The Vietnam War gave rise to many t

The Vietnam War gave rise to many tragedies,
some more familiar than others. A photograph of a
young girl running naked down a road, her skin on
fire with napalm, changed the way the world
looked at the Vietnam War, and indeed at all wars.
That photograph was seen around the world, and
later won a Pulitzer Prize. The girl in that
photograph is Kim Phuc.
Phan Thi Kim Phuc was born and raised in the
village of Trang Bang, 30 minutes north of
Saigon. During the Vietnam War, the strategic
Route 1 that runs through the village became the
main supply road between Saigon and Phnom Penh.
On June 8, 1972, an American military advisor
coordinated the napalm bombing of Kim's village by
the South Vietnamese. Nine-year-old Kim fled
from a pagoda, where she and her family had been
hiding. Two of her infant cousins did not survive
the attack, and Kim was badly burned.
Kim was photographed running down the road,
screaming from the burns to her skin. Nick Ut, the
Associated Press photographer who was there to
cover the siege, took the photograph of young
Kim. Moved by her pain, he rushed her to a South
Vietnamese hospital. She then spent 14 months
recovering in Barsky Hospital, the American
hospital in Saigon, where her care was paid for by
a private Foundation. Ut's photograph of Kim
remains one of the most unforgettable images of
the Vietnam War.
Kim Phuc was not expected to live. Third degree
burns covered half of her body, and she would
require many operations and years of therapy.
After two years, against all odds and with the
help of doctors who were committed to her care,
she was able to return to her village, where she
and her family began to rebuild their lives.
In 1982, 10 years after the famous photograph
was taken, a German photographer located Kim.
In the interim, the Vietnamese Government had
subjected her to endless interviews, communist
officials had summoned her to Ho Chi Minh City to
be used in propaganda films, and Kim had been
forced to leave school and move back to her
province where, as a "national symbol of war", she
was supervised daily.
In 1986, Kim seized the opportunity to study in
Cuba, but once again her studies were cut short.
She was beset with physical problems, including
diabetes, which blurred her vision. While in Cuba,
she met a fellow Vietnamese student, Bui Huy
Toan. They married in 1992, and spent their
honeymoon in Moscow. Returning to Cuba, the
couple defected when their plane stopped to
refuel in Gander, Newfoundland. They settled in
Canada with the help of some Quakers. Her
husband, a computer specialist, was able to find
employment as a nurse's aid working with the
disabled.
In 1996, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
invited Kim to attend the Veterans Day
ceremonies at the Vietnam Memorial in
Washington, D.C. Kim spoke to a group of several
thousand Vietnam War veterans about her
experiences after the napalm attack on her
village. She used that opportunity to share with
the verterans about how she finally found
happiness and freedom after years of pain and
suffering; she spoke about pain and suffering.
She even met a pilot who coordinated the air
strike on her village - she forgave him!
During her visit to Washington, DC, she met Ron
Gibbs, a Vietnam veteran and a member of the
Board of Directors for the Memorial Fund. They
shared their experiences from the war and their
hopes for the future. The idea for the Kim
Foundation International was born out of that
meeting.
The Foundation is a way for Kim to give something
back in return for all the help she received. It
also provides a means for her to promote peace
and forgiveness.
Now Mrs. Kim Phuc lives in the Toronto area of
Canada with her husband and two sons, Thomas
and Stephen. In 1997 UNESCO named her a
Goodwill Ambassador for Peace. She is also an
Honorary Member of Kingston Rotary, an Honorary
Member of St. Albert Rotary, a member of the
Advisory Board for the Wheelchair Foundation, an
Honorary Member of the Canadian Commission for
UNESCO, a Member of the Advisory Board of Free
Children's Foundation in Canada, and the World
Children's Center in Atlanta Ga., USA. Kim is also
a recipient of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal
and the 2004 "Order of Ontario".
History | Ambassador | Testimonials
As a UNESCO (United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization) Goodwill
Ambassador for the Culture of Peace, Kim will
spread the message of the need for
reconciliation, mutual understanding, dialogue,
and negotiation to replace confrontation and
violence as a means of settling conflicts. The
culture of peace, as envisioned by UNESCO, seeks
to eliminate the root causes of violence by
promoting a set of attitudes, values and
behaviours that reflect and inspire social
interaction and sharing based on principles of
freedom, justice, democracy, human rights,
tolerance and solidarity.
