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Legacies of War

@legaciesofwar

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A Lao American and women-led movement advocating for families in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam to live on bomb-free land. 🙏🏼

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“Language is central to culture, but their relationship is complex. Both are dynamic, living systems that continuously shape one another. It’s been at the heart of my experience as a Lao American. I’m still discovering what it means to live between these worlds, navigating the rich space where languages and cultures meet. The words, phrases, and expressions of a language reveal how people understand relationships and emotions.

I’m not fluent in Lao, and my parents aren’t fluent in English, which has created a gap in how deeply we can connect through language. It’s a distance I’ve grieved again and again, yet perhaps that very gap also creates space to see one another more clearly. In trying to bridge it, I’ve studied Lao and learned through conversations with other Laotians and Lao Americans, discovering just how poetic and beautiful the language is.

In the spirit of Saint Valentine’s Day, here are a few of my reflections on some of the many ways huk/ຮັກ or love and jai/ໃຈ or heart are poetically woven into the Lao language.

These aren’t merely abstract concepts; they shape how I live and work. It may sound cheesy, but my connection to Legacies comes from this same sense of love, of seeing, acknowledging, and caring.“

Khopjai lai lai derrrr @annadpcn22 ❤️ by @legaciesofwar

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8 months ago

Kho Siab — the Hmong word for the ache that sits between what was and what remains.

The land, at a glance, appears healed. Even peaceful.

Beneath the surface, there are histories that have not yet been resolved.

Thank you to our friend, Yia Vue, for so generously sharing your story this Hmong American Day; expressing in words what many have held tightly for generations.

“For Hmong American Day, although there is much to celebrate, there is also much to remember and to hold onto. There is a legacy that lives on in each of us, generation after generation, marked by a history not of our making, yet made nonetheless; but we are still here as we have always been. Throughout Hmong history, resilience and survival have been the marker of our people and we carry that on. The work that Legacies of War does reflects in the communities they serve, all those who had survived the American Secret War, both here and back in Laos. It reflects much of my own work, a push to bring more visibility to a marginalized and often underserved community. We are bridges between past and present, between those who lived through the war and those still living with its consequences, and between communities like mine in the diaspora and the land that continues to hold our history.”

Please read the full piece on our blog: www.legaciesofwar.org/blog by @legaciesofwar

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5 months ago

In case you’re not receiving our newsletter, I wanted to personally share this recent blog post with you. It is deeply personal to me: https://www.legaciesofwar.org/post/do-you-know-why-we-call-it-szoon

Many of us in the diaspora community grew up knowing that our elders carried stories of war, yet so few of those stories were ever spoken aloud. When they are shared, even in fragments, those stories stay with us forever. They are gifts — painful, powerful, and profoundly important.

Writing this was both difficult and meaningful for me. I felt a responsibility not only to honor those who lived these experiences, but also to help ensure their voices are heard and remembered.

With hope and gratitude,
Sera by @legaciesofwar

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8 months ago

We are thrilled to share our conversation led by Kendall Silwonuk, Legacies’ Advocacy Ambassador, Founding Member, with H.E. Mr. João Freitas de Câmara, Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to the Lao PDR, and celebrate Timor-Leste’s landmark announcement of its intention to accede to the Convention on Cluster Munitions!

During our interview, Ambassador Câmara spoke passionately about the need for global solidarity, especially for young people who so often become victims in the aftermath of war. He emphasized that for the suffering to stop, more countries must accede to the convention to build a strong, unified voice for peace, human dignity, and global harmony.

When we asked what young people can do to help, his advice was beautiful and clear: think of others, and work to create a sustainable world free of fear, where everyone is free to live and make friends all over the globe.

To wrap up on a lighter note, we had to ask the Ambassador what his favorite food is. His answer? The iconic Laap Lao! We love that Laos’ national dish has won him over.

A massive thank you to Ambassador Câmara for his time, insights, and his dedication to standing in solidarity with victims of unexploded ordnance.
Together, we can build a world full of peace and harmony. taken in Vientiane, Laos by @legaciesofwar

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a day ago

We are incredibly full of gratitude following our side event at the historic Third Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Vientiane, Laos.

Co-hosted by War Legacies Project and Legacies of War, our session, “Local Initiatives to Address the Needs of Cluster Munition Survivors in Southeast Asia,” brought together a phenomenal group of leaders to discuss best practices, cross-border cooperation, and the urgent challenges facing SE Asia communities post conflict.

