Ideas worth spreading

TEDSummit

June 2016

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The deadly legacy of cluster bombs

The destruction of war doesn't stop when the fighting is over. Photographer and TED Fellow Laura Boushnak shares a powerful photo essay about the survivors of cluster bombs, people who encountered these deadly submunitions years after the end of conflict. With her haunting photos, Boushnak asks those who still produce and condone the use of these weapons to abandon them.

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The destruction of war doesn't stop when the fighting is over. Photographer and TED Fellow Laura Boushnak shares a powerful photo essay about the survivors of cluster bombs, people who encountered these deadly submunitions years after the end of conflict. With her haunting photos, Boushnak asks those who still produce and condone the use of these weapons to abandon them.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference. TED's editors chose to feature it for you.

About the speaker

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Laura Boushnak is a Kuwaiti-born Palestinian photographer whose work focuses on women, literacy and education reform in the Arab world.

MediaStorm | YouTube, 2015 | Watch

Surviving the Peace: Laos

The following video definitely inspired my work and was a great source of information. It's about Laos and how it's the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. One of the quotes I used during my talk was taken from the video, and it was by the director of the Mines Advisory group Jamie Francklin.

Jerry Redfern and Karen Coates | Things Asian Press/Global Directions, 2013 | Book

Eternal Harvest, The Legacy of American Bombs in Laos

Eternal Harvest, The Legacy of American Bombs in Laos, a book written by Jerry Redfern and Karen Coates over the course of seven years. The authors aim to educate readers — especially Americans — about this little-known legacy of war and encourage a renewed commitment to redressing historical injustices and building positive peace.

| Article

The Cluster Munition Coalition

The Cluster Munition Coalition is a global civil society campaign working to eradicate cluster munitions, prevent further casualties from these weapons and put an end for all time to the suffering they cause. Their website is a great source when it comes to the global use and effect of cluster munitions.