A lifelong activist, Loung Ung has gained recognition as a public speaker, bestselling author, and co-screenplay writer of the 2017 Netflix Original Movie, “First They Killed My Father”.
A survivor of the Cambodian Khmer Rouge genocide and a former refugee, Loung brings a unique perspective to issues facing displaced persons and marginalized communities around the world. Her personal experience of rebuilding her life in a new country informs her work as a speaker, writer, and advocate.
Through her talks, Loung shares insights on the challenges faced by individuals and communities who are forced to start anew, as well as the importance of resilience and finding agency in our own lives. Loung has shared her messages at numerous schools, universities and forums in the U.S. and internationally, including Stanford University, Dartmouth College, Philips Academy, Facing History and Ourselves, Women in the World Summit, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and the Mexico 1 Million Youth Summit. Her topics have centered on issues such as building resilience, ending violence against women and marginalized communities, eradicating landmines, and the use of child soldiers, among others.
Loung's activism journey began in 1993 when she became the Community Educator for a domestic shelter in Maine. Since then, Loung has worked on various campaigns, including those aimed at ending violence against women, eradicating landmines globally, and stopping the use of child soldiers. Loung's commitment to helping her native land heal from the traumas of war led her to make her first trip back to Cambodia in 1995, and she has returned over forty times. In 2013, she expanded her activism reach to screenplay writing and was one of the writers for the groundbreaking film, Girl Rising, directed by Academy Award nominee Richard Robbins.
Loung's work has earned her recognition, including being selected as one of the "100 Global Youth Leaders of Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum. She has been featured in various publications, television, and radio shows such as The New York Times, Washington Post, USA Today, CNN, and The Today Show. Loung has also been the subject of documentary films broadcast by Nightline, German ARTE, and Japanese NHK.
