Since the founding of Legacies of War in 2004 by Lao-American refugee Channapha Khamvongsa, US funding to clear the 80 million UXO contaminating Laos and assist survivors has increased from $1.3million to $40million in 2021. Twenty-five thousand people have been killed or injured since the bombing stopped. This mighty non-profit has been acknowledged by President Obama and succeeds in making outsized impact facilitating funds that go to organizations like ARTICLE22 partners, MAG (Mines Advisory Group) to clear land and save lives in Laos. The efforts of Legacies are supported by the generosity of private donors, foundations, and the new Trailblazer Collection.
Legacies of War regularly contributes to global dialogue on humanitarian mine action. Stay up-to-date with these latest articles from the LoW team.
The US left landmines in Vietnam. An aid freeze won't erase that.
Feb 28, 2025
Southeast Asia is still riddled with unexploded American bombs and effects of Agent Orange, both of which USAID programs were helping to mitigate.
By Susan Hammond and Sera Koulabdara
Ukraine once fed 400 million people worldwide. Freezing aid worsens global crisis. | Opinion
Feb 23, 2025
Ukraine, a top grain exporter because of its fertile soil, is now the most heavily mined country. The cost to demine it is expected to exceed $30 billion.
By Olena Melnyk and Sera Koulabdara
14 Senate Leaders pen letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio in support of foreign aid for Vietnam
Feb 28, 2025
"Our war legacy programs have not only transformed a formerly antagonistic and distrustful relationship into one of amicable partnership, they have also been the catalyst for cooperation between the U.S. and Vietnam in maritime security, law enforcement, higher education, energy development, and many other areas."
Mine Action Fellows Open Letter to Secretary of State Honorable Marco Rubio
Feb 13, 2025
As Mine Action Fellows, we urge you to immediately lift the 90-day stop-work order on U.S. foreign assistance programming, which has suspended the U.S. funded demining efforts...Our work is deeply intertwined with the consequences of war, yet our generation is expected to build the future without the tools to clear the past.
By Global Youth Mine Action Fellows
"Cambodian mine-clearing program reels after Trump's USAID funding suspension"
Feb 14, 2025
“I am over here because my mother told me as a little kid to clean up after myself,” said Bill Morse, who was a U.S. Army officer during the Vietnam War and co-founded the Landmine Relief Fund.
By Anton L. Delgado and Janis Mackey Frayer, NBC News, ft. Danae Hendrickson
80 million US bombs still unexploded in Laos. Clearing them relies on Trump aid. | Opinion
Feb 11, 2025
Continued US funding is needed to resolve the impact of our deadly legacy and create a brighter future for my students and their families.
By: Stephen White, USA Today
LEGACIES OF WAR x ARTICLE22
Born to inspire a new generation of advocacy, our intention is for every Trailblazer who wears a bracelet to gift another Trailblazer who will continue the cycle as each purchase brings us closer to clearing Laos of 80 million unexploded bombs.
SERA KOULABDARA
LEGACIES OF WAR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
MEET THE TRAILBLAZERS OF LEGACIES OF WAR
SERA KOULABDARA
Legacies of War Executive Director
The most important thing that my parents both taught my siblings and I is that what you leave behind is so much more important than what you take.
What guides me in life are the many teachings of my mother and father. My mother is one of the strongest women I know. Through her, I learned to stand up for myself and choose my battles. My father shared painful memories of the devastating effect the Secret War had on him and the people he loved. These horrific experiences led my father to live a life full of love, compassion, and service to others as a doctor—I hope to carry his legacy to the next generation, create hope, and make a positive impact in the lives of people in my father's beloved homeland, Laos.The most important thing that my parents both taught my siblings and I is that what you leave behind is so much more important than what you take. When I’m stuck on a decision, I reflect back on these words.
CHANNAPHA KHAMVONGSA
Legacies of War Founder
There are many, many problems in this world that might not be able to be solved in a lifetime, but this is one that can be fixed. Given that it was ignored for so long, we need to redouble our efforts and finish the job.
I think for many of us who grew up here as refugees from Laos, it really felt that we didn't matter and where our families came from didn't matter. So for a long time, I didn't know much about the history of why we came here and how we got here.
Then as I got older I started to learn more about the immense role the US played in Laos during the Vietnam war era. And it was not a small role at all, but yet no one in the US knew about it. How was that possible? And so as I got older I started to learn more. I went on to do non-profit work and I ended up here in New York working at the Ford Foundation and I was doing work all around the world on justice, but nothing on Laos. One day I met with a grant organization working on democracy in the US. It was a domestic program, nothing to do with Southeast Asia, but it turned out the executive director had a history with Laos. He said a long time ago he worked with a guy named Fred Branfman, “have you heard of him”? I said no and he said, “well he worked really hard to try and stop the bombings in the 70s that were taking place all over Southeast Asia". I was shocked because I didn't think anyone cared about Laos, but yet there was this whole group of individuals here in the US who cared deeply about what was happening in my former homeland. These moments were the original catalyst for the founding of Legacies and connected us to a history that we had lost for so long.
LEGACIES OF WAR
The MISSION of Legacies of War is to raise awareness about the HISTORY of the Vietnam War-era bombing in Laos and advocate for the clearance of unexploded bombs, to provide space for HEALING the wounds of war, and to create greater HOPE for a future of peace.
The organization uses art, culture, education, community organizing and dialogue to bring people together and create healing and transformation out of the wreckage of war. Legacies is not a direct service or aid organization. We educate and mobilize the Laotian American and broader U.S. public to help us advocate for increased U.S. funding for clearance, education awareness and victim assistance in Laos. With this strategy, we leverage our small budget for the greatest impact.
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