I do not know how this life chapter began, but this is how it starts:

Two years ago during this time, I was hardly preparing myself to say “GOOD BYE” to my beloved family, colleague, and friends, yet it was an exciting moment to land in Japan, the country that always dream to visit during my childhood.

Temporarily stayed in a small box-size room at Sinjuku Washington Hotel, where the most crowded area i have never seen, I was completely bored and I counted down the day I could readily settle to my school. Located in an isolated rural area, International University of Japan have been commonly called by its students as “International University in Jungle” or “I and U in Jail.”

Actually this tale is true. While the Shinkansen officer announced that “soon we will arrive Urasa (the train station near my school),” my tear nearly dropped unconsciously because I did see my university surround by a ranges of mountains and forest. If it is not a jail, then it should be an abandoned forest. I feel so pity to myself when thinking of my two-year life in this area. Even worst, my first arrival to the school was welcomed by a green snake which quickly moved from side walk to grass field, and a number of frogs and scorpion who we might see them on our room’s wall, near our bed or even near the window.

In spite of this, I started to realize that life at IUJ is a precious moment of my life chapter. If it is a jail, it is just a jail in Paradise, if it is a jungle, it is just a jungle of love, friendship, and another great life test. It is not only the academic test, but also the test on how to live in diversity and multicultural community. Meeting a number of students from nearly 50 countries is just like we ourself traveling to these countries since we could learn and understand each other’s culture and their way of life. What a funny life is if we also need to queue in a crowded shared-kitchen waiting our turn to cook. Though the kitchen is small, it could accommodate a crowded chiefs who apparently talked to each other, yet we can hear different sound of languages and accents. From spicy to curry smell, we sometime shared food and party together at Cafe No Problem or our dorm lounge.

IUJ in early winter taken from my dorm’s window, photo taken by Sopheap Chak

Japan’s weather is changing quickly but there are four constant seasons which help us to release every moment when thinking back of our home. From hot summer to fall, a great start is seeing the first snow during winter, but it lasts long until we eagerly smile for spring.

My two year stay in Japan is a great memory for me with all kind treatment from friends and Japanese community. Thank everyone for making great pages for my life chapter.

]]> http://sopheapfocus.com/index.php/2010/07/life-chapter-iuj/feed/ 6 http://sopheapfocus.com/index.php/2010/06/key-lesson-learned-from-un-habitat-peoples-process-for-development/ http://sopheapfocus.com/index.php/2010/06/key-lesson-learned-from-un-habitat-peoples-process-for-development/#comments Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:45:26 +0000 chaksopheap http://sopheapfocus.com/?p=401 By Sopheap Chak

Lessons learned from Special Lecture by Lalith Lankatilleke from UN-Habitat Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific on “Rebuilding Post-conflict and Post-disaster Communities adapting the People’s Process,” organized by my school, International University of Japan, on June 02, 2010.

Key words: Development, Control Paradigm, Support Paradigm, Support Cycle

This was just a great lecture I have ever attended; it is not because of the title of the lecture or the UN related organ where the guest speaker is coming from. This is because of interactive, comprehensive, and practical methodologies applied by Mr. Lalith Lankatilleke that impressed me. The following post will be divided into two parts aiming at sharing lesson learned from the lecture: (i)Key lesson learned from UN-Habitat’s Approach and (ii) Best methodology to be a great guest speaker.

(i)Key lesson learned on People’s Process for Development

People’s process of development can be witnessed through the evolvement of people’s desire to improve their lives. Humans developed their settlement from living in caves, then building shelters, and now home. Along this settlement evolution, they had also established certain norms, standards, and a mutual understanding surrounding their community. That is call people’s process of development.

However this process has been taken over by the state and private sector who should have realized that people are the best producers of their own housing. The two paradigms that the guest speaker introduced here as worth discussing: When does development gains its momentum?

Control Paradigm and Support Paradigm, excerpted from Lalith Lankatilleke's lecture note.

