Find other resources at www.caritas.org.nz

This set of fact sheets corresponds to lessons outlined in the teacher booklet Hear the cry of the earth and the poor. The experiences of indigenous Cambodians are explored through various themes.

Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 1 Fact Sheet 1: Caritas Aotearoa Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is the New Zealand Catholic Bishops’ Agency for Justice, Peace and Development.

Our Mission Statement Caritas has a commitment to working in partnership with a small number of Māori We work for a world free of communities to assist them in achieving their goals poverty and injustice. of self-determination and economic independence.

We are part of Caritas Internationalis, a global confederation of 165 Catholic aid, development and social justice agencies working in over 200 countries and territories.

We have five strategic goals which guide our work. Reduce poverty Caritas works in partnership with grassroots organisations to address the causes of poverty in their Students and teachers from Te Kura Taumata o communities and work towards social transformation Panguru at the hand-over of a resource about the and ecological sustainability. In , Caritas local forest produced in partnership with Caritas. works with a local organisation called Development and Partnership in Action (DPA) to support small farmers adapt to climate change and find ways to increase their Crisis response

productivity. As part of an international network Caritas is able to respond rapidly to disasters. In 2015, we launched a campaign to assist the Nepalese in building back after the earthquakes. We also support Caritas organisations in the Middle East who are caring for refugees from Syria and Iraq.

Murray Shearer from Caritas visits a farming co-operative in Trapeang Chres Village with local DPA staff.

Environmental justice In 2014, Caritas produced a ground-breaking report on environmental challenges in Oceania and how they are Awareness and connection affecting people at the grassroots and specifically at the coastal edges. The report was called Small yet strong: Our strategy is to inspire and empower Catholics voices from Oceania on the environment. In 2015 a in Aotearoa New Zealand to work for a world free follow-up report was produced. Caritas intends to of injustice and poverty. We do this by providing continue to monitor and report on climate related issues. schools and parishes with our resources. Social Justice Week in September and our Lent Appeal are two of our best opportunities to engage with the Catholic community each year. In 2014, we launched the Caritas Challenge as a way for teenagers and young adults to engage with some of the issues facing people living in poverty.

In early 2015 Caritas hosted Ursula Rakova, a community leader from the Cartaret Islands in Papua New Guinea. Ursula’s community is being forced to leave their islands because of rising sea levels.

2 Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara Fact Sheet 2: Cambodia

Key Statistics

Country: Kingdom of Cambodia Capital: Language: Khmer Ethnic breakdown: 90% Khmer, 5% Vietnamese and 3% indigenous Population: Approximately 16 million Currency: Riel (currently 2,822 riels to 1NZD) Religion: 97% Buddhist, 2% Muslim & 1% Other Leaders: King Norodom Sihamoni (since 2004) Prime Minister Hun Sen (since 1985) Land area: 181,035 km2 (Compared to New Zealand’s 268,021 km²) Temperature: Between 24°C and 39°C Provinces: 24 provinces and 1 municipality Rural living: 80% live in rural areas / 20% live in urban areas Poverty line: 20% live below the poverty line / 20% just above the poverty line

People

Cambodia’s population is more than three times that of New Zealand. Indigenous Cambodians make up less than three percent of the population and comprise around 24 different groups. Caritas is involved in projects with a number of the larger indigenous groups including the , Bunong, Tampuan, and . The Khmer ethnic group makes up the vast majority of the population (about 90%). Other ethnicities represented in Cambodia include Vietnamese and Chinese.

Only 20% of Cambodians live in towns and cities. The majority of the people (80%) live in rural areas in village communities. There is a close connection to both land and nature, and villagers are reliant on farming and fishing for their livelihoods.

Children commonly work hard within their families, helping at home and on the farm. In 2001, the percentage of children between the ages of 5-14 years who were working was 39%. In fact, over 1.3 million children are engaged in some form of work.

As of 2012, approximately 2.66 million Cambodians were living on less than $1.20 per day, and 37% of Cambodian children under the age of five were suffering from chronic malnutrition. Cases of bacterial diarrhoea and typhoid caused by drinking unclean water are common.

There are many land-mine victims in Cambodia. Millions of mines were laid by the , the Vietnamese and government forces, which have led to thousands of deaths and disabilities since the 1980s. In 2013, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS in Cambodia was 75,200. Although the prevalence of HIV/AIDS has reduced recently, this is still among the highest in Asia. The spread of HIV has been largely due to the sex trade within Cambodia.

Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 3 Environment Located in Southeast Asia, Cambodia, lying just above the equator, is a small country with a tropical climate. Cambodia has three neighbouring countries: Thailand (to the northwest), Laos (to the north) and (to the southeast).

Low-lying plains stretch across the land. Just over 30% of this land is used for agriculture and over 50% is enclosed by tropical rainforests. There are a number of dominant geographical features including: Tonle Sap (the Great Lake), the River, the Cardamom Mountains, and the Dangrek Mountains.

