Promoting Peace by Studying War

On the second day of our stay in Saigon, one of our residents, Barbara, arranged for several events to honor International Day of Peace - September 21. The first part was to gather at the War Remnants Museum and hear a talk by Madam Ton Nu Thi Ninh - a high ranking diplomat with a long history - she spoke of conversations with Henry Kissinger where he warned the world, " Don't stand between Vietnam and their sense of direction" She also told us about Vietnam's Bamboo Diplomacy (bend but don't break) and the 4 No's foreign policy:

1. No military alliances
2. No siding with one country against another
3. No foreign military bases
4. No use or threat of force

Watch video of Ms. Ton Nut Thi Ninh's talk

I felt so privileged to hear about Vietnamese policy from such an experience insider. She also told us about how resilient the Vietnamese were after the Vietnam/American war. Once peace was restored they worked hard to establish relations with former adversaries. They now see themselves as agents of peace. They send grain to Cuba, they set up field hospitals in Sudan.
See this article in a Vietnamese newspaper: The Bell of Peace Rings Out from the War Remnants Museum

Our group gathered in front of the museum

After the talk we had a musical performance by Orange Happiness - a group of musicians with physical disabilities resulting from agent orange. Then we had a tour of the museum. It was a very depressing tour. All wars are horrible, but this one was closer to home. It brought me to tears to see the images and hear the stories. One thing that I didn't know is that so many of the correspondents that took those photos and wrote the stories, died in the process.

 

60 PhotoJournalists who died while covering the Vietnam/American war.

A Food Tour on One Table

After the museum, we had a group reservation at a Michelin rated restaurant called Man Moi. They served the food family style, 8 dishes: 3 appetizers and 5 entrees. Every one was delicious.

The menu for our luncheon

 

Ringing the Ship's Bell for Peace

Once back on the ship and getting ready for sail away, we had another event. The captain rang the bell 5 times as prescribed in Barbara's talk, each ringing represented something:

• First Bell – World Peace: Dedicated to peace across the globe, particularly for those living through war, violence, and conflict, and for those working toward reconciliation.
• Second Bell – Community Peace: Dedicated to peace within the host communities, cities, and countries that welcome the ship throughout its global travels.
• Third Bell – Peace Within the Odyssey Community: Dedicated to harmony, respect, understanding, and kindness among the residents and crew living aboard the ship.
• Fourth Bell – Inner Peace: Dedicated to personal peace within oneself, acknowledging that lasting peace begins as an individual daily choice.
• Fifth Bell – The Future of the Odyssey: Dedicated to the future of the ship and its community, seeking wisdom, patience, and stability for management, crew, and residents through upcoming changes and challenges.

Finally, we sailed away with a happy hour and some singing in the observatory.
Good Bye Vietnam!