David Keen (born 21 September 1958) is a political
economist
An economist is a professional and practitioner in the social science discipline of economics.
The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy. Within this field there are ...
and Professor of Complex Emergencies at the
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is a public university, public research university located in London, England and a constituent college of the federal University of London. Founded in 1895 by Fabian Society members Sidn ...
,
Faculty profile at LSE
, retrieved 2010-03-06. where he has worked since the 1990s. He was educated at Cambridge and Oxford in economics and anthropology, and was formerly a consultant for NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s and development agencies, and a journalist.
Keen is a theorist of contemporary conflict, notably in African society. He has done fieldwork in Sudan, Sierra Leone and Iraq, and archival research.
In ''Endless War'' and in several articles he has argued that "winning war is rarely an end in itself; rather, war tends to be part of a wider political and economic game that is consistent with strengthening the enemy". The "war on terror" is, for Keen, an extension of the Cold War.
''The Benefits of Famine'' explored how the 1980s famines in Sudan were of use to certain groups. Famines have powerful beneficiaries including political elites and traders. International intervention "may offer significant political and bureaucratic benefits for international donors".
Major works
*Keen, D. 2012. ''Useful Enemies: When Waging Wars is More Important Than Winning Them''. Yale University Press.
*Keen, D. 2007. ''Complex Emergencies''. Bristol: Polity.
*Keen, D. 2006. ''Endless War? Hidden Functions of the 'War on Terror. Pluto Press.
*Keen, D. 2005. ''Conflict and Collusion in Sierra Leone''. James Currey/Palgrave.
*Keen, D. 1998. ''The Economic Functions of Violence in Civil Wars''. Adelphi Adelphi Papers, No 320. Routledge.
*Keen, D. 1999. ''Geopolitics of Hunger, 1998-1999''. Action against Hunger/Presses Universitaires de France.
*Keen, D. 1994. ''The Benefits of Famine. A Political Economy of Famine and Relief in Southwestern Sudan, 1983-1989''. Princeton University Press.
*Keen, D. 1994. ''Famine, Needs Assessment, and Survival Strategies in Africa''. Oxfam Research Papers. Oxford: Oxfam.
*Keen, D. 1993. ''The Kurds in Iraq: How Safe Is Their Haven Now?'' London: Save the Children.
*Keen, D. 1992. ''Refugees: Rationing the Right To Life: The Crisis in Emergency Relief''. London: Zed.
*Keen, D. 1987. ''Refugees: The Dynamics of Displacement''. A Report for the Independent Commission on International Humanitarian Issues. London: Zed.
References
External links
Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keen, David
1958 births
Living people
British anthropologists
Academics of the London School of Economics