Like many countries near the equator, Cambodia experiences two very different seasons. Monsoon rains generally fall between May and November and result in widespread flooding. The dry season follows in December through to April leading to occasional droughts. The impacts of climate change are very real for the people of Cambodia with the timing and intensity of seasons changing annually.

Within Cambodia the environment is under threat not only from the impacts of climate change (such as soil erosion), but also from the actions of human activity. Overfishing, illegal logging, and strip mining are just a few examples of human actions damaging the Cambodian environment. Food Cambodia is nominally self-sufficient in rice production and has recently begun exporting rice to the global market.

Secondary crops include corn, cassava, beans, cucumbers and cashew nuts.

There is still a high degree of food insecurity in Cambodia due to the poor quality of some agricultural resources (such as seed and equipment) and also to the effects of weather events such as droughts and floods. The other barrier to food security is animal disease such as avian (bird) flu.

The majority of Cambodians rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. Organisations like Caritas and DPA are helping rural communities build their resilience to flooding and drought. DPA is working to improve farmers’ access to quality seeds and other inputs, and providing training in new farming practices. It is assisting farmers to grow other crops in addition to rice, such as vegetables and fruit, and to engage in livestock rearing and fisheries. Doing these things will help ensure a better supply of fresh, nutrient-rich foods for farming families and more income opportunities.

DPA is also working to strengthen community-based organisations engaged in agricultural production, processing and marketing, such as local farming co-operatives. Part of this work aims at improving access to markets.

Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 4 History The golden age of the Khmer empire was from the 9th to the 13th century when huge temple complexes were built, most notably Angkor Wat.

In the 19th century Cambodia became a protectorate of France lasting until 1953 when it became an independent kingdom under King Norodom Sihanouk. Through the late 1960s the extended into Cambodia, fuelling the rise of the Cambodian Communist Party – the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge began as an underground movement which slowly gained ground against the ruling government of the Khmer Republic. In 1975 the Khmer Rouge took control of the capital city, Phnom Penh, and ordered a mass exodus of citizens from the city to the country to undertake agricultural work. The Khmer Rouge began to carry out a radical genocidal communist programme so severe that people lived, worked and died within small farming co-operatives with no freedom of movement whatsoever.

Over the next four years the leaders of the Khmer Rouge executed hundreds of thousands of intellectuals, city residents, minority people (such as the Cham, Vietnamese and Chinese), and many of their own soldiers and party members, who were accused of being traitors. Many were held in prisons where they were detained, interrogated and tortured.

The fall of the Khmer Rouge began in December 1978 when Vietnam invaded Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge leadership fled to the west. Various forms of coalition government - some including members of the Khmer Rouge - ruled Cambodia until 1993, when after years of isolation, the war-ravaged nation was reunited under the monarchy.

From 1997 onwards the government has been relatively stable and has made some progress in terms of economic development.

Religion is the official . More than 95% of the population follow the teachings of Buddha. Other religions are active but practised by only a minority (including Islam and Christianity).

Buddha, an Indian prince named Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived in the sixth century B.C., taught that one is continually reborn depending on their actions in a previous life (karma). Life is seen as a part of a cycle of eternal change (sams āra). The goal is to reach nirvana , through enlightenment (bodhi), from good karma achieved through earning merit and following the Buddhist path of right living.

Buddhism is far more than a religion in Cambodia: it is a central part of life. Even after the destructive efforts by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s to ban all religious practices, Buddhism has slowly regained its place in society. Temples (Wats ) were historically placed in central locations in villages and were centres for providing both education and social assistance.

Buddhist monks are great role models for living simply, valuing meditation, following the path of right living. They are central to daily life through their role in officiating at public ceremonies.

As a non-theistic religion, Theravada Buddhism has no deity. At the core of the religion are the Four Noble Truths. These identify that the problem of suffering is caused by desire, but can be cured by removing desire and following the Eightfold Path. The Five Buddhist precepts are like a code of ethics and encourage respect for others.

Most festivals in Cambodia are associated with Buddhism, including Chol Vossa (known as the Rainy Retreat) and Vissakh Bochea (remembering the life of the Buddha).

Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 5 Fact Sheet 3: Caritas in Cambodia

For more than ten years Caritas has worked in partnership with Development and Partnership in Action (DPA) in Cambodia.

DPA has a vision for all Cambodians to enjoy a high quality of life as full citizens: accessing, using and protecting their rights. DPA often works with the poorest and most vulnerable people, including some of the seventeen indigenous minority groups who are sometimes called ‘highlanders’ because they live in mountainous areas.