"Kim Phuc is a living symbol throughout the world
of the atrocity of war. These horrors must be
transformed into a symbol of reconciliation world-
wide. We are here in the hope that humanity will
choose the path of peace and that peace will
prevail in our minds."
Federic Mayor, UNESCO Nomination Ceremony
Paris, France, November 10, 1997
History | Ambassador | Testimonials
What follows are only few of the hundreds of
testimonials written or expressed by the many
who have attended Kim's presentations, read her
book, seen her on television, read her articles, or
heard her on radio. Throughout the world, Kim has
touched the hearts of thousands with her
inspirational message.
"Kim Phuc was recently a featured speaker at
Mackenzie University, our travelling institution of
continuing education. And to put it mildly, she was
a big hit across Canada.
The feedback we received from audience members
in all parts of the country closely paralleled my
own experience: Kim makes you think about your
country and your life -and appreciate both much
more.
Given the subject matter, you might think her
presentation would be a 'downer'. But, while her
life story is an emotional one that tugs at the
heartstrings, the impact is intensely and
powerfully uplifting.
Kim Phuc isn't a traditional 'motivational speaker';
but her presence and her message are highly
motivating - in all the right ways. I couldn't
recommend her more highly."
Phil Cunningham
President
Mackenzie Financial Services
Canada
"The lights go down, the speaker is introduced,
the audience goes quiet and a beautiful young
lady walks out on the stage. For the next few
minutes, this lady keeps the audience so
mesmerized with her story that you cannot even
hear anyone breathe.
Those of you who have not met Kim Phuc
personally cannot possibly know the impact that
she has on everyone who meets her. For most of
us, the naked little girl running down the street
crying is an image of war that will live forever in
our memory. However, the horror of war turns to
a warm feeling when you listen to Kim speak about
her life and how she has overcome the adversities
inflicted by napalm on that day so long ago.
The work that Kim does to help other children of
war situations is known throughout the world. She
has travelled thousands of miles to spread her
message, and she has a true commitment to her
cause. As an ambassador for her cause, she brings
peace and happiness to those she meets and an
understanding of forgiveness to all of us. As she
says in her speech, she is no longer running, she
is flying!
Your spirit will soar also as you hear Kim's moving
message of her life and how she has overcome
many adversities to be one of the most recognized
and respected young women in the world today."
Beryl "Buffy" Sutherland
Rotary International Past District Governor
District 7790
United States of America
"I was amazed at Kim's attitude. I'm sure that I
have never met anyone who has gone through such
trauma, at such an early age, and come out so
totally positive and forgiving. Her presentation
reassured me about the strength that we all
possess. When we mix this element with the power
of love and forgiveness, miracles can happen."
Richard Orviss
SB & C Financial Growth Associates
Toronto, Canada
"Kim's presentation at the Royal Canadian
Military Institute was very well received. She told
her story of 'The Girl in the Picture' in a quiet,
dignified and very vivid manner. It touched all in
attendance about the horror and waste of those
terrible times in her country. Considerable
emotion was visible in that audience, many of
whom are veterans. I thanked Kim for her
message and her time with us. As a veteran of
WW2 and the Normandy invasion I commented that
Kim went through much more than many of us at
that time."
Andrew Irwin
National Board Naval Officers Association of
Canada and Past President - Toronto Branch
"When I heard that Kim was coming I saved up my
money for a ticket, I got up early and drove in
miles to see and hear her speak. Listening to her
message was something I will never forget. She is
an inspiration for all of us who heard her speak to
that large and attentive crowd."
Comment from a ticket holder at a sold out
presentation at Unique Lives and Experiences in
Denver USA
"I was really pleased to meet Kim and hear her
moving message. I remember that historic
photograph. Her presence and comments were one
of the most memorable things that I took away
from our International Conference."
Convention delegate from Uganda
"You came to Dartmouth and Halifax to tell people
your life story. Everyone in that packed stadium
was touched by your presence. I had seen your
famous picture in various places over the years
but had not taken much real notice. Recently I
realized that one of the strongest thoughts I had
whenever I saw it was: 'who will take care of that
little girl?' It created a feeling of helplessness
and powerlessness. Your painful journey through
life and to Canada coupled with your Christian
message of forgiveness was an inspiration to all
who heard and met you that memorable evening."
Ed Smallhorn Nova Scotia - Canada
"As