Thip Khao Talk

Sabaidee and Hello! Welcome to another episode of LEGACIES. My name is Danae Hendrickson, Chief of Mission Advancement and Communications here at Legacies of War.Today’s conversation sits at the intersection of history, diplomacy, memory, and moral responsibility.As many of our listeners know, food and land are central to who we are. For communities in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam — and in war-impacted countries around the world — land is life. It feeds families. It sustains culture. It carries memory. And sometimes, it carries the remnants of war.A decade ago, in 2016, President Barack Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Laos — a historic moment that acknowledged both the pain of the past and the possibility of partnership. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the U.S.–Laos Comprehensive Partnership — a milestone that invites reflection. How far have we come? What responsibilities remain and opportunities can we build? To explore these questions, we’re honored to welcome Ben Rhodes — Co-host of Pod Save the World, New York Times contributor, Author of All We Say, After the Fall, and the World As It Is, Former Obama speechwriter, Deputy National Security Advisor, and Emeritus Board member of Legacies of War.Ben was there in 2016. He helped shape the diplomacy of that moment. He has spent years thinking and writing about America’s role in the world — about conflict, consequence, and the possibility of a more just foreign policy.Today, we’ll talk about his journey — from his early years to the White House and what it means now, ten years later, to continue the work of healing land held hostage by war.Order All We Say: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/717294/all-we-say-by-ben-rhodes/Visit Legacies of War: https://www.legaciesofwar.org/

Sabaidee and Hello! Welcome to another episode of our podcast, Legacies . I’m Dr. Palina Louangketh, Board member emeritus with Legacies of War and I have the honor today of welcoming to the podcast our friend, Saengthong Douangdara!Saeng is a personal chef who specializes in Lao cuisine turned content creator. After earning his undergraduate degree in social welfare with certificates in Asian American Studies and Southeast Asian Studies, he pursued a Master's degree in counseling psychology. While working as a counselor at the University of California, He also taught as a chef instructor in the evenings at the School of Gourmandise. A month-long trip back to Laos inspired Saeng to start his personal chef business, Saeng's Kitchen LLC, and cook for Hollywood clientele. Saeng’s work has been featured in numerous publications such as Delish, Buzzfeed, the New York Times, and LA Times. He even won an episode of the new TBS cooking competition show, Rat In The Kitchen. Saeng is one of many chefs who are part of the Lao Food Movement, a grassroots effort to center and empower Lao cuisine. His goal is to continue advocating for Lao cuisine and inspire others to explore the delicious flavors of our culture.Thank you, Saeng, for our conversation today. Thank you dear listeners, for tuning into Legacies brought to you by our Innovators Sponsors AKIN GUMP and ARTICLE22. Please continue to listen and follow us on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. The theme music used in this podcast are by the Lao Jazzanova Band from Vientiane, Laos.The Lao Kitchen: https://www.saengskitchen.com/cookbookLegacies of War: https://www.legaciesofwar.org/

Sabaidee and welcome back to another episode of LEGACIES! I am your host, Danae Hendrickson, Chief of Mission Advancement and Communications for Legacies of War. Today, we are joined by our friend Murray Hiebert, Former Country Director for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and now a top Asia expert and skilled researcher with three decades of experience living and working in Asia.In this conversation, we hear Murray's journey from frightfully cold Canada to the humid heat of Vietnam and Laos in the the last years of U.S. wars. Murray's reflection and life as a pacifist show us that when all you can do is witness and take small steps toward reconciliation and healing, you are actually building the foundation of something much greater -- in this case, the beginning of formal humanitarian demining in Laos. LEGACIES is brought to you FREE thanks to the generous support from our sponsors Akin Gump and ARTICLE22. Learn more and join the movement: https://www.legaciesofwar.org/

