The contest brought together students from all across Cambodia to present their ideas on the current development in youth’s participation in Cambodia’s agriculture and water governance issues. Our contestants, all of whom are either high school or university students, highlighted some of the most pressing issues facing their respective communities and Cambodia as a whole and strategies to mend the problems and perpetuate the existing improvement brought about by the status quo.
“My Writing, My Perspective” was organized by Social Action for Community and Development (SACD) on September 5, 2020. The program was organized around two objectives: i) instill analyzing skills in youth by allowing them to write on their chosen topic and share their perspective to our staff and the public, and ii) allow youth to share their experiences and equip them with public speaking skills.
There were forty-six participants in the event, seven of whom were our contestants. Also joined in the event were the three judges, the parents/guardians of the contestants who accompanied them from their home provinces, and our staff members.
Their papers and presentations were graded by our judges: Mr. Chea Sopheak, from Cambodian Grassroots Cross-Sector Network/People Action for Development (PAD); Ms. Sim Socheata, from Oxfam, and Ms. Ros Sokunthy, from Focus on the Global South. At the end of the presentation of each topic, the judges provided an insightful critique, and overall assessment and suggestion to each paper, some of which did defy conventional wisdom known to our presenters and audience, but all of them are surely invaluable for future improvement of our candidates.
The Roles of Cambodian Youth in Agricultural Development
On the topic of the roles of Cambodian youth in agricultural development, the presenters raised some of the most pressing issues that are standing between our farmers and their ability to afford a healthy and decent living, and how Cambodian youth can play their roles to eradicate the problems and push for the socio-economic advancement in Cambodia through the development of the agricultural sector. All of them acknowledged the fact that our farmers are facing an acute lack of market for their agricultural produce and the rock bottom prices that come with it. The prices of most of their produce are rather determined by middlemen or brokers, not the market. Yet, most of the contestants were influenced to believe that the current situation is only intensified by the farmers’ inability to acquire modern technology and take it in alongside their traditional methods, which severely limits their outputs. These problems have pushed many farmers and their families to live in poverty, unable to afford the most basic needs such as quality healthcare and education.
All contestants shared the same belief that youth can assist our farmers, who are demographically of old age and lack formal education, in incorporating new cutting-edge technology into our traditional farming techniques to better adjust to the modernizing world. Youth, after all, are the new wave that is better equipped with the physical strengths and agility, and technical know-how to lift our farmers out of their misery. This can be accomplished through efforts to comprehend the very rudiments of agriculture and constantly climb up the ladder to master their expertise in the field and disseminate their knowledge among the masses, farmers and interested individuals alike, to achieve the grand objective of assisting our farmers to use modern technology.
To solve the farmers’ market issues, our contestants suggested looking beyond our domestic market. According to them, exporting agricultural produce would allow Cambodian farmers to utilize untapped potentials that international markets have to provide: new job opportunities, new sources of income for Cambodian farmers and the country, national prestige, and most importantly, a solution to our lack of market. Penetrating into international markets necessitates farmers to comply with international standards for exports. That could be considered problematic by many rural farmers; that is why some of our contestants reiterated that the roles of big corporations should not be ignored. Those companies, based on the contestants, could ensure our conformity to the standards and market access for our agricultural products. All we had to do was utilize the network and technical know-how available to those companies. The outcome of this contest on this topic has reiterated the importance of a space we need to create and hear their perspectives, as well as exposing them to the real world, where the experiences of rural small-scale farmers and their contribution shall be shared. Without such space, the perspectives on small-scale farmers/food producers will not be raised.
Water Governance and Justice in the Present and the Future
On the topic of water management and justice in the present and the future, our candidates noticed unfair practices happening throughout the country. Our candidates highlight that when it comes to water governance, we have put in place a very complex hierarchical structure of authorities, ranging from ministries to local authorities and community people. Still, on the ground, people are facing acute shortages of clean water. In some cases, people who control the water upstream build irrigation dams, blocking the water from flowing downstream and commercialize the water at an unreasonably high price for the people in the community. This method is used to put a price tag on a common resource that should be rightfully accessible by the people. In one community in Siem Reap, a lakeside province of Southeast Asia’s biggest freshwater lake, people are still struggling to put their hands-on safe drinking water. Investments have been flocking to various communities in Cambodia, transforming the fabric of community landscape throughout Cambodia. This new inflow has had a disastrous impact on water quality and distribution. Some factories have used water sources such as lakes and rivers as dumping grounds for their wastewater. This issue is intensified by the negligence of the local authorities, who are believed to reap benefits out of the problem instead of enforcing regulations to protect the water sources.
To mend the problems, our contestants suggested the government and citizens put an end to corrupt practices and raise the involvement of the government in ensuring equitable water distribution. Water management should be designed to fulfill people’s needs, not corporate investments.
Conclusion
The outcomes of our program were remarkable, well beyond the expected objectives. Our candidates have gained understanding of the subjects discussed and shared their unfettered insight with the audience and our staff. As one of the guardians said:
“It is good that this program motivates the candidates to be brave. I am keen to see my daughter speak because she is not much of a talker”, said the mother of a contestant during the question and answer. She continues, “I thank the organizers for giving this opportunity to my daughter. No matter what the outcome might be, I am happy to see my child talk and know how to do research and follow the news.”
The event was concluded with phenomenal results with the positive outlooks of the participants, both the contestants and their guardians. We successfully brought together students who share common interests in the well-being of the people and challenged their ways of thinking through provocative questions and critiques to create intellectually-refined individuals. It surely was no easy task for several students, most of whom were from remote areas of the country, to comprehend these issues, let alone stand in front of an audience of more than 40 people with practical solutions. The problems they presented are human-made, so they are nothing beyond humans. SACD has no doubt that our candidates will aspire to be game-changers in their respective communities and be among those who solve these problems and beyond. As remarkable as it sounds, our candidates still have a long way to hone their ideas and knowledge to be more contemporary and adjusted to the ever-evolving world because while youth account for over 65 percent of our population, they are 100 percent of our future. Just as one of our contestants put it, “youth are the most important force, the people on whom our farmers can rely, and the foundation of national development.”
About the contributor: Ms. Morb Sethmonykeo joins SACD as an intern responsible for communication and media campaign in August. Morb is a third-year student in international studies at the Royal University of Phnom Penh.
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