US-FUNDED YOUTH DEMOCRACY FESTIVAL DRAWS THOUSANDS TO

UNCLAS PHNOM PENH 000521

SIPDIS

STATE FOR EAP/MLS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KJUS PREL EAID CB
SUBJECT: US-FUNDED YOUTH DEMOCRACY FESTIVAL DRAWS THOUSANDS TO
KAMPONG CHAM.


1. SUMMARY: The United States Agency for International Development
(USAID) and the International Republican Institute (IRI) held an
annual Youth Festival in Kampong Cham July 18 - 19 drawing thousands
of participants. The festival, a combination of seminars,
performances and information booths, began in 2006 with the purpose
of promoting democracy and good governance practices to the next
generation of Cambodian leaders. This festival yielded the largest
turnout ever, with over 69,000 youth participating in the
festivities and attending seminars and training sessions on topics
ranging from effective petitioning to public speaking. END
SUMMARY.


2. The opening ceremony featured speeches by Deputy Governor of
Kampong Cham, Ms. Khoun Sun Eng, and Acting Head of USAID's Office
of General Development, Paul Randolph. Mr. Randolph spoke about
youth determining the future of Cambodia while Ms. Sun Eng spoke of
"controlled democracy" and made references to the threat of
"anarchy" arriving from civil disorder. (NOTE: In recently
published speeches, Prime Minister Hun Sen and several Deputy Prime
Ministers have expressed similar sentiments about the threat of
"anarchy" and the need for "rule of law". END NOTE.)

3. Dozens of active volunteers from the Youth Council of Cambodia
were visible throughout the weekend inviting festival-goers into
their booths, running competitions, and leading training sessions
with noticeably high levels of participation. Several NGOs also
participated in the event, covering a wide range of topics such as
civil participation strategies (including running a commune council
meeting and effective petitioning),as well as public speaking and
gender equality. Information booths covered additional topics such
as reproductive health and the history of the Khmer Rouge. Beauty
and singing competitions included educational components as
contestants had to pass a Cambodian civics test in order to be
eligible to participate.


4. One booth that drew the attention of many festival- goers was
the debate booth. Teams of three were pitted together throughout
the weekend to present their ideas on how to address topics of
concern to Cambodian youth. Participants were given an allotted
amount of time to speak to the audience as well as the opportunity
to ask a follow-up or rebuttal question to the opposing team.
Audience members then voted on the best team (votes were publically
tallied as an example of voting transparency),which was allowed to
advance to the next round.


5. Later-round participants of the debates illustrated their depth
of knowledge related to the topic of domestic abuse when one of the
debaters specifically linked it to lack of education, poor living
standards, and alcohol and drug abuse. An opposing team member
stated that to effectively combat domestic abuse, living standards
needed to be improved and job opportunities needed to be increased.
The participant stated that domestic violence should no longer be
seen as a family affair and that it required a community response.
The need to promote gender equality along with the idea that women
can contribute to society as well as to the family was also
expressed by the young participants. (NOTE: Domestic violence is of
particular concern in Cambodia. In 2005, Minister of Women's
Affairs Ing Kantha Phavi cited the statistic that one in four women
in Cambodia is physically abused by her husband. Today, the
statistic she cites is one in three. END NOTE.)


6. Evening activities combined performances by top-line Cambodian
pop stars Khemarak Sereymon, Sokun Nisa, Chhon Sovanareach and Meas
Soksophea with additional presentations ranging from student-led
performances based on topics such as violence and education, to the
finals of the festival's singing contest. On the last evening,
prizes were presented to the winners of other earlier competitions.
Recent cast members of the Youth Leadership Challenge (a
USAID-funded television show that tests the leadership and debating
skills of young men and women from around the country),along with
its most recent winner Chhem Pe, were also present throughout the
weekend. Mr. Pe gave a speech on the value of education.


7. COMMENT: Young attendees were enthusiastic about their role in
shaping the future of Cambodia. They openly discussed the
challenges facing Cambodia, naming quality of education, inadequate
law enforcement, and the decline of morality among youth as specific
areas of concern. A standard request from attendees throughout the
weekend was to expand the festival to other provinces. Young
participants stated their intent to become involved in Cambodian
policy-making, civil society, and the education and health sectors.
Such positive responses demonstrate a certain level of progress in
creating demand for improved governance and laying the groundwork
for governance reform. The Youth Festival also highlighted the
growing reality of greater youth involvement in Cambodia's
political, economic, and social development. END COMMENT

Rodley