Xin chào, Sabaidee, and hello everyone! Welcome back to another episode of the Thip Khao Podcast. I’m Jewelry Pouna Keodara, an Advocacy Ambassador from IL, and Peachey Peace Fellow with Legacies of War.Today, I’m truly honored to welcome Terry Vo, Metro Council Member for District 17 in Nashville, Tennessee.Terry is not only an incredible leader but also someone whose story carries so much heart. As the proud daughter of Vietnamese refugees, her journey speaks to resilience, compassion, and the power of community.Terry Vo is the District 17 Metro Council member and Partnerships Director for API Middle TN. The first Vietnamese American elected to Metro Council, Terry champions inclusive, integrity-driven solutions for Nashville. A dedicated advocate for social change, she is the founding Immigrant Caucus Chair and serves on the Friends of Fort Negley Board of Directors and GUIDER Advisory Board for the Nashville Predators. Raised by Vietnamese immigrants in Fort Smith, Arkansas, Terry holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Arkansas and a master’s in governance and public policy from the University of Queensland. In her global career, she has worked across nonprofit, corporate, and government sectors, building bilateral relations between U.S. and Japan and connecting Tennesseans to affordable internet. She is a US Japan Foundation Program Fellow and proud alumna of Leadership Middle Tennessee, Leadership Tennessee, and the US Global Leaders Coalition’s Next Gen Global Leaders Network Class of 2024. She was recently named the Nashville Emerging Leaders Award Government and Public Affairs recipient! In her free time, she enjoys traveling, gardening, and the Beautiful Bookworms Book Club.Thank you all, dear friends, for tuning into Thip Khao Talk brought to you by our Innovators Sponsors Akin Gump and Article 22. Please continue to listen and follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The theme music used in this podcast are by the Lao Jazzanova Band from Vientiane, Laos. Learn more about Legacies of War: https://www.legaciesofwar.org/

Sabaidee, and Hello! Welcome to another episode of Thip Khao Talk Podcast. I’m Murphy Nosanchuk, Founding Member of our Legacies Advocacy Ambassador Program (LAAP) here at Legacies of War and I have the honor today of welcoming to the podcast our friends, Dick and Dabney Schmitt.Together they’ve supported numerous projects in Vietnam in particular and the world in general, through founding The Landon Carter Schmitt Memorial Fund, working with Children of Vietnam, and continuing their tireless work to support those in need. I also want to note that they’ve been close personal friends to my own family, and they have been critical in getting people like myself involved in good works in Southeast Asia. As Friends of Legacies, it was in fact Dick and Dabney who introduced me to the mission and the rest is history!Thank you, Dick and Dabney, for spending time with us today.Thank you all, dear friends, for tuning into Thip Khao Talk brought to you by our Innovators Sponsors Akin Gump and Article 22. Please continue to listen and follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The theme music used in this podcast are by the Lao Jazzanova Band from Vientiane, Laos.

Sabaidee, Konichiwa, and Hello! Welcome to another episode of Thip Khao Talk Podcast. I’m Arianna Sinlapasai-Okamura, an advocacy ambassador for Legacies of War and I have the honor today of welcoming to the podcast our friends, Karin Tanabe and Victoria Kelly, producers and story tellers of their documentary, Atomic Echoes. Today’s episode will be in recognition of the International Day for the total elimination of Nuclear Weapons. To introduce our distinguished guests:Karin Tanabe is the author of seven novels. She is a former Politico reporter and a frequent contributor to The Washington Post Book World. Her writing has also appeared in the Miami Herald, Chicago Tribune, and Newsday. She has been featured as an entertainment, style, and politics expert on Entertainment Tonight, CNN, and the CBS Early Show. Karin is a graduate of Vassar College and lives in Washington, D.C.Victoria Kelly is also an accomplished author of four books of fiction and poetry. Her works have been selected for Best American Poetry series and her writing has appeared in The Chicago Tribune, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Baltimore Sun amongst others. She is a graduate of Harvard University and lives in Maryland.Thank you for tuning into Thip Khao Talk brought to you by our Innovators Sponsors Akin Gump and Article 22. Please continue to listen and follow us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. The theme music used in this podcast are by the Lao Jazzanova Band from Vientiane, Laoshttps://atomicechoesfilm.com/https://www.legaciesofwar.org/

