Legacies of War

Honored to be interviewed for this piece in Hmong News Daily by Marc Yablonka along with my dear friend Sera Koulabdara - what a beautiful way to showcase my passion for Legacies of War and how my #Baron52 project led me to become part of this amazing organization. Shout out to author Jessica Pearce Rotondi for being the reason I found Legacies, through her book, What We Inherit. Grateful for both of their friendship and shared dedication to this cause and support for our varied perspectives and intentions. Thank you also to Macy Yang, editor of Hmong Daily News. https://lnkd.in/gcrhHkfm

Hello from the United Nations (UN)! Isabelle Pohmer, our Advocacy Ambassador, had the opportunity to learn about the UN, its functions, and fun facts with H.E. Ambassador Anouparb Vongnorkeo. We invite you to follow along in this short video! The UN was established after World War II with the goal of maintaining international peace and security. It also aims to build an international system for nations to cooperate on economic, social, and humanitarian problems (like the UXO contamination issue!). Kop jai lai lai (Thank you) to Amb. Anouparb and his greater team in NYC for spending time and teaching us more about the UN and some of Laos' role and goals with the organization. Here at Legacies, we believe in and prioritize investment in developing our young professionals (they get to have exciting experiences like this one!) and work with partner universities to provide paid internship programs. Reach out and let's work together to get your school involved at info@legaciesofwar.org Sign up for our newsletter for more lessons and drop a comment, tell us what else you want to know or what questions you have!🙏🏽 https://lnkd.in/gHimadqH

Last week our KOUL-Mander in Chief Sera Koulabdara and Anna Phommachanthone had the opportunity to attend the @NetrootsNation conference in Baltimore, Maryland along with members of the Asian American Leaders Table (AATL) and some 4,000 attendees from around the country and beyond. During our time together with AALT, we were able to get to know one another, share our collective challenges, and also offer support and advice. Our work is vital, complimentary, and interconnected. Together, we are stronger and can soar higher! Our team here at Legacies of War hopes to deepen our friendship with everyone we met and build a community where we can all learn, thrive, and support each other in solidarity. Special shout-out to the AALT's Advisory Council and the rockstar coordination/planning skills of Aisa, Kitty, Cameron, Uyenthi, and Susan. THANK YOU SO MUCH! P.S. We love you, Baltimore! P.P.S. Huge congratulations to the winners of Bingo: Jona, Abi and our very own, Sera!

This week kicks off the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPFSDG) at the United Nations! This year's theme is "Reinforcing the 2030 Agenda and eradicating poverty in times of multiple crises: the effective delivery of sustainable, resilient and innovative solutions." The HLPFSDG is vital to achieving the development goals for all countries and we are thankful to be a part of the conversation in supporting these goals especially as it relates to humanitarian demining. The UXO crisis in nations like Laos directly impacts agricultural products and the safety of the citizens living on the land. Yet, the people remains resilient. Laos has its own SDG18 - "Lives safe from Unexploded Ordnance (UXO)." In this video, our Advocacy Ambassador, Isabelle Pohmer, interviews H.E. Ambassador Anouparb Vongnorkeo about SDG18 and why it is essential to the country's success. A huge kop jai lai lai to Amb. Anouparb and his greater team in NYC for spending time with us and sharing your thoughtful insight. Tell us what you think and stay tuned for more! https://lnkd.in/gzYUrzPX

We are thrilled to share that Legacies of War had the honor of presenting our mission at the Annual Vietnam War Government Briefing hosted by our friends the Department of Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency's (DPAA @dodpaa ) last week. War separates families but we never forget the ones we love. We witnessed the strength of this love at this year's DPAA briefing, when team members joined families of the missing on the ultimate mission: to bring America’s long-lost servicemen and women home. We were moved by your team's relentless search efforts and methodology, top notch scientific advancement, and the collaboration with key partners. We are in awe! Our very own Jessica Pearce Rotondi, Co-Founder and Chair of Legacies Library and Emeritus Board Member, represented us as our inaugural Legacies speaker. We encourage you all to please take a moment and listen to Jessica's moving speech as she shares her family's connection to the American Secret War and the power of Legacies Library in healing the wounds of war and creating a path towards hope together. Special thank you to Director Kelly McKeague and the greater DPAA team for your kind invitation for our team members (Khamsone Sirimanivong & Sera Koulabdara) to share this special space with you all and the community of families.🙏🏽❤️ https://lnkd.in/g_3aenyY

