The long-term affected

an example from Cambodia

Cambodia’s tragic past – first in 1975 with the merciless Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot, then the invasion in the Eighties of the Vietnamese forces- resulted in close to 3 million people either dying or ‘disappearing’ and left a legacy of trauma and grief.

During the Khmer Rouge regime and genocide a curtain of silence fell across Cambodia.

Over the last twenty plus years schools, hospitals and homes have gradually been rebuilt- but rebuilding and repairing shattered lives and relationships has proved more difficult.

Cambodia has a young population bereft of its elders, and with little capability of dealing with the traumas which still reverberate today. There is mistrust between communities, underlying tensions often remain unresolved, and there is precious little redress for the huge social injustice and extreme poverty countrywide.

CORD’s South and East Asia Regional Office in country provides advice mentoring, coaching, training, and technical support to our local partners, as well as an understanding of how building on local culture can offer the best opportunities for growth and change.