Peace tourism proves revelatory

I felt privileged when a group of American tourists invited me to join them on the Peace Trees Vietnam’s Citizen Diplomacy Trips to the central province of Quang Tri.
I met the group after they’d spent a week touring the southern provinces. The week didn’t seem long enough for the group, a mix of teachers, students and community member of Seattle’s Edmonds Community College
The trips aim to give tourists a rewarding experience and see Viet Nam from a different perspective. Travellers met Vietnamese sponsors and worked alongside them. They also shared meals and got down to earth together planting trees.
The main goal is to offer Americans and Vietnamese the chance to work and play together as a way of promoting peace, friendships and renewal through mutual understanding and respect. Travellers serve as voluntary ambassadors of friendship and co-operation.
"When I heard about the trip on television I was interested in joining. I was lucky the programme was repeated. I took notes, made several call and here I am," said Gwen Fujii McLaughlin.
As an introduction to Quang Tri province, which was severely damaged during the American war, tourists visit Quang Tri Citadel, which was the province’s political, military and economic centre during the Nguyen dynasty from 1809-1945.
During the war, the citadel became one of the most well-known landmarks as it survived 81 days of continuous fighting to defend the strategic area.
There is a visit to the badly damaged Bo De Primary School, the only building to survive fierce fighting in 1972. It was built in 1959 with materials donated by local residents by the provincial Buddhist Sangha. It has remained in its destroyed state as a reminder of the damage caused by the American forces during the war.
"It is a sad memory," said McLaughlin, who returned to the tour bus with tears.
"I would not believe if I did not see it. But we need to know and remember. I will tell people about what I have seen," she said.
Vinh Moc Tunnel and the Highway 9-Khe Sanh battlefield were the next war-related stops on our tour.
Vinh Moc was the front for the North and the food storage and supplier for Con Co Island, a strategic location for protecting the area.
The tunnel system of about 1,200m has 13 entrances and exits. Construction took considerable effort by residents and military forces. It is estimated they moved more than 6,000cu.m of soil and rock involving more than 18,000 labour days.
At the Highway 9 battlefield, the local government built a museum to display hundreds of objects to mark a victory which weakened the defensive positions of the American and the Sai Gon troops.
It also showed the Liberation Army’s strategic and tactical advances and the close and effective co-ordination of different armed forces.
Apart from the war memorials, the tourists visited local rubber and pepper farms.
I was surprised they were so interested as they asked farmers how to take the rubber latex from the trees. They tried to practise it and took videos to show later.
Most seemed surprised pepper is a vine, not a tree.
For many, the visits were great opportunities to broaden their knowledge but what made the tour different from others were the activities with Peace Trees, a non-government organisation which focuses on sponsoring the removal of land mines and unexploded ordnance, promoting land mine awareness, accident prevention education and engaging in environmental and community restoration projects.
After 13 years of work in the province, Peace Trees has established strong links with the residents, which help to open doors and give insight into life as it’s lived by Vietnamese – a perspective largely unavailable to the average tourist.
Quang Le, head of the organisation’s office in Quang Tri, said tours were based on customers’ demands.
They offer several days at the beginning and end to explore other areas of Viet Nam, including its scooter-filled cities, gracious old towns, beautiful beaches and battlefields.
But the heart of the trip is Quang Tri, where activities are designed to provide as much personal and meaningful interaction as possible between tourists and the Vietnamese.
Our other activities were to plant trees, play football with students in a high school; join a provincial Women’s Union cooking class and visit Peace Trees office and the land mine education centre.
Most places are part or mainly supported by Peace Trees, which plans to spread its activities to neighbouring provinces.
"I feel honoured to be able to learn about your beautiful country. So far, the journey has given me insights beyond my wishes and imagination," said Gisela Dicklin, a teacher of business courses and accounting.
"Having travelled to many parts of the world, I am learning more about your country and its people than I did on previous journeys.
"After the introduction to several amputees, I realise the importance and passion behind the goals of Peace Trees. My wish is that more citizens become involved in its mission," she said.
"Peace Trees affects many lives. I learn it helps boost awareness of the dangers of ordnance and with the operation of schools for those who can not afford education for their children, " said Gary McLaughlin, a horticulture teacher.
"What a life-changing experience this trip has been," he said.
The Citizen Diplomacy Trips were only for Americans since they started in 1996 but Quang said anyone interested in joining a tour can call Peace Trees or visit peacetreesvietnam.org.