Sarus 2014 profile book

Sarus 2014 M

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R EC O RD MO M E N T S O U T O F C OM FORT Z ONE

Written and designed

by Heng HuyHuang

About Sarus

Our Model for Empowerment and Peace Building

What is Sarus?

The Sarus Exchange program was established in 2010 as a peace building and youth empowerment program for the best and brightest university students in Cambodia and Vietnam, those who demonstrate the potential to be future leader in their countries.

The Sarus Exchange program is not just about peace building, but it is also about empowerment. Every Sarus members have shown incredible intellectual and emotional intelligence, as well as leadership potential.

Our mission Our mission is to inspire and empower the next generation of future leaders to build a peaceful and prosperous Southeast Asia.

Our Vision We envision a future in which our community members remain deeply connected to each other and committed to our mission, vision, and value for the rest of our lives. As we become leader in our workplaces, communities, we will form a core nexus of regional engagement, collaboration and innovation, thereby building sustainable peace and prosperity on a regional level.

Our Value We do not decide where we are born or to what family or to what position in society. What we do determine is our actions each day. We can become the people we want to become, and the Sarus community can become the community we want to become.

mission

value

vision

Circle Meeting (communication)

Teaching (Service)

Documentary Shooting (Inquiry)

Expressing (Leadership)

Communication: We’ve traditionally used a non-violent communication called ‘Circle Meeting’, a forum guided by Sarus staffs where we all sit down together for an hour or so every other evening during the program to share insights and reactions to their days together.

Service: We naturally develop empathy by ‘walking in another’ shoes’.

There is not benefactor or beneficiary, only two equal partners. Through service, the Sarus community expands beyond the Sarus community to the lager community of the people we serve.

Inquiry: Peace cannot exist without an understanding of the fundamental nature of conflict; in whatever family or community we live in. Therefore, Sarus introduces ‘Independent Study’ every year. Sarus Leaders 2014 in Cambodia made an eight-minute documentary, talking about education in Cambodia-Vietnam village, for their Independent Study.

Leadership: Historically, in the Sarus Exchange Program, leadership has been developed through staffs delegating responsibilities to Sarus participants. However, this year, leadership can be developed on a deeper level because Sarus participants, now called Sarus leaders, are true owners of the program.

-- Handbook for Sarus Leaders (April 4, 2014)

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ers v i Un mics l a o y Ro Econ t aw r a and o L i : n Ju Law or j a M What I like the most about Sarus is I had a safe and opened space to share my happiness and sadness in circle meeting which is a unique thing in Sarus. I can say that I love everything of Sarus except meeting. I felt that we spent too much time on each meeting, which makes me feel sleepy after coming back from the whole-day work. ‘Conflict’ is the most challenging for me. It is very difficult to overcome all the conflicts when we stayed with many people coming from different parts of the world and having different cultures. However, we could solve it by using conflict transformation which made every conflict smaller. Conflict is not good, but conflict is a good thing to learn from.

I have learnt new life lessons and make closer relationship with all Sarus members through every conflict in this family.

For me, Sarus is my great family. I feel every member in this family make my life more meaningful and lively. They are truly a part of my life.

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To be a Sarus leader, I submitted the application form and had an oral test, which was the same to every candidate.

However, what made me stand out was one of my answers during the interview. The selection committee asked what I would do if there was misunderstanding between Cambodian and Vietnamese. “I will try all my best to explain them by sharing knowledge about my country including culture and geography,� I told them with my confidence.

The question in oral test is very useful when the exchange program started. It was not easy to live with foreigners because our activities and cultures were not similar, but I tried to learn from them, talked to them and accepted them. Finally, we could learn from each other, work together and live with everyone in the community very closely.

Sarus Exchange Program 2014 helped me to obtain new experiences, helped people in need and made more friends. Moreover, I did enjoy exploring new things between both countries, Cambodia and Vietnam.

