It is sometimes difficult to watch a country you care for take steps to weaken its democratic institutions, as has just happened in Cambodia (see article regarding a new election law). It can make you question your commitment to the country. But then you remember that the people who live there have no choice but to try to succeed within the cultural and economic context in which they find themselves. Your sole objective is to help the individuals in your group and the politics are irrelevant.
CLEW does not have any political, religious or cultural agenda. We do not criticize government policy or try to change cultural practices such as arranged marriages or the relationship of women within their family units.
If we were to adopt a political agenda, CLEW might eventually run into resistance from the government in a manner that might affect our ability to operate our program. NGOs that do take a political stance have been subject to interference. NGOs that have a religious orientation intended to convert the flock are not well appreciated by the populace which is predominantly Buddhist.
I am sure that some would be concerned that we do not advise against arranged marriages and other Khmer cultural practices. Parents entrust their daughters to us and that trust must be respected if we are to achieve our goal of helping them obtain a good education and a better job.
This does not mean that our students and graduates do not participate in civil society. Our students and graduates get involved in NGOs and speak out on issues such as the rights of women and indigenous groups. It is up to our students to select the causes they support and we certainly support them in their choices. We are very proud of the fact that one of our students appears to becoming a leading spokesperson for the rights of indigenous women and indigenous groups generally within Cambodia. We are also very proud of the fact that we have a number of indigenous women in our program.
Our strategy is to be neutral on political and cultural issues and to rely on the impact that a good education will have on the value and belief systems of our students. Education is the most powerful weapon ever created, as evidenced by the response of the Taliban, ISIS and similar groups to attempts to educate women. Having a good job has a strong impact on our graduates and their expectations for their future.
It has been interesting for us to watch the impact that education has on our students and our other friends within Cambodia. We have seen a growth in the number of marriages in which the women have at least a 50% say in who they marry (which we take as a right of veto). We have also seen an increasing number of marriages based on love matches. Traditions appear to be changing within Cambodia. We have seen young couples who want to have two or three children instead of the large number of children common in previous generations. We have seen friends move into beautiful and affordable townhouse complexes that would not be out of place in Toronto, except for their unique Khmer architectural flair (and the fact that they don’t have a furnace). A middle class is emerging within Phnom Penh, the evidence of which we have seen for ourselves and it is a wonderful development.
In summary, we have no agenda other than providing an education and helping students get a good job. But these factors have a tremendous impact on the lives and values of our students. Our students choose to become involved in NGOs and speak out on social causes and this adds to the pressure for change which is occurring within Cambodia.
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