• Development driven by authorities/Control Paradigm: when authorities are at the center of development process controlled by bureaucrats, it consumes more time and money that impacts live of limited number of people.
• Development driven by people/Support Paradigm: when people stays at the center of development planning process, the resource can be optimized with greater utility impacting larger number of people.

While the former paradigm giving much centralization on authorities who supported by professional designers and bureaucrats, the later paradigm is more recommended since it involves people participation from the decision-making process to the final products that will satisfy their need. Yet it also requires the recognition, legal support, and both financial and technical assistance from authorities and organizations.

For post conflict situation, people’s process, which boosts ingenuity and creativity among people,  is proved important in order to realize the transition from relief to recovery to reconstruction and development. To make this transition possible, support cycle is necessary:

Support Cycle, excerpted from Lalith Lankatilleke's lecture note.

1. People emerged from post-conflict or post-disaster situation requires first the confident-building supports to recover from the conflict’s trauma.
2. Then people’s empowerment is needed to smooth out the people’s process.
3. Secure them the security by supporting their housing process.
4. Then financial assistance will help them to get started for their live.
5. Technical advice will help assist people’s capability.

Support methodologies were also introduced in the lecture which I found it practical and it has been practiced in a number of countries including Afghanistan which has been used as example. This includes:

Mobilization and Empowerment: giving them space to take action by mobilizing for community representatives. Then we can form the organization of elected representatives representing 10 to 15 families to start their community action planning.

(ii) Best methodology to be a great guest speaker

• Interactive communication with audience always give us value-added. This guest speaker starts his presentation by asking audience to have brief introduction; so that he can pinpoint the commonness of problems or experience throughout the lecture (however, it maybe only applicable when number of participants is small).
• Giving a little exercise to audience in braining their role to development process will generate more participation and understanding of our lecture. In this case, we were divided into groups playing the roles as Afghanistan’s Citizen, Government, Politician, and Donor in order to identify the problems and needs so that important tasks and aid can be prioritized.

In nutshell, this lecture gave me both conceptual framework for development operation and valuable lesson learn to conduct a great lecture. Thanks to Mr. Lalith Lankatilleke!

Imagine ourselves as an orphan is sad enough, but the refuge kids in the movie are more suffered for anticipating their fate in the upcoming US’s invasion into Iraq in 2003. Yet, the kids seemingly impressed about American’s value.  This even includes the ground mine made in America; the selling price would be higher (the kids earned their income by digging for ground mine to sell to officers or the market).

The sad part of this story is the young girl, Agrin, who apparently looks fine, yet her heart fulled of hatred and desperation due to the suffer from being rapped by military. This young girl, who should have enjoyed her time at school, friends, and family at her age, is taking care a toddler who is a reminder of her pain. Many occasion, she had tried to end herself and kid’s life, but the motherhood kept haunting her. Finally; however, she successfully fulfilled her goal. The break of family relationship, mother and child, is unbelievable, but it is possible due to the traumatization of war.

Beside the tragedy part, interestingly, “Turtles Can Fly” emphasizes the role of media in informing public about what will happen in their community, if not the world. ”Satellite,” a brave and smart kid, who help mobilizing orphans for income generation and life struggling, introduced to villagers the importance of access to media.

In the movie script, Satellite talked with an elder who did not believe that this kid can get the media shown in the village through the antenna and especially due to the local governor’s restriction:

The old man: I swearyou won’t ever get pictures in this viIIage with this antenna.

Satellite: I said you shouId buy a satellite.

The old man: A satellite! The village governor says the satellite is prohibited.

Satellite: Don’t say that! The sexy and dance channels are prohibited, not the news.

Maybe my sharing is not convincing enough, you can try yourself here:

This movie is not solely reflecting the tragedy of kids living near Iraqi-Turkish border, but the whole world where experienced the wars, genocide and political conflicts. As the country leaders, can you stop thinking of struggling for power, but peace?