The people in these indigenous communities face many Pha Som Pon of Pu Ya village in Mundalkiri, challenges to their survival and wellbeing. They are faced with Cambodia, pictured with Caritas Programmes food insecurity due to changes in weather patterns and Coordinator, Murray Shearer. Pha Som Pon is a decreased rainfall, as well as land insecurity because they have member of his small village’s Forest Guardian little defence against land grabbers and illegal loggers. Team, who protect their 9,070 hectare ancestral forest from illegal loggers. During the last three years, with support from the New Zealand Government, Caritas has been able to financially support DPA Land Titles training courses for indigenous farmers. One of the major threats to the livelihoods of These courses include instruction in new methods of rice indigenous Cambodian communities is that of planting, mixed cropping, soil preservation and organic deforestation. The felling of thousands of hectares gardening. Caritas has also funded rice milling machines for of forest is adding to the drought conditions being farming cooperatives. The rice mills increase the price that experienced by farmers in Northeastern Cambodia. farmers can get at market for their product. Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, again with financial DPA and Caritas are also working with small communities to support from the New Zealand Government, is help them mitigate the effects of climate change, through such funding a land titling project that DPA is running. techniques as drip irrigation, digging wells and other reservoirs, The project involves DPA staff working with and the planting of drought-resistant seeds. indigenous communities to map their ancestral lands and to apply for legal land title to their property. This means that if illegal loggers or miners come onto their land and remove trees or minerals the community can make a legal case against the perpetrators.

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand We work for a world free of poverty and injustice.

Development and Partnership in Action, Cambodia With the poor and for the poor.

Rompai Kror Yang from DPA speaks to villagers from Srae Moeunthang in Ratanakiri about their land rights.

6 Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara Fact Sheet 4: Sopee Sari and her family

Sopee Sari is a 10 year old girl from O’Chra Village located in Keo Seima District in Mondulkiri Province of Cambodia. She is part of a Sopee’s family members family of six and has three brothers. She enjoys the company of her favourite pet cat, Blackie, who likes to follow her around home. Daigh Sari Father Nov Chanroeun Mother One day Sopee would love to become a nurse. She is very serious about her studies and would love to continue through to lower Than Sari Oldest brother secondary school in four years time. She attends O’Chra Village Saran Sari Middle brother Primary School as a Grade 4 student and enjoys playing games outside with her friends between lessons. San Sari Youngest brother

Sopee walking home with friends Helping her parents after school Family dinner at home (with Blackie too!)

School begins early in the morning at 7am before it gets too hot. Lessons only last for a few hours. Sopee walks home with friends once school is finished at about 10:20am each week day. In her primary school most of her lessons are focused on literacy skills () and numeracy work (mathematics).

After lunch at home, Sopee usually joins her parents outside where they manage the crops that they are growing. She helps clear the field to ensure potatoes and other vegetables can grow more effectively. Feeding the pigs in the afternoon

On the way home Sopee gets water from the village water pump. She also helps around the home by cooking rice and cleaning the dishes. She even feeds the pigs.

Helping out at home Working hard at school Mum and Sopee together 7 Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara Fact Sheet 5: Catholic social teaching in action

Catholic social teaching is a set of principles or doctrines that was created by the . These principles help to guide us on issues of social justice such as poverty, injustice, inequality and abuse of people and the environment. Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand is a Catholic agency who works for a world free of poverty and injustice through education, development, advocacy and emergency relief. Read about how Caritas is applying seven of these Catholic

social teaching principles in their work in Cambodia.

In the present condition of global society, where injustices abound and growing numbers of people are deprived of basic human rights and considered expendable, the principle of the common good immediately becomes, logically and inevitably, a summons to solidarity and a preferential option for the poorest of our brothers and sisters... it demands before all else an appreciation of the immense dignity of the poor in the light of our deepest convictions as believers. – Pope Francis (Laudato Si’ #158)

Solidarity Subsidiarity

We are all one human family. In our connected humanity, Taking action with subsidiarity means we ensure that we are in vited to build relationships to understand what the decision making happens at the appropriate level life is like for others who are different from us. Being in so that all who are affected by the decision can solidarity means that we are being supportive of each contribute. This may mean that decisions are made other no matter where we live in the world. from the bottom up, rather than top down - but it depends on the context. It is always important to think about how decisions and actions will affect people and consider who needs to be consulted in this process.

Poverty affects many in Cambodia with approximately three million Cambodians living on less than $1.20 per

day. Caritas is funding rice milling machines for communi ties so they can increase the value of their rice Caritas works alongside our partner DPA who know and their profits. In New Zealand, we can be in soldiarity the culture and context of Cambodia because it is with those who face poverty and injustice on a daily basis their home. Caritas always goes to the people we are

by choosing to live simply for a day to experince in trying to help. We ask them how they would like their soldarity what is like to not have the luxuries we take for lives to improve, and what they want to do to achieve granted. The Caritas Challenge provides an event where this. We then journey alongside them, offering students across New Zealand can stand together in assistance for the things they can’t provide by solidarity for up to 24 hours for the people of Cambodia. themselves. For more information visit www.caritas.org.nz

Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 8 Participation

Everyone has an important part to play and when we all work together as active members of our local and global

community we can achieve great things. Promoting participation means recognising that we all have unique and important qualities to contribute to society.