In honor of Pride Month, we would like to highlight our long-time friend and Lam Vong Circle member, Kim Sandara. Kim Sandara is a bi, genderqueer, Lao/Vietnamese American, multidisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, NY. In 2016, they graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art, with a BFA in General Fine Arts. Using abstract painting, stop motion animation and cartooning, their work focuses on queer escapism, intergenerational trauma and intersectional identity. In 2019 and 2021 they've been featured in the Washington Post for their music paintings and 270 Million Project, bringing spotlight on the bombs left in Laos from the American Secret War. In 2023, their DC mural was featured on a New York Times article on public spaces. In October 2023 they finished a Lao horror zine, Phi, illustrating ghost stories based off of Lao folklore. Currently, they are working on a graphic novel memoir on their coming out story. In addition, they are in a Vietnamese diaspora zine project called “Vagabond” with an art show coming to the DMV in June 2024. They're also printing a new small zine called "Lao Food Memories" which will come with an array of Lao food stickers coming out in July 2024. Legacies of War stands with our LGBTQ+ community, acknowledging their achievements, passion, and ongoing advocacy. Thank you Kim Sandara for your endless support in raising awareness on the history of the American Secret War in Laos and Lao culture.

Welcome Jack, our summer intern from Princeton! We are so thankful to have you as part of our team. "Hi! I’m Jack, a rising Junior in Princeton’s Department of Politics. I’m from Carlisle, a rural town in the North West of the United Kingdom. I first learned about the United States’ involvement in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam in a high school history class, touching very quickly on the Ho Chi Minh Trail. I didn’t realize then the magnitude of the American Secret War and its ongoing effects. That is until I came across Legacies of War. The three pillars of History, Healing, and Hope work to educate, protect, and advocate for the people of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam and all those affected by ongoing UXO devastation. I hope that my time working with Legacies’ allows me to educate myself, and others who are not taught these crucial lessons in history."

Today is World Refugee Day. As an organization that raises awareness about the history of the American bombings of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, we know the strength and courage required for those who are forced to flee their homes and the obstacles they face to start over. This is why we are so proud to partner with fellow refugee led organizations like our dear friends @Irco_updates. Mr. Lee Po Cha is the Executive Director of IRCO and has traveled with us to Laos in 2022. Mr. Lee fled to Oregon in 1978. Since 1981, he served IRCO in a multitude of leadership roles, most recently as Associate Director and Director of IRCO Asian Family Center, which he helped found in 1994, because he saw the need for Southeast Asian resettlement. Currently, IRCO serves tens of thousands of refugees and immigrants in Oregon and SW Washington annually. Each year Legacies of War partners with IRCO to host an event in Oregon to raise awareness about the American Secret Wars in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Our most recent event showcased how war impacts children in Palestine, Ukraine, Laos, (and much more) through their art.

Welcome to the Board of Directors, Anna Douangphachanh ! Anna is a daughter and younger sister to Lao refugees who emigrated to the USA in 1991. She was born in eastern Washington four months after her family arrived. She is an alumni of St. Norbert College and the University of Wisconsin Madison, where she graduated with a BA in Psychology. As a psychology major, she began her journey in healing the effects of war and intergenerational trauma. She enjoys learning about neuroscience, behavioral health, and ways to maintain and improve health. To learn more about her family history and heritage, she connected with and began supporting Legacies of War. Anna has a background in nonprofit association management, specifically in fundraising and event planning. She has planned conferences across the nation and internationally. She has varied interests and loves learning and traveling. She is an avid outdoor enthusiast and loves to be in nature and partake in sports of all kinds. Recently, she was certified as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). We are so thrilled and thankful to have you as a part of the Legacies family, Anna! Welcome. 🙏🏽

Welcome to the Legacies Board of Directors, Stephen! Stephen is currently an administrator of an International Baccalaureate (IB) school in Laos. His efforts are focused on reimaging the IB educational framework in a low-cost international school that primarily serves Lao families. He is committed to staying in Laos and contributing inside and outside of his school. Before living in Laos, Stephen lived in Central America for about a decade, where he earned a degree in Latin American Liberation Theology and later worked as the Central Americn Missions Director for a US-based organization that supported small NGOs by facilitating long-term international volunteers throughout Central America. He continued his path in long-term professional volunteer coordination as a regional director for an Americorps organization in the Northwest. The connection between education for awareness, activism for peace, and justice for those who have suffered make Legacies of War a movement that Stephen deeply admires and will gratefully offer his time and resources to. We are so thrilled and thankful to have you as a part of the Legacies family, Stephen! Welcome. 🙏🏽