GRACE Cares' B4 Peace Project/Namaya Production by Namaya the poet, artist, & Veteran uses art, word, performance to engage communities in peacebuilding and reconciliation. A key component of the Pornography of War "Agent Orange: Do Not Forget Me" is to increase knowledge and action regarding the ongoing damage caused by the chemical defoliant used by the US military during the Vietnam War. As we approach the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War we want to promote healing.
Agent Orange, which contains the dangerous chemical dioxin, was sprayed in the Vietnamese countryside from 1961-1971. In 2021, it is estimated that there are nearly 2 million Vietnamese affected, some with severe congenital disabilities such as mental retardation, physical deformities, and a host of debilitating illnesses. Our art project seeks to raise awareness of the plight of the hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese who are not receiving support nor funding for their disabilities.
The Agent Orange: Do Not Forget sculpture will be placed in the "War Remnants Museum" in Ho Chi Minh City where it will be viewed by thousands of Vietnamese and international visitors for years to come. We are creating a virtual version of the project to be viewed worldwide and are planning on a US installation site. Namaya Productions/B4 Peace Productions will collaborate with Vietnamese artists on a theatrical performance with children with Agent Orange Syndrome (AOS).
We seek to have people with AO Syndrome become more visible and receive more assistance. We will create ongoing art and theater performances to help those Vietnamese with AOS by partnering with local care homes and vocational training centers creating improved living and working environments.