Firstly, it is about the travel itself. it is my first trip to South America where i have never experienced such a long travel. Yet, I would not complaint about it since other few members took longer flights than mine. It took me about 35 hours to reach Santiago by transferring through a various channels: From Niigata to Seoul of Korea, then from Vancouver to Toronto, and finally i safely arrived Chile where I first meet John Kennedy, Chinese Language Editor for Global Voices Online, originated from Canada but currently living in China. Only one indirectly mail correspondence, I and John managed to meet up at main entrance of Santiago Airport and we took taxi together to the hotel. My first meet-up with John help me to feel released for not getting lost alone in Chile. Thank John!!! |his name recalled me a joke by Tarek Amr, GV author from Egypt, who wrote in our mail correspondence:

Dear Mr. President – John Kennedy – would you please allow me to take a photo with you.

GV Summit Welcoming Banner at Santiago Public Library

Secondly, it is about first meet-up of Global Voice team. Exposing to a global environment within 2 years at my school, International University of Japan, where students from about 50 countries living in dormitories and studying together, it should be not surprised for me to meet global team. However, what is striking me about Global Voice team is the diversity of the members who are apparently migrating around the world. Nearly all members I met mentioned at least two countries when we introduced each other. Similar to John Kennedy and my case that I am Cambodian currently studying in Japan, an outgoing GV friend,  Simon Maghakyan, a native Armenia who is currently pursuing his study in US, jokingly introduced himself as Amernian. If the team would allow, I would call GV members as GV Immigrants.

It has been 7 months of my volunteerism as Contributing Author for GV that I have first met all the team who just communicated online. Asking myself how do I feel about this meet-up, it reminded me about my advise to a friend who asked what I am thinking if a Facebook friend want to meet her offline. My advise is that “Online networking is great, but when it comes to offline, there is associated risks.” During the summit, the organizers introduced a survey game which is perfectly matched my story. Questions are “does your parents know if you write for GV?” Some said Yes and some said No, but when it come to question “are they supporting your writing for GV?” An interesting GV member said “Yes, my mum supported it. But when i told her that I will meet the team in Chile, she quickly reacted that online friends are dangerous.”

I now believe that there are associated risks by meeting people offline. The risks here is the inspiration of many people from different countries who have been actively using online network to reach their vision and their communities. I have been inspired by a number of bloggers/authors/translators and especially I am impressed about how Global Voice is functioning and attracting not only contributors, but readers, followers, and donors.

Thirdly, my participation in this summit is not only in the name of GV author, but as regional researcher for Technology for Transparency Project aiming at mapping and evaluating technology projects that promote transparency, accountability, and civic engagement around the world. It is my first independent research tasks and I am obliged to give a keynote speech of the research result on “Southeast Asia: Good Governance Advocacy via Technology”. My meeting with all research team and donors give me more insight on how we should improve our research as well as to engage the project initiators together for more impact and project feasibility.

Last but not least, the Chile trip is my first experience to have Hamburger as my everyday meal instead of rice. Beside food, I love the view of this country since I took a glance from the plane where i could see a range of peaceful mountains. I enjoyed the view of Santiago from San Cristobal Hill (Vista de la ciudad desde el Cerro San Cristobal) and the people who eagerly and friendly asking me “Where are you coming from”! then “Hola, welcome to Chile.”

Vista de la ciudad desde el Cerro San Cristobal (View of Santiago from San Cristobal Hill)

Vista de la ciudad desde el Cerro San Cristobal (View of Santiago from San Cristobal Hill) at night

Published on UPI Asia Online, April 23, 2010

Niigata, Japan — Cambodia: The Rise of Citizen Media via Mobile Phone

Mobile phones have gained in popularity since 2000, even at the bottom of the economic pyramid, due to their affordability and indispensability. This is especially true in Cambodia, the first country in the world in which the number of mobile phone users surpassed the number using fixed landlines.

