Kenneth R. Rutherford is an American political science professor at James Madison University, co-founder of the Survivor Corps (a group that helps victims of war), and a researcher in the field of

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

. He is a member of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which was the recipient of the 1997

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize (Swedish language, Swedish and ) is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the Will and testament, will of Sweden, Swedish industrialist, inventor, and armaments manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobe ...

. Rutherford has served as the Director of the

James Madison University James Madison University (JMU, Madison, or James Madison) is a public university, public research university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 1908, the institution was renamed in 1938 in honor of the fourth president of the ...

Center for International Stabilization and Recovery, a

Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an Independent agency of the U.S. government, independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to communities in partner countries around the world. It was established in Marc ...

Volunteer in

Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...

(1987-1989), a

UNHCR The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and Humanitarian protection, protect refugees, Internally displaced person, forcibly displaced communities, and Statelessness, s ...

Emergency Refugee Coordinator in

Senegal Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...

(1989), and a humanitarian emergency relief officer in northern

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

and

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

(1993). In 2024, Rutherford taught at Hue University in Vietnam as a Fulbright Scholar Fellow.

International work

While studying political science at the

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, the University of Colorado Denver, and the U ...

in the mid-1980s, Rutherford decided to work in

international development International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic development, economic or human development (economics), human development on an international sca ...

. Since graduating in 1985, he has worked for international aid agencies in

Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

and

, and was a

Fulbright Scholar The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the peopl ...

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

and

Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...

. Rutherford began his international career as a

volunteer in Mauritania (1987–1989). During this period he was contracted by the

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, l ...

to assist in

refugee camp A refugee camp is a temporary Human settlement, settlement built to receive refugees and people in refugee-like situations. Refugee camps usually accommodate displaced people who have fled their home country, but camps are also made for in ...

s on the border between Mauritania and Senegal. He returned to the US to earn his

MBA A Master of Business Administration (MBA) is a professional degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration; elective courses may allow further study in a particular a ...

at the University of Colorado, then in 1993 went to work for the

International Rescue Committee The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global humanitarian aid, relief, and development nongovernmental organization. Founded in 1933 as the International Relief Association, at the request of Albert Einstein, and changing its name in 1 ...

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 Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William ...

on her last humanitarian mission to visit landmine survivors in

Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to the north a ...

in August 1997, only three weeks before her death. Rutherford was a prominent leader in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines which won the 1997

. In 2000, he earned his doctorate in political science from

Georgetown University Georgetown University is a private university, private Jesuit research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Founded by Bishop John Carroll (archbishop of Baltimore), John Carroll in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic higher education, Ca ...

. He was associate professor of political science at

Missouri State University Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second-largest u ...

from 2002 until 2010. In 2005, Rutherford went to Jordan on a

Fulbright Fellowship The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people o ...

where he taught international politics at the University of Jordan in

Amman Amman ( , ; , ) is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of four million as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant ...

. In 2008, Rutherford played a role in the drafting of the

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights instrument, international human rights multilateral treaty, treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with Disabil ...

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 of the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR), which includes the Mine Action Information Center, at

. In his capacity as CISR Director, he oversaw and participated in post-conflict missions and projects in numerous countries worldwide, including

Burundi Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with a population of over 14 million peop ...

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

Tajikistan Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Dushanbe is the capital city, capital and most populous city. Tajikistan borders Afghanistan to the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border, south, Uzbekistan to ...

and Vietnam.

Landmine accident

On December 16, 1993, while working for the

in Somalia, Rutherford's vehicle struck a landmine, injuring him severely. After a

medical evacuation Medical evacuation, often shortened to medevac or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to patients requiring evacuation or transport using medically equipped air ambulances, helicopters and ...

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 The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...

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." Following this incident, Rutherford focused his advocacy efforts to draft and enact prohibitions on anti-personnel landmines (1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty) and cluster munitions (2008 Cluster Munitions Convention), and promoted the rights and dignity of people with disabilities, resulting in the 2006 Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. Together with Jerry White he co-founded Survivor Corps in 1995 which pioneered improvements in war victim assistance, providing amputees with peer mentors, artificial limbs, and job training. White and Rutherford's leadership in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines helped secure the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty and the Cluster Munitions Ban Treaty.

Publications

Articles

Ken Rutherford has been published extensively in numerous academic and policy journals, including the ''Journal of International Law and Policy'', '' World Politics,'' ''Journal of International Politics,'' ''International Journal of World Peace,'' ''

Alternatives Founded in 1994, Alternatives, Action and Communication Network for International Development, is a non-governmental, international solidarity movement, international solidarity organization based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Alternatives works ...

,'' ''Non-Proliferation Review,'' '' Harvard International Review'',
The Journal of ERW and Mine Action
'' ''Journal of Transnational Associations,'' ''Pain Medicine,'' ''International Journal on

Grey Literature Grey literature (or gray literature) is material and research produced by organizations outside of the traditional publishing, commercial or academic publishing and distribution channels. Common grey literature publication types include reports (a ...