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Sarus is my first exchange program, so I remember almost all the questions in the application form and during the interview. However, I was very inspired by a question. “Sarus wants you to make a documentary talking about Vietnamese in Cambodia, do you have any ideas on this topic?” To be honest, I was shock by the question because I haven’t learnt how to make documentary. However, I told them “Keep it balance! The video has to reduce anger and misunderstanding of both parties, but I cannot find a specific angle for this documentary within a minute,” and then I showed them my personal blog and some short videos I have made.

After a few weeks, I was selected, and I knew I have a chance to involve with media which is my university major.

I think Cambodia leaders of Sarus can define true friends when we shot a documentary talking about education in Prek Crey, Cambodian and Vietnamese’s village in Kandal province. We, only 10 people, went there and met countless problems. We solved them with smiles and tears. I felt very warm to have them as my second family.

Besides practicing what I have learnt at school, I experienced living in host family, cooking for a big group and working with villagers and foreigners.

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I know Sarus through the information from my friend who was an alumnus last year. After I passed Sarus shorlist, I needed to go through the interview stage which one of the questions I remember the most was my thought on Vietnamese. To be honest, I firstly think that they were somehow quite bad in one aspect, but when I saw Ngi at the walk in session, I somehow change my perspective because she is very intelligent.

Selected by Sarus staff, I officially become a Sarus leader who is now able to deal with conflict and work in large groups from many countries.

I love Sarus because Sarus has Circle Meeting which is a safe place where everyone in the community can share everything in their minds and say it out without any judgments from the others.

At the same time, I feel that Sarus leaders, my 9 teammates and I, were not given enough preparation and information for leading our own program by ourselves, which made me feel insecure to do things to satisfy the community. Finally, there were conflicts happened in group, and I solved it by getting away from the group to calm myself down in own space and pointing things out during circle meeting.

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My dorm mate who participated in Sarus 2013 recommended this summer exchange program to me. I decided to apply for Sarus 2014. Every Sarus’ question was very critical, but one question was unique, and I will never forget it. “If you had a chance to publish a book, what do you want to write about?” I responded that I wrote about women, and I would put a picture of a woman on the cover with a title “Empowerment of woman”.

I was officially selected by Sarus and joined the orientation in Kep. Even though I didn’t have a chance to write the book mentioned during the interview, I was able to make a documentary with Sarus leaders. I have learnt living in diverse communities, meeting people and exploring new things after facing conflicts in the group.

Sarus shaped me to be an independent person, a good listener, a better leader. However, I was not comfortable when I required to work or have meetings until late night.

Sarus 2014 Journey ➢ Venue: Kep Cambodia ➢ Participants: 5 Sarus Staffs and 10 Cambodia leaders ➢ Main activities: • Welcome to Sarus • Team building games • Training on ‘Power and Leadership’ and ‘Conflict transformation’ • Introduction to circle meeting • Sarus leaders discuss on the 1 field trip

The exchange Program ugust 8 July 16 - A

April 4-6

Orientation

May 3-5

First Field Trip

➢ Venue: Koh Kong, Cambodia ➢ Participants: 3 Sarus Staffs and 10 Cambodia leaders ➢ Main activities: • Sharing session related to literature, leadership, environment, technology, social and so on. from each 10 Cambodia leaders • Explore Koh Kong city, resorts and Thai Market

➢ Venue: Takeo, Cambodia ➢ Participants: 4 Sarus Staffs and 10 Cambodia leaders ➢ Activities: •Plant trees and flowers in a primary school • Teach primary students hygiene, environment, morality and leadership.