There are nearly 4 million mobile users, representing 26 percent of the population, according to the United Nations Development Program’s 2009 report, “Cambodia Country Competitiveness.”

Even though the population size and penetration rate of mobile phones in Cambodia are much lower than in neighboring Thailand and Vietnam, which have penetration rates over 80 percent, the Cambodian market seems to be booming, with nine service providers to cover 14 million people.

Thailand, with a population of 67 million, has only seven providers, while Vietnam has eight operators for its 87 million people, according to a report in Economics Today.

Cambodia’s excess of service providers may not be viable in the long term, but the competition has lowered prices and brought greater customer satisfaction.

Thanks to low prices, mobile phones have become indispensable in Cambodia, preferred over traditional communications including landlines and the postal service. With poor transportation infrastructure and a shortage of electricity coverage, mobile phones are the most convenient appliance, offering a range of services including radio, music, videos, and even Internet access.

Interestingly, mobile banking service was recently introduced to Cambodia. Now rural Cambodians can make low-cost payments and money transfers from their mobile phones.

Beyond that, mobile phones have had a great impact on mobilizations and collective actions, during the election campaign for example. Political parties use SMS text messaging, the cheapest and most effective way of widely spreading their message, for their political campaigns. Also civil organizations that monitor elections use SMS to communicate among themselves.

Probably due to its accessibility and vast penetration, text messaging in Cambodia was banned during the last day of the Commune Council Election in 2007 by the National Election Committee. Though opposition parties and human rights groups claimed the ban would hamper the right to freedom of expression, the committee claimed the ban was justified by the law prohibiting campaigning on election day or the day before, and it would prevent parties from using text messaging to mobilize rallies, thereby ensuring a quiet environment for voters.

Surprisingly, SMS text messaging partly contributed to the 2008 election victory of the ruling party, which had supported the earlier ban of text messaging. This is because a nationalistic movement coincided with the election campaign, due to a border dispute between Cambodia and Thailand over the Preah Vihear temple. This generated political approval of the government, which publicly denounced any invasion of Cambodian territory. Mobile phone text messages circulated saying, “Khmers love Khmer and should boycott anything Thai or with Thai writing on it.”

Another side effect of mobile technology is that it mobilizes people for human rights activism and social causes through SMS text messaging. When human rights activists were being arrested in Cambodia in late 2005 and early 2006, for example, human rights activists used SMS text messaging to mobilize public support to demand the release of those arrested and freedom of expression.

In other Asian countries SMS text messaging has become an effective means of disseminating information and mobilizing people. The spread of information about the 2007 Saffron Revolution in Burma was possible thanks to mobile technology; it led to a global mobilization to free Burma from human rights abuses.

During that time, a group of Cambodians wearing red shirts gathered to protest in front of the Burmese Embassy in Phnom Penh. Thanks to the widespread use of mobile text messaging and blogs, people around the world could join the same cause at the same time.

This trend, the rise of citizen media, is especially important in countries like Cambodia, where people who otherwise would have no voice are encouraged to disseminate information, organize events, and join social causes through mobile phone communication.

–

(Chak Sopheap is a graduate student of peace studies at the International University of Japan. She runs a blog, www.sopheapfocus.com, in which she shares her impressions of both Japan and her homeland, Cambodia. She was previously advocacy officer of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights. ©Copyright Chak Sopheap.)

Published on UPI Asia Online

Niigata, Japan — The problem of forced evictions and land grabs is growing worse in Cambodia, leading to violence due to deep dissatisfaction over existing resettlement schemes. Some 133,000 residents of Phnom Penh, or 11 percent of the city’s population of 1.2 million, have been evicted since 1990.

According to Amnesty International, there were 27 instances of forced urban evictions reported in 2008, affecting some 23,000 people. A further 150,000 are currently at risk of eviction, including approximately 70,000 in Phnom Penh.

