LEGACIES

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Oct 2026

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Welcome to LEGACIES from Legacies of War! Join us as we open up about the long-lasting impacts of U.S. wars in Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Theme music by Lao Jazzanova Band Performance of ຈຳປາເມືອງລາວ ( Champa Meuanglao ) Festival of Jazz, Laos www.legaciesofwar.org

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October 6, 2026Episode 171 hr 21 min

A Legacy of Friendship with Jane Barton Griffith

War has a long reckoning. Its stories and its silences can echo across generations, shaping how people remember, how nations relate to one another, and how communities carry grief that was never fully spoken. That is what makes the enduring friendship between an American and a Vietnamese woman so powerful. Forged during a time of war and sustained long after it, their relationship reminds us that human connection can cross the borders that history creates between us. Stories like theirs challenge us to look beyond the narratives of conflict and ask: What happens when we choose connection over division? What becomes possible when we listen to one another’s stories? For Legacies of War, these questions are at the heart of our work. Healing does not mean forgetting the past. It means finding ways to understand it and imagine something different for the generations that follow. We are honored to have Jane Barton Griffith on our LEGACIES podcast. Jane is the author of "Two Women, One War," a memoir telling the story of her friendship with a Vietnamese woman named Mai that started during the U.S. War in Vietnam and has lasted over 50 years. She served as the co-director of the American Friends Service Committee's humanitarian projects in Vietnam during the war, working closely with refugees and amputees affected by the fighting. She has continued her activism in the decades since, leading capital campaigns for international nonprofits. We would also like to extend a huge thank you to our Rockstar Advocacy Ambassador, Hannah Hayes, for hosting this conversation. Check out Jane's book and her work here: https://janebartongriffith.org/ This episode is brought to you by our Innovators Sponsors Akin Gump, The HALO Trust, and ARTICLE22. 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.

August 26, 2026Episode 1632 min

A Legacy of Care in a Minefield with Erin Sackett

Sabaidee and Hello! Welcome to another episode of LEGACIES. I’m Murphy Nosanchuk, an advocacy ambassador for Legacies of War. If you know even a little about landmines, chances are you also know about our famous furry friends, rats and dogs! With an overwhelming amount of unexploded bombs and landmines still in the soil in countries like Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, organizations like APOPO train scent detection animals that can help to speed up landmine and tuberculosis detection. They also demonstrate potential to help fight other global issues. I have the honor today of welcoming to the podcast our friend Erin Sackett, US Partnerships and Exhibits Officer at APOPO. Erin was previously based in Siem Reap, Cambodia and worked as an Animal Health and Welfare Officer on the ground training APOPO’s famous HeroRats and HeroDogs. She has worked tirelessly in maintaining APOPO’s dedication to both animal welfare and demining efforts across the globe.

August 1, 2026Episode 151 hr 14 min

A Legacy of Exposing the Trends of War with Dr. Roberto Gonzalez

Welcome to the Legacies Podcast. I’m Kendall Silwonuk, a Founding Member of our Advocacy Ambassador program with Legacies of War and I’m also a Mine Action Fellow with Mines Action Canada, I’m thrilled to welcome Dr. Roberto Gonzalez . Dr. Gonzalez is a Professor of Anthropology at San José State University. He has authored several books including “ War Virtually, The Quest to Automate Conflict, Militarize Data, and Predict the Future ” . In addition to his research on Silicon Valley’s influence in militarization, Dr. Gonzalez’s fieldwork in cultural anthropology regularly takes him to Oaxaca, Mexico, and his research connects globalization, social and cultural agency, environmental anthropology, and ethics. Thank you, dear friends, for tuning into our Legacies podcast. This episode is brought to you by our Innovators Sponsors Akin Gump and ARTICLE22. 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.

July 24, 2026Episode 1458 min

A Legacy of Honoring the Process with Chelsea Ritter-Soronen and Kofi Bazzell-Smith

Sabaidee and hello! Welcome back to another episode of Legacies. My name is Niki Capaldo, I am an Advocacy Ambassador with Legacies of War. In this episode, we get to learn about Activism through Art —how creative expression can preserve memory, challenge silence, and inspire social change. Today, I’m excited to be joined by two incredible artists and educators whose work engages deeply with storytelling, public space, and global exchange. Chelsea Ritter-Soronen is a multi-disciplinary visual artist, public art consultant, and founder of Chalk Riot,and Ground Shift studio, whose work brings art directly into shared spaces as a tool for connection and change. She has also recently been inducted into DC's 40 under 40 awards. Congratulations Chelsea! Kofi Bazzell-Smith is an artist and educator—and the first professor of manga practice in the United States—whose work spans speculative storytelling, immersive exhibitions, and cross-cultural education. Together, we’ll talk about how art can serve as a witness, how creative work responds to conflict, and what responsibility artists carry when engaging with history and lived experience. https://www.iamchelsea.com/ https://www.kofimanga.com/

July 11, 2026Episode 1357 min

S4 E13 A Legacy of Finding the Humanity with Luca Steinmann

Hello! Welcome to another episode of LEGACIES. My name is Justina Poskeviciute , Advocacy Ambassador at Legacies of War. Today we have the sincere pleasure of welcoming our friend, Luca Steinmann . Luca Steinmann is an Italian-Swiss journalist, war reporter, geopolitical analyst, and author. Luca has reported extensively from crises, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan, Lebanon, Nagorno-Karabakh, and other conflict regions, where he has been speaking directly with civilians, fighters, and local actors. He writes in both German and Italian and has contributed to major international news outlets and publications, and gained particular attention during the Russia-Ukraine war beginning in early 2022. On February 18, 2022, he entered the Donbass region just before borders were closed and remained among the few Western journalists able to report from within areas controlled by Russian and pro-Russian forces for months. His first-hand accounts explored life on the ground amid military operations and civilian suffering, providing insights that went beyond typical Western media narratives. https://www.legaciesofwar.org/

June 18, 2026Episode 121 hr 15 min

S4 E12 A Legacy of Challenging Endless War with Bill Hartung and Ben Freeman

Hello & welcome back to Legacies’ Podcast! My name is Hannah Hayes, and I’m a proud Advocacy Ambassador with Legacies of War. Today's conversation is about the part of war most people don't see. At Legacies, we focus on what war leaves behind – in Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and across the globe. Today we're zooming out to ask: what's going on in Washington that keeps the U.S. pouring money into the next war and calling it 'security,' when in reality it's creating instability overseas and ignoring what people need here at home? We’re honored to welcome William D. Hartung and Ben Freeman, co-authors of The Trillion Dollar War Machine: How Runaway Military Spending Drives America into Foreign Wars and Bankrupts Us at Home. Bill Hartung is a Senior Research Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. He's one of the most cited researchers in the country on the arms industry and Pentagon spending – really, on how military strategy and corporate money get tangled up together. If you've ever wondered why the U.S. can keep buying weapons systems that don't work as advertised, or how 'national security' becomes a blank check, Bill has spent his career mapping that o ut for us. Ben Freeman leads the Democratizing Foreign Policy program at Quincy. He's interested in who's actually in the room when the U.S. decides to go to war or sell weapons: who has influence, who benefits, and why the rest of us don't really get a say. His work is about opening all of that up so regular people can actually follow what's going on. And their book, The Trillion Dollar War Machine , grows directly from that work. It’s not just a critique of these massive Pentagon budgets, it’s an explanation of a whole toxic system: how runaway military spending doesn’t simply respond to wars, but actually helps produce them. Thank you for tuning into LEGACIES podcast brought to you by our Innovators Sponsors Akin Gump and ARTICLE22. 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

June 12, 2026Episode 1132 min

S4 E11 A Legacy of Inclusion with Hannah Reddick Guedenet

Welcome to Legacies Podcast. I’m Jonathan Lam, an Advocacy Ambassador with Legacies of War, and I have the honor today of welcoming to the podcast our friend, Hannah Guedenet, U.S Executive Director of Humanity & Inclusion. Hannah Guedenet is the U.S. Executive Director of Humanity & Inclusion (or HI), an international organization working to support people with disabilities and vulnerable populations in situations of conflict, disaster, and poverty. She brings over 15 years of experience in strategic communications and program management across global health, nutrition, and food security initiatives. Prior to joining Humanity & Inclusion, Hannah worked on major global development initiatives including USAID’s Feed the Future and ELEVATE Nutrition programs and collaborated with partners such as the Gates Foundation. She holds a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor’s degree in International Studies from Hope College. Thank you, dear friends, for tuning into our Legacies podcast. This episode is brought to you by our Innovators Sponsors Akin Gump and ARTICLE22. 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.

June 3, 2026Episode 101 hr 4 min

S4 E10 A Legacy of Culinary Diplomacy with Lauren Bernstein

Sabaidee and hello! Welcome back to another episode of LEGACIES .I’m Aven, a chef, storyteller, and Advocacy Ambassador with Legacies of War – and I’m honored to be your host today. In this episode, we get to explore one of my favorite topics: the power of food to build connection, community, and even peace. I have the pleasure of speaking with Lauren Bernstein, Founder and CEO of The Culinary Diplomacy Project and one of the leading voices in using food as a tool for cross-cultural understanding. Today, Lauren and I will explore what culinary diplomacy looks like in practice—and how food can soften political divides, help us tell the truth, heal histories, and build relationships across borders. Lauren is a leading expert in culinary diplomacy, a field that uses food as a tool to build trust, foster cross-cultural understanding, and advance cooperation in times of peace and conflict. She is the founder of The Culinary Diplomacy Project, where she has led global culinary exchange programs bringing together chefs, governments, refugees, and local communities. Through her work, Lauren has partnered with the U.S. State Department, U.S. governors, the Jordanian government, UNHCR, and global hospitality and cultural institutions—creating programs where chefs cook alongside local communities and displaced people, using culturally rooted food to build connection and dignity. Trained as a lawyer and former public defender, Lauren brings a justice-oriented lens to diplomacy and food. Today, she continues to explore how food can serve not only as soft power abroad, but as a tool for healing, truth-telling, and policy change at home. 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. https://www.culinarydiplomacyproject.org/

May 16, 2026Episode 953 min

S4 E9 A Legacy of Partnership with Ben Rhodes

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/

May 10, 2026Episode 852 min

S4 E8 A Legacy of Discovery with Amber D. Inthavong

Sabaidee and hello! Welcome to another episode of Legacies. I’m Anna Douangphachanh, Legacies of War board member emeritus, and I have the honor today of welcoming to the podcast our friend, Amber Inthavong. Amber is a writer whose work spans themes of identity, culture, and personal discovery. Drawing from her own experiences as a first-generation Lao-American, she explores the complexities of balancing multiple worlds and finding a place to belong. Her storytelling is driven by a deep sense of empathy, resilience, and the power of human connection. In her book, What We Brought Across the River: Memoir of a Lao-American, Amber reflects on the journey of growing up as a Lao-American girl in the United States, the daughter of parents who fled the US Secret War to build a new life. With a deep sense of personal discovery, she explores the complexities of being a first-generation Asian-American, delving into the challenges of balancing two cultures while seeking a place to belong. Order Amber's Book Visit Legacies of War