Institut für Friedenspädagogik Tübingen e.V.

Home / English / Topics of the I... / Peace Education... / Youth for Peace - Cambodia

Youth for Peace - Cambodia

Background

YFP began activities in 1999 when four individuals came together with a concern for the youth in Cambodia. The four founding staff began their work by conducting a survey related to the situation of youth in Phnom Penh. They contacted and surveyed school directors, teachers, experienced people, and youth in Phnom Penh. The survey indicated that students lack opportunities to receive spiritual education . As a result many youth show little responsibility for their actions, have poor communication, develop bad attitudes, and experience a loss of spiritual development. In response to the evident needs, the staff designed a program of peace education and activities. The four staff developed a curriculum for several workshops. The materials were tested over a year’s time. Upon the completion of the testing year, a decision was made to formalize activities and develop into a formal organization. Since August 2000, YFP staff have worked to develop program and organizational structures.

Up to the present YFP has offered peace education and peace activities to hundreds of young people around Phnom Penh. These young people are enthusiastic to share their knowledge and practice what they learned from YFP. Students now organize their own activities related to nonviolence, social morality, environment, gender, and the consequences of using weapons. Past YFP students continue to encourage their friends and family members to participate in YFP workshops.

YFP Vision and Mission

Vision: Youth for Peace envisions a society where people are committed to practice the balance of spiritual and material value that leads to a culture of peace.

Mission: The mission of YFP is to assist young people in their spiritual development and encourage them to be active in building a culture of peace for themselves, their families, and their society.

Core Values

1. Youth: The youth represent the future of the nation. They are the generation that has the most capacity and responsibility to promote peace and development. They work to strengthen human resources and believe this should begin with young people.

2. Solidarity: Participation, loyalty, and justice from the foundation of solidarity. By promoting solidarity among youth, YFP works to build peace in Cambodia.

3. Strength, Patience and Morality: YFP works to help youth develop inner strength, patience and morality. These values form the basis of non-violence.

4. Justice, Freedom and Democracy: YFP believes that all people have the right to freedom and justice. YFP works to help youth find their own voice; through that voice, the youth can participate in the process of democratization in Cambodia.

5. Gender Equality: It is the belief and practice of YFP that women and men are equal partners in building a culture of peace and should be treated accordingly.

6. Non-Prejudice and Openness: YFP approaches its work with a philosophy that all people, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, or religion, have a great deal to contribute to one another and to the organization

Program Context

Youth in Cambodia today are growing up in a society that is only beginning to recover from nearly 30 years of civil war. The war profoundly affected the spirit of Cambodian people. Today’s parents and teachers grew up in a time when love, role modeling, and education were replaced by killing, intimidation, lying, and mistrust. They thus struggle to offer positive guidance to today’s youth, to teach them how to build a society different from the one they have known.

The concepts of self-development within a framework of a "culture of peace" are relevant to the needs of young people in Cambodia today. Statistically youth are increasingly involved in acts of violence. The YFP program relates to the youth ideal and answers many needs of the young people rarely addressed by other associations.

YFP creates opportunities for youth to understand and practice their cultural values and use them to develop themselves. Activities of YFP are designed to advance youths' capacity and to be aware of their responsibilities in their families, communities, and societies.

Problems to be addressed

Youth lack solidarity with those around them.

Lacking role models and guidance from their elders, Cambodia’s youth are in danger of growing up without a sense of solidarity with those around them. In these times of development in Cambodia, some youth are learning skills for personal advancement, but very few are learning to care for those around them or to feel responsibility to help solve the problems of society. Without this sense of solidarity, youth will not become involved in building a more just and peaceful society; they will only seek prosperity for themselves. Cambodia’s future development will thus continue to be marked by a wide gap between rich and poor and between urban and rural people.

Cambodian youth also learn societal prejudices based upon differences of race, gender, religion, political affiliation, and class. These prejudices emphasize difference and discourage solidarity. They are the root of many of the incidences of violence in Cambodia today, including racially motivated violence, domestic violence, political violence, and conflicts based upon class differences.

Youth lack skills for confronting difference and conflict in peaceful and effective ways.

Too often, youth in Cambodia respond to conflict with either violence or passivity. They are also unable to analyze conflicts to identify root causes and effective solutions. One cause of these problems is that teaching methods in Cambodian schools focus on rote learning, teaching students to be passive recipients of knowledge rather than active and inquisitive learners. This teacher-centered style is effective in transmitting facts but does little to build flexible and strong critical thinking skills. Some parents and community leaders also contribute, discouraging youth from thinking or speaking for themselves. Lacking the experience to solve problems using their minds, youth resort to the conflict resolution methods they see in the society around them, where conflicts are marked either by violence or powerless silence.

Location and Beneficiary Justification

YFP believes strongly in the central role that youth have to play in the building of a peaceful and just society in Cambodia, both now and in the future. Youth possess the ability to play important roles in their families, schools, and communities, but currently most lack the spiritual and cognitive development, confidence, communication skills, and role models necessary to do so. By helping youth to grow in these areas, YFP impacts the present and also helps to build a generation of positive leaders and role models for Cambodia’s future.

Cambodia’s youth are also a particularly vulnerable segment of the population. They are faced with newfound freedoms, pressures, and dangers as they grow into adult roles, and they often lack the critical thinking skills and support to make wise decisions. Youth at this age are also easily influenced by their peers and the media, which can lead to their choosing lifestyles which endanger themselves and others. YFP seeks to give them guidance and support in facing the challenges of adolescent life.

