Organizer: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Type/Location: In person / New York City
Description:
What are the impacts and lasting effects of the bombardments of Agent Orange, napalm, and other explosive ordnance on Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam? How has this affected the country and its people? What can we learn from what has happened and how do we move forward from here? In this panel, we get perspectives from leaders who have insider knowledge on the legacies of war.
Sera Koulabdara (Sa-rah Goo-lap-dah lah) (She/Her) serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (Or KOUL-Mander in Chief) of Legacies of War, the only international U.S.-based advocacy and educational organization working to address the impacts of the American Secret War in Laos and conflict in its neighboring countries of Cambodia and Vietnam during the Vietnam War-era, including the removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO) and victims/survivor assistance. Prior to this role, Sera was a long time volunteer and served on Legacies’ board for over 5 years in multiple leadership positions including Vice Chair.
Under Sera’s leadership, US funding for UXO clearance in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam reached $73M - the highest level in history and the Legacies of War Recognition and UXO Removal Act was introduced by Senator Baldwin (D-WI) and Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS). If approved, this historic bill will recognize the people of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam who fought alongside American troops during the Vietnam War and authorizes landmark funding of $500M over 5 years divided among the 3 countries of Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Legacies of War also received the inaugural Humanitarian Award of 2022 given by the Lao PDR for its successful advocacy efforts in securing funds for bomb removal and victims assistance.
Sera is relentless and has broken down barriers in establishments and spaces that lack the voice of someone who is directly impacted by the legacies of war. She earned a seat and became the first Lao-American to participate in the 20th Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Convention. By unanimous vote, Sera was elected to serve as the Chair of the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions Coalition in January 2023. Sera is the first BIPOC, millennial, and person with lived experience from an impacted country to take on this leadership role. Growing up in Laos, Sera witnessed her father, Dr. Sith Koulabdara, operate on countless victims of cluster munitions accidents, including a little girl who attended the same school with her and shaped her passion for her role (s) today.
George Black is a writer, journalist, and editorial consultant living in New York City. His forthcoming book, The Long Reckoning: A Story of War, Peace, and Redemption in Vietnam, will be published by Knopf on March 28, 2023, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the withdrawal of the last American combat troops from Vietnam.
He is the author of seven previous books on subjects ranging from the Chinese democracy movement to the River Ganges, from conflict in Central America to the 19th century exploration of the American West, as well as many long-form magazine articles on international politics, culture, and the environment. His writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, and dozens of other publications. Both his books and his magazine work have won numerous awards and honors.
Elizabeth Becker began her career as a war correspondent for the Washington Post in Cambodia. She has been the Senior Foreign Editor for National Public Radio and a New York Times correspondent covering national security, economics and foreign policy. She has won accolades from the Overseas Press Club, DuPont Columbia’s Awards and was part the Times team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service for coverage of 9/11. She is the author of When the War was Over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Revolution, the classic history that has been in print for 35 years; and Overbooked: The Exploding Business of Travel and Tourism, an expose of the travel industry that was an Amazon book of the year.
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