LOVING LAOS: A LEGACY OF PEACEBUILDING

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For nine years, U.S. bombs fell like rain on Laos — more per capita than on any country in history. When the skies finally went quiet in 1973, the land was not. Beneath the land, tens of millions of unexploded bombs remained. With no outside help, civilians took on the dangerous work of clearing their own land. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) worked side by side with villagers, supporting the rebuilding and the restoration of livelihoods that the bombing had destroyed.

For over two decades, this was a people-led effort. It wasn't until 1994 — through the persistent advocacy of MCC country directors — that Mines Advisory Group was invited to bring professional clearance resources to Laos, backed by U.S. funding.

In 2025, MCC marked 50 years of work in Lao PDR. To mark this historic milestone, a small group of former MCC country directors traveled to Xieng…