Bridging Generations: A Call to Action (End)

Event: Shared Suffering, Shared Resilience
Location: Double Tree Hotel in Lowell, MA
Hosted by: Leakhena Nou and ASRIC
When: 12/13/08

"In 1975-79, the Khmer Rouge systematically killed an estimated 2 out of 7 million Cambodians through torture, starvation or execution. More than 30 years later, the suffering continues as two generations of Cambodians struggle to overcome a horrific past and reclaim their personal, national and spiritual identity as an empowered or resilient people. The day's events consisted of:

-Testimonials by first and second generation community survivors
-Presentations by scholars and experts on Cambodian history and the Hybrid Khmer Rouge Tribunal (formerly known as the ECCC)
-Film screenings on the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, including its process of indictment of the perpetrators of the Khmer Rouge Genocide

This is a clip of me in my very brief speech.

My speech was supposed to be about bridging the gap between the old and the new generation of Cambodians but looking around, I noticed that there were barely five Cambodians from my generation (second generation) in the crowd, so I had to quickly change my speech. Please listen to what I had to say. (P.S. I apologize for my speech! I was very nervous!)

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Khmer
• Cambodian
• Genocide
• ASRIC
• Lowell
• MA
• Massachusetts
• Speech
• Generation
• Suffering
• Resilience
• Rouge
• Tribunal
• ECCC
• Wellesley
• College Student

[watergrass5150]

you make a good point but i think too much anger are in it. Not every kids are like what you think.

[vorhong]

I think it is great that people are actually trying to bridge the gap between the two generations! As a cambodian american growing up in the states my parents tried really hard for us to learn our culture and keep our language. I married an american, but I am teaching him to speak cambodian and well he already eats the food and is learning the culture out of respect for me. Keep up the good work!

[apainstitute]

Hi Dahnie, this is Steph from A/P/A. Beautiful speech. Just thought I'd send you a link from what we shot at the event. Take care!

[msim4491]

PaOan Srey, you have done a great job there! You even got the audiences involved. How good you were which made the whole speech more interesting. You go Paoan srey! Thanks for representing Khmer new generation and for sharing.

[uysocheath]

good job! even I don't get all the points from a presentation but, still I love to see our people gather around and talk about future or the past, no mater what I'm sure we will always love and care for each other! thank you for sharing!

[KhmerSerey1]

You gave eloquent speeches darling,you are a master at public speaking,you don't look a bit shy to me,not at all.Thank for being the voice of Cambodia,practice make perfect,the more you speak,the more compfortable you'll become,eye contact with your audience is a good thing,let them get involve,let them ask questions,crowd interaction is key.You'll feel compfy and they well informed,you are the master orator,take the lead,Hitler got nothing on you,when it come to speech,go get 'em tiger ;)