Vietnam is full of vibrant energetic people pulling themselves out of poverty caused in large part by a century of colonization by the French; decades of war with the French, Japanese, French again, Americans, Cambodians and Chinese; and 2 decades of economic isolation by America & its allies. They are happy, pragmatic people with a strong sense of history and a rich literary tradition, who are simultaneously looking toward the future.
Alan has just returned from 5 weeks in Viet Nam where he was part of the Veterans For Peace delegation to the 50th anniversary commemoration of the My Lai Massacre on March 16. He will report on that commemoration and also provide an update on the two main legacy issues remaining from the war: unexploded ordnance and agent orange dioxin contamination. These are heavy issues, but the overall attitude to them in Viet Nam is one of optimism and moving beyond them to a peaceful and
productive future.
Alan probably won’t be able to stop himself from also commenting on other aspects of his trip unrelated to wars and violence.
For more information call Veteran For Peace Alan Batten: 488-3205
Alaska Peace Center 