Amnesty International reported that several urban communities had been evicted from their homes and relocated to areas that lacked the most basic infrastructure. Other communities facing eviction orders are crying out for legal and humanitarian support from the government and civil society groups.

This phenomenon is not unique to Cambodia; it occurs in both developed and developing countries where poor communities or informal settlements and slums are often targeted. People are evicted to make way for development and infrastructure projects, large international events like the Olympic games and urban redevelopment and beautification initiatives. Sometimes political conflict, ethnic cleansing and war are factors. However, “development” is the most common justification in all countries, including Cambodia.

Surprisingly, almost all regions have experienced forced evictions including Africa, Europe, the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region. According to a global survey by the Center on Housing Rights and Evictions, covering 80 countries from 1998 to 2008, more than 18 million people were victims of forced evictions. Of this number, 47 percent occurred in Asia and the Pacific, followed by 44 percent in Africa, 8 percent in the Americas and 1 percent in Europe. The data showed that nearly 2 million people face eviction annually.

Cambodia ranks first among Asian countries in the number of evictions. These occur because of five key factors: 1) illegal construction and occupation of the land; 2) city development and beautification; 3) property market forces, gentrification and private development; 4) the granting of economic land concessions; and 5) the granting of social land concessions.

While the government justifies evictions for the sake of beautifying and developing the cities, there are many eviction cases where violence and legal abuses have occurred while little or no actual development has taken place. Strikingly, most of the areas that have been cleared to make way for development projects have been turned over to private companies owned or chaired by high-ranking officials and affiliated powerful businessmen.

Many areas cleared for the sake of “development” are yet to be developed. For example, the Sombok Chap area, from which more than 6,000 people were evicted in 2006, is still undeveloped. The same is true of the Monivong Hospital site, from which 168 families were forcibly evicted to make way for commercial development. This area is now being used for a parking lot and carwash.

There have been a few model resettlement cases, like that of Veng Sreng, where people were given enough time and allowed to choose their place of relocation. In this case there was close collaboration among the authorities, the community and local and international organizations in planning and coordinating a resettlement scheme. This positive approach meets the needs of the people and the government, while addressing the government poverty reduction program and advancing the millennium development goals.

In cases where the government urgently needs an area for development or investment projects, this model should be applied so that human security risks are avoided. The government’s current pursuit of development has often brought legal abuses and violations of peoples’ rights and produced little or no actual development. Thus it is important that the government reevaluate its development criteria.

Different people may define development differently. In traditional economic terms, it is strictly based on the capacity of a national economy valued in terms of gross national product. However, development as introduced by Michael. Todaro and Stepen C. Smith must “represent the whole gamut of change by which an entire social system, tuned to the diverse basic needs and desires of individuals and social groups within that system, moves away from a condition of life widely perceived as unsatisfactory toward a situation or condition of life regarded as materially and spiritually better.”

This concept includes three basic components of development: 1) Sustenance, or meeting basic needs including food, shelter, health and protection; 2) Self-esteem, or a sense of worth and self-respect; and 3) Freedom from servitude, including access to choices with minimal external constraints.

Based on these criteria, development must bring about certain goals. It must increase sustenance or life-sustaining goods including food, shelter, health and protection. It must raise living standards including the provision of more jobs, better education and greater attention to cultural and human values, contributing to greater individual and national self-esteem. And it must expand the range of economic and social choices.

In this context, the Cambodian and other governments that justify forced evictions for the sake of “national development” must reevaluate their development agenda in order to faithfully address the core values and objectives of development.

–

(Chak Sopheap is a graduate student of peace studies at the International University of Japan. She runs a blog, www.sopheapfocus.com, in which she shares her impressions of both Japan and her homeland, Cambodia. She was previously advocacy officer of the Cambodian Center for Human Rights. ©Copyright Chak Sopheap.)

