During this period he was contracted by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
to assist in refugee camp
Refugee camp
A refugee camp is a temporary settlement built to receive refugees. Hundreds of thousands of people may live in any one single camp. Usually they are built and run by a government, the United Nations, or international organizations, or NGOs.Refugee camps are generally set up in an impromptu...
s on the border between Mauritania and Senegal.
He returned to the US to earn his MBA at the University of Colorado, then in 1993 went to work for the International Rescue Committee
International Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee is a leading nonsectarian, nongovernmental international relief and development organization based in the United States, with operations in over 40 countries...
in Kenya and Somalia, where he was injured by a landmine.
Together with Jerry White
Jerry White (activist)
Jerry White is an American political activist and co-founder of Survivor Corps. He is a recognized leader of the historic International Campaign to Ban Landmines, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and co-founder of Survivor Corps Jerry White is an American political activist and co-founder of...
he co-founded Landmine Survivors Network in 1995 which later became Survivor Corps. He and White accompanied Princess Diana to visit landmine survivors in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1997, only three weeks before her death. Rutherford was a prominent leader in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
International Campaign to Ban Landmines
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines is a coalition of non-governmental organizations working for a world free of anti-personnel landmines and cluster munitions, where mine and cluster munitions survivors see their rights respected and can lead fulfilling lives.The coalition was formed in...
which won the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
. In 2000 he earned his doctorate in Political Science from Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
.
He was Associate Professor of Political Science at Missouri State University
Missouri State University
Missouri State University is a public university located in Springfield, Missouri, United States and founded in 1905. It is the state's second largest university, with an official enrollment of 20,802 in fall 2011...
from 2002 until 2010. In 2005, Rutherford went to Jordan on a Fulbright Fellowship where he taught international politics at the University of Jordan
University of Jordan
The University of Jordan , is a government-supported University located in Amman, Jordan...
in Amman.
In 2008 Rutherford played a key role in the drafting of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights instrument of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities...
and the Convention on Cluster Munitions
Convention on Cluster Munitions
The Convention on Cluster Munitions is an international treaty that prohibits the use, transfer and stockpile of cluster bombs, a type of explosive weapon which scatters submunitions over an area. The convention was adopted on 2008 in Dublin, and was opened for signature on 2008 in Oslo...
. He was a board member of Survivor Corps until it closed in September 2010.
In February 2010, Rutherford became Director for the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery
Center for International Stabilization and Recovery
The Center for International Stabilization and Recovery , formerly the Mine Action Information Center , is a public policy center at James Madison University that manages information, conducts training, holds conferences and workshops, and performs research relevant to humanitarian mine clearance,...
, which includes the Mine Action Information Center, at James Madison University
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
.
Landmine accident
On December 16, 1993, while working for the International Rescue CommitteeInternational Rescue Committee
The International Rescue Committee is a leading nonsectarian, nongovernmental international relief and development organization based in the United States, with operations in over 40 countries...
in Somalia, Rutherford's vehicle struck a landmine, injuring him severely. After a medical evacuation during which he nearly bled to death, one leg was amputated
Amputation
Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is carried out on individuals as a preventative surgery for...
to save his life and the second one amputated several years later. He has since spoken to the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
against landmines. “It was an experience that fundamentally altered my life for the good,” Rutherford said. “It crystallized my vision of what I believe I was put on this Earth to do.”
Articles
Ken Rutherford has published articles in numerous academic and policy journals, including World PoliticsWorld Politics
World Politics is an academic journal founded in 1948. It publishes articles from all subdisciplines of political science. Material might be historical in nature, current affairs, journalistic, or policy-oriented. It includes research on all topics of import in the field of international affairs...
, Journal of International Politics, International Journal of World Peace, Alternatives
Alternatives
Founded in 1994, Alternatives, Action and Communication Network for International Development, is a non-governmental, international solidarity organization based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
, Non-Proliferation Review, Harvard International Review
Harvard International Review
The Harvard International Review is a quarterly journal of international relations published by the Harvard International Relations Council...
