Menkhaus Article

By: Adam Hart

Profiles in Development: Dr. Ken Menkhaus, Political Science

As Davidson Professor Ken Menkhaus knows, one of the keys to working in the developing world is adaptability. Because traditional development strategies are hindered by violence and political corruption in unstable regions, adaptability is imperative. Menkhaus, having spent several months in Somalia, has seen firsthand that this is the case. Since the early 1990s, the lawlessness and violence in Somalia has seriously limited, if not denied, economic, political, or social progress. Dr. Menkhaus experienced and took part in the country’s struggle for security, stability, and development prior to, during, and after the fall of the Siad Barre military regime in January of 1991.

While in graduate school for international studies at the University of South Carolina, Menkhaus taught English in Mogadishu; his time there began his fascination with Somalia. It was then his experience and knowledge of issues in Somalia that set the stage for his 1987-1988 Fulbright-Hays scholarship. With this funding, he was able to research rural development and the Somali Bantu tribe, which has been the object of severe discrimination, for his doctoral dissertation

When civil conflict broke out in 1990, giving rise to famine conditions across the country, The Red Cross asked Menkhaus to help conduct emergency relief efforts. Serving as a political analyst, he traveled Somalia with a team of nutritionists and agronomists to assess famine conditions and possible avenues for relief. From 1993 to 1994, Menkhaus worked as a special political advisor to the UN Humanitarian Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM), most notably during the infamous Black Hawk Down incident. Even with the withdrawal of international forces in 1995, he continued to work with the UN and NGO’s.

Since coming to Davidson, the emphasis in his work with the Somalis has shifted from hands-on, in-country work to policy recommendations to the State Department. Menkhaus still assists the US Agency for International Development (USAID); the International Peace Academy, a think-tank helping to shape key UN development policies; and the World Bank, which he has advised in its effort to create a tailored aid policy for Somalia that aims to prevent and minimize conflict. His experiences in Somalia have shown him that there are no experts in the field of conflict management and development when instability is debilitating: “The key is a sharp eye for the expertise that is needed, and the adaptability to form that.” As in most professional fields, your current job leads to your next. But work in international development is unconventional in that the volatility inherent in underdeveloped and war-torn countries cannot provide consistent employment opportunities for foreigners seeking work in international development. “If you do well, then the phone rings. Once you’re in the field, if you perform well then there’s always something for you to do,” concludes Menkhaus.