LEGACIES – Details, episodes & analysis

Sabaidee and hello! Welcome to another episode of Thip Khao Talk Podcast. Alex Hiniker, Legacies of War Board Chair Emeritus, sits down with our good friend, Dr. Erin Lin, to discuss her upcoming book 'When The Bombs Stopped'.

Dr. Lin specializes in the study of war’s long-term effects on human and economic development, both in Cambodia and more globally. One of the things that she seeks to do in her research and writing is to recover a more dynamic appreciation of the historical processes that shape development, by integrating personal interviews and on-the-ground fieldwork with archival data. She’s also interested in exploring multidisciplinary approaches to answer key questions in political science. 

Her major research topics include aerial bombings, unexploded ordnance, and rural poverty. Within these themes, she investigates farmer behavior, gender norms, and policy effectiveness. Beyond these social-science themes, she has a deep interest in heavy metal contamination in soil systems and image processing. 

Her work incorporates techniques from computer science, machine learning, soil science, economics, and anthropology, and has been cited by The Economist, Gizmodo, Fox News, and The Cambodia Daily, among other media outlets. She’s served on the Mines Advisory Group board of directors since 2021, and in 2022 was named a Young Investigator by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research,

Theme song by ⁠Lao Jazzanova⁠

Learn more about Dr. Erin Lin: https://www.erin-lin.com/

Learn more about Legacies of War: https://www.legaciesofwar.org/

As a licensed psychotherapist, wellness coach, consultant, educator, and speaker, Rita Phetmixay's work is deeply rooted in transformative justice, liberation, and anti-oppressive practices. It is their goal to collaborate with individuals and communities to co-create safe spaces where folx can flourish in their authenticity. Rita has facilitated a number of holistic mental health and wellness workshops and trainings for student groups at higher educational institutions and community-based organizations across the nation. Their own experiences of forced resilience and coming to their own terms of healing intergenerational trauma bring greater understanding of how to connect to each of these identity groups, as well as the great honor on how to support them achieve joy and ultimate liberation.

In this episode, Aleena Inthaly (former Legacies of War Chief of Staff and creator of Thip Khao Talk Podcast) and Kadiatou Toure (2023 University of Dayton Human Rights Fellow with Legacies of War) sit down with Rita to discuss how their journey led them to where they are today, understanding intergenerational trauma, and how to heal from the wounds of war.

Theme song by ⁠Lao Jazzanova⁠

Learn more about Healing Out Lao'd: https://healingoutlaod.org/

Learn more about Legacies of War: https://www.legaciesofwar.org/

Rats and dogs aren’t usually the first things that come to mind when we talk about demining and bomb detection. But what if we told you that there were actual rats out in the world who are trained to detect bombs?  

Sit down for this one of a kind episode where we get to chat with the APOPO team including Michael Heiman, Head of Programmes, all the way from Siem Reap, Cambodia to discuss the skills of life-saving rats, dogs,  and other creative methods for demining and UXO clearance.   

Michael was appointed as the Head of Programs in August 2022, after previously serving as a Regional Manager and leading the Cambodia Mine Action Program since April 2018. APOPO’s Program in Cambodia is the largest mine action program in the organization, operating with 70+ rats and dogs in several locations in Cambodia in partnership withNational and International organizations. One of Michael’s main roles is to develop APOPO’s Technical Survey Dog methodology and implement it within APOPO programs and partners in Cambodia, South Sudan, Angola, Turkey and Azerbaijan. Michael represents APOPO on the IMAS Review Board, contributing to the development of IMAS Animal Detection chapters and Technical Notes. Prior to joining APOPO, Michael spent 10+ years leading various survey and clearance tasks, writing national standards and SOP’s, building training and accreditation areas, testing equipment, machines and animals. Michael also served 10 years in the Military Engineering Corps.

Art can bring people together and create healing and transformation out of the wreckage of war. We know what that is like first-hand through the incredible work of Ova Saopeng and Leilani Chan, co-founders of Teada productions.   

Since 2005 collaborators Leilani Chan and Ova Saopeng have been collecting oral histories from Laotian families and community members across the country to create an interdisciplinary theater performance that explores the impact of war, refugees, global politics, and U.S. citizenship.  Through the collection of oral histories, the show reveals connections between American and Southeast Asian history and the unique challenges faced by political refugees and their American children.  It gives voice to the Laotian Diaspora—yet to be included in the American experience. Refugee Nation continues to grow with the certainty of new refugee arrivals coming from the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe.   The question remains what can we learn from the wounds of a war 50 years ago that are still yet to be healed?   

Find out by listening!

This Thip Khao Talk, we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Erin Lin.

Dr. Erin Lin is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and Global Food Politics at the Ohio State University and a member of the MAG America Board. Her research interests lie in the areas of post-conflict reconstruction, political geography, food security, and legacies of war, with a regional focus on Southeast Asia.

Get ready to go back to school with us for this special episode as we dive into discussing Erin’s research on the long-term effects of UXO and other explosive remnants of war on the environment and agriculture in Cambodia.

Don't forget to check out Erin's recent published article, How War Changes Land: Soil Fertility, Unexploded Bombs, and the Underdevelopment of Cambodia 

This Thip Khao Talk, we had the pleasure of speaking with Souksaveuy Keotiamchanh, founder of Zero Waste Laos based out of Vientiane.

