2009: Working in a warzone

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Tags: afghanistan, humanitarian issues, peace and conflict studies, SBS, summer-2010

Kevin Melton, MIS

Kevin Melton in Afghanistan

For Kevin Melton, starting the day with a babywipe shower was a world away from life when he was completing a Master of International Studies at UQ.

But, working for USAid in Kandahar Province in Afghanistan, the poor shower facilities were the least of his worries.

Until September, Mr Melton worked as a field program manager for a small bureau within USAid called the Office of Transition Initiatives.

Embedded with coalition forces, he worked with community leaders to coordinate and develop rebuilding strategies.

“Stabilising a country needs civilian input,” Mr Melton said.

“No matter how well-trained the military are, they are always perceived as being there for a different reason.

“It takes time to build trust but I believe that process is as important as the result.

“If an initiative is driven by the community it creates its own momentum and the result is that what is generated is what is most needed.”

Originally from Washington DC, Mr Melton came to UQ on a Rotary Peace Fellow Scholarship, studying at the prestigious Rotary Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution based in the School of Political Science and International Studies.

“I use the skills I learnt at UQ every day,” he said.

“And my colleagues frequently use my thesis to understand the work that is being done.”

Mr Melton started in September 2009 and said he had seen first hand the violence that still prevails.

“Early on I found myself caught up in an incident and saw exactly what war is like,” he said.

“I went through a short training period before I was deployed but nothing prepares you.

“I realised very quickly how dangerous this place is.”

“The work is exhausting and you need to keep a balance,” he said.

Mr Melton said he understood the job’s emotional demands, having worked on and off in Afghanistan for five years before applying for the MIS program.

“It was part of my impetus to apply to UQ,” he said.

“The program is well regarded for its teaching of international security which is my area of interest.

“I was in Afghanistan toward the end of 2007 and I’m sad to say I didn’t see a great many changes when I went back.

“But there is now a move to a more coordinated and strategic approach to peacemaking.”

By Gillian Ievers

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