Xin chào and hello! Welcome to Season 3 of Thip Khao Talk Podcast. Legacies of War Lam Vong Circle member and Mine Action Fellow, Anna Phommachanthone, sits down with author, (and former roommate!) Trinity Nguyen.Trinity Nguyen is a Vietnamese American author and graduate of Franklin & Marshall College. She was born in Viet Nam and raised in Little Saigon, California, and learned English by reading too many young adult novels and never turning off closed captioning. Her debut novel, A BANH MI FOR TWO, is a national independent bookstore bestseller, a 2024 Freeman Book Awards honoree, and a 2024 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee. Trinity currently lives in Los Angeles with her cats and the succulents from her mom’s garden.You can find Trinity on social media as @thetrinitytran on Instagram and Twitter, except for TikTok @eggtarts (because she refuses to retire the username), and otherwise trinity-nguyen.com. Theme song by Lao Jazzanova BandLearn more about Legacies of War: www.legaciesofwar.org

Welcome to Thip Khao Talk's Secret Series: Survivors of The American Wars in Southeast Asia, made possible with funding from The Henry Luce Foundation.From the desk of Khamsone Sirimanivong, Legacies of War Board of Directors Vice ChairRead the story here

Sabaidee and hello! Welcome to Season 3 of Thip Khao Talk Podcast. Sophia Tran-Vu, Legacies of War Board Member, sits down with Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai!Born and raised in Việt Nam, Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is an award-winning writer in Vietnamese and English, author of twelve books of fiction, poetry and non-fiction. Her poetry in Vietnamese have been written into popular songs and has received Poetry of the Year 2010 Award from the Hanoi Writers Association, the Capital Award for Arts and Literature, as well as First Prize, the Poetry Competition about 1,000 Years of Hanoi. Her two novels in English, The Mountains Sing and Dust Child, are both international bestsellers and have been honored with Runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, the International Book Awards, the BookBrowse Best Debut Award, and the Lannan Literary Fellowship in Fiction. Her writing has been translated into twenty-seven languages and has appeared in major publications including The New York Times. Quế Mai is the Peace Ambassador for PeaceTree Vietnam, an organization that works to remove unexploded bombs in Việt Nam, as well as an Ambassador for Room to Read, an organisation that aims to erase global illiteracy and promotes girls’ education, She was named by Forbes Vietnam as one of 20 inspiring women of 2021. She has a Ph.D in Creative Writing with the U.K.’s Lancaster University.Theme song by ⁠Lao Jazzanova⁠Learn more about Dr. Nguyễn Phan Quế MaiLearn more about Legacies of War

Welcome to Thip Khao Talk's Secret Series: Survivors of The American Wars in Southeast Asia, made possible with funding from The Henry Luce Foundation. Healing: A Journey to Laos and Self-Acceptance From the desk of Legacies of War Board Member, Anna Douangphachanh Transcript: https://www.legaciesofwar.org/post/healing-a-journey-to-laos-and-self-acceptance Visit our website: https://www.legaciesofwar.org/

Welcome to Thip Khao Talk's Secret Series: Survivors of The American Wars in Southeast Asia, made possible with funding from The Henry Luce Foundation. The Unexpected Legacy of War Coming Full Circle From the desk of Legacies of War Board Member, Sophia Tran-Vu Transcript: https://www.legaciesofwar.org/post/the-unexpected-legacy-of-war-coming-full-circle Visit our website: https://www.legaciesofwar.org/

Sabaidee and hello! Welcome to another episode of Thip Khao Talk Podcast. Heather Atherton, Legacies of War Board Member Emeritus and Legacies Library committee member, sits down with Director McKeague of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) to discuss their mission, current work in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and the shared priority of healing the wounds of war. Mr. Kelly McKeague began service as the Director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) on September 5, 2017. He is responsible for policy, control, and oversight of all aspects of the Department’s program to account for our nation’s missing personnel from past conflicts. He leads DoD’s worldwide enterprise of research, investigation, recovery, and identification operations, and supporting functions, in order to provide the fullest possible accounting of our missing personnel to their families and to the nation. Prior to his appointment, Mr. McKeague owned and operated a consulting business in Alexandria, Virginia, providing strategic and operational consulting to small-capital corporations seeking to expand business lines and services. In December 2015, Mr. McKeague culminated a 34-year career in the U.S. Air Force, retiring at the rank of major general. In his last two assignments, he served as the first Deputy Director of the newly established DPAA, and before that as Commander, Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Theme song by ⁠Lao Jazzanova⁠ Learn more about DPAA Learn more about Legacies of War

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.