Cultural Vistas President and CEO Jennifer Clinton joined Vietnamese General Secretary Tô Lâm, the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council Institute (USABCI), and partner organizations on September 23 in New York, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. The gathering focused on efforts to account for those still missing from the Vietnam War and strengthen the ongoing work of reconciliation.

The gathering highlighted the Vietnam Wartime Accounting Initiative (VWAI) and Vietnam’s “500 Days and Nights” campaign, which seeks to accelerate the search for and identification of missing Vietnamese wartime personnel. For families who have spent decades waiting for information about their loved ones, the work offers the possibility of long-awaited answers.

Cultural Vistas announced its partnership with USABCI in March 2026, including plans for Shared Service, Shared Healing, a dialogue and exchange program bringing together American and Vietnamese veterans to share their experiences with students, researchers, and broader communities.

At the gathering, Clinton highlighted two areas of Cultural Vistas’ upcoming work: bringing Vietnamese researchers and experts to the United States to connect with the National Archives, specialists, and other research resources; and helping develop educational content for high school students about the war and the reconciliation that followed.

For Clinton, whose father was a Vietnam veteran, the initiative carries personal significance.

“My father was a Vietnam veteran, so I grew up understanding that the war was not simply a chapter in a history book,” Clinton shared in her prepared remarks. “Its impact has continued across generations—for families in Vietnam and the United States.”

During the meeting, Tô Lâm emphasized that addressing the legacy of war remains a foundation of the U.S.-Vietnam relationship. He underscored the urgency of the work as firsthand accounts become harder to gather and former battlefields change, and expressed appreciation for U.S. support through archival access, technology, and research.

The initiative brings together governments, businesses, nonprofit organizations, researchers, and veterans. Cultural Vistas’ contribution draws on its experience connecting people and institutions across borders to advance a shared purpose.

The educational component will help young people understand both the history of the war and the people who have worked to build trust in its aftermath.

Reconciliation is not only about confronting the past; it is also about helping the next generation understand it.”

Jennifer Clinton

Through its partnership with USABCI and fellow implementers, Cultural Vistas will help connect the research needed by families today with the learning that can sustain reconciliation for generations to come.