Caritas has projects in 26 villages in Cambodia. Each village works together as a community to make sure everyone is included – young, old, male, female, able-bodied, disabled – so that everyone benefits from our assistance.

Preferential option for the poor and Human Dignity vulnerable Every person is made in God’s image and is innately It is important that people who are living in poverty or valuable and unique. Regardless of race, religion, who are vulnerable, sick, frightened or in danger are ethnicity or gender, we are all worthy of human not neglected or forgotten. Having a preferential dignity- he tapu o te tangata. option for the poor and vulnerable compels us to think first of the needs of those who are most vulnerable in society.

Being poor does not mean you are unworthy of a life lived with dignity. Cambodia has a history of human Caritas is working with people who are living in poverty rights abuses where people in power have taken away as a result of injustice. Living in poverty can make people the right that poor Cambodians have to a life of vulnerable to life-threatening illnesses, diseases, and freedom and prosperity. Caritas is working to help exploitation. Caritas puts a priority on helping those who people in Cambodia regain their rights to food security, are the most in need to improve their lives. education, water and health so that their human dignity is upheld and respected.

Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 9 Stewardship

We do not own the land, the seas or the sky. We are

kaitiaki - the guardians of earth - and we are all responsible for caring for the gifts God has given us.

Stewardship is protecting the environment, our own personal talents and other resources, and sharing these with the whole human family.

Illegal logging is a major problem in Cambodia. People are coming into villages and felling trees that don’t belong to them. The government is turning a blind eye, while the villagers suffer the consequences of losing their forests. Trees help the environment to prosper and without the trees the whole ecosystem is disrupted: rains don’t come, then crops don’t grow and people go hungry. Caritas is working to promote the land rights of local Cambodians so that loggers won’t be allowed to come in and cut down their trees.

The Common Good

The principle of the common good calls us to look beyond our own personal interests to the good of each person and the good of all people. This means respecting the rights and responsibilities of all people. When we make decisions, we should consider the good of all.

Caritas always works in communities rather than with individuals so that everyone can benefit from our work and funding. In Cambodia Caritas is helping to fund small community cooperatives where everyone contributes their produce to sell at markets and the profits are divided evenly amongst the families so that everyone benefits from each other’s hard work.

Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 10 Fact Sheet 6: Lun Nee and his family

Lun Nee is 15 years old. He is the middle child of five. He has four sisters. DPA

Lun Nee and his family live in Srae Ampil Village in Mondulkiri Development Partnership in Action province which is in the northeast of Cambodia. This is a region (DPA) is a partner organisation to Caritas. where there are many indigenous minority groups. Lun Nee is a It is a not-for-profit organisation within member of the . Cambodia which runs an Integrated Community Development (ICD) programme in Mondulkiri Lun Nee does not attend school. Being the only boy in the family, province. he is needed to help his father in the fields and looking after all This is aimed at improving food security, health, the animals. education, natural resource management and development planning. His daily jobs include herding and feeding cattle and looking after the food crops. Lun Nee and his father, Heav Nee, grow corn, DPA supports the participation of women, cassava, papaya, pumpkin, eggplant, cashew nut, cucumber, youth and indigenous peoples in ongoing chilli, banana, pineapple, jackfruit and mango crops. Heav Nee sustainable development within their communities. learned about mixed cropping in a course run by Development Partnership in Action (DPA). Managing multiple crops at once enables local Cambodians to ensure food security. DPA also provides farmers like Heav Nee with training in high-yield rice plantation and soil preservation.

Lun Nee enjoys working with crops. He works seven hours every day.

Mondulkiri

The province of Mondulkiri has just over 40,000 inhabitants. Some are of the indigenous Bunong people group. Traditionally these people make use of many non-timber products from their forests such as rattan, vines, wild vegetables and wild fruit. Threats to their forests are a threat to their culture and livelihoods. The Integrated Community Development project being run by DPA in Mondulkiri aims to build the capacity of village development committees so that they can plan and co-ordinate their own development activities. Another objective is to assist indigenous groups to attain their rights, particularly to preserve access to traditional lands and forests, and to have the ownership of these resources officially recognised.

Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 11 Fact Sheet 7: Sen Peap - a model farmer

Sen Peap lives in Teun Village, Konmom District, located in in Cambodia. He is a 55 year old farmer who Farming in Ratanakiri has six children aged between 15 and 34. Most indigenous Cambodians living in His wife passed away in 2000 leaving him Ratanakiri are involved in agriculture. Many a widower. are subsistence farmers and use traditional slash and burn shifting cultivation. After taking part in training run by Development and Partnership in Action (DPA), Sen Peap is now a ‘model farmer’ Rice crops dominate the cultivation area during who is a great example of someone who DPA has trained in both the wet and dry seasons. Cassava, cashew sustainable vegetable growing techniques. nuts and soya beans are the next most common crops in the province. Rubber plantations are He grows a mixture of vegetables also prevalent throughout the province including cucumbers, gourds, covering as much land as rice beans, eggplants, and herbs. plantations.

