Sera Koulabdara
CEO, Legacies of War (website), Chair, U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munition Coalition
twitter: @serakoulabdara LinkedIn
email: sera [at] legaciesofwar [dot] org
CEO, Legacies of War (website), Chair, U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munition Coalition
twitter: @serakoulabdara LinkedIn
email: sera [at] legaciesofwar [dot] org
landmines and cluster munitions
Sera Koulabdara serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Legacies of War, a U.S.-based advocacy and educational organization working to address the impacts of war including unexploded ordnance (UXO), victims assistance, explosive ordnance risk education, and environmental impacts of contamination. She received the inaugural Award of Gratitude in 2024 and the Humanitarian Award of 2022 given by the Lao PDR for her and Legacies of War's successful advocacy efforts in securing funds for bomb removal and victims assistance. She is also the recipient of the UNSUNG Hero Award from the Asian Hustle Network and the HEART Award from the Idaho Museum of International Diaspora (IMID) for extraordinary leadership.
She was the first Lao-American to participate in the 20th Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Convention and was elected to serve as the Chair of the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions Coalition in January 2023. She is also a founding member of the Global Leadership Council and the Southeast Asia Exhibit of the IMID.
As a leading expert in mine action, Koulabdara has been featured in USA Today, Washington Post, NBC, Responsible Statecraft, Beyond Bombs and more. Growing up in Laos, Sera witnessed her father, Dr. Sith Koulabdara, operating on countless victims of cluster munitions accidents, including a little girl who attended the same school with her and shaped her passion for her roles today.
Recent Publications
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Sera Koulabdara serves as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Legacies of War, a U.S.-based advocacy and educational organization working to address the impacts of war including unexploded ordnance (UXO), victims assistance, explosive ordnance risk education, and environmental impacts of contamination. She received the inaugural Award of Gratitude in 2024 and the Humanitarian Award of 2022 given by the Lao PDR for her and Legacies of War's successful advocacy efforts in securing funds for bomb removal and victims assistance. She is also the recipient of the UNSUNG Hero Award from the Asian Hustle Network and the HEART Award from the Idaho Museum of International Diaspora (IMID) for extraordinary leadership.
She was the first Lao-American to participate in the 20th Meeting of States Parties to the Mine Ban Convention and was elected to serve as the Chair of the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions Coalition in January 2023. She is also a founding member of the Global Leadership Council and the Southeast Asia Exhibit of the IMID.
As a leading expert in mine action, Koulabdara has been featured in USA Today, Washington Post, NBC, Responsible Statecraft, Beyond Bombs and more. Growing up in Laos, Sera witnessed her father, Dr. Sith Koulabdara, operating on countless victims of cluster munitions accidents, including a little girl who attended the same school with her and shaped her passion for her roles today.
Recent Publications
- "How Laos Can Lead ASEAN on Environmental Issues," Inkstick, April 19, 2024.
- "US Cluster Munition Transfers Raise Humanitarian Concerns," Disarmament Dialogue, April 4, 2024. *
- "Ukraine's vaunted 'bread basket' soil is now toxic," Responsible Statecraft, February 29, 2024.*
- "Fifty Years of Living with America’s Unexploded Bombs," Zocalo, December 21, 2023,
- "'I don't want it to happen again': Don't send cluster bombs to Ukraine. Just look at Laos," USA Today, March 18, 2023.
* indicates additional author(s)