Zero Waste Laos, an organization founded in 2019 and pursuing non-profit status, began as a Facebook group to increase awareness about waste management and has since evolved to appoint and train youth to be “Sustainability Leaders”, increase awareness of environmental issues and pragmatic solutions, and advocate for banning single-use plastics and trash burning. The organization recruits volunteers, trains youth ambassadors, and works with community partners to spread awareness about waste management and “green” practices, and engages various Laos sectors in the fight against climate change.

Open burning of trash has been recognized as a very common way for people to get rid of their waste in Laos. Over the years it has also proven to be a very dangerous and risky method for disposing of waste, especially in areas that are heavily contaminated with unexploded ordnance.

Zero Waste Laos’ goals include becoming a non-profit, establishing “role model schools” across Laos, encouraging youth to solve environmental issues through providing environmental education on waste separation, composition, and burning, and campaigning for a bottom-up approach to ban single-use plastic and stop trash burning.

As we celebrated Mother’s Day and continue to celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage month, in today’s Thip Khao Talk, we are reflecting on the stories of matriarchs in the Laotian community.

In this special episode, we are joined by our Chief of Staff, Aleena Inthaly’s Mother Vienxay Inthaly as she opens up about the past and shares her hopes for the future. During this talk, we also hear from another matriarch and past Thip Khao Talk special guest, Pa Bounthanh Phommasathit who serves as the inspiring voice that brings together generations and provides comfort to other mothers in the community to open up and amplify their voices too.

Join us for this emotional episode, as we listen to the stories of Lao Americans and how reslience, love, and loss can help us build a brighter future for generations to come.

Bios of the moms:

Bounthanh Phommasathit is a bombing survivor, a former refugee originating from Laos, and a community-minded entrepreneur. Her past experiences continue to resonate with her and have driven her to become the woman she is today. She earned a B.A. in social work from Capital University and received a Master of Human Services Management from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio.

Vienxay Inthaly is a known as a Lao dessert extraordinaire, community aunty for all, and serves on the Board of Directors of the newly formed Jai Dee Organization of Virginia. She remains one of Legacies of War’s longest serving volunteers and community caterers and has shared that one of the best ways she continues to serve the community is through cooking and sharing her love of food with the neighborhood.

Prior to our recording, Elaine Russell, Author and former member of Legacies of War’s Board of Directors sat down with us to uncover an archive of over 3,000 photos captured from the very first trips with Legacies. This Thip Khao, we will be flipping through the various photos of the special faces and places we will always remember as part of our mission’s tapestry of hope.

Elaine first traveled to Laos in 2006 to research her novel, Across the Mekong River, the story of a Hmong family fleeing Laos after the Vietnam War-era civil war. On this trip she learned about the terrible tragedy of unexploded ordnance (UXO), remaining from U.S. bombing campaigns in Laos during the Vietnam War. On returning home, Elaine connected Legacies of War.

She volunteered with the group, assisting at many Legacies’ events around the U.S., and serving on the Legacies’ Board of Directors for five years. She traveled with the organization to Laos in 2008 and 2010, and remains an ardent supporter of the groups important mission.

Elaine has written two essays on the civil war in Laos and its aftermath. The first essay, “Legacies of War: Cluster Bombs in Laos,” was coauthored with Channapha Khamvongsa, previously Director of Legacies of War. The article was first published in the Critical Asian Studies Journal in June of 2009. It has since been updated to reflect current information on the situation and the progress made in UXO clearance in Laos. This article is included in the book: The United States, Southeast Asia, and Historical Memory, Edited by Mark Pavlick with Caroline Luft. Chicago, Illinois, Haymarket Books, June 2019.

Elaine also wrote the essay, “Living with Unexploded Ordnance: Past Memories and Present Realities in Laos,” published in the book: Interactions with a Violent Past: Reading Post-Conflict Landscapes in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Edited by Vatthana Pholsena & Oliver Tappe. Singapore: NUS Press, 2013.

In this episode, retrace the steps of Linda Gehman Peachey, Former Co-Director Peace and Justice Ministries of the Mennonite Central Committee in Laos, as she shares her story.

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Linda Gehman Peachey is a freelance writer living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Previously, Linda worked for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) on women’s concerns and also served with her husband, Titus, as co-director of Peace and Justice Ministries. From 1980-1985, they also worked in Laos with MCC, with humanitarian assistance focused on post-war recovery. She and Titus have two adult daughters and enjoy visiting them in Chicago and Guatemala.

George Black is a writer, journalist, and editorial consultant living in New York City.

His latest book, The Long Reckoning: A Story of War, Peace, and Redemption in Vietnam, was published by Knopf on March 28, 2023, and coincided 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.

In addition to an abiding passion for rivers, mountains, and faraway places, he has been struggling for the past decade with a serious case of addiction to Southeast Asia. Despite traveling to more than 50 countries and spending most of his adult life in the United States, part of his heart remains in his native Scotland. He is married to the writer Anne Nelson. They have two children, David and Julia.

View 'The Long Reckoning' on Legacies Library!

Theme song by Lao Jazzanova