The Healing Power of Music: A Conversation with Arn Chorn-Pond

Join Global Citizens Community for an extraordinary event, The Healing Power of Music, featuring a keynote by Arn Chorn-Pond, a musician, survivor of the Cambodian genocide, international award winning human rights activist, and founder of Cambodian Living Arts (CLA).

Arn will share his powerful journey from surviving the horrors of the Khmer Rouge to becoming a global advocate for healing through the arts. Reflecting on his experiences, Arn will speak to the transformative role of music and culture in rebuilding communities devastated by war and violence. As he poignantly states, “Even today, we fail to notice that the image of Cambodia is so much more than just the Killing Fields. CLA is one small effort to rework this image of Cambodia—to instead, give something to people that they can remember; to better ourselves as a community.”

Born into a family of artists, Arn survived the Khmer Rouge child labor camps by playing propaganda music. After escaping to a refugee camp, he was adopted and brought to the United States, where he became the first Cambodian child soldier to publicly speak about the atrocities of the genocide. Over the years, Arn has dedicated his life to preserving Cambodia’s cultural heritage, co-founding organizations to support war-traumatized children and Southeast Asian youths.

Through Cambodian Living Arts, Arn has worked tirelessly to ensure that the next generation of Cambodian artists has the opportunity to thrive, preserving art forms once nearly lost. CLA’s programs bring musical performances to rural communities and provide scholarships, fellowships, and international opportunities for Cambodia’s rising artists.

Arn Chorn-Pond was one of the first recipients of the Reebok Human Rights Award in 1988, and he received the 1991 Amnesty International Human Rights Award, the 1993 Kohl Foundation International Peace Prize, and the 1996 Spirit of Anne Frank Outstanding Citizen Award. Arn now lives outside of Phnom Penh.

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear from one of the world’s most impactful advocates for healing through music and the arts.

This event was made possible by Global Humanitarian Collaborative.