, The Journal of ERW and Mine Action,, Journal of Transnational Associations, Pain Medicine, and Security Dialogue
Security Dialogue
Security Dialogue is a peer-reviewed academic journal that publishes scholarly articles which combine contemporary theoretical analysis with challenges to public policy across a wide-ranging field of security studies. The journal’s editorial office is located at the Peace Research Institute Oslo ...
. He has contributed book reviews to Armed Forces and Society, and National Security Studies Journal.
Books
Rutherford is the author of Humanitarianism Under Fire: The US and UN Intervention in Somalia, (2008) and Disarming States: The International Movement to Ban Landmines (2011). He has co-edited two books: Reframing the Agenda: The Impact of NGO and Middle Power Cooperation in International Security Policy (2003) and Landmines and Human Security: International Politics and War's Hidden Legacy (2004).Book chapters and contributions
Rutherford has contributed chapters to Negotiating Sovereignty and Human Rights, Global Society in Transition: An International Politics Reader, Civil Society in the Information Age, The Landmine Action Smart Book, Primary Care of Landmine Injuries in Africa: A Basic Text for Health Workers, Landmine Monitor Report 2000, and To Walk Without Fear: The Global Movement to Ban Landmines. Rutherford also contributed to the chapter on Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1998 Report for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict Office.Awards, honors and public appearances
The organization he was associated with, International Campaign to Ban Landmines, shared the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize. Rutherford was co-recipient of the 1999 Leadership in International Rehabilitation Award presented by the Center for International Rehabilitation and has been inducted into the University of Colorado Heritage Center's "Hall of Excellence," a permanent exhibit at the University of Colorado. He has received the Marshall Legacy Institute's 2005 Survivors' Assistance Award, the 2002 United AirlinesUnited Airlines
United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees United Air Lines, Inc., is the world's largest airline with 86,852 employees (which includes the entire holding company United Continental...
Everyday Hero Award, and the 2002 Adopt-A-Minefield
Adopt-A-Minefield
Adopt-A-Minefield is a United Kingdom-based charity which raises awareness about landmines and their associated problems, and raises funds to clear minefields and help survivors of landmine accidents...
Humanitarian Award, presented by Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
and Lady Heather Mills.
As an advocate for people with disabilities affected by landmines, he has appeared on Dateline
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
, Nightline
Nightline
Nightline, or ABC News Nightline is a late-night news program broadcast by ABC in the United States, and has a franchised formula to other networks and stations elsewhere in the world. It airs weeknights, usually for 31 minutes. Created by Roone Arledge, the program featured Ted Koppel as its main...
, The View and National Public Radio's Morning Edition
Morning Edition
Morning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
and All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
. His personal story of recovering from his accident to pursue his dreams of marrying his fiancée, having children and becoming a professor has been profiled by The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
and the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
.
External links
- Kenneth Rutherford, CV
- Missouri State University biography.
- Ken Rutherford, "Landmines: A Survivor’s Tale" - Journal of Mine Action
- Landmine Survivor Leads JMU Center for International Stabilization
- A CU EMBA Alum And His Worldwide Crusade
- "Panel: U.S. Still Reviewing Ban on Landmines." Ken Rutherford took part in a panel discussion sponsored by the Georgetown School of Continuing Studies and co-sponsored by the United States Campaign to Ban Landmines, Georgetown University Department of Government, Lecture Fund of Georgetown University, Georgetown University Mortara Center for International Studies and the Georgetown Public Policy Institute on March 3, 2011.
- "Victim Assistance Intervention: Survivor Voice and Victim Assistance in the Convention on Cluster Munitions," by Ken Rutherford, presented at the South East Asia Regional Conference on the Convention on Cluster Munitions, October 20, 2008, Xiengkhuang, Lao PDR.