Customers come from all around to buy his quality produce. His children help to produce and sell the vegetables.

Sen Peap showing how he captures moisture .

One adaptation technique that Sen Peap uses is to capture moisture inside a plastic bag that surrounds his vegetables. This ensures that during periods of drought the vegetables Sen Peap’s son, Vanna, helps to produce and sell the family’s vegetables. not only survive but also flourish and grow.

Ratanakiri Ratanakiri is the furthest northeastern province in Cambodia. It borders both Laos and Vietnam. The population of the province has been growing and is now close to 200,000 people. Some are of the indigenous Kreung people group. The majority of these people rely heavily on their land and the crops they manage. Climate variation directly impacts farmers as extreme weather causes floods and droughts, which provide great challenges to managing crops growing on the land. Caritas supports DPA in the training of farmers in Ratanakiri, such as Sen Peap, as they learn how to manage a sustainable farm with mixed crops and about farming techniques that allow them to adapt to the changing climate.

1122 Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara Fact Sheet 8: Community forest patrols and land rights

Indigenous communities comprise about two per cent of Cambodia’s Land is very important for us. If there is no land population and are often the poorest and most marginalised people. management, outsiders like companies can take over our land. A company tried to get our land The lands of indigenous peoples have increasingly come under for mining but we were able to protect it. threat from lumber companies, mining companies and agricultural businesses. Even though the government of Cambodia has passed Glim Pall, Kreung chief laws recognising indigenous communities and their traditional land, they sometimes grant permission to big businesses who wish to use Groups like DPA and Caritas are assisting indigenous indigenous land for cash crops or extraction of timber or minerals. communities in registering themselves as legal entities and obtaining land titles for their lands. DPA know that As well as this, indigenous communities often find people coming without formal recognition that the land belongs to the into their forests and felling trees illegally. Often these people are village, it is impossible for these communities to cultivate also locals who are being paid by lumber companies. They come in their land and elevate themselves out of poverty. the middle of the night or early hours of the morning to cut down a large tree with a chainsaw. They carry out only the most valuable One clear obstacle to obtaining land title is that many heartwood leaving the rest of the tree to rot on the ground. indigenous people are illiterate and dealing with the mountains of paperwork involved in the process is very challenging for them.

For this reason DPA staff run community land rights meetings where they meet with villagers and discuss the customary boundaries of their lands. Once these boundaries are established and maps are drawn the people can apply for land title with assistance from DPA.

All that is left of a tree that has been illegally cut and removed

We have no market like . We go to the forest to collect. Our survival depends on it. We need to manage our land here if our future generations are to keep our traditions and culture alive.

Oreyu Train, Kreung chief Rompai Kror Yang leads a community land rights meeting in Srae Moeunthang 1 Village

Some villages organise their own community forest committees and patrols. They walk through their forest at night to deter illegal loggers. Some groups build huts on stilts from which they can watch their forests at night.

If the forest patrols come across illegal loggers there is little they can do to stop them as the loggers usually carry weapons. However, the villagers hope that their presence might deter people from carrying out this illegal activity. Once they have land title they will be able to take those who have stolen from their forest to Teun Village community forest patrol court.

13 Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara Fact Sheet 9: School life in Cambodia

Traditional education in Cambodia

An education system has been operating in some form in Cambodia for more than 800 years. Traditionally Cambodians were educated in the Wats (temples) by Buddhist monks. During this time only the boys were educated and the training focused on religious, literacy based Education in Cambodia:

and practical daily living skills. Primary enrolment 96% Lower secondary enrolment 34% Changing times Upper secondary enrolment 21% For over a century, a more formalised ‘Western’ style of education existed under the influence of the French. However, by the end of the Primary level Grade 1-6 Aged 6-11 1970s, after civil wars and the rule of the Khmer Rouge, no education Lower secondary Grade 7-9 Aged 12-14 system remained. Thousands of teachers were exterminated by the Upper secondary Grade 10-12 Aged 15+ Khmer Rouge and books and learning were not allowed. Statistics from www.usaid.gov/cambodia/education

Education in Cambodia today Now the education system in Cambodia is being rebuilt. There is compulsory education for all and this means students are entitled to 12 years of learning. Six years are for primary (Grade 1-6), then secondary is divided into lower secondary (Grade 7-9) and upper secondary (Grade 10-12). The first nine years until the end of Grade 9 are free (according to policy). The majority of lessons are for Khmer language (literacy) development, mathematical (numeracy) skills and social studies.

