Catzie in Minnesota!!! Mines Advisory Group & Legacies of War Fundraiser.

Hey there friends, I will be in Minneapolis, MN this Wednesday June 15th as a special guest speaker at the Mines Advisory Group and Legacies of War Fundraiser to remove cluster bombs and unexploded munitions left in Laos by the U.S. The event will be held at the Target Auditorium of the historic Open Book Building in downtown Minneapolis. Starting at 5:30 PM until 8:00 PM, the event is to raise support for two organizations: the Mines Advisory Group and Legacies of War, with a particular focus on efforts in Southeast Asia.

The Mines Advisory Group is a neutral and impartial humanitarian organization that clears the remnants of conflict for the benefit of communities worldwide. Since 1989, MAG has worked in 35 countries. They are a co-laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded for their work with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which culminated in the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. The work of the Mines Advisory Group has been featured in award-winning films such as the documentary Bomb Harvest that showed the harrowing experience of removing bombs from rural villages in Laos.

The fundraiser will include interactive displays and a final look at photos and art from the acclaimed Legacies of War: Refugee Nation exhibit at Intermedia Arts in October, including hand-drawn images by refugees that were pivotal in the discovery of the Secret War in Laos and the bombings.

“These illustrations are a historic example of the intersection between art, history and international policy,” said Bryan Thao Worra, a Minneapolis-based Lao American writer and dear friend of mine.

“When the villagers drew these, they had no words to describe all they experienced in the bombings,  but it led to a chain reaction of events that ended the bombing in Laos and to today’s efforts to eliminate cluster bombs around the world,” Thao Worra added. “This will be the very last time these are seen in Minnesota for years as they go on tour now.”

Last year the United Nations Convention on Cluster Munitions went into effect calling for an end to the use, sale, and transfer of cluster bombs, which continue to affect countries long after conflicts are over. In Laos, for example, over 30% of the countryside remains contaminated with bombs that can still explode and terrorize villages over 36 years since the end of the war. Legacies of War executive director, Channapha Khamvongsa, will speak about her recent visit to Laos on the progress of UXO removal efforts in Laos and the approaching 1 year anniversary of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. In addition dancers from the Lao Student Association of the University of Minnesota will also perform briefly, as there will also be a silent auction held and refreshments served. 

Tickets are a suggested $20 donation although no donations are turned away and additional donations are encouraged. For more information you can visit the Mines Advisory Group at www.maginternational.org  and Legacies of War atwww.legaciesofwar.org.

Please come see me or support anyway you can!

Lao American Writers Summit

We're less than 3 weeks away from the 1st ever Lao American Writers Summit and there's still time to register! As you may or may not know, I have been actively partaking in what will be a historic event in our history as Lao American writers and artists from around the nation will gather for the first Lao American Writers Summit on August 13-15, 2010 at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis. The event includes panel discussions, workshops and author readings. If you, or anyone you know might be interested in participating, please read on below and contact for further questions or information:

The grass-roots Lao American Writers Summit examines ways Lao American writers create and present work to transform their lives and their world. Confirmed summit participants include award-winning film-makers, writers and performers such as myself - Catzie Vilayphonh, Saymoukda Vongsay, playwright and author of “No Regrets,” and acclaimed poets Phayvanh Leukhamhan, Mali Phonpadith, Souvankham Thammavongsa, and of course my very good friend Bryan Thao Worra, who is responsible for bringing all this together.

Lao culture traces its artistic and literary roots to the 14th century. Modern Laos, a nation approximately the size of Great Britain, is home to over 60 ethnicities, each with their own linguistic traditions and customs. In the United States there are approximately 200,000 Lao who have resettled here since the wars of the 20th century.

In recent years, the Lao community in America has produced an Oscar-nominated film, several books and explored magazine production, blogging and the literary performing arts, identifying distinctive
challenges and opportunities for the modern artist. A free reading for the public is scheduled on the evening of Saturday, August 14th.

Discounts are available for students, teachers and elders. For more information about this literary event, email info@laowriters.org or visit the summit website at www.laowriters.org.

Laos in the House!

I have two exciting anoucnements. Well actually I have one exciting announcement and the other thing is just something I wanted to share. First is that I would like to congratulate Mr. Byran Thao Worra on receiving the 2009 NEA Fellowship in Poetry, he is the very first Lao American Poet to be awarded such an honor. As you may or may not remember from my past blogs, Bryan is the author of On The Other Side of The Eye and we've fought over who came up with the phrase Laos in the House (we're still disputing that). In honor of his award, he recently changed his Facebook profile picture to this one:


The second thing I wanted to make known was that I recently saw a film documenting the lives of a Laotian American family called "The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)". Aside from the obvious factor I really really enjoyed this film, because it helped answer alot of questions I had about my own growing up that my parents didn't want to speak of. For many people who are unfamiliar with Lao culture and the C.I.A's Secret War that took place in Laos, this film will also help you understand a part of history that is not often talked about. It is also such a great film for people who want to understand refugee culture as well as what assimilation looks like when its coupled with displacement. In addition it was shot by one of Hollywood's well-known cinematographers Ellen Kuras and co-directed by Thavi Pravasith, the film's main subject, and who also was featured in the last Lao Roots magazine with me. Below is a trailer:


To find out more about the film and where else it may be playing go to http://nerakhoon.com/