RAWI HAGE is an internationally-renowned human rights activist, community organizer, and musician who inspires change through his incredible stories of surviving the Cambodian Khmer Rouge genocide.
He is founder of Cambodian Living Arts and a supporter and contributor to the development of the Kampot Readers and Writers Festival – this will be RAWI’s third year featuring as a keynote speaker at KRWF.
When the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia in 1975, RAWI was sent to a children’s labor camp. There, he escaped death by playing his flute for the camp guards. He later reached a refugee camp in Thailand, where Reverend Peter Pond adopted him in 1980. In the U.S., RAWI began a series of community rebuilding projects and founded several organizations. In the mid-1990’s, he returned to Cambodia to find his family and his music teacher. He “discovered” other artists who had survived the war and were living in difficult conditions; Cambodian Living Arts was born. RAWI was one of the first recipients of the Reebok Human Rights Award in 1988 and is also the recipient of the Anne Frank Memorial Award, the Kohl Foundation International Peace Prize and two honorary doctorates for peace and humanitarian service.
At KRWF 2017 RAWI give a keynote speech on festival theme ‘courage’ at 11am brunch at the villa – Sunday November 5th at The Lotus Pond Villa.
Tickets are $15 by donation with money going towards The Khmer Magic Music Bus who will present and perform same day.
See and meet RAWI also at KRWF Main Stage Concert – Music at the Villa – Lotus Pond Villa Friday November 3
Memoir Cambodia forum – Saturday November 4 – venue TBA