Davis Projects for Peace is an initiative inspired by the late Kathryn W. Davis, an accomplished internationalist and philanthropist. Upon the occasion of her 100th birthday in February of 2007, Mrs. Davis chose to celebrate by committing $1 million for one hundred Projects for Peace. The projects judged to be the most promising and feasible will be funded at $10,000 each. The objective is to encourage and support today's motivated youth to create and try out their own ideas for building peace.
"I want to use my 100th birthday to help young people launch some immediate initiatives—things that they can do during the summer of 2007—that will bring new thinking to the prospects of peace in the world." - Kathryn W. Davis (February 2007) |
Le Nguyen is a senior majoring in Business Administration (concentration: Marketing) with two minors in International Economics and Web Development. She is pursuing an education at Hood College, one of the American colleges and universities in the Davis United World College Scholars Program. Le has held several leadership positions on campus and she is a recipient of the 2016 Community Impact Award given by the Hood College Diversity and Inclusion Office for her outstanding civic engagement accomplishments. Additionally, Le is the 2016 recipient of the Bromer Peace Award for developing and implementing tools for nonviolent conflict resolution, reconciliation and a solutions-based approach to peace maintenance on the Hood campus and the community in general.
Le was born and raised in Hanoi, Vietnam - a developing country in South East Asia. Inspired by the suffering of her people, Le made it her goal to come back to Vietnam and give back to the community that made her the person she is today. Davis Projects for Peace program was the perfect opportunity and after trials and tribulations, Le won the grant at Hood College and took a big step closer toward her goal. Read more about Le Nguyen here >> |
Agent OrangeAgent Orange is one of the herbicides and defoliants that were used by the United States during the Vietnam War, between 1962 and 1971. The US military sprayed nearly 20 million gallons of Agent Orange and other herbicides and defoliants in Vietnam and its neighboring countries. Agent Orange was contaminated with dioxin, a highly toxic and persistent organic pollutant. According to the US Institute of Medicine, dioxin (2, 3, 7, 8 tetra chlorop dibenzo dioxin, or TCDD) has been linked to cancers, diabetes, and heart disease among people who have been directly and indirectly exposed, and among their offspring. The International Agency for Research on Cancer and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences classify it as a known human carcinogen. Agent Orange remains extremely toxic over many decades while degrading slowly.
More than 20,000,000 gallons of Agent Orange and other herbicides and defoliants were sprayed in Vietnam and its neighboring countries. The Vietnamese Red Cross estimates that up to 3,000,000 Vietnamese have been suffering from adverse health effects, congenital and developmental defects. Read more about the project background here >> |
Thanh Xuan Peace VillageIn Vietnam, there are eleven Peace Villages established by the Vietnamese government to assist children who have been affected by Agent Orange. Each village gives medical and psychological help to about 100 victims.
Foundation of Hope takes place in Thanh Xuan Peace Village in Hanoi, Vietnam. The village was built in 1991 to relieve the pain and sorrow of Agent Orange victims. Thanh Xuan Peace Village currently offers assistance to over 140 children who have been affected with Agent Orange and children with disabilities. The village has different buildings, each of which has its own function. For example, building A is treated as a mini hospital for patients to get the treatments they need; the project team usually stays in building B which serves as a mini school with classrooms inside. |