political science

Purpose:  learn about the experience of surviving war, genocide, living as a refugee and achieving life goals.  You can find out more information below regarding the meeting time, background information, and how to join the meeting.

**We are working on getting a recording for those who cannot attend at this time.  I will update this once we know if that is possible.

Tasks:

1. Read at least one of the background documents below before the meeting starts
2. Outline the events of the Cambodian Genocide – use the event map framework to create the outline
3. Attend the lecture/discussion on Friday, May 22nd from 1-2 PM
4. Take notes during the lecture on the events of the conflict
5. Submit a document with the event map and a reflection on the lecture
   • Some possible considerations to respond to as part of the reflection:
     • What did you learn about the genocide from the speaker?
     • What surprised you about the speaker’s story?
     • What motivated the speaker to continue working to become a writer?
     • What impact did the speaker’s story have on you – what will you take away from this talk?

Recorded Video:

Loung Ung – RESILIENCE: How We Can Bounce Back Faster and Climb Higher Together (Links to an external site.)

LOUNG UNG is a Public Speaker, bestselling author, activist, and co-screenplay writer of a 2017 Netflix Original Movie directed by Angelina Jolie based on her memoir, First They Killed My Father, now streaming on Netflix in over 100 countries. 

Loung Ung was only 5 years old when the Khmer Rouge soldiers stormed into her native city of Phnom Penh. Four years later, in one of the bloodiest episodes of the 20th century, some two million Cambodians – out of a population of seven million – had died at the hands of the infamous Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime. Among the victims were both of Loung’s parents, two sisters, and 20 other relatives. In 1980, Loung, her older brother Meng and his wife, escaped by boat to Thailand, where they spent five months in a refugee camp before relocating to the United States in Vermont. 

RESILIENCE; HOW WE CAN BOUNCE BACK FASTER AND CLIMB HIGHER TOGETHER

We know that in life, we all sometimes fall. Loung Ung confesses to having fallen many times (she tried out for her middle school cheerleading team and was not picked, all of her top college choices rejected her, and when her agent submitted her first book, First They Killed My Father, to twenty-five publishing houses, twenty-four sent back their regrets) and each time, she gets back up and never gives up.

Using her personal narrative of life as a war child, a refugee, an activist and writer, Loung explores this theme and how it led to her understanding that being ‘resilient’ isn’t something one accomplishes alone. That in fact, each time we fall, there are usually caring individuals — past, present, and future—there to help us rise, bounce back faster, and climb higher in our work, life, and love.

We also suggest watching the movie: “First They Killed My Father” – available on Netflix.

Bellow are a few links to better understand Loung’s history:

First They Killed My Father–Netflix official trailer:  to an external site.)

Loung Ung Cleveland Arts Prize video. Loung talks about obstacles she had to overcome to become a writer.  to an external site.)

Angelina Jolie talks about directing First They Killed My Father:  to an external site.)

More videos available on my youtube channel 🙂  to an external site.)

This video would be good for giving context of who Loung is:

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