Khmer Youth Education Buddhist Center

Youth can enforce democracy

2011-08-30T10:33:00.000-07:00

Koul Panha

Monday, August 29th, 2011
By Kristine Felisse Mangunay
Philippine Daily Inquirer

“The youth have the power to enforce democracy for a better society. They have to get involved in politics so they can be trained to become leaders,” he said.

He was only 8 years old when his father, a clerk at Cambodia’s Supreme Court, was killed by the brutal Khmer Rouge regime.

Thirty-five years after that murder, some of the leaders of the murderous regime are on trial for war crimes while the boy has become a fighter for democracy—one of this year’s winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards, dubbed Asia’s version of the Nobel Prize.

Though decades have passed since his father was killed, Koul Panha has not forgotten. He was on the verge of tears when he spoke of those dark times in his country during an interview with the Inquirer at the weekened.

Koul’s father was picked up by soldiers of the Khmer Rouge in 1976 and ordered to gather beans.

“My father knew that he would be faced with great danger. After a few days, I received information from the villagers that he was killed,” Koul said.

“The senior villagers told me that my father did not let the Khmer Rouge guards and soldiers kill him easily as he fought back.”

The image of how his father must have died has remained indelible in Koul’s mind. It taught him the value of democracy.

Fight for democracy

The Ramon Magsaysay Foundation cited Koul for his efforts at promoting fair and honest elections in Cambodia.

Five other recipients of this year’s awards for outstanding work in their respective fields come from India, Indonesia and the Philippines. The awarding ceremony will be held on Aug. 31 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

The awardees will each receive a certificate, a medallion and a cash prize.

It was the death of his father that pushed Koul to decide to be at the forefront of Cambodia’s struggle for democratization.

Koul believes the brutalities and the human rights abuses that he, his family and other Cambodians experienced while living under the thumb of the communist regime could be prevented in a stable, democratic country.

For this, he said, the advancement of a free electoral system was crucial.

Courageous leadership

“In a fragile democracy like Cambodia … a sustained work to aggressively campaign and advocate free, fair and meaningful elections is necessary in order to promote democracy,” Koul said.

In its citation, the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation praised Koul for “his determined and courageous leadership of the sustained campaign to build an enlightened, organized and vigilant citizenry who will ensure fair and free elections—as well as demand accountable governance by their elected officials—in Cambodia’s nascent democracy.”

Images of how dangerous it was to live under the Khmer Rouge were still clear in Koul’s mind as he recalled a time in 1975 when his family hid in a trench amid rumors that Phnom Penh, the capital, was going to be bombed.

When the Khmer Rouge took over the city that year, his family was forced to leave their house without being given a chance to take their possessions with them.

“My mother complained and protested when the Khmer Rouge ordered us to leave our house,” he said. “My father stopped her, telling her that if she protested she could be shot.”

The following year, the Khmer Rouge took away his father and shot him.

Free elections

Led by Pol Pot, the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. It is said to have caused the death of 2 million people—or as much as one-fourth of country’s population—from starvation, overwork, torture or execution.

The Khmer Rouge were driven from power in January 1979 by a Vietnamese invasion.

After graduating with a BS Chemical Industry Engineering degree in Phnom Penh in 1991, Koul joined the nonpartisan Task Force on Cambodian Elections. This eventually became the Committee for Free and Fair Elections (Comfrel).

In 1998, Koul became its executive director.

“A main motivation for joining (this) came from my own experience. When I was a child, Phnom Penh was bombed many times. I did not want this to happen again,” Koul said.

Comfrel network

After earning his master’s degree in Politics of Alternative Development, Koul committed himself full time to Comfrel’s mission.

Under his leadership, the organization became the country’s leading independent center on electoral matters, now with a nationwide network of partners and more than 50,000 election volunteers.

In the 2008 elections, more than 10,000 of the center’s volunteers were deployed to cover 60 percent of the electoral precincts.

Cambodia’s democratic progress has been slow and turbulent since the fall of the Khmer Rouge. It was only in 1993 when it held its first national elections. Since then, it has held five other national and local polls.

These elections were characterized by fraud, violence and factionalism.

Young democracy

“Cambodia’s democracy can be referred to as a young democracy,” Koul said. “This democracy began recently, a short period after the genocide, post-conflicts, human rights abuses and oppression.”

Owing to the country’s lack of democratic tradition, Koul had had to contend with harassment from parties who deemed political and electoral reforms acceptable only if they served their own interests.

Koul said that Comfrel began lobbying for the restoration of political stability and for a government commitment to violence-free polls.

In 2000, it took its campaign to the grassroots by conducting electoral activities calling, among others, for gender equality in electoral representation.

Long way to go

Koul is happy to see his efforts have not been in vain.

“The major political players in Cambodia have accepted that peaceful regular elections are the proper legitimate mechanism for installing or removing a government,” he said.

He said, however, that the country still had a long way to go.

“Although there are legal frameworks and procedures for electoral democracy in Cambodia, the country still lacks strong democratic institutions … and is threatened by the return of an authoritarian rule,” Koul said.