While the world is facing financial downturn, richest men on the earth have been still recorded. My interest to the 2010 World’s Richest Man record is the Mexican Carlos Slim who also broke the record for 2007 when i compared him to a well-known Cambodian richest man, Tycoon Kith Meng. My commentators debated whether my assumption about Kit Meng as the Cambodian richest man is corrected or should be someone else or our Prime Minister.

With this debate and current development of draft law on Anti-Corruption which have been adopted in the National Assembly this Thursday, the Cambodian’s richest man record can be prevailed since the law outlines for asset declaration among high ranking officials and civil society leaders (this asset declaration has draw much discussion on why civil society leaders are also subjected to this declaration). However, this premise is questionable as key proposals for independence of Anti-Corruption Commission and publicity of asset declaration have been ignored.

If transparency and Anti-Corruption is the aim of Cambodian government, i hope the detail of asset declaration either put by the Anti-Corruption Commission or any agency can be made publicly.

Published on IUJ, available in both English and Japanese.

On March 5, 2010, IUJ, with support from the JDS Program, organized a field trip where about 20 students were able to inspect how both the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Bank of Japan operate and contribute to financial stability and growth.

At the Tokyo Stock Exchange, the history of the stock market and its operation were introduced via a video clip. Through this briefing, we learned the fact that the first company to issue stocks and bonds was the Dutch East India Company in 1602 through the Amsterdam Stock Exchange. In addition, we came to understand the distinction between investment through holding stock and through bank savings. Through banks, we can earn interest that is low compared to stocks where we can earn dividends from the company whose stock we invested in via broker agents. However, the main difference is that it is risky to invest in stocks, as our dividends depend on the health of the company. We then were able to see the real platform of the stock exchange, which is often shown on TV, including the Stock Market Index which moves indicating world stock transactions, the chart showing different stock companies and their share prices which promptly fluctuated in only a second, and the Market Center where traditionally many brokers came to make their stock transactions. However, with modern technology, stock transactions have become better operated online without crowding in face to face.

Then we moved on to visit the Bank of Japan where the role of the central bank was addressed. We now better understand the key functions of the central bank in monetary policy and financial system stability. Economic transactions and social security can be difficult and risky without the facilitation of a central bank. It was also amazing to see how the Bank of Japan is well prepared for not only the financial system problems, but also for natural disasters such as earthquakes. The bank is physically designed to protect from earthquakes as well as being able to provide money management when crises occur.

In a nutshell, this field trip offered much practical knowledge to participants coming from different countries to see how key financial institutions are functioning. More importantly, for myself, being from Cambodia, where a stock exchange will be commenced soon, probably within the next year, the visit to the Tokyo Stock Exchange is worth sharing. My suggestion for next year’s field trip is to have a deeper understanding and discussion of the risk management systems of these institutions (for example the current financial crisis: the role of these institutions) where students can incorporate Japan’s experience in their home countries.

I have been taught differently by my family and society. While my parents who value education and equal status of human being regardless sex that brought me to today’s higher education the same as my brother, my society distracted me into a mixed environment where I have to always debate myself for any step to move forward. The mixed environment here i refer to the situation where people keep telling me to follow the old tradition, while another side contradict this practice.

Gender Perception in Cambodian Society

In Cambodia, a male-dominated society, females are more expected to conform to norm and tradition which placed women inferior to her male counterparts. There are various traditional codes of conduct for women as described in proverbs, folktales and novels, especially in Chab Srey, “Women Code of Conduct,” on how women should behave. Here are some excerpt of Women Code of Conduct:

Another flame is your husband who you stay with forever
You should serve well don’t make him disappointed
Forgive him in the name of woman; don’t speak in the way that you consider him as equal
No matter what happen we have to wait to listen with the bad word (even if he say something bad you have to listen)

“Women are supposed to stay at home, and always behave quietly and sweetly,” otherwise it will bring bad luck to family. Moreover, a famous proverb continually practice in Cambodia: ” A man is gold; a woman is a white piece of cloth.” When dropped into mud, piece of cloth never regains its purity regardless how much it is washed. However, the gold can be cleaned and shined always.