Student attendance is a concern in rural areas as it is common for children to remain at home to help cultivate family

Sopee Sari’s school - O’Chra Village Primary School At Sopee’s school there are only 30 students in two classrooms. Sopee is in Grade 4 and she has classmates who are also in Grades 2 and 5. Her teacher, Theareak Yiek, uses three whiteboards at once to cater for the different levels of his students. So it is normal for students to be facing in different directions to see different notes as they copy them into their books.

Students start school early in the morning at 7am before it gets too hot. The school day is very short and students return home at 10:20am each day. After lunch many students help their families manage their crops. They have time before dinner to do their homework.

Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 14 Fact Sheet 10: Food and water in Cambodia

Food security Food security is defined as reliable access to sufficient quantities of affordable, nutritious food. According to a 2015 study conducted by Caritas Internationalis nearly one third of the countries of the world face food insecurity, while another 48% of countries are only somewhat secure in terms of food resources.1

According to the same study the top three causes of food insecurity are lack of resources, low agricultural Lun Nee from Srae Ampil village in Mondulkiri pours productivity and climate change. They identify the himself a drink from the water filter in his house. main solutions as supporting small-scale farmers by protecting their land, fostering better agricultural Facts about food and water in Cambodia practices and helping people grow food in their own gardens.  As of 2012, approximately 2.66 million Cambodians were living on less than $1.20 per day; Development Partnership in Action (DPA) is our  37% of Cambodian children under five were suffering partner organisation in Cambodia. With funds and from chronic malnutrition; support from Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand and other  Cases of bacterial diarrhoea and typhoid caused by partners, DPA is providing training courses for farmers unclean drinking water are common in Cambodia. in methods of rice planting, mixed cropping, soil

preservation and organic gardening. They also provide Water farming cooperatives with value-adding equipment Two of the most alarming affects of climate change such as rice mills. This means that farmers can produce for Cambodian farmers are changing and a more processed rice product for market and charge a unpredictable rainfall and decreased soil moisture. higher price. Enabling small farmers to access adequate water supplies to grow their crops is vital. DPA, with support from Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand, is also promoting land rights for rural Cambodian In some villages DPA has fixed dams and communities. Through land titling projects they are provided water pumps to transport water from the helping indigenous groups establish legal ownership of dams to the farmers’ fields. In other areas they have traditional lands. This means they then have the helped farmers construct alternative forms of water capacity to take illegal miners or loggers to court if they storage such as wells. remove trees or minerals from their forests and land.

DPA are training Cambodian farmers in new irrigation techniques such as drip irrigation and

A rice milling machine given plastic mulching. Drip irrigation ensures water to Trapeang Chres Village by reaches the roots of the plants without wasting other Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand water. Plastic mulching reduces the amount of moisture that evaporates from the soil.

Water is scarce and is used sparingly by rural Cambodian families. Water needs to be filtered before people can drink it to protect against water- 1 Caritas Internationalis Food Security Study, 2015. borne diseases such as typhoid. Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 15 Fact Sheet 11: Buddhism at a glance

Understanding Buddhism

Buddha, an Indian prince named Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived in Interesting facts the sixth century B.C., taught that one is continually reborn depending about Buddhism: on one’s actions in a previous life (karma ). Life is seen as a part of a Origin 6th Century BCE cycle of eternal change (sams āra ). The goal is to reach nirvana , Founder Siddhārtha Gautama through enlightenment (bodhi ) from good karma achieved through earning merit and following the Buddhist path of right living. Total number 500 million

Highest number 100 million in China As a non-theistic religion, Buddhism has no deity. At the core of the Highest proportion 95% in Thailand & religion are the Four Noble Truths. These identify that the problem of suffering is caused by desire but can be cured by removing desire and Cambodia following the Eightfold Path. The Five Buddhist precepts are like a Forms Theravada code of ethics and encourage respecting others. Mahayana Vajrayana Buddhism in Cambodia Zen Theravada Buddhism is the official religion in Cambodia. More than 95% of the population follow the teachings of Buddha. Other religions (including Islam and Christianity) are active but only practised by a minority.

Buddhism is far more than a religion in Cambodia. It is a central part of life. Even after the destructive efforts by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s to ban all religious practices, Buddhism has slowly regained its place in society. Temples (Wats) were historically placed in central locations in villages and were centres for providing both education and social assistance.

Buddhist monks are great role models for living simply, valuing meditation, following the path of right living, and being central to daily life through officiating at public ceremonies.

Most festivals in Cambodia are associated with Buddhism, including Chol Vossa (known as the Rainy Retreat) and Vissakh Bochea (remembering the life of the Buddha).

Key Buddhist terms:

Karma Value from previous actions

Samsāra Cycle of re-birth

Nirvana State beyond the cycle of re-births

Bodhi Enlightenment

Arhat An enlightened being

Atman Soul

For more information about Buddhism go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/

Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 16 Fact Sheet 12: Buddhism, Christianity and

People of many different religious faiths live in Cambodia. Buddhism is by far the most prominent (95%), while Christianity is a minority (less than1%). Many of the indigenous people of Ratanakiri (Kreung) and Mondulkiri (Bunong),where Caritas and DPA are involved, are animists.

