President of Refugees International Kenneth H. Bacon Educating the World About Struggles of Refugees by John Shaw Kenneth H. Bacon began to think deeply about the struggles of refugees when he was a senior U.S. Department of Defense official watching the Balkans unravel in the 1990s. From his position as an assistant secretary of defense, Bacon pondered the enormous suffering that was unfolding before the worldís eyes in Kosovo. But even in this tragedy, he saw a glimmer of hope. Like millions around the world who were grimly transfixed by the humanitarian debacle being broadcast across the globe by CNN and other news outlets, Bacon was stunned by the scene of more than a million people fleeing their homes as Serb forces moved into Kosovo and destroyed their communities. He saw the NATO bombing campaign pound Belgrade, forcing the eventual capitulation of Slobodan Milosevic. He then watched the slow, gradual return of Kosovars to their devastated communities to begin the arduous process of rebuilding their lives. Now the president of Refugees International, Bacon views Kosovo as a horrible tragedy that should have been prevented but could have been much worse. ìItís important to remember that the world rallied to take care of the people of Kosovo,î Bacon told The Washington Diplomat. ìThis shows what happens when the world focuses on humanitarian issues. We know how to solve these problems. But we need the will, and we donít always have the will.î Bacon is now responsible for helping to generate the political will to prevent humanitarian crises and respond aggressively when they do occur. He heads up a highly respected Washington-based advocacy group that warns international leaders and the public about looming humanitarian challenges, especially as they pertain to displaced people. Bacon says there are about 37 million displaced people in the world, three-quarters of them women and children. Of these people, 15 million are refugees and 22 million are internally displaced people. The 1951 Geneva Convention defines refugees as people who are outside their homeland because of a well-founded fear of persecution on the basis of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a social group. Internally displaced people, on the other hand, are individuals who have fled their homes but not left their countries. Bacon said that whatever the precise legal definition, these people are in a highly vulnerable state. They need food, shelter, medicine and hope for the future. ìMost people are displaced by conflict so getting them home usually involves ending the conflict and creating some measure of peace so they can go home,î he said. Bacon argues humanitarian aid should not be viewed as a substitute for political action, noting that more attention needs to be focused on early warning and conflict prevention mechanisms to head off problems before they erupt and also on post-conflict management programs to prevent recurring cycles of conflict. When crises do occur, Bacon said the international response is often inadequate because of poor information, limited resources and ineffective coordination among government agencies, nongovernmental organizations and private donors. Refugees International (RI) was created in 1979 when Sue Morton, an American living in Asia, watched the suffering of 40,000 Cambodians living on the Thai border and decided there needed to be a ìglobal voice for the dispossessed.î RIís initial focus was to alert the world about refugee crises in Southeast Asia, but it steadily expanded its scope. In 1991, RI was the first advocacy group on the ground on the Iraq-Turkey border to call the worldís attention to the plight of Kurds fleeing from Saddam Hussein. Several years later, it issued compelling reports on the exodus of nearly 2 million Rwandans to Zaireónow Congo and Tanzaniaówhich was one of the most rapid refugee flows in history. RI helped create the Burundi Policy Forum in 1995 to highlight humanitarian issues in the Great Lakes region of Africa. In 1998, it publicized atrocities by rebel forces in Sierra Leone, helping to stimulate international attention for a nearly forgotten conflict. And in subsequent years, it has implored the world to respond to humanitarian problems in such places as Albania, Bosnia, Cambodia, Eritrea, Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro. Refugees International has won a slew of awards over the years, including a Volunteer Action Award from President Ronald Reagan in 1987. More recently, RI was a finalist for the Conrad N. Hilton humanitarian award, one of most prestigious humanitarian awards, and it was described as one of Americaís 100 best charities by Worth magazine. Bacon, who was appointed the RI presidency in 2001, emphasized that his agency is independent and does not accept government or U.N. funds. It has an annual budget of about $2 million, which comes from donations by foundations and gifts from private donors. ìWe are finding a lot of generous individuals. We need to find far more,î he quipped. Bacon said RIís main roles are to anticipate crises, monitor troubled regions, and issue clear warnings to tell the world what is going on. Assessment missions are critical to RIís work. Its advocates travel to humanitarian crises, interview war victims, meet with government, U.N. and aid officials, and assess what can and should be done to help threatened people meet their basic needs. ìWe try to make sure that we donít just focus on problems but also solutions. We try to look at long-term solutions that arenít just putting Band-Aids on a problem, but eliminating the problem,î he said. ìOne example is peacekeeping. We favor expanded peacekeeping capabilities by the U.S., the U.N. and Europe and an increased will to deploy peacekeeping to places like the Congo, where they could save lives, stop the fighting, and give people a chance to go home and plant their crops.