• Explore the villiage to raise awareness and do reflection

Independent Study June 28-30

June 7-8

Second Feild Trip

➢ Venue: • 2 weeks in Cambodia: Phnom Penh, Prek Crey (Kandal) and Siem Reap • 1 week in Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh, Ben Tre ➢ Participants: Sarus staffs, Sarus leaders and Sarus internees ➢ Activities: In Cambodia: • Visit Phnom Penh and Siem Reap • Community service in Prek Crey: - Build trash, collect rubbish, - teach students, learn from villagers, - exchange culture, - make thank giving cards, - compete football with(Sarus vs Student in Prek Crey) - cook In Vietnam: • Visit Ho Chi Minh • Repair Thanh Ngai primary school

➢ Venue: Kandal, Cambodia ➢ Participants: 10 Cambodia leaders ➢ Activities: divided into 2 teams: • Shooting team (4 members): take video of landscape, activities and interview • Scouting team (6 members): contacted sources for shooting team, talked to villagers in Prek Crey and draft main activities for the ‘Ex change Program’ •All: made friends with students and villagers

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“What do you think about Vietnamese?”

I was asked an unforgettable question during the interview after I had been selected from shortlist. I honestly answered that I am not racist. I treat all people around the world equally.

Sarus 2014, from April to August, I made a lot of new best friends who I keep them as my family members. Moreover, Sarus introduced me and my team members ‘Circle Meeting’ where we are free to share our ideas, and we solved many problems in this meeting.

We, 10 Cambodia leaders of Sarus, were responsible for hosting Vietnam leaders of Sarus, internees and Sarus staffs in Cambodia for 2 weeks. We had a group of 29 people, but we had a very limited budget.

Therefore, we had to think, to discuss and to evaluate all the time before making master plan and choosing accommodation for them. In short, we needed to choose good places but low price. I also had a biggest challenge when re-pairing an old school in Vietnam for a week. I was very tired, and I had never done it.

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“If you had superpower, what would be the only one thing you want to do or to get?” one member of Sarus selection committee asked me during the interview after I passed shortlist. I answered, “I would use my superpower to transform the poor so called the educational system in my country, especially remote area in the province.”

After being a Sarus leader, I felt I had the superpower because I had chances to teach children in remote areas, Takeo and Kandal, and I have chances to meet new and talented people who are right now become important part of my life.

We shared, we learnt, and grew together. All members in Sarus are now my brothers and sisters, my real supporters, educators and caregivers after we spent time on field trips and the three-week exchange program.

I sometimes feel very hopeless because Sarus is small and unrecognized, so what my friends and I have done are not well-known and cannot help much people. However, it is cool because this small place provided everyone a space for opened sharing and helping each other. At the end of the day, I can live in big group with wide diversity and initiate projects for sustainable development for community.

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“How to be a Sarus Leader?�

Personally, I gathered my ideas and pervious experiences such as teamwork, volunteering and social activities and carefully filled in the application form. Then, I was called to interview. Before the interview day, I spent my time to prepare FAQs and to practice with my friend. During the interview, I showed the selection committee about my leadership skill. I told them that being a leader, I not only leaded my group, but also guided my group to do things in the best ways. Moreover, I needed to involve with all activities with a high responsibility as well.

During the exchange program, I learnt 2 main life lessons. They were how to be a good member and leader who had wider critical thinking and could work with different-background people because I worked with American, Vietnamese, Burma, Bangladeshi, and Cambodian during the exchange program.

Who know my biggest challenge? One the first three days of Sarus exchange program, I had final exam at my university. Therefore, I involved less and I started to feel I took this program for granted. Luckily, the others Sarus leaders and staffs understood my situation and always forgave and supported me.

I am really satisfied and fully participated Sarus. I wish this exchange program should have been longer than three weeks because Sarus leaders want more time to learn, to discuss, to share and to build stronger friendship.

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I remember 30 candidates passed shortlist and went for interview, but only 10 candidates were selected for Sarus exchange program. I am one of the 10 Sarus leaders who passed both shortlist and interview after my well preparation.

Being a Sarus leader is a great opportunity for me to get out of my comfort zone, to know myself clearly and to learn new things I have never expected to happen in my life. Moreover, I am more independent and responsible after planning every trip with the other Cambodian leaders of Sarