Organizer: Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University
Type/Location: Virtual
Description:
Columbia University's Weatherhead East Asian Institute is honored to welcome Phan Thi Kim Phuc, a living symbol of the pain of war and the power of profound healing and peace. Her life story is etched into the collective memory of a generation through the iconic Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph capturing her as a child, running from a napalm attack during the Vietnam War. This image remains a powerful reminder of the innocent victims of war.
In her keynote speech, "War, Trauma, Transformation, and Healing," Kim Phuc will share her incredible journey from the moment captured in that harrowing image to her current role as a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace. Her story is not just one of survival but an inspiring testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Kim Phuc's message is one of hope, forgiveness, and reconciliation. Through her Foundation, she has touched the lives of many, advocating for the welfare of children in war, and educating the world on the importance of peace and understanding. Her life’s work demonstrates how personal transformation can lead to global change, emphasizing that from the ashes of war and trauma, a new life dedicated to healing and peace can emerge.
Speaker Phan Thi Kim Phuc was born and raised in a village near Saigon. In 1972, Americans and the South Vietnamese Airforce dropped napalm bombs on her village. Nine-year-old Phuc fled from a Buddhist pagoda, where she and her family were hiding. Two of her infant cousins did not survive the attack, and Phuc was badly burned. Phuc was photographed running down the road, screaming from the burns to her skin. Ut’s photograph of Phuc remains one of the most unforgettable images of the Vietnam War.
Phuc was not expected to live. After two years, however, with the help of doctors who were committed to her care, she was able to return to her village and her family began to rebuild their lives. During the following years, the government subjected her to endless interviews and officials summoned her to Ho Chi Minh City to be used in propaganda films. Phuc had been forced to quit school and move back to her province, where she was supervised daily as a “national symbol of war.”
In 1986, Phuc was sent to study in Cuba and eventually settled in Canada. When Vietnam veterans invited her to participate at a service in Washington, as part of a Veteran’s Day observance, Phuc shared her experience to help others heal from the pain of war. While there, she spoke face to face with a veteran involved in dropping the bombs on that day in 1972, and forgave him.
Phuc’s incredible story was turned into a book called The Girl in the Picture and a documentary called Kim’s Story: The Road from Vietnam.
In light of Phuc’s struggle, she established a foundation to further heal the wounds of war. The Kim Foundation is a nonprofit organization committed to funding programs to heal children in war torn areas of the world. It is named for Phuc, who wants to give back what so many gave to her to contribute to her healing. In 1997 UNESCO named her a Goodwill Ambassador.
Registration:
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