Today Cambodians are very focused on developing technical skills. YFP strives to help young people strike a balance between formal education for technical skills and peace education for morality, integrity and social concern. Only skills balanced with personal commitment to social responsibility can build a sustainable peace in Cambodia for individuals, families, and society.

Project Activities

One-day Youth and Peace events are held in Phnom Penh high schools to introduce students to concepts of peace education. These events, held in conjunction with MOEYS and Cambodian Red Cross, will serve to give students and their teachers an introduction to the concepts of peace education, broadening their understanding of the role that youth have to play in building a peaceful and just society. Participants will also learn about problems facing society and about the mission and vision of YFP. They will then be invited to participate in longer, more intensive workshops at YFP.

Introductory workshops are held in target areas to help students construct critical understandings of themselves and their responsibilities for those around them. In the 15-hour Introductory (Building Good Self) workshops, YFP trainers use participatory methodology to help students learn to work cooperatively in groups, express their ideas in front of others, develop listening skills, understand their individual rights and responsibilities, and begin to recognize and appreciate different values and beliefs.

Second Step workshops are held in target areas to help students construct understandings of their role in building a just and peaceful society. The workshops are open to students who have completed the Introductory Workshop and cover various topics related to conflict resolution, non-violence, human rights and family values. The workshops focus on techniques to bring about positive changes. In Second Step workshops, students study societal problems and areas for societal development. After completing a Second Step workshop, students are prepared to begin to identify ways that they can become involved in societal change.

Leadership and Facilitation Workshops are held in target areas to teach students to conduct their own activities. In these workshops, students learn fundamental skills of leadership, including communication and facilitation skills. They also learn how to plan, organize, write proposals and evaluate their own projects.

Student groups in target areas are supported in conducting their own activities. YFP will seek to improve the effectiveness of student groups’ activities by offering advisory and funding support. Students will develop plans and proposals necessary to conduct their independent activities. With this support, student groups will be able to take effective action towards building a more just and peaceful society.

Examples: a) Activity at a local orphanage – practical experience in leading activities to provide respite for caregivers, fun for orphaned children, promote solidarity among youth and society, provide good activity for free time of students, learn about impact of poverty and HIV/Aids on children b) Awareness activity with discussion about gangs – recognize the problem and provide alternative solutions to gang participation

Study Tours are organized for students to gain first-hand experience with societal problems and efforts to solve them. Study Tours take students to places where groups are working to combat societal problems. They serve to help students see the power of social action, build their sense of solidarity, and formulate ideas for their own roles in building a better society. Past study tours have taken students to orphanages, urban development projects, and NGO's working with disadvantaged youth and street people.

Reflection Trips are held for students to reflect on causes of and responses to conflicts present in everyday life. These trips take Phnom Penh students outside of the city to a natural setting. The trips include practicing meditative reflection on problems and conflicts, discussion of stress for youth, and student role-plays of problems young people face daily.

Public Education days are held to allow exchanges of experience between YFP students and members of rural communities. In these events, YFP organizes discussions in order to exchange experience between YFP students and other young people in a rural community. Activities include games and student role-plays related to domestic violence, social immorality, peace education, and peaceful conflict resolution. The events also feature question and answer periods related to HIV/AIDS, domestic violence, culture of peace, and youth responsibility. In addition to increasing understanding of these problems, Public Education days enable youth from the urban and rural areas to exchange experience and build solidarity with each other.

YFP Bulletins are distributed to share peace education resources and teachings with students, teachers, parents, and community members. Staff and students are encouraged to submit stories and articles.

Student Center provides safe space for students to continue dialogue and discussion, to conduct research, to prepare for their own initiatives, and to prepare for various workshops. E-mail support (not Internet) provides students access to organizations for information regarding peace, social justice, and human rights. Students connect with other youth locally and globally on peace and social justice issues. YFP already has contact with Indonesian students through SEQIAR, students in USA in a penpal relationship, and connections with students from Burma, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Viet Nam, and has potential contact with youth in Finland through LICADHO.

Library Students have limited access to information on peace-building, social justice and human rights. The library provides resources in Khmer and English for student research. Materials related to skill training for their initiatives will also be available. Access to other books increases their comprehension skills.

Community Gathering Day To bridge the generation gap, students will host a one-day event for sharing their experiences, initiatives, and activities with families, teachers, local authorities and leaders of local organizations. Through this Community Gathering, adults will have opportunity to learn more about the role of youth in developing a peaceful society. This event will also create awareness of peace and social justice issues with adults. Students will also gain recognition for their role in promoting a culture of peace through their initiatives.

Visitor Exchanges Experienced speakers or activists will come to share about their activities with students. Youth from other cultures and backgrounds will come to share experiences with YFP students. Through these exchanges, youth will be able to articulate their own values and culture better as they participate in and prepare and implement activities for peace. Youth will also generate new ideas for activities to promote peace-building.

Contact

Youth for Peace

#8 AB Street 202

Sangkat Psar Dem Kor

Khan Toul Kork

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

youthforpeace@online.com.kh

Eine PDF-Version dieser Seite herunterladen

What's New

Veranstaltungen

Peace Counts School