,'' and ''

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 is owned by th ...

''. He has contributed book reviews to ''Armed Forces and Society,'' and ''National Security Studies Journal.''

Books

Rutherford is the author o
''Humanitarianism Under Fire: The US and UN Intervention in Somalia,'' (2008)
an
''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)
an
''Landmines and Human Security: International Politics and War's Hidden Legacy'' (2004)
* ''America's Buried History: Landmines in the Civil War,'' (Savas Beatie Press, April 2020) endorsed by His Royal Highness Prince Mired Raad Al-Hussein, United Nations Special Envoy for Landmine Prohibition Treaty; U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy; and Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1997) and Chair, Nobel Women's Initiative. * ''Disarming States: The Global Movement to Ban Landmines'', (Praeger Press, December 2010) endorsed by Ambassador Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr, Chairman, Henry L. Stimson Center and former Assistant Secretary of State for Political Military Affairs; U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy; Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1997); and, Ambassador Karl F. Inderfurth, former U.S. Special Representative for Global Humanitarian Demining. * ''Humanitarianism Under Fire: The US and UN Intervention in Somalia'', (Kumarian Press, 2008) endorsed by George E. Shambaugh, Chairman of the Department of Government, Georgetown University; Richard Mathew, Director, Center for Unconventional Security Affairs, University of California, Irvine; U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy; Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (1997) * ''Human Security and Landmines: International Politics and War's Hidden Legacy'', eds. with Richard Matthew and Bryan McDonald (State University of New York Press, 2004, paperback 2006) * ''Reframing the Agenda: The Impact of NGO and Middle Power Cooperation on International Security Policy'', with Stefan Brem and Richard Mathew (Greenwood Press, 2003); Forwards by Her Majesty Queen Noor, The Honorable Lloyd Axworthy, Lady Heather Mills McCartney and Sir Paul McCartney, and U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy.

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,''
an
''To Walk Without Fear: The Global Movement to Ban Landmines''
Rethinking Sovereignty and Human Rights after the Cold War; Routledge Handbook of Environmental Security; Co-operating Without America: Theories and Case-Studies of Non-Hegemonic Regimes; Encyclopedia of Human Rights; Arms Control History, Theory, and Policy. Rutherford also contributed to the chapter on Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1998 ''Report for Special Operations and Low Intensity Conflict Office.'' One the 20th anniversary of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention, Rutherford co-authored (with Firoz Alizada, Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention Implementation Support Unit "Victim assistance: There is a face and name behind each casualty," in The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention: Twenty Years of Saving Lives and Preventing Indiscriminate Harm published by the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs.

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 199
Leadership in International Rehabilitation Award
presented by th
Center for International Rehabilitation
and has been inducted into th
University of Colorado Heritage Center

"Hall of Excellence,"
a permanent exhibit at the University of Colorado. He has received th
Marshall Legacy Institute
s 2005 Survivors' Assistance Award, the 2002

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. is a Major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois that operates an extensive domestic and international route network across the United States and six ...

br>Everyday Hero Award
and the 2002 Adopt-A-Minefield Humanitarian Award. Rutherford is also the 2013–2014 recipient of the Human Security Award from the Center for Unconventional Security Affairs (CUSA)] at the University of California-Irvine. As an advocate for people with disabilities affected by landmines, he has presented in more than 30 countries, testifying before

U.S. Congress The United States Congress is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a bicameral legislature, including a lower body, the U.S. House of Representatives, and an upper body, the U.S. Senate. They both ...

and the U.N. (

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

and

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

). He has also appeared on '' Dateline,

Nightline ''Nightline'' (or ''ABC News Nightline'') is ABC News (United States), ABC News' Late night television in the United States, late-night television news program broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC in the United States with a franchis ...

,'' '' The View'' and

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

's ''

Morning Edition ''Morning Edition'' is an American radio news program produced and distributed by NPR. It airs weekday mornings (Monday through Friday) and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 5:00 to 9:00 a ...

'' and ''

All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...

''. 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'' is an American first-run syndicated talk show that was hosted by Oprah Winfrey. The show ran for twenty-five seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in which it broadcast 4,561 episodes. The show was taped i ...

'', ''

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his wi ...

'' and the

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

. In June 2013, he was included among the "one hundred most influential people in armed violence reduction" by the London-based organization Action on Armed Violence]"Top 100: The most influential people in armed violence reduction."
/ref>

References

External links

Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at James Madison University

Ken Rutherford, "Landmines: A Survivor's Tale"
- Mine Action Information Center, Journal of Mine Action
Landmine Survivor Leads JMU Center for International Stabilization

A CU EMBA Alum And His Worldwide Crusade

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.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rutherford, Ken American amputees American anti-war activists American human rights activists American political scientists Landmine victims Living people Mine action Georgetown University alumni University of Colorado alumni Academic staff of the University of Jordan James Madison University people American scientists with disabilities American disability rights activists Year of birth missing (living people) American activists with disabilities