A heartfelt thank you to our incredible Moderator, Mr. Lee Cha, Executive Director of IRCO, and our esteemed panelists. We heard powerful insights from Peace Advocate and Survivor, Bounthanh Phommasathit, Manisone Sengdala from COPE, Dang Quang Toan from Project RENEW, Shushira Chonhenchob from Humanitarian Disarmament Association of Thailand, and Susan Hammond from War Legacies Project.

As we reflect on this milestone gathering, our message is clear: there remains a critical gap in needs for survivor assistance programs across awareness, funding, innovation, and collaboration. While unexploded ordnance clearance and risk education are essential, survivor assistance must be prioritized as a vital pillar within mine action. Survivors of cluster munitions and remnants of war require life-long support. Let us ensure that the voices and experiences of survivors remain at the absolute center of our efforts.

It has been over five decades since the end of the wars in Southeast Asia, and the region is too often overlooked. We urge all donor countries to invest in this life-changing work.

Kop jai lai lai to everyone who joined us in community! We must never forget about Southeast Asia. taken in Vientiane, Laos by @legaciesofwar

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2 days ago

We are passing the mic!! We love getting to know our Advocacy Ambassadors and what inspired them to be a part of the movement here at Legacies.

In this conversation, Advocacy Ambassadors, Nicole Capaldo, Allie Hansen, and Titus and Linda Peachey Peace Fellow, Kat Walker discuss their powerful journeys and reflections from this historic visit to Laos. They talk about being struck by the beauty of the country and the warmth of the people, noting how everyone is always smiling!

Learn more about our Advocacy Ambassador Program: https://www.legaciesofwar.org/advocacy-ambassadors by @legaciesofwar

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5 days ago

“Welcome home.”

These were the unforgettable words spoken by H.E. Anouparb Vongnorkeo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, President of the Third Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (Lao PDR), immediately after our very own Danae Hendrickson delivered remarks on behalf of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC).

For Danae, and for all of us at Legacies of War, this moment felt like a homecoming. Decades ago, Danae’s mother fled Laos as a teenager, leaving behind a home forever changed by conflict. Last month, Danae returned to Vientiane—not just as the daughter of a Lao refugee, but as a powerful advocate driving global change.

Taking the floor to deliver the CMC statement on International Cooperation and Assistance, Danae outlined exactly what we are pushing for. She reminded the international community that shared responsibility and sustained assistance are absolutely essential to translating the Convention’s promises into the clearance of land impacted by war, the protection of vulnerable communities, and long-term support for survivors.

While acknowledging the incredible milestones of the Convention, Danae confronted the sobering reality that 2025 saw one of the highest annual numbers of cluster munition casualties since 2010. She highlighted how funding constraints have dangerously slowed clearance efforts in many affected States Parties, prolonging communities’ exposure to danger.

Danae’s address called on States Parties to commit to predictable, multi-year funding to ensure faster land clearance, adapt risk education to changing threats like climate change, and guarantee that survivors have continuous access to medical care, rehabilitation, psychological support, and economic inclusion.

As her remarks concluded with perfect clarity: “The measure of our success must be the difference we make in affected people’s lives.”

Read the full remarks here: https://icblcmc.org/assets/events/third-review-conference-of-the-convention-on-cluster-munitions/Statements/CMC-Statement-on-International-Cooperation-and-Assistance.pdf by @legaciesofwar

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9 days ago

War has a long reckoning.

Its stories and its silences can echo across generations, shaping how people remember, how nations relate to one another, and how communities carry grief that was never fully spoken.

That is what makes the enduring friendship between an American and a Vietnamese woman so powerful. Forged during a time of war and sustained long after it, their relationship reminds us that human connection can cross the borders that history creates between us.

Stories like theirs challenge us to look beyond the narratives of conflict and ask: What happens when we choose connection over division? What becomes possible when we listen to one another’s stories?

For Legacies of War, these questions are at the heart of our work. Healing does not mean forgetting the past. It means finding ways to understand it and imagine something different for the generations that follow.

