Kim Phuc Phan Thi

Kim Phuc Phan Thi is the subject of one of the most iconic photographs in history — a nine-year-old girl running down a road, her skin burning from a napalm attack during the Vietnam War. That Pulitzer Prize-winning image changed how the world viewed war, and Phan Thi has since transformed her unimaginable suffering into a global mission of peace, forgiveness, and healing.

From the Horrors of War to a Message of Hope

In 1972, American and South Vietnamese forces dropped napalm bombs on Phan Thi’s village near Saigon. Two of her infant cousins were killed, and she was severely burned. She was not expected to survive. After two years of treatment and recovery, the Vietnamese government subjected her to years of propaganda appearances as a national symbol of war, forcing her to leave school. In 1986, she was sent to study in Cuba and eventually settled in Canada, where she began a new life.

A UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and Foundation Founder

When Vietnam veterans invited Phan Thi to speak at a Veterans Day observance in Washington, D.C., she shared her story publicly for the first time and forgave the veteran involved in the bombing that day. Named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 1997, she established the Kim Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to funding programs that heal children in war-torn areas around the world. Her keynotes share a profoundly moving message of forgiveness, resilience, and the transformative power of turning personal tragedy into a force for peace and compassion.

What does Kim Phuc Phan Thi speak about?

Kim Phuc Phan Thi speaks about forgiveness, peace, and healing after trauma. She describes how she moved from being the child in a famous war photograph to an advocate for peace and for children affected by war.

What is Kim Phuc Phan Thi’s background?

Kim Phuc Phan Thi is known for: being the girl in Nick Ut’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1972 photograph The Terror of War. She survived severe napalm burns, later moved to Canada, and founded the Kim Foundation International to support child victims of war. She is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.

Who books Kim Phuc Phan Thi to speak?

Meeting planners book Kim Phuc Phan Thi for universities, faith-based organizations, humanitarian and peace-focused events, and conferences that want a first-hand story of forgiveness. Her message suits audiences interested in history, reconciliation, and resilience.

The Kim Foundation

The Girl in the Picture

Family: A Celebration of Humanity

Love, Hope and Forgiveness