To prevent this from happening again, Koul stressed the role of the youth and of education.

“The youth have the power to enforce democracy for a better society. They have to get involved in politics so they can be trained to become leaders,” he said.

Koul said the youth was the “hope” of every nation.

If they are informed, he said, then democracy can fully develop and the human rights violations that characterized the Khmer Rouge regime can be prevented.

Koul said winning the Ramon Magsaysay Award would be a “source of energy” for him which he could use to “work harder.”

“This will further encourage the organizations that I work for,” he said.

Ou Apsara

2011-08-16T18:01:00.000-07:00

Apsara is the goddess of Cambodia. Trudy Jacobson in her book "Lost Goddesses: Denial of Female Power in Cambodian History" has illustrated significant positions of Cambodian feminism.Apsaras are the symbolic icon of Cambodian women that symbolize both beauty and socially responsible citizenship.

Education for the economy UNDP ៖ យុវជនប្រមាណ៣០ម៉ឺននាក់មិនមានជំនាញតម្រូវតាមទីផ្សារការងារ

2011-08-13T23:26:00.000-07:00

Education for the economy UNDP ៖ យុវជនប្រមាណ៣០ម៉ឺននាក់មិនមានជំនាញតម្រូវតាមទីផ្សារការងារ

Friday, 12 August 2011 15:01, May Kunmakara and Sim Virinea, The Phnom Penh Post

Photo by: Heng Chivoan

Graduates listen to Prime Minister Hun Sen speak yesterday at the National Institute of Education in Phnom Penh.

Some 300,000 young Cambodians are entering the domestic labour market every year, but often don’t have the skill sets required by private sector employers, UN Development Programme Deputy Country Director Sophie Baranes said yesterday.

Improving human capital in Cambodia requires a concentrated effort by stakeholders such as government, private sector and education institutions, she said.

“In order to succeed, a sustainable programme of training, or higher education reform, is needed.”

Yesterday, the UNDP in conjunction with the government issued a report titled Human Capital Implications of Future Economic Growth in Cambodia, aiming to provide a roadmap to building up high quality human capital to boost the economy.

“At present, there exists a significant gap between market demand and the skills available, and existing educational institutions and curricula are often unresponsive to market demands and the need of the private sector,” the report said.

Supreme National Economic Council Deputy Secretary General Hav Ratank said the government had prioritised human resource development.

Cambodia’s intention to develop its industry requires simultaneous human capital development, he said.

Although there is much work still to be done, Hav Ratanak highlighted work done by the government to improve the situation.

He noted the education budget had increased 8 times over in the 10 years from 2000 to 2010, and added certain measures had been adopted following the global economic crisis to promote employment.

So far, the programmes have assisted 40,000 laid-off workers find employment, he said.

“Indeed, it’s necessary for the government [to assist on human capital development] … but it needs wide cooperation from all the stakeholders and development partners,” he said.

The report laid out a number of short- and long-term recommendations, ranging from stopping school drop-outs to improving vocational training and reforming higher education.

UNDP ៖ យុវជនប្រមាណ៣០ម៉ឺននាក់មិនមានជំនាញតម្រូវតាមទីផ្សារការងារ

Friday, 12 August 2011 15:04

ម៉ៃ គុណមករា និង ស៊ឹមវិរីនា

ភ្នំពេញប៉ុស្តិ៏

ភ្នំពេញៈ លោកស្រី Sophie Baranes នាយករងប្រចាំប្រទេសនៃកម្មវិធីអភិវឌ្ឍន៍អង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិ (UNDP) ប្រចាំ នៅកម្ពុជា បានឲ្យដឹងកាលពីម្សិលមិញថា យុវជនកម្ពុជាប្រមាណជា៣០ម៉ឺននាក់ កំពុងបោះជំហានចូលមកក្នុងទីផ្សារពលកម្មក្នុងស្រុកជារៀងរាល់ ឆ្នាំ ប៉ុន្តែអ្នកទាំងនោះភាគច្រើនមិនមានជំនាញដែលនិយោជកមកពីវិស័យឯក ជនត្រូវការឡើយ។

លោក ស្រីបានបន្តថា ការលើកកម្ពស់ធនធានមនុស្សនៅកម្ពុជា ទាមទារនូវកិច្ចខិតខំប្រឹងប្រែងជារួមពីភាគីពាក់ព័ន្ធដូចជា រដ្ឋាភិបាល វិស័យឯកជន និងគ្រឹះស្ថានអប់រំនានា៖ «ដើម្បី សម្រេចបានជោគជ័យនូវការលើកកម្ពស់ធនធានមនុស្ស ចាំបាច់ត្រូវមានកម្មវិធីបណ្តុះបណ្តាលប្រកបដោយនិរន្តរភាព ឬការធ្វើកំណែទម្រង់ការអប់រំកម្រិតឧត្តមសិក្សា»។

កាលពីម្សិលមិញ UNDP សហការជាមួយរដ្ឋាភិបាល បានចេញរបាយការណ៍មួយ មានចំណងជើងថា «ទំនាក់ទំនងរវាងធនធានមនុស្សទៅនឹងកំណើនសេដ្ឋកិច្ចនៅកម្ពុជានា ពេលអនាគត» ក្នុងគោលបំណងបង្ហាញទិសដៅអនុវត្ត ដើម្បីកសាងធនធានមនុស្ស ដែលមានគុណភាពខ្ពស់ សម្រាប់ធ្វើឲ្យមានកំណើនសេដ្ឋកិច្ច។

របាយការណ៍នោះបានលើកឡើងថា៖ «បច្ចុប្បន្ន តម្រូវការទីផ្សារ និងជំនាញដែលអាចរកបានមានគម្លាតខុសគ្នាយ៉ាងខ្លាំង ហើយគ្រឹះស្ថានអប់រំ និងកម្មវិធីសិក្សា ដែលមានស្រាប់ មិនបានឆ្លើយតបទៅនឹងតម្រូវការទីផ្សារ និងតម្រូវការរបស់វិស័យឯកជនឡើយ»។

លោក ហាវ រតនៈ អគ្គលេខាធិការរងនៃឧត្តមក្រុមប្រឹក្សាសេដ្ឋកិច្ចជាតិ(SNEC)បាន ឲ្យដឹងថា រដ្ឋាភិបាលបានផ្តល់អាទិភាពលើការអភិវឌ្ឍធនធានមនុស្ស។ លោកបញ្ជាក់ថា គោលបំណងកម្ពុជាក្នុងការអភិវឌ្ឍឧស្សាហកម្មនេះទាមទារការ អភិវឌ្ឍធនធានមនុស្សពេលដំណាលគ្នា។

ទោះ បីមានការងារជាច្រើន ដែលត្រូវធ្វើបន្តទៀតក្តី ប៉ុន្តែលោក ហាវ រតនៈ បញ្ជាក់អំពីការងារ ដែលសម្រេចបានដោយរដ្ឋាភិបាលក្នុងការលើកកម្ពស់ស្ថានភាពនេះដែរ។

លោក ថ្លែងថា ថវិកាអប់រំបានកើនលើស កាលពី១០ឆ្នាំមុន (ឆ្នាំ២០០០ ដល់ ឆ្នាំ២០១០) ៨ដង ហើយថា វិធានការមួយចំនួនត្រូវបានយកមកអនុវត្ត បន្ទាប់ពីមានវិបត្តិសេដ្ឋកិច្ចពិភពលោក ដើម្បីលើកកម្ពស់ការងារ។ លោកបានឲ្យដឹងថា មកដល់ពេលបច្ចុប្បន្ន កម្មវិធីទាំងនេះ បានជួយឲ្យកម្មករចំនួន៤ម៉ឺននាក់ ដែលត្រូវគេព្យួរការងារ ស្វែងរកការងារបានធ្វើវិញ។

លោកបន្តថា៖ «ការ ពិតនេះជាប្រការចាំបាច់សម្រាប់រដ្ឋាភិបាល ដើម្បីជួយអភិវឌ្ឍធនធានមនុស្ស តែវាត្រូវការកិច្ចសហប្រតិបត្តិការយ៉ាងទូលំទូលាយពីភាគីពាក់ ព័ន្ធ និងដៃគូអភិវឌ្ឍន៍ទាំងអស់»។

របាយ ការណ៍បានដាក់ចេញអនុសាសន៍រយៈពេលវែងនិងខ្លីមួយចំនួនដូចជា ការបញ្ឈប់ការបោះបង់ការសិក្សារបស់កុមារ សំដៅលើកកម្ពស់ការបណ្តុះបណ្តាលជំនាញវិជ្ជាជីវៈនិងកែទម្រង់ការអប់ រំឧត្តមសិក្សា៕ CS

PhD Latest Status Symbol for Cambodia’s Elites

2011-08-11T23:16:00.000-07:00

Cambodia Daily

August 12, 2011

Colleges and universities in the US and Europe often battle grade inflation, but in the tight-knit world of the Cambodian elite, a bigger problem might be developing: PhD inflation.

High-ranking government officials and businessmen are increasingly amassing doctoral degrees. State-run news agency Agence Kampuchea Presse has prefaced the names of officials with their “Doctor” or “PhD” titles, and Khmer-language newspapers frequently run large advertisements congratulating the growing number of new doctorate holders.

Prime Minister Hun Sen himself has a PhD from the National Political Academy in Hanoi, as well as at least nine honorary doctorates from institutions in a number of countries.

Senate and CPP President Chea Sim now boasts three PhDs and two honorary PhDs, including a PhD in political science from the Southern California University for Professional Studies and a PhD in “high leadership in the Senate” from the Open Seminary University of Cambodia.

“Samdech [Chea Sim] did not request or do anything to get all these PhD degrees, but the universities provided them to him,” his Cabinet chief, Kunthea Borey, explained.

Ros Chantrabot, a historian and prominent member of the Royal Academy, said the abundance of PhDs is becoming such an issue that the government recently established a committee to oversee the quality of officials’ doctoral theses.

There are currently about 2,000 PhD candidates in Cambodia, Mr. Chantrabot said. “In a small country like Cambodia, there are too many PhDs, which can lead to PhD inflation,” Mr. Chantrabot said. “Will these PhDs help Cambodia develop as a nation, or be a cancer on the nation or society?”

In late 2009, a Malaysia-based organization called Isles International University awarded PhDs to 19 senior officials, lawmakers and businessmen including CPP Senator Mong Reththy, former deputy municipal governor Mann Chhoeun and senior lawmaker Cheam Yeap.

Isles handed out another batch of doctoral and master’s degrees last week to 14 government and parliamentary officials, including Pen Pannha, chairman of the National Assembly’s legislation committee, and Koam Kosal, Cabinet chief for National Assembly President Heng Samrin. Mr. Heng Samrin also picked up an honorary PhD at the ceremony.

By way of comparison, only one US president has ever held a doctoral degree, and only two of the current 16 US Cabinet officials have PhDs.

Isles International, which has a long history of making false claims about its accreditations status and institutional affiliations, is the current incarnation of Irish International University.

As Irish International, besides granting an honorary doctorate to Mr. Hun Sen, the organization established a joint PhD degree program with Build Bright University, charging Cambodian students extra fees for “Irish” doctorates. In 2006, the Irish government repudiated Irish International University’s claim that it was a recognized university in Ireland.

Since changing its name, Isles International has also falsely claimed to be affiliated with Belgian royalty and to have offices in the European Parliament.

Multiple PhD holder Mr. Yeap, the National Assembly member, said all of his degrees were earned through honest hard work. Mr. Yeap said he earned a “Post PhD” from Isles International in 2009. He also holds two PhDs – one from Northern Colorado University and one from California Global University, which offers online degrees and bills itself as “a global provider of USA education.” In official National Assembly communications, Mr. Yeap is referred to by the title “His Excellency Post Dr. Cheam Yeap.”

Mr. Yeap insists that all his degrees are legitimate. He proudly cites the title of his postdoctoral thesis: Strategy of Economy in Cambodia. “I never used money to buy it,” he said. “My PhDs had proper theses with my own writing, and I defended my theses presentations to professors.” All three theses are now available at the Senate Library, he said.

According to Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a researcher for political and strategic affairs at Singapore-based Asean Studies Center, it is very common for politicians in Thailand to purchase academic degrees, but the situation is worse in Cambodia. “It seems that having a PhD is…certainly to be used as a basis of promotion. But there is a serious negative impact on the overall educational system of the country,” he wrote in an email.

SRP lawmaker Son Chhay called the mania for PhDs “out of proportion in Cambodia” and said he was concerned the degree would eventually lose their value. “People can get PhDs without really studying, you know? You can see that the issue is a kind of business operation here…and we see there are some fake universities giving out PhDs to the very rich and very powerful.”

Independent political analyst Chea Vannath said PhDs were now coveted as the titles His Excellency and Oknha (“tycoon”) were a few years ago, comparing them to other luxury items. “Either they have so many PhD degrees, or they have so many houses or cars. It’s just the human ego to show off their belongings.”

Struggle of Cambodian Youths in Making a Living

2011-08-08T22:53:00.000-07:00

DAWN ’til DUSK

Dancing king

Penh Thavrith, 23, leads a group of youth through an evening dance routine at Riverside. Photo by: KENNETH INGRAM

AS darkness falls at Riverside, a small generator is wheeled into a vacant sidewalk space along with an amplifier and two powerful speakers. Neon lights from shops along Sisowath Quay provide a colourful backdrop as a small crowd starts to form.

“We chose this location because we can’t afford club fees and other [public] places are already full,” explains Penh Thavrith, 23, who says that his group of four young Cambodians have permission from commune officials to host exercise classes there each evening from 5:30pm until 8:00pm, seven nights a week.

“The people who come out here [to dance] are mostly 17 or 18, but we have some as young as two years old,” Penh Thavrith says, trying to catch his breath. “As soon as they can walk we will take them,” he laughs.

Asked about older participants, Penh Thavrith says they are welcome to take part, but that the music his group plays tends to attract younger dancers.

“The older people can go down the street and join other exercise classes,” he says, pointing down the sidewalk to another group of a dozen people following the lead of an aerobics instructor. A number of public exercise classes are held outdoors throughout Phnom Penh each evening and most are being led by the city’s youth. Penh Thavrith says they are a great way for him to earn extra money but carry other benefits for his customers.

“This is good for their health,” he says, pointing to the crowd of teenagers, many sporting sweat-soaked T-shirts.

“I want teenagers to know how to dance because those in the Pol Pot regime didn’t [get the chance] to,” he adds as an additional motivational factor.

The dance group says they incorporate pop music into their routine from a music station on TV, drawing a crowd of about 60 people in one night.

“The fee is 1,000 riel per person,” Penh Thavrith explains. “But some people [about 30 percent] don’t pay … we can’t really do anything about that,” he adds, indicating that the group relies on participants abiding by the honour system.

