I'm Dylan Candelora
Traveler, Researcher, and Writer
Cambodia Landmine Museum
The Cambodia Landmine Museum was originally founded in 1997 by Aki Ra, an ex-child soldier of the Khmer Rouge. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge, Aki Ra began scouring the Cambodian countryside for the numerous landmines that he and his fellow soldiers had planted during the Khmer Rouge's reign, defusing them by hand with homemade tools. The museum was relocated in 2007 alongside a Relief Facility originally built for the children of landmine victims; the facility now serves as orphanage. All proceeds donated to the museum go directly to the Relief Facility. For further information on the Cambodia Landmine Museum, you can visit their website: www.cambodialandminemuseum.org.
The image to the right is the centerpiece of the Cambodia Landmine Museum. It displays the many kinds of landmines that Aki Ra has removed over the past three decades and that still litter the Cambodian landscape.
The image to the left replicates what Cambodian minefields look like. The geographical terrain not only made the land mines brutally effective, but also makes much of the Cambodian backcountry inhospitable to travel.
The image to the right outlines some of the most historical genocides of the 20th century. These particular events would lead me to speculate on the possible connections between genocide and multiculturalism, thus prompting an initial question for research: is genocide the manifest representation of the failures of multiculturalism?
Raising Awareness
The Cambodian Landmine Museum continues to make strides towards de-mining Cambodia, although the country will not be mine-free for several decades yet. These efforts can only be realized through the continued endeavors of their visitors, supporters, and donors. Being a visitor myself, I felt compelled to invoke their presence in some way through my research. Taking from the image above mapping several of the recent historical genocides, I decided to focus my research analysis on the massacres in Cambodia, Bosnia, and Rwanda, the product of which can be found on my Research page under critical analysis. It is my hope that this project will help in contributing to a larger effort to raise awareness about the importance of multiculturalism in today's society.
