BRATTLEBORO-Musician, human rights activist, and award-winning speaker Arn Chorn-Pond will share his riveting story as a child prisoner and survivor of Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia. Hear his inspirational account of his escape to the U.S., and subsequent return to rebuild and heal Cambodia by revitalizing its endangered artistic heritage by founding Cambodia Living Arts. "The power of the arts to bring healing and reconciliation in times of conflict is his timeless message," say organizers.
Chorn-Pond will speak at the Latchis Theatre, 50 Main St., on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 4 p.m. Having attended Brown University and graduated from Providence College, he received the Amnesty International Human Rights Award, the Kohl Foundation International Peace Prize, and the Spirit of Anne Frank Outstanding Citizen Award. He has shared his story at schools, universities, conferences, and places of worship.
Born into a family of artists, Chorn-Pond grew up in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime. Sent to a child labor camp and forced to play propaganda music during that period, he escaped to a refugee camp on the Cambodia-Thai border, where he was adopted by the Reverend Peter Pond and moved to northern New Hampshire.
In 1984, Chorn-Pond became the first Cambodian child soldier to speak publicly about the atrocities that occurred during the Cambodian genocide, in a speech delivered to 10,000 people at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York. He then co-founded Children of War, an organization that helps young children experiencing trauma from the byproducts of war: child abuse, poverty, racism, and divorce, among many other psycho-social issues.
His life is the subject of a novel for young adults, Never Fall Down, by Patricia McCormick, which was a New York Times Notable selection in 2012 and a finalist for the National Book Award for Young People's Literarture. Chorn-Pond's talk is sponsored by Creative Connections, a nonprofit that facilitates international virtual exchanges, empowering students to become global citizens through the sharing of arts and ideas.
Admission to Chorn-Pond's talk at the Latchis is by suggested donation of $15; all are welcome regardless of ability to pay. For details, visit latchis.com.
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