Named LAPdance after Penh Thavrith’s older brother Lap, a back-up dancer on a local TV station who teaches the others how to move, the group earns about 40,000 riel [$10] a night. Members acknowledge that the profits are not shared equally among them as seniority and experience accounts for how the money is split between the various instructors.

Urban mining

Phearith, 18, stands beside a collection cart containing roughly half-a-day’s pay: $1.25 worth of recyclable cans and bottles. Photo by: KENNETH INGRAM

DAYBREAK in Phnom Penh. Like a starter’s pistol, the first shafts of light cast upon the city each morning signal the beginning of a race, as people scour the streets for aluminium cans and plastic bottles. Wheeling collection carts as they sound a plastic toy in their hand, members of this largely ignored workforce squeak by, capitalising on discarded resources.

“You can rent or buy the cart,” explains Phearith, an 18-year-old who says he arrived in Phnom Penh one year ago with over a dozen friends from Kampot province, looking for a fresh start. With no capital, Phearith says he rents a cart each day as part of a business arrangement with the owner of a recycling depot.

“I collect cans and bottles but I must sell them to the [cart’s] owner directly,” he explains.

Canvassing neighbourhoods over a period of four to five hours every day of the week, Phearith says the resources he amasses are weighed at the depot and pay by the kilogram. Managers at the depot say the salvaged material is then forwarded to Vietnam for processing.

“One kilogram of aluminium, or 65 beer cans, is worth 5,000 riel,” says Phearith’s younger friend who stands nearby with another cart. “We buy cans from people at their homes and also collect the ones we find in the street,” Phearith adds, stating that he pays people 100 riel for every two cans they feed his cart and that five large plastic bottles get the same return. Collecting over a hundred metal and plastic containers each morning, Phearith earns about $2.50 on a typical day.

“I think it’s harder as a construction worker,” he says, describing his experience on construction sites in the past as “backbreaking” labour. “The pay was a little more, about 15,000 riel a day [$3.75] but it was too hard on me,” says Phearith, adding that there is a limited selection of jobs for him and his friends in the city. Asked what he would prefer to be doing, Phearith pauses to think.

“I have no higher education and quit school in grade three because I was sick a lot,” he replies. “I have no idea what else I can do.” Taking a moment to rest in the shade beside a large concrete wall in BKK1, Phearith is unwilling to reveal his full name because he says that people who collect cans are looked down upon by others, who see them as poor and uneducated. “It’s better than being a burglar,” says his 24-year-old friend who also pulls a cart for a living. “Collecting cans is easy. Anyone can do this,” Phearith adds, his eyes following a few motorcycles that drive past.

Double identity

Nob Nora, 23, works as a security guard by day and operates a public telephone booth by night. Photo by: KENNETH INGRAM

TAKING his first shift at 6am, Nob Nora orders noodle soup from a street vendor outside the building he monitors as a private security guard 12 hours a day. Dressed in a dark blue uniform, he looks much younger than his 23 years.

“I came to Phnom Penh [after graduating high school in 2009 in Kampong Thom] to generate money and pursue a higher education,” he explains, adding that his father died almost 17 years ago and he has no living memory of his mother.

“This job pays me $80 a month if I don’t miss any shifts,” Nob Nora says, adding that there is a $10 penalty for missing a day of work but it is less severe if he provides 24-hour notice. He has mixed feelings about security work, citing a bad experience with another company that posted him near Riverside last year.

“Sometimes I had to wait longer than two months to get paid and had no choice but to quit,” he says, explaining that his wage is enough to survive but not enough to help achieve his long-term goal of attending university to study information technology. In an effort to earn extra money, Nob Nora saved $75 to invest in a metal telephone booth and two cordless phones.

“I had seen someone with a telephone booth set up outside the Night Market last year and there was only one public phone so I decided to give it a try,” he says. Once his 12-hour security shift ends at 6pm, Nob Nora makes his way home only to change out of uniform before heading back outside – most evenings – to run the booth near Phsar Reatrey, the weekend night market located at Riverside.

He has little contact with others despite the bustle around him, except for customers and a few people who take money from him each evening.

“I pay 400 riel to government officials like everyone else along this street,” he explains. “One is a hygiene officer and the other is an order officer, both from the municipality.” Asked if he agrees with the fees, Nob Nora says that it is a part of life in the city and was worse only a few months ago.

“It’s OK but before I didn’t think it was fair. I used to have to pay 1,400 riel a night,” he says, explaining that two private security guards near Riverside used to demand 1,000 riel from him. “I haven’t seen them for a few months now and I don’t know where they went,” he says.

Between 15 and 20 customers visit his telephone booth on an average night, where he makes about 10 cents per minute from local calls.

“I charge 300 riel (13 cents) per minute,” he says, explaining that most customers use his phones to connect with mobile networks that have been blocked by their own providers and that some cannot afford a mobile phone. Most of the people using his phones are Khmer, but Nob Nora says that the odd foreigner has stopped by to place a call.

“It’s mostly the same faces I see here,” he says. Fridays and weekends are the most lucrative for his phone booth, when he can earn between 10,000 and 20,000 riel per day compared to 5,000 and 6,000 riel on a weekday. Inconspicuous and impeccably dressed, Nob Nora stands by his booth until about 11pm before calling it a night.

Freedom and the challenges of teen pregnancy in Canada

2011-07-27T13:39:00.001-07:00

FREEDOM is the lifeblood of human enterprise. Free-market countries have higher standards of living, social development and productivity levels. Some, though, contend that freedom is a double-edged sword.

Greater independence from parents and guardians can lead to the creation of a more open, more progressive society in which young people are free to engage their talents and amass practical knowledge.

But some say too much freedom can lead to undisciplined and incompetent adolescents.

In Canada, adolescents enjoy a wide array of freedoms, sexual, romantic and otherwise. But high teen pregnancy and divorce rates have some policymakers worried.

Still, statistics show that national teen pregnancy rates have been declining. A study from 1996 to 2006 showed a drop of 37 per cent, compared with a 25 per cent decline in the neighbouring US.

This doesn’t necessarily mean teenagers are less sexually active. In fact, a study found about 50 per cent of teens aged 16 and 17 engage in sexual activity.

These findings confirm what has become only too visible in daily life: teens holding hands, hugging, kissing and generally revelling in young love, all in public.

The teen-pregnancy study includes statistics on births, abortions and miscarriages. The Canadian government views all three outcomes as having a negative impact on society.

If newborns survive the delivery process, teens are often unprepared to act as parents. And miscarriages and abortions can result in various diseases and complications that can stall the mother’s education and development.

Teen pregnancy affects individuals, families and entire communities, placing a social and economic burden on the whole of society.

According to the study, the welcome decline in teen pregnancy can be attributed to an increase in awareness about sexual health and protection among teenage girls, as well as increasingly easy access to clinics and family planning counsellors. Young women are using their freedom to make safer decis-ions, entering the adult world of sex and romance armed with more information and more confidence.

The story may be different in Cambodia. Canada is fairly open to adolescent sexual activity and independent decision-making, but the issue is rarely talked about in Cambodia, where cultural conservatism and embedded tradition keep teenage sexuality under wraps.

For this reason, teen pregnancy rates are higher and show little sign of declining. Until the Kingdom begins some sort of dialogue on teenage sexuality, young women in Cambodia will continue to have their education interrupted and their freedom curtailed.

About Sophoan Seng
I am the single son of a farming family from Siem Reap. I spent more than 10 years as a Buddhist monk. I graduated with a master’s degree in political science from the University of Hawaii and am a PhD candidate at the same university.

My interests are social-capital research, the empowerment of young people for social change, and grassroots participation to developing democracy. I am a freelance and president of the Khmer Youth Association of Alberta. I can be reached at sophan@hawaii.edu.

Source of this article: Phnom Penh Post LIFT

Youth Camp Project (Dhammicarika) on June 1, 2011

2011-05-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

Dhammacarika Youth Camp Project
To facilitate for Cambodian youths to explore their inner potential in ethic awareness
and social participation

If you are planning for a day, plant rice
If you are planning for 20 years, plan trees
If you are planning for future generations, plant leaders.

Organizer: Youth Education Buddhist Center (YEBC)
Location: Tep Pranom High School, Srok Pagnealoe, Kandal Province,Cambodia.

1. Name of Project: Dhammacarika Youth Camp Project or Youth Leadership Education

2. Vision and Mission Statement:

Most Cambodian people recognize themselves as Buddhists in which this faith has embraced
their spirit, way of life, culture and thought. Buddhism has played important roles in Cambodian society in the past, present and future. Through the profound teaching of moderation, middle path, self-reliance, mindfulness, ethic-based individuality, compassion, tolerance, non-violence and enlightenment has led Cambodian people to a satisfiable level of spiritual.

Following decades of civil war, major social infrastructures have been abolished and split apart especially Buddhism which is considered as the main institute of society, has been degraded. During Khmer Rouge regime, those perpetrators started their expedition by destroying temples, sacred sites, burning scriptures, disrobing and murdering Bhikkhu monks. Definitely, they killed most of the educated figures. When most educated monks have been eliminated, the chronic difficulty of national Buddhist education is clearly informed. Nowadays, we are lack of effective leaders, up-to-date text bookss and accurate curriculum.

Seeing these disadvantages, we are the young generation of Cambodia have initiated to establish Khmer Youth Education Buddhist Center to embark our journey specifically targeting young monks, students and children by providing them the opportunity of searching their inner capacity, leadership, self-awareness and wisdom for themselves, their peers, neighbors and communities.

3. Objectives:
Our important objectives are:

To provide opportunity to young monks, students or children to explore their inner
potential through meditation and interaction.
To develop leadership capacity for monks and young students
To instruct them to be aware of learning sciences compatible with ethic responsibility.
To guide them in an appropriate way of replacing their bad habits and negative thought.
To wake them up in the spirit of becoming good children, good students, good friends, good citizens and good followers.
To envision them in learning, practicing, caring and spreading their proper culture and tradition.
To practice the Dhamma in order to gain inner enlightenment and pay gratitude to all elders, ancestors and heroes / heroines

4. Project duration: June 1st, 2011 to June 5th, 2011

1. Target place:

-Tep Pranom High School, Phum Tep Pranom, Srok Pagnealoe, Kandal Province, Cambodia.
-participants: 1993 students with 943 girl students

5. Administrators:

- Mr.Sophan Seng = Consultant of Project (B.A, MA, and PhD candidates)

- Mr.Bo Pao = Consultant of Project (B.A)

- Preah Bhikkhu Vath Vibol = Executive Director and President of Project (B.A of MCU)

7. Curriculum and Teaching Process:

a. Dhamma Comprehension Classes

- Dhamma teachings of young generation existing of Morals, Concentration and Wisdom
- History of Lord Buddha for the exampler of life development
- Ethics and Behaviors emphasizing on Five Precepts, Five Dhammas, and Five Good Characters of People
- Developing our life through three aspects of Birth, Awakening and Enlightenment

b. Practicing Classes
- Chanting mantras and undertaking five precepts
- Training to act courteousness, prostrating, and good-looking positioning.
- Practicing to sit meditation, walking meditation and spreading good wishes
- Question, answers and short skits

c. Social participation
- Training them to be aware of Nation, Religion and King
- Getting involved in maintaining and spreading of Khmer culture
- Involving in social and natural environment

d.Special invocation

- Reminding them to the virtue of Triple Gem and Parent

8. Estimated Budget:

Estimated budget for one project cost arount $ 1500. Each project will be differently spent.

9. Budget Expected from: NGO, Local Community and international donors

10. Expecting results:
- All participants can have self-disciplinary and self-reliance
- All participants can be aware of doing good deeds, avoiding all evil deeds and purify their mind.
- All participants can develop themselves to become a good child, good student, good friend, good citizen and good follower.
- All participants can enhance and raise up their capacity of social leadership
- All participants can learn to develop tolerance, compassion, generosity and non-violence
- All participants can share their visions and critical issue to better their community
- All participants can get involved more and more in protecting environment
- All participants can contribute their experiences to bring along with sustainable development.

11. Responsible persons and Contacts:

1/.Bhikkhu Vath Vibol, Executive Director, Tel: (855)12 31 29 08, 90 722 050
Watt Prasatbakong, Bakong Commune, Prasatbakong Districk, Siem Reap, Cambodia
E- mail: kyso2005@yahoo.com www.cambodianyouth.org
2/. Preah Maha Hom Sothea Tel: (855) 12 329 694

3/. Preah Maha Douk Dom Tel: (855) 12 913 724

4/. Mr. Bo Pao Tel: (855) 17 379 730
Consultants:

-Mr. Sophan Seng, Tel: 1 (403) 455 8294
(B.A, MA., PhD Candidate)
E-mail: sophanse@gmail.com /sophan@hawaii.edu/
http://www.sophanseng.info/ www.cambodianview.com

-Mr.Bo Pao (Admin and Human Resoorce Manager )
Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
Tel : (855)17 379 730
E-mail: pao_bo@yahoo.com

12. Publication:
Youth Education Buddhist Center will be responsible for reporting to donors, and stakeholders.

Thank you very much,

Cambodia's Future After The 'Killing Fields'

2010-12-09T10:52:00.000-08:00

"Angkor's Children" will tell the world they are more than just a country of tears; they are a country of dreams.

Belmont film maker Lauren Shaw explores the post genocide generation of Cambodians in her documentary "Angkor's Children."

By Len Abram
BelmontPatch.com

A still from Lauren Shaw's documentary "Angkor's Children." Credit Lauren Shaw

Lauren Shaw

From 1975 until it was overthrown in 1979, the infamous Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot ruled Cambodia, murdering more than two million fellow Cambodians in a reign of internal terror not seen in modern history. The expression "the killing fields" represents what most people think of Cambodia.

This great loss of life changed the Cambodian demographics: 51 percent of the country today is under 25, and large numbers of the survivors fled to the United States as refugees, many settling in the Boston area.

Belmont resident Lauren Shaw, an associate professor in Visual and Media Arts at Emerson College, teaches photography in Boston. She was visiting Vietnam in 2007 when she decided to take a side-trip to Cambodia, the site of one of the world's great architectural wonders, Angkor Wat.

In contrast to Vietnam, she saw a country that was trying to rebuild after the horrors of genocide. It became apparent that Cambodia was a place she felt compelled to help.

Belmont Patch reached Shaw, who is preparing for another trip in December to Cambodia to work on her latest film, "Angkor's Children."

See the trailer for "Angkor's Children" above.

Patch: Your first documentary is about providing clean water to Cambodians, by contributing to the construction of wells. How did you first get involved in this village development project?

Shaw: "A Drop in the Bucket" is a documentary about the need for safe water throughout the rural areas of Cambodia. Without good health and education, this country cannot move forward.

Water is essential for providing good health, something we Americans take for granted. In Cambodia, a well costs $350.

Change has to begin somewhere. My documentary explores how safe water improves the lives of villagers and ultimately the general population. My wish is that "A Drop in the Bucket" raises public awareness and becomes a call to action.

Q: A significant Cambodian immigrant population is in the Boston area. Are they aware of your work about their native land?

A: In Lowell especially, I know of many Cambodian immigrants. And that's in addition to many Cambodian children adopted by American families after the Pol Pot regime. I have not shown this film in Lowell, but have made connections within the community, many of whom have never visited Cambodia. They share a deep love for their country, however, and their hope for its future.

Q: How will your second film "Anghor's Children" differ from your first?

A: "Angkor's Children" is about the post-genocide generation of young Cambodians. As noted, 50 per cent of the population is under 21. The seeds of the Angkor Empire of the 12th century lie in the Cambodian youth of today, which is moving beyond "the killing fields" to the aspirations of a new generation.

It is a story told by Cambodians, of energy, hope, and unexpected turns as they recapture the ancient, and embrace the modern, to create their future.

I intend to focus on three Cambodians as they pursue their dreams. One of them, a young woman, who earned her living picking trash, is now is a leading member of the Battambang circus. Chai a former boy/soldiers is an engineer, who is working to revise ancient, water reservoirs so that more villages will have access to water. Boomer, a deportee from the US, uses hip-hop to teach gang members in the city how to get off the street and live constructive lives. They are determined individuals in their ambitions, not unlike kids anywhere, except for their tragic national past.

When I get to Cambodia, I will determine if we have chosen the best stories to represent our theme of Cambodian renewal through this new generation.

Q: What is the LEF Foundation?

A: It's a private family foundation that funds the work of independent film and video artists in the region. The Foundation hopes to advance recognition and support for local filmmakers, both locally and nationally.

The Foundation awarded our film $5,000 toward the pre-productions of "Anghor's Children," of which we have shot 47 hours of film. Following my trip in December to Cambodia, I have applied for a sabbatical semester to complete the film in Cambodia.

Q: What do you think we Americans can learn from Cambodians and their tragic national experience?

A. We see a people of great courage, tenacity and resilience. "Anghor's Children" demonstrates those characteristics through the lives of young people, trying to find a place for themselves, against heavy odds. Their struggle is challenging and hard.

"Angkor's Children" will tell the world they are more than just a country of tears; they are a country of dreams.

For more information on Lauren Shaw's films, please visit

www.laurenshaw.com, www.adropinthebucketfilm.com, and www.angkorschildren.com

Please help vote for Cambodian-Canadian hopeful skater Lexis Ly for her chance to share the first skate experience with Olympic heroes

2010-12-08T20:39:00.000-08:00

11-1/2-year old Lexis Ly

Dear All KI-Media Readers,

Please, take your one minute to vote for Lexis Ly, a Cambodian-Canadian girl who is competing for Winspot Canada - First Skate Contest.

To vote for her, click on the link below, then scroll down to "Lexis L." and click "Vote Now!".

Click here to vote for Lexis

To view a video of our hopeful and spunky Cambodian-Canadian skater, please watch the Youtube video below.

Thank you!

---------

Vote NOW for your favorite top ten finalist!

The top three vote-getters will win the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share the first skate experience with Olympic heroes Hayley Wickenheiser, Elvis Stojko and Christine Nesbitt on one of three new ice rinks at Canada Olympic Park.

Please view the top ten video and essay submissions and cast your vote from December 6 until December 12, 2010.

The winners will be unveiled and claim their prizes on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 at the athletic and ice complex at COP at the First Skate event.

Original source: Ki-Media

Youth Camp Ordination Project 2007

2007-02-10T01:34:00.000-08:00

Youth Education Project Instructed in Srok Pouk District

2006-02-03T23:26:00.000-08:00

Project : Wandering Dhamma Project to enrich Cambodian young generation with self-responsibility, self-reliance and moral awareness. It is organized by the Youth Education Buddhist Center which is under the patronage and concern of Cambodian Education Ministry.
Date : May 1-10, 2004
Place : Vidyalaya Pouk High School, in Pouk District, Siem Reap Province
Leader : Preah Bhikkhu Pannavisarado Vath Vibol
Main Advisor and Supporter : Preah Bhikkhu Vodano Sophan Seng
Participants : 3,000 of students and teachers

Khmer Youth Program of Moral Enhancement in Kompong Kdey High School 2003

2006-01-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

Project : Wandering Dhamma Project to enrich Cambodian young generation with self-responsibility and their motherland awareness. It is organized by the Youth Education Buddhist Center which is under the patronage and concern of Cambodian Education Ministry.
Date : May 1-10, 2003
Place : Kompung Kdey High School, in Jikraeng District, Siem Reap Province
Leader : Preah Bhikkhu Pannavisarado Vath Vibol
Main Advisor and Supporter : Preah Bhikkhu Vodano Sophan Seng
Participants : 3,000 of students and teachers