A FEW DAYS IN CAMBODIA

Cambodia's National Museum

Arriving in Phnom Penh, we were immediately struck by not only the heat and humidity, but the overall modernity of the city. That is little wonder, as the city was completely evacuated by the Khmer Rouge regime in 1975, in a quest to create a utopian, rural peasant society. The city was only repopulated after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, and much of the city has been rebuilt. The city is also characterized by dozens of temples and parks, dedicated to the largely Buddhist culture.

Our hotel was charming and amazingly full of people who spoke English. In fact, the whole area where we were located was full of English-speaking people. Only later did we learn that the area was an ex-patriate enclave, populated by people from all over the world who either run or work in the hundreds of NGO's, primarily funded by foreign donors, who have been the primary souce of redevelopment since the fall of the Khmer Rouge.

Since we arrived on a holiday weekend (the Cambodian New Year), and the majority of people were out of the city on holiday, we had no appreciation for the regular amount of traffic and congestion. It also gave us a short period to relax after the intensity of the Indian interview schedule, and to enjoy the fascinating waterfront and its many shops and restaurants. Transportation by tuk-tuk was a complete, breezy joy!

A Family's Ride in a Tuk-Tuk

Once we connected with Graeme Storer, a long-time friend and colleague from work done with CARE:USA in Thailand, he took us under his wing, hosting meals, brief tours of the area, and even tourist shopping for Carole. He and his colleagues at VBNK, a prominent Phnom Penh-based NGO  helped us to understand the traumatic history of Cambodia. We appreciated their particular insight into the value of and problems with all the many NGO's, all trying to help improve the life of Cambodian citizens.

Graeme Storer at VBNK Offices

One way to characterize the work of NGO's in Cambodia is that most are giving the people fish (i.e., services and relief based on donors' perspectives). In contrast, VBNK is teaching the people to fish. The focus of their work is on leadership development for both the government and other NGO's, with a particular emphasis on self-awareness and personal development as a pathway to more effective functioning in the society. This is a particularly challenging task, as it represents significant and counter-cultural change. VBNK's training and coaching occurs in a context in which change, no matter who brings it and for whose purpose, is nearly always painful, difficult and deadly.

In speaking about the work of VBNK, Graeme noted that, "In a post-traumatic society like Cambodia, people are quite tied to the past, even if they're not talking about it." Further, "Leaders are not always thoughtful enough about the worldview they hold, the values that they hold, and how they express them...perhaps not even aware that there is a dissonance between the values that are espoused in development-speak, like 'participation, equality,' and living in a hierarchical society."