Interestingly, one reason for a lack of female participation in today’s labor market and higher education may stem from the old perspectives, which said it is useless or unnecessary to send the girls to school comparing to the boy; or the girls should not learn much otherwise they will know how to write love letters to the man; or the girl can just stay home and treat husband properly; thus no need to learn. All these concepts are rooted in Khmer society and disvalue women’s rights and dignity. Consequently, we hardly find women in higher positions of government or companies or any institution due to the lack of knowledge and opportunities, which is restricted by the family and society as the whole.

This old saying is truly reflecting how people perceive about women value and role. I have debated a lot with some male counterparts who most of the time they teased me not to study hard or pursue higher education. Their justification is the same thing to the old perspective that women are not supposed to learn a lot, since sooner or later she will become housewife or the proverb saying: “Women cannot do anything beside household work.”

Advancement of Cambodian Women in Modern Society

Regardless the old practices still exist, globalization and modernization have brought much change to Cambodian perception on women value. Due to political and economical evolution and the ratifications of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, regardless of sex, people deserve equal treatment and respect. Therefore, the recognition and respect of women’s efforts started. More importantly, economic reasons are another key lead to the change since the family cannot only rely on the man, but women also can contribute their income generation which contradicts to many old saying that women should only stay at home or women can only manage the household work.

We can witness in today society where women gain much status and play important role in social development. Among many women, the following are some model activists who do not only resettle social problem, but also take leading role in women empowerment regardless life risks:

Chim Manavy: the Executive Director of the Open Institute, a local Cambodian non-government organization established in September, 2006 with the main purpose to facilitate communication and knowledge sharing for women empowerment and social development in Cambodia.

Kek Galabru: President and founder of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) during the United Nation transition period. LICADHO is to protect human rights in Cambodia and to promote respect for civil and political rights by the Cambodian government and institutions.

Mu Sochua: The first woman elected to Cambodia’s parliament. Sochua has been targeted by her government for persecution and prosecution because of the feminist policies she has promoted.

Mam Somaly: Under her leadership, AFESIP employs a holistic approach that ensures victims not only escape their plight but provide therapy and education so that they have the emotional and economic strength to face the future with hope. Though, she has earned much respects, her efforts have resulted in death threats to herself and her family. Even worst, in 2006, her 14-year-old daughter was kidnapped by brothel owners, who drugged and raped her. This has not stopped Somaly Mam, but motivated her even more. Once, when asked why she continued to fight in the face of such fierce and frightening opposition, she resolutely responded, “I don’t want to go without leaving a trace.”

Nuon Phymean: She has over the past years offered hundreds of children working in Phnom Penh’s landfill a way out through free schooling and job training at her People Improvement Organization. She was one of the nominees for the CNN Hero.

What can be done for Women Empowerment and to increase the presence of women in prominent position:

First of all, I think education is the main catalyst for advocating social change. Education shape people’s attitude and skill in which they can utilize to achieve their goals. Thus, before anything else, access to education is a must.

Then, it required internal and external forces to integrate women in prominent positions:

Internal forces: Women should see themselves as the agent of change. Instead of blaming the social tradition or accepting the male-domination social trend, women need to shape their positive thinking and be confident in their ability. Also, women need to understand their desire and struggle to meet that demands. I simply mean that women need to be proactive and strive toward the goals.

External forces: It requires government and civil society including parents to promote gender equality and empowerment. Any policies (such as in education, health, economy and social affairs) to be proposed should address gender interests.

The case of infectious diseases due to Yali Dam

Villagers in a remote Stung Treng’s Svay Rieng village living along the Sesan River reportedly appeal for health treatment assistant due to the infectious disease coming from dirty water flowing from the Yali dam in Vietnam. Majority of 200 families in this village are using the water from Sesan River in where dirty water, rubbish, and feces and water infiltrates from a red earth area are discharged from the Yali Dam located near Cambodia-Vietnam border.