We are honored to have Jane Barton Griffith on our LEGACIES podcast. Jane is the author of “Two Women, One War,” a memoir telling the story of her friendship with a Vietnamese woman named Mai that started during the U.S. War in Vietnam and has lasted over 50 years. She served as the co-director of the American Friends Service Committee’s humanitarian projects in Vietnam during the war, working closely with refugees and amputees affected by the fighting. She has continued her activism in the decades since, leading capital campaigns for international nonprofits.

We would also like to extend a huge thank you to our Rockstar Advocacy Ambassador, Hannah Hayes, for hosting this conversation and Legacies Intern Olivia Garrison with @udayton_humanrights for editing support!

Please share on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2L9XGB2GYwyQtiGNmkFdVo?si=mg_ynNZITjiUIEUVLgtVQg&utm_source=copy-link

Check out Jane’s book and her work here: https://janebartongriffith.org/ by @legaciesofwar

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10 days ago

We all deserve to be seen and have access to the services that we need to survive and thrive in our communities.

Take action with us: https://secure.everyaction.com/yWs9JwsnFEyjkU1Sfb1oIw2

Thank you to @searac for inviting us to join the call as this would great impact our Southeast Asian communities. by @legaciesofwar

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11 days ago

We are absolutely thrilled to have partnered with Mines Action Canada to host “The Future of the CCM” side event at the historic Third Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Vientiane, Laos!

A major highlight of this conference was seeing how intentionally youth leadership and young voices were elevated on the global stage. The future of humanitarian mine action and disarmament depends on the next generation, and the 3RC provided a critical platform to protect and expand that future.

We are incredibly proud of the young advocates who took the floor to share their insights on education, victim assistance, and implementing the CCM. Watching Legacies of War’s own Titus & Linda Peachey Peace Fellow and Advocacy Ambassadors, Kathryn Walker and Sithida Nhongvongsithi, present alongside Mines Action Canada’s Mine Action Fellows, Roza Safikhanli and Batool Albakouni, was a powerful reminder that the future of advocacy is in brilliant hands.

A special note of gratitude goes to our superb Moderator, Mr. Steven Murphy, Deputy Director of the Disarmament, Arms Control, Cyber and Hybrid Policy Unit for Ireland. Thank you for expertly steering this vital discussion and supporting these emerging leaders.

To our friends at Mines Action Canada, thank you for co-hosting this session with us. When we uplift powerful young voices, we move closer to a world free of cluster munitions! by @legaciesofwar

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11 days ago

Each year, new friends find Legacies because of the COPE Visitor Centre in Vientiane, Laos. If you’ve had the chance to visit, you know that what it offers is a unique experience to learn about the shared history of the US bombings in Laos and the people most impacted.

COPE’s incredible work, in partnership with the Lao Ministry of Health Centre for Medical Rehabilitation, reaches communities across Laos to support them in rebuilding their lives with dignity and confidence. The cause and need for prosthetics does not dictate their eligibility for care — supporting survivors of explosive ordnance accidents and any people with disabilities.

Our dear Kat Walker, Titus and Linda Peachey Peace Fellow and Advocacy Ambassador, sat down with Metta Thippawong, director of COPE while we were in Laos for the Third Review Conference of the CCM. What you’ll notice about this thoughtful conversation is that Metta and COPE are laser focused on long term, community wide, and accessible support for all who are in need. We are so proud to be partners together in this work but even more, we are grateful to be friends. We encourage you to visit COPE and support their work!! @copelaos by @legaciesofwar

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17 days ago

The Bells of Hope project between Birkbeck University of London, ARTICLE22, and Legacies, tells the story of Laos, the most heavily bombed country per capita in history.

These areas still impacted by UXO are known as red zones — places where people must live and farm despite the risks. They form part of what archaeologists call involuntary heritage: unwanted legacies of war, inherited by people and environments without choice.

Bells carry many meanings. They can warn, mourn, and gather. In this project, they also act as activists — their chimes call attention to Laos’ and other countries’ ongoing struggle with unexploded ordnance, and demand recognition and action from the wider world.

(Beautifully written by @estherestyb )

SO much more to come! We are so grateful to @estherestyb @birkbeckuol for making this possible and including Legacies and @article_22 to be a part of this important project.

VIP appearance and bell ringing by @powerparb H.E. Mr. Anouparb Vongnorkeo, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos, and Chair for the Third Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions (3RC-CCM) by @legaciesofwar

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19 days ago