Anatomy of a Water Filter

Manufactured in Champasak province, Laos, these gravity-fed water purification filters are effective, easy to use, portable, lightweight, inexpensive, long lasting, chemical free and durable solutions to providing clean drinking water, which we in the West take for granted.

The illustration above reveals the ceramic filter suspended within its plastic housing. The filter's extremely small pores are highly effective at removing bacteria, protozoa, helminths, turbidity and other suspended solids. When properly used, up to 99.99% of bacteria is reduced.

Swords into Ploughshares

"Max Cho's film, Swords into Ploughshares, is a haunting look at one of the United States' darkest historical moments, the Secret War on Laos. A powerful graphic style brings home the shocking details of a countryside covered with unexploded bombs. Cho puts a human face on this ongoing tragedy as he celebrates the initiative of the Laotian people, while also asking viewers to consider their role in eradicating bombs." - Overview courtesy of YouTube.

Learn more about the bombing legacy at SAY NO TO UXO.

Documentary: UXO Survivors in Laos

Documentary: UXO Survivors in Laos

Through its Victims' Assistance Support Team and War Victims Medical Fund, World Education in Laos provides integrated medical, livelihoods and psycho-social support to Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) accident survivors and their families. This video documents a new peer to peer support program for UXO survivors started by World Education to provide an opportunity for mutual support and shared understanding. While facing significant physical disabilities as a result of their accidents, UXO survivors Teuy and Phongsavat are able to identify practical solutions to successfully go about their daily lives.

Posted by World Education on Wednesday, July 1, 2015

In honour of National Geographic's August 2015 issue featuring "Life After the Bombs", I took this self-portrait while wearing my T-shirt from Legacies of War, an humanitarian organization dedicated to educating American citizens and the world at large about the bombing legacy in Laos.

Steve Rutledge and Mike Yap Present...

Located in downtown Port Hope, Ontario, scores of people converged on the historic Capitol Theatre on the evening of Saturday, September 28, 2013 to attend the annual Adopt a Village in Laos fundraiser. In addition to a fabulous night of entertainment, Steve Rutledge and Mike Yap, the founders of Adopt a Village in Laos, graced the stage where they presented a simply beautiful production rich in visuals and music showcasing the work of the charity.

Helping People Move On...

When I visited Vientiane, the capitol of Laos, in December 2012, I took the opportunity to drop by the COPE Visitor Centre. It was there that I picked up a copy of one of this organization's brochures which goes into detail about its wonderful orthotic and prosthetic rehabilitation programs.

Finally, I got around to digitizing this brochure so that I might be able to share it with a wider audience. By clicking on COPELAOS brochure, you can download a copy of it for yourself.

Laos Free

In the July newsletter of Legacies of War, there was an embedded link to a recently released animated short produced by Cory Sheldon. Just over 9 minutes in length, the story of the bombing of Laos by the United States during the Vietnam war and the consequences of the 80 million bombs still remaining in the country today is presented. Part narrative and part info-graphic, the film tells the story of what happened, what life is like today and possibilities for the future.