National Cambodian Museum & Killing Fields Memorial

NCHM EMPLOYS A HOLISTIC AND INTEGRATED APPROACH TO ITS PROGRAMMING. THERE ARE FOUR PROGRAMMING AREAS. 1) INCREASE THE AWARENESS OF THE CAMBODIAN GENOCIDE: OUR LONG-TERM GOAL IS TO BRING JUSTICE TO THE CAMBODIAN GENOCIDE SURVIVORS THROUGH MOBILIZING THE BROADER SOCIETY BY INCREASING PEOPLE'S AWARENESS OF THE CAMBODIAN GENOCIDE AND ITS LONG-LASTING IMPACTS ON THE CAMBODIAN COMMUNITY. NCHM PROVIDES GUIDED TOURS OF OUR PERMANENT EXHIBITION, REMEMBERING THE KILLING FIELDS, AND THE MEMORIAL; DIALOGUES WITH VISITORS; AND GENOCIDE WORKSHOPS. 2) FACILITATE HEALING THROUGH STORYTELLING AND SHARED MEMORIES.: THE REMEMBERING THE KILLING FIELDS EXHIBITION TELLS LIVES UNDER THE KHMER ROUGE BASED ON MORE THAN 40 LIFE HISTORIES TOLD BY LOCAL SURVIVORS. THE EXHIBITION PROVIDES A FORUM FOR DIALOGUES AMONG CAMBODIANS FROM DIFFERENT GENERATIONS, AND BETWEEN CAMBODIANS AND NON-CAMBODIANS. SINCE 2017, WE HAVE WORKED WITH ADA CHENG, A STORYTELLER/PRODUCER, TO INCORPORATE STORYTELLING INTO NCHM'S PROGRAMMING. WE AIM TO CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR PARTICIPANTS OF ALL AGES, IN WHICH MANY OF THEM SHARE THEIR STORIES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR LIVES. ONE CAMBODIAN WOMAN WHO LIVED THROUGH THE GENOCIDE SAID, "IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING HEAVY IN MY HEAD HAS BEEN LIFTED. IT FEELS LIKE HALING." 3) CULTURE AND HEALING ARTS: WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF THE ARTS IN HEALING. NCHM, IN COLLABORATION WITH MUSICIANS, DANCERS, ARTISTS, AND PROFESSIONALS, EMPLOYS A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO ADDRESS COMPLEX CHALLENGES THAT SURVIVORS AND THEIR FAMILIES FACE. NCHM PROVIDES VARIOUS ACTIVITIES THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS CAN USE TO EXPLORE THE PROCESS OF HEALING. WE OFFER DANCE, MUSIC, AND LANGUAGE CLASSES; COLLABORATIONS WITH ARTISTS TO CONDUCT WORKSHOPS AND EXHIBITIONS; AND PEER SUPPORT GROUPS, WHICH INCORPORATE MUSIC INTO THEIR ACTIVITIES. IN 2020, WE LAUNCHED "MUSIC CONNECTION," A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT BRINGS MUSIC AND CONVERSATION TO CAMBODIAN SENIORS WHO HAVE BEEN STAYING AT HOME AND FEELING ISOLATED. 4) FOSTER YOUTH LEADERSHIP IN SOCIAL JUSTICE AND PEACE BUILDING: NCHM PROVIDES A UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT THAT FACILITATES CRITICAL THINKING AND LEARNING, DISCUSSION AND DIALOGUE, AND CREATIVE PROCESSES IN WHICH YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS EXPLORE THEIR HERITAGE AND IDENTITY, AND THEIR ROLES IN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS IN A BROADER SOCIETY TO BRING JUSTICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO ADVOCATE PEACE BUILDING.