A Voice To The World
Last week when I spoke our school director via Skype, he told me that “the high-ranking people are now scared of the people of Charuk Tiek because they have a voice to the world. ” They do. Me. Read all about it in the News….
This local news on the heels of a report released June 1, by London based human rights group Global Witness called Cambodia’s Family Trees, detailing how the political elite is stripping Cambodia of it’s forest resources in the illegal timber trade. This is the web of “the power man” that the people in our village live in fear of. Read more here…
To convince the teachers, community leaders, monks and students to write a letter, I would pick up a single stick and say “If one person speaks out, easy to break” Snap. Then I would pick up a whole bunch of sticks and say “But if everyone speaks out together, cannot break.” And the bundle held firm. When asked if the people believe that their letters are what make the “powerman” look over his shoulder, he said yes. When asked if anyone has been threatened for writing a letter, he said no.
I am proud of them all.
Still I’m searching for the right conservation NGO to team up with to help with the sustainable forest agriculture projects at our school Here’s what a contact at Conservation International great.
Flora & Fauna International (FFI) is the international conservation organization who works with the Cambodian government in the Aural Wildlife Sanctuary. Apparently, Tra Peang Chor, is unfortunately called “timber town” and effective enforcement of natural resource laws has been difficult there.
I just don’t get why they are working with the Cambodian government, which I can tell you from personal obersavtion is utterly on the take in Trapeang Chor around out school. Yet, we have a huge number of local advocates, why aren’t they working to empower these people?
I honestly dont get it. It’s like no one ever thought of working through the school for community driven economic development and empowerment. I find this odd, because a school is a natural community meeting place, and it also serves to neutralize conflict since everybody’s kids go to school there.
Our grassroots approach is based on the premise that the government will not change. It is either unwilling or unable to support it’s schools. Change has to come from the bottom up.