Buddhism With close to 400 million Buddhists around the world, this accounts for 6% of the world’s population. As a non-theistic religion, Buddhism has no deity. The teachings of the Buddha, an Indian prince named Siddhārtha Gautama, who lived in the sixth century B.C., are followed.

Buddha taught that one is continually reborn depending on their actions in a previous life (karma). Life is seen as a part of a cycle of eternal change (samsāra). The goal is to reach nirvana, through enlightenment (bodhi), from good karma achieved through earning merit and following the Buddhist path of right living.

The Four Noble Truths identify that the problem of suffering can be cured by removing desire and following the Eightfold Path. A code of ethics, called the Five Buddhist precepts, encourages respect towards others. Buddhism is a very peaceful religion with its emphasis on meditation and alms giving.

Buddhists attend temples (wats) regularly, rather than on any specific days. Shoes are generally removed as a mark of respect before entering the temple. Often flowers and food are left before shrines of Buddha. The Buddhist monks, devoted to meditation and service, eat the food that is given as they have very few possessions in order to keep an uncluttered life style.

Animism Dating back to Ancient times, Animism is common in tribal communities that have a close connection with their land and nature. There is a that all objects have a spirit and can benefit or harm humans. These everyday objects could be anything such as trees, rivers, animals or stones.

Sacred places are viewed as off-limits as shamans claim that they are occupied by powerful spirits. As a result, activities such as logging and hunting are not allowed in these areas.

Ancestors are revered and their spirits are believed to still influence events in the world today.

Common practices include offering sacrifices, prayers and dances to the spirits to appease them or in the hope of gaining their blessing on crops or health.

17 Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara The Catholic Church accepts all that is true and tapu in other religions and acknowledges that they reflect aspects of Te Atua. The Church encourages Catholics to respect other religions and to learn about them in order to strengthen the human family and build peace. From Religions of the World, Part Two: The Catholic Church and Non-Christian Religions

Key Christian Beliefs

As Christians we believe:

There is one loving God who has a personal interest in our life. God revealed this great love in a special way through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.

That God’s love is an unconditional gift, we do not earn it.

That prayer is lifting of the mind and heart to God in praise, petition, thanksgiving and intercession.

That God calls us to have a special concern for the poor and the vulnerable.

That we are called to follow Jesus.

Similarities

As Pope Francis says, ‘We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family.’ (Laudato Si’, #52) There are a number of similarities that Buddhism, Animism and Christianity share in common. All of them value prayer and meditation and the importance of looking beyond just the physical human self. Respect for others is a common value that is linked to the desire to serve others.

Some people worry that the study of other religions may weaken a Christian’s commitment to Jesus Christ. The opposite is usually true. A serious commitment to learning about other faiths requires us to understand our own religion more deeply and, thus, appreciate it more. From Religions of the World, Part Two: The Catholic Church and Non-Christian Religions

Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 18 Fact Sheet 13: Adapting to Climate Change

In June 2015 Caritas staff interviewed elders in the north- eastern province of Cambodia called Mondulkiri. Ainn Ess, a 63 year old Cambodian woman, said,

Before we had just enough rain... During New Year or a few days after New Year we start our farming and it will rain just on time. And then... Two or three years after that.. The rain doesn’t come when it’s supposed to. Sometimes, when it is supposed to rain it didn’t and there was only wind.. Our vegetables like chillies and eggplants were Plastic mulching helps to prevent evaporation of affected and died. Before we used to get between four and moisture from already dry soil. This is an example of climate change adaptation. ten tons of rice but now we only get about half or one ton. That’s considered lucky. Adaptations to mitigate the effects of climate change Two of the most alarming effects of climate change for Several elders attribute the change in climate to the cutting Cambodian farmers are changing unpredictable rainfall down of trees in their local forests. While this (usually and decreased soil moisture. illegal) practice does cause some variation in local weather, the over-riding cause of climate change in Cambodia is In response to these effects, Development and global warming. Partnership in Action (DPA) are helping communities to access alternative water sources as well as training farmers in agricultural techniques which require less Ain Ess talks about water. how changes in climate are affecting farming in Some villagers in Mondulkiri province now have access her village of Srae to dam water. Funding from Caritas Aotearoa New Ampil. Zealand enabled DPA to fix a dam which was originally built in the time of the Khmer Rouge. Caritas funding has also enabled DPA to provide some villages with water pumps to transport the water from the dam to the farmers’ fields. IPCC Predictions

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on DPA are training Cambodian farmers in new irrigation Climate Change in their 2014 report made the following predictions concerning climate changes in techniques such as drip irrigation and plastic mulching. Southeast Asia between now and 2065. Drip irrigation ensures water reaches the roots of the  Temperatures will increase from between two plants without wasting other water. Plastic mulching to four degrees Celcius. reduces the amount of moisture that evaporates from the  Overall rainfall will increase, but it may decrease during the traditional rainy season. soil.  Soil moisture levels will decrease.  Annual runoff from rivers will increase causing flooding.  Warmer temperatures may adversely affect the growth of rice as it nears its heat stress limit.  The largest number of food-insecure people will be located in South Asia. By using drip irrigation farmers can save water.

