“In the 1970s, Cambodians reported seeing an albino crocodile on the bank of the country’s great lake, the Tonle Sap. Legend says that the sighting of such a creature would usher in change, for better or for worse. We didn’t know then how cataclysmic the change had impacted our lives. Between 1975-1979, we lived in a state of perpetual purge, losing family members and friends to war, famine, and a state-sponsored extermination policy based on race, color, national origin, religion, and/or professional association.
As a senior peacemaker at the U.S. Department of Justice, I conduct peace work with these perspectives in mind, operating in transparency at a multilayer level to bring diverse people together and have the difficult conversations. The process helps build relationships and trust so that community conflict could be properly addressed or resolved. As a refugee – a survivor of genocide – it feels wonderful to have a rewarding career.”
~ Knight