Brian is the son of a former minister of St. Paul’s, Desmond McConaghy, and he spent his later teens and early twenties in Ottawa, attending Algonquin College and Carleton University, specializing in museum technology and criminology. He worked for the RCMP in Vancouver as a Forensic Scientist for 22 years.
Brian first visited Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand in 1989. What he witnessed there appalled him. This experience led him into Cambodia several months later to find conditions were worse than in the camps. This was the start of a long journey that has taken Brian and Ratanak International through many challenging and rewarding times in their desire to be servants of the Khmer people.
After visiting Cambodian refugee camps and seeing a documentary on Cambodia, Brian was moved to study the complexities of this country and to do something to alleviate the suffering. The result was a foundation named after a little girl he saw dying in that documentary. It began with Brian collecting medical supplies from Vancouver hospitals in an attempt to bring some relief to those suffering. This, in turn, led to the building of clinics and then hospitals where all the medical staff had been lost to genocide. Brian never got to meet Ratanak but she changed his life. His dedication to the people of Cambodia is a reflection of the person of Jesus Christ at work in his life.
From these beginnings, Ratanak grew into an influential grassroots organization that specializes within Cambodia’s complex environment – becoming a leader in advocating for human trafficking survivors in Cambodia and developing restorative services. Brian has also had the privilege to assist in the development of human trafficking legislation in Canada and international child protection policy for the G7. This is a small organization based in Vancouver that successfully tackles big problems. After 25 years of work in Cambodia, Ratanak has developed a high level of respect and expertise, which has opened doors to impact some of the most challenging issues confronting Cambodia and the developing world. Today, Ratanak is working with Cambodians to restore those robbed of freedom and protect the vulnerable. We believe the key to ending exploitation is to empower Cambodians to be agents of change, and work together to confront systems that exploit the vulnerable. Our programs work to prevent exploitation, protect the vulnerable, help those who are trafficked return home, and restore survivors.
To learn more about the work of Ratanak, go to www.ratanak.org