î Looking ahead, Bacon said his organization has an ambitious agenda that includes pushing for a standing rapid reaction force for peacekeeping operations and bringing more attention to the plight of internally displaced people, women refugees, child soldiers and the need for development assistance to refugees who have returned home. Bacon noted that governments provide the most support for refugee relief organizations. Government funds from the United States are channeled through the U.S. Agency for International Development, the State Departmentís Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, and the Departments of Agriculture and Defense. ìMost of our advocacy is to the United States government and the United Nations, but also to the European Union. We try to raise general awareness of refugee issues and human rights issues and the problems that lead to displacement,î he said. Bacon said the United Nations plays a positive role in confronting refugee issues, and he praised the work of the High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food Program. ìAlthough the U.N. is not the most efficient organization in the world, it is good at doing certain things,î he said. ìItís good at feeding starving populations, but it has to have money to do that. It is good at setting up camps for refugees, but it needs money to do that.î Bacon said RI also wants to elevate the status of internally displaced people, arguing that their status should mirror that of refugees. He noted that no international organization is solely responsible for displaced people. ìOur position is that [internally displaced people] deserve the same access to humanitarian aid and protection as refugees,î he said. ìOne of our biggest advocacy goals is to bring the level of protections for internally displaced persons to the level of refugees.î Bacon added that RI will continue to work closely with other like-minded groups such as the International Rescue Committee and CARE. ìWeíre trying to partner more and more with other groups. To the extent we can work together, we can share research and writing burdens. We are trying to work more cooperatively. We speak separately, but by combining our voices, we might have a better chance of being heard,î he said. Bacon brings a varied background to his presidency at RI. Soft spoken and good natured, he is a native of Amherst, Mass., who holds a bachelorís degree from Amherst College and a master of business administration degree and masterís degree in journalism from Columbia University. Bacon worked for 25 years for The Wall Street Jour nal as a reporter, editor and columnist. He covered defense, banking, economics, and international financial matters. He recalled loving journalism from his start as an intern at the Wall Street Journalís Chicago bureau. ìBy the second day on the job, it was clear to me that this was what I wanted to do. It was totally engrossing,î he said. ìI enjoyed every minute of it.î A Defense Department official contacted Bacon in 1994 asking him to recommend candidates to be the Pentagonís lead spokesman. Bacon gave several names but was later asked if he would consider the post. Bacon said he was intrigued by the challenge of a senior position at the Pentagon, which would give him a fascinating perspective to observe the challenges and opportunities of the post-Cold War era. Serving from 1994 to 2001 as assistant secretary of defense for public affairs for former secretaries of defense William Perry and William Cohen, Bacon said it was an interesting and rewarding time. ìIt was just great fun. The people were terrific. The issues were exciting. The pace was hectic. Every day was different. Every day was a challenge,î he said. ìI felt the United States, under the two defense secretaries I worked for, accomplished a lot.î Bacon vividly recalls the Clinton administrationís historic effort to encourage and then assist Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus in the deactivation of their nuclear arsenals. On one visit to monitor the program, Bacon and other U.S. officials traveled to a field that had once been brimming with missile silos and was now full of sunflowers. ìThat was an unforgettable scene,î he said. For more than six months as president of Refugees International, Bacon has warned that any U.S.-led war with Iraq would require far more attention to humanitarian issues than officials estimate. In opinion editorials, television and radio appearances and other forums, Bacon has warned that a war with Iraq could create a humanitarian disaster, including massive flows of refugees and a serious nutritional and public health crisis in Iraq. He noted that war would generate a large and immediate need for food, shelter and medicine, both for refugees and the survivors of war. ìThere is a very limited humanitarian infrastructure in Iraq. There are only about a half dozen [nongovernmental organizations] or relief agencies in Baghdad. You donít have the surge capacity,î he said. ìI donít think the administration is unconcerned about this. I think they have done a lot of planning and spent some money but not enough money,î he added. He argues that once hostilities cease, huge humanitarian problems will remain and perhaps intensify. Some estimate that 1.5 million people may flee Iraq and 900,000 could be displaced within the country. The United Nations, Bacon said, may need to help feed 7 million to 8 million people, about one-third of the nationís population. ìThis means that rapid humanitarian intervention is just as important to holding casualties down as quick military victory,î he said. ìThe humanitarian costs are a necessary part of the calculus of war.î Although focusing on the worldís refugees would appear to be grim, thankless work, Bacon prefers to focus on the lives that can be saved, families reunited and communities restored with successful programs. ìThese are important public policy decisions that affect the lives of many people. Itís very exciting to be in this job. Itís great fun to be part of this team,î he said. Bacon and his staff of about 20 work out of a Dupont Circle townhouse, a far different environment than the sterile institution of the Pentagon. He said Refugees International has a diverse supportive boardóincluding America Online founder James V. Kimsey, Queen Noor of Jordan, actor Sam Waterston and philanthropist George Sorosóthat fully supports his groupís aggressive and creative advocacy. ìWeíre very flexible. We can make a decision at 9 and have it implemented by noon. That doesnít happen in a lot of organizations,î he explained, perhaps recalling his days in the vast Pentagon bureaucracy. Bacon said he and his staff make it a point to remember their past successes and future challenges, and he insists that careful attention and strong action on a global scale can yield positive and tangible results. ìThere are success stories. You sometimes forget that,î he said. ìPeople do go home. They are going home now in Afghanistanóabout 2 million went home last year. These successes happen largely because the international community has kept people alive during long periods away from home.î John Shaw is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.