This has resulted to different types of infectious diseases including diarrhea, itchy skin diseases, swollen limbs, typhoid, on the villagers; particularly the children. Over 20 children and adults have reportedly suffered from diarrhea and itchy skin disease since January 2010.

Notably, these kind of disease symptoms had never appeared in this village who always consumed the water from the river. The below video, in Khmer language, was reported by Radio Free Asia, where villagers were echoed their disease symptom and its root causes. Translation excerpt is available on the Mirror.

In fact, there have been much discussion and concerns by many stakeholders concerning the impact resulted from the building of the Yali Dam since 2000. The Vietnam’s $1 billion Yali Falls dam which was begun without prior Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) was later assessed by community-based groups who concluded that the dame has causes and is causing serious environmental and socio-economic impact to 20,000 people in 59 villages in the dam affected area, downstream on the Se San river in Cambodia’s Ratanakkiri and Steung Treng provinces.

The study conducted in 2000 further revealed that the dam is bringing death, disease and environmental devastation to Cambodia even before it is fully working. These mentioned impact has actually and continually occurred now. In 2000 report, five Cambodians were reportedly killed, crops destroyed, and fishing boats lost after the released water from the Vietnamese power station into the Se San river that cause a sudden surge in the volume and current downstream in Cambodia’s Ratanakkiri province.

There has been also much discussion on the quality of water which has harmed many livestock.

“According to the study, villagers claimed that more than 4,900 buffalo have died of unusual diseases since the water quality problem began in 1996. They also reported the similar deaths of more than 2,200 cows, 7,800 pigs, 1,600 ducks, tens of thousands of chickens, and more than 2,500 dogs and cats”

Regardless these reported cases, it seems there have been yet proper mechanisms being addressed and continued to impact to the community well-being where the social infrastructure including health care or risk reduction system have been yet well equipped. If this continued, it will be resulted into large social and economical cost similar to Minamata disease, where Japanese government had failed to taken any immediate risk assessment and reduction.

Background of Risk Management System Section:

This is a series of reflection on the risk of management system in Cambodia followed the study on Japan’s Minamanta disease; particularly, after a current IUJ‘s lecture seminar, “The Error shall not be Repeated,” by Mr. Katuhiko Bando, a key attorney for the lawsuits filed by the victims of the Minamata disease in Niigata and Kumamoto against the polluted companies since the late 1960s. Mr. Bando have kept legal fighting, regardless the recommendation by many other attorneys and judges to have political resolution, in order that justice and proper compensation for the victims can be prevailed. The Minamanta case reveals much failure of Japanese government in risk management system by putting more priority on industrial activity (after the post-war war II period and during competitive world market), and fails to involve stakeholders (who can be individuals, groups or organization that can affect, be affected by or perceived themselves to be affected) for risk communication and monitoring. This failure have great impact on the society; especially the victims who have been burdened for the legal battle and social respect.

The early reflection to Cambodia was on the current practice of the Cambodian government who neglects or bypasses the regulations in approving forest concessions or filling the lakes is not only harmful to natural resource depletion, but also to environment, to human life, and the whole community survival. This includes the case of 1) the Bokor mountain which have been authorized by the government to private company in the name of development project of palm oil and cassava plantations and livestock farms,and 2) the filling of Boeng Kok Lake, which the private company could start their land filling operation even before the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) had been approved. Though the company recently obtained EIA stated that the lake the Boeng Kok is “dead lake—no major impact on environment”, there is also remark that some flooding will occur in rainy season and they are unable to provide any specific estimation on severity of risk.

Relevant articles:

Another Failure of Risk Management System: a case of SMON

Reflection on the risk management system in cambodia

A failure of risk management system a case of minamata disease