Reconciliation — the process of restoring friendship, harmony and trust after a traumatic experience — is a long-term challenge facing Vietnamese communities both in Vietnam and overseas. This process encompasses truth-telling, sharing of historical facts and narratives, and ultimately creating a path toward healing and a shared future.

On October 3, USIP and the Vietnam Society hosted a profound exploration of healing and harmony as part of an open dialogue on Vietnamese and Vietnamese American accomplishments and the road ahead for lasting reconciliation and peace. The conversation explored the profound impact of art and culture on healing and unity and offer young Vietnamese Americans a chance to contribute to a brighter and more united future.

Panelists

Erin Steinhauer, welcoming remarks
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Vietnam Society

Le Ly Hayslip
Author, “When Heaven and Earth Changed Places”

Kenneth Nguyen
Podcast Host, “The Vietnamese”

Long Tran
Assistant Professor and Washington Faculty Fellow, Ohio State University

Andrew Wells-Dang, moderator
Senior Expert, Southeast Asia, U.S. Institute of Peace

Ambassador Ted Osius, closing remarks
President and CEO, US-ASEAN Business Council

Related Publications

Pathways to Reconciliation: How Americans and Vietnamese Have Transformed Their Relationship

Pathways to Reconciliation: How Americans and Vietnamese Have Transformed Their Relationship

Tuesday, October 8, 2024

The road to reconciliation between the United States and Vietnam has not been a straight or easy one. In the years following the Vietnam War, citizen diplomats—veterans, families of the missing, humanitarians, Vietnamese Americans, and others—led the way, reaching across geopolitical and ideological lines. Governments eventually followed, and the two countries normalized diplomatic relations in 1995. This report draws on the theory and practice of reconciliation to identify lessons for strengthening the US-Vietnam partnership and advancing reconciliation between other postconflict countries.

Type: Peaceworks

Reconciliation

How U.S. Veterans Helped Unlock the Search for Vietnam’s Wartime Missing

How U.S. Veterans Helped Unlock the Search for Vietnam’s Wartime Missing

Tuesday, October 1, 2024

When Nguyễn Xuân Thắng was young, he developed a passion for researching various documents, military studies, maps and weapons related to the Vietnam War. Eventually, he realized he could use these records to search for the remains of his maternal uncle, one of the many fallen North Vietnamese soldiers — or “martyrs,” as they are referred to in Vietnam — that were buried in unknown locations.

Type: Blog

Reconciliation

In Vietnam, Excavating the Past Can Help Heal the Losses of War

In Vietnam, Excavating the Past Can Help Heal the Losses of War

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Since 2021, USIP’s Vietnam War Legacies and Reconciliation Initiative has contributed to stronger U.S.-Vietnam relations through research, communications and exchange about ongoing legacies of war in Indochina. One of our priorities is the location and identification of missing persons from all sides of the war — work that is being led by American and Vietnamese citizens together with both countries’ governments. An estimated 300,000 Vietnamese families are still waiting for information about the location of their loved ones lost in the war.

Type: Question and Answer

Reconciliation

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