Voices of Peace - Samnang Chum

Cord Cambodia staff member Samnang shares his experiences of life in a post-conflict country and how it has inspired him to work for peace.

I was born after the collapse of the Khmer Rouge regime. From a young age, I remember very well how Cambodian people suffered during and after the civil war in the 1980’s. I particularly remember how my father escaped joining the military when the Cambodian government needed more forces to fight Khmer Rouge troops at the Cambodian-Thai border.

During secondary school, after United Nations arrival and completion of its mission to build peace, and the Paris’ Peace Accord in 1991, I felt that Cambodia would see real peace without war or internal conflict. However, during my time at university I became uncertain about this hope I had. This concern was realised when I saw fighting between two powerful political parties in 1997 – Prince Norodom Ranariddh and Hun Sen.

I wished one day to be able to contribute to peace in Cambodia even though I did not actually know what ‘peacebuilding’ meant in reality.

Today, although Cambodia is free from conflict, the scars are still very evident in society. Many Cambodian’s suffer from poverty, financial crisis, climate change and human rights violation, which demonstrates how much further peacebuilding goes beyond preventing violence.

After university, I volunteered with a local non-government organisation (NGO) which paved the way to a career in the development sector. Despite holding a degree in Accounting I worked for the Cambodian Government as an aid programme coordinator, managing aid and technical assistance from New Zealand and Japan. Through this I learned a lot about peace and contributed to my beloved country’s development. I become passionate about inclusive and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly in Cambodia.

While my work provided me with experience and opportunities to travel to different countries, I felt like a middle man between donors and government - I did not get to work with the people I wanted to help or the project implementers on the ground.

Now, I feel so proud to work with Cord which enables me to support local organisations who then help the poor. The difference between a developing country and a developed country is not just money, it’s also skills. For example, people in the provinces (rural areas) haven’t completed high school and are often unable to read, write or calculate numbers. We support them in their learning so that they can start to lead their own development.

As a Capacity Development Adviser for Cord since May 2010, I provide advice to local groups on development, gender issues, HIV and AIDS, research, and gender based violence. In practice this can be through facilitating workshops and leading training on strategic planning, financial and knowledge management, fundraising, or monitoring and evaluation.

I feel privileged that in that I have the opportunity contribute to Cambodia’s social and economic development, and to long-term peace. Although my work can take many different forms, I share values and hopes with my colleagues for a better future for this country. I am really excited about the journey to peace with Cord.