This week I’ve been in Pailin, Cambodia. This small city near the Thailand border was the stronghold of the Khmer Rouge for many years after their ouster from power in 1979. From 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia (re-naming it Kampuchea) with a reign of terror, with over 2 million people dying in the “killing fields”.  After taking power Pol Pot and his associates declared that henceforth it would be ‘Year Zero”, attempting to wipe out history up to that point.

Forty years later there are signs of hope in this land, perhaps none greater than seeing a whole new generation living into a new future. As I was among a group of young Cambodians this week, including some that are children of the Khmer Rouge, the signs of hope in the future are strong. They include new economic ventures, collaborations with other nations in a variety of…