Celebrating 10 Years of Legacies of War: July 15th in Washington D.C.

“I hope others in the international community will join us in our efforts to bring this legacy of the Vietnam War era to a safe end and give the people, particularly the children of this nation the opportunity to live their lives safe from these unexploded bombs.” — Hillary Rodham Clinton, Former U.S. Secretary of State

Join Legacies of War as they celebrate their successful effort over the past 10 years in advancing the clearance of unexploded bombs from Laos — thereby bringing hope and sustained attention to a once seemingly unsolvable humanitarian problem.

They'll be gathering on Tuesday, July 15th from 6:00pm - 9:00pm at the District Architecture Center 421 7th Street, NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20004. You can get tickets via Eventbrite : http://bit.ly/1lDC0gv

The event’s theme, “Inspiring Hope & Saving Lives in Laos,” will highlight Legacies of War’s history and accomplishments, recognize key congressional champions, heroes, donors and introduce and raise funds for their 20|20 Vision campaign; the next phase of Legacies' work.

The evening's backdrop will feature a *Mekong Night Market* — a celebratory and festive atmosphere of SE Asian food, cocktails, music and handicrafts. Over 200 guests are expected at this year’s event. Past attendees have included an international audience, young professionals, and such dignitaries as former U.S. Ambassadors to Laos, Senator Al Franken, Congressmen Honda, Faleomavaega, McCollum and representatives from Senator Leahy and Cardin's office, and the U.S. State Department.

 For Inquiries relating to Event Details, Tickets and/or Sponsorship: 10@legaciesofwar.org

Legacies of War is the leading U.S.-based educational and advocacy organization working to address the impact of conflict in Laos during the Vietnam War-era. They raise awareness about the history of the Vietnam War-era bombing of Laos, provide space for healing the wounds of war, and create greater hope for a future of peace.

From Washington, DC, they engage and establish relationships with governments, the civil society and individuals to raise awareness and increase financial support for clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Laos. They work directly with key decision-makers in the U.S. government — including Congress and the Administration — and with the private sector and media outlets to provide these influential groups with compelling information and analysis. They serve as a convener and organizer of partner organizations and individuals seeking to resolve the UXO problem in Laos.

Their work has led directly to the quadrupling of U.S. funding for UXO activities in Laos, from $3M in 2008 to $12M in 2014. In bringing greater attention and increasing resources, they have helped to make a real impact on the ground in Laos: more land being cleared, lives being saved and additional care and services available for the approximately 12,000 UXO victims living in Laos.

From 1964 to 1973, as part of its anti-communist strategy, the U.S. dropped more than two million tons of ordnance on Laos 580,000 bombing missions — equal to a planeload of bombs every 8 minutes, 24-hours a day, for 9 years — resulting in Laos as the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. Nearly 80 million of the cluster bombs dropped never exploded, littering the land and injuring and killing over 20,000 innocent victims since the last bombs were dropped and this threat continues today.