19 Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara Fact Sheet 14: A short history of human rights in Cambodia

Cambodia has endured a long history of oppression and suffering. Vietnamese Occupation

In 1953, Cambodia gained independence from the French Vietnam invaded and occupied Cambodia in 1978 by government who had kept Cambodia isolated from the outside overthrowing the Khmer Rouge. Some people thought world ensuring development in areas such as education and that Vietnam had liberated the Cambodian people, but infrastructure was slow. Although Cambodia was an the Vietnamese did this for their own political and independent nation, the geographical location meant economic gains rather than to stop the Khmer Rouge sovereignty was constantly threatened by Thailand on the hurting people. West and Vietnam on the East. Both countries were interested in having influence in Cambodia. To stop the Khmer Rouge from entering Cambodia, the Vietnamese conscripted many people to install mines The Vietnam War (1955-1975) was fought between along the border of Thailand. These mines are still communist North Vietnam supported by the Soviet Union and exploding today and cause many deaths and injuries China and anti-communist South Vietnam supported by the to local people living in the area. and . The Vietnamese communists established secure bases along the border of Vietnam and United Nations Intervention Cambodia. The United States bombed this border in the 1970s By 1992, Cambodia was suffering as a nation that had causing devastation to the local Cambodian civilians who were endured over 20 years of oppression. Roads had been also living in the area. destroyed, people had lost their loved ones and their land, 370,000 people were displaced and had become refugees, The Khmer Rouge there were no jobs and many Cambodians were forced In 1975, a communist group into extreme poverty and starvation. Fighting between the supported by China and different ethnic and political groups in Cambodia North Vietnam was created continued. and called the Khmer Rouge. The United Nations (UN) decided This group was led by a man called Pol Pot, a former high it was time for them to take school teacher, who captured the capitol of Cambodia, Phnom action. The member states of the Penh, and began a violent and oppressive revolution that saw UN joined together to discuss how many innocent people die as a result of being brutally the rest of the world could help murdered or tortured. Cambodia rebuild their nation.

Working camps were set up where people were forced into The UN had many tasks to achieve; including ceasing the hard labour and they often died of exhaustion and starvation. infighting and establishing peace, running free and fair Famine, malnutrition and disease affected many people. elections for the Cambodian people, finding homes for 370,000 refugees, helping Cambodians remove explosive Often the Khmer Rouge would target people who were mines hidden in the ground and monitoring human intellectuals or were well-educated because they were seen as rights and respond to any breaches. a threat to the Khmer Rouge. Others were also killed for not being ‘pure’ Cambodian and many multi-ethnic settlers were Some significant improvements were made as roads and slaughtered. It is unknown exactly how many people died buildings were built, refugees were returned to during this time but it is estimated two million out of the Cambodia, and promotion of human rights began. population of seven million died. Elections were held in Cambodia with 80% of the population participating. Unfortunately, the UN was unable to disarm and defeat the Khmer Rouge who still had control of some parts of Cambodia and were unwilling to make a compromise and participate in a free and democratic Cambodia.

Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 20 Injustice Continues Today Difficulties that Cambodians face daily which threaten human rights are: Today Cambodia is a parliamentary democracy, just like  High rates of HIV/AIDS New Zealand, though both countries have different  Extreme poverty electoral systems and Cambodia is dominated by one  Malnutrition as a result of food insecurity party. The Cambodian People’s Party is led by Hun Sen  Lack of access to welfare, health care and education who was a former officer for the Khmer Rouge. This party  Cheap labour - Cambodia is known for ‘sweatshops’ has governed the country since 1979 making it one of the that have poor conditions and often resemble slavery longest ruling parties in the world. This brings into  Climate change is affecting rural communities who question how democratic Cambodia can really be if it has often struggle to grow food and have access to water been governed by one party for such a long time.  Illegal forestry on indigenous people's land  Mine explosions causing death and injuries  Allegations of corruption and injustice cloud the Human trafficking - often people living in poverty are promised work in a nearby town and instead Cambodian government and it is often criticised for its are sold to traffickers who take them from inaction to alleviate poverty and promote human rights. their families, keep them as slaves and force them into prostitution.

This is a Caritas summary of the 30 human rights that are outlined in the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Hear the cry of the earth and the poor * Lent 2016 * Whakarongo ki te tangi o Papatūānuku me te hunga pōhara 21