Voice 1 Welcome to Spotlight. I'm Robin Basselin. Voice 2 And I'm Ryan Geertsma. Spotlight uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 1 There is a famous picture from the American War in Vietnam. In this photograph picture, the sky is dark and full of smoke. There are five terrified Vietnamese children. They are running down a road. Behind them, Vietnamese soldiers and news workers follow. The photograph's central character is a 9 year old girl. She is running without clothes on. She is burned and in pain. The girl's name is Phan Thi Kim Phuc. Voice 2 The photograph has appeared in newspapers all over the world. It has also won many awards. For years, the picture has been a famous image of war. In the photograph, Phuc represents the pain, suffering and evil of battle. However, today, Phuc has devoted her life to being a symbol of peace. Today's Spotlight is on Phan Thi Kim Phuc. Voice 1 On June 8th, 1972, the South Vietnamese army accidently bombed Phan Thi Kim Phuc's small village of Trang Bang. Phuc, her family and other villagers hid together in a temple at the edge of the village. When the airplanes came near, soldiers told the people to run. Phuc was a slow runner. She ran at the back of the crowd. Suddenly, there was a loud noise. A bomb exploded behind Phuc. She fell to the ground. She felt great heat on her arms and back. She was burning.
Voice 2 The bomb that hit Phuc was a napalm bomb. Napalm bombs are often called fire bombs. They contain a liquid that burns anything it touches. When the bomb fell, the napalm covered Phuc's back, neck and arms. She was badly burned. However, Phuc got up off the ground and continued to run away. She ran down the road, where some news reporters were standing. This is when photographer Nick Ut took the famous picture of Phuc. As she ran near Nick, he heard her shouting. She said in Vietnamese, “too hot, too hot!” Voice 1 After Nick heard Phuc's words, he ran toward her. A soldier gave her water and Nick covered her body. At the request of Phuc's family, Nick transported Phuc many kilometers to the nearest hospital. Voice 2 For more than a month, Phuc remained in critical condition. The doctors were not sure if she would survive. However, Phuc surprised many people and lived through the worst. Next, she survived many, many painful operations to repair her burned skin. And after 14 months in the hospital, Phuc finally returned home to Trang Bang.
Voice 1 Life after the war was very difficult for Phuc. She suffered from severe headaches and terrible pain where she had been burned. She also had many bad dreams about war and violence. Phuc's family also suffered from severe poverty. However, through all of her difficulties, Phuc continued to work hard at school.
Voice 2 Phuc wanted to become a doctor to help other burn victims like the doctors had helped her. She began medical school in Hồ Chí Minh City. However, many news organizations from all over the world were interested in Phuc's story. So she spent many hours telling news reporters her story. And she travelled many places for the Vietnamese government. Phuc served her country in this way for many years. But this took her away from school. Phuc wanted to finish medical school. She wanted to work and help support her family. But she began to lose hope that she would ever finish. She became angry. Phuc spoke with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, or CBC, about this time in her life.
Voice 3 “The anger in me was like a high mountain of hate. I hated my life. I hated all people who were normal because I was not normal. I wanted to die many times.” Voice 1 Even though Phuc was too busy to attend school every day, she wanted to keep learning. When she could, she visited the library. The library contained many books that Phuc could read for free. In her search for knowledge and answers, Phuc began reading many religious books. One of these books was the Christian Bible. Soon, Phuc became friends with a Vietnamese Christian. After many months of reading the Bible and praying, Phuc decided to become a Christian too. She told the CBC how this decision changed her life.
Voice 3 “In Christmas 1982, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord who saved me. It was an amazing turning point in my life. God helped me to learn to forgive. It is the most difficult of all lessons. It did not happen in a day and it was not easy. But I finally got it. Forgiveness made me free from hate. I still have many burn marks on my body and severe pain most days but my heart is clean.” Voice 2 After many years of travelling, speaking and telling her story, Phuc finally asked a government leader if she could finish her studies in another country. Phuc thought that if she studied in another country, her life would be less busy. Government officials agreed to Phuc's request. And in 1986, Phuc left Vietnam to study in Cuba.
Voice 1 In Cuba, Phuc studied Spanish and English. During this time, she met a male Vietnamese student named Bui Huy Toan. Toan and Phuc became very good friends. After almost four years, Toan and Phuc got married.
Voice 2 Since that time, Phuc and Toan have had two children. They live in the Toronto, Canada area. Phuc continues to travel and tell her story to many people. In 1997, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization named her an Ambassador of Peace.
Voice 1 There have been several films made about Phuc's story. And in 1999, a writer published a book in English about Phuc's life. It was called “The Girl in the Picture.” In the West, people know Phuc as Kim Phuc. And she has helped to start an organization called The Kim Phuc Foundation International. This organization helps provide medical treatment to children, like Phuc, that are injured in war.
Voice 2 For years, Phuc's famous picture has been a symbol of war, violence and tragedy. However, today, her life is an even stronger symbol of peace. Her faith and her work are examples of the power of forgiveness.
Voice 1 We end this program with Phuc's own words. Voice 3 “Napalm is very powerful but faith, forgiveness and love are much more powerful. We would not have war at all if everyone could learn how to live with true love, hope and forgiveness. If that little girl in the picture can do it, ask yourself: Can you?” Voice 2 The writer and producer of this program was Robin Basselin. The voices you heard were from the United States. All quotes were adapted and voiced by Spotlight. Computer users can visit our website athttp://www.Radio.English.net. This program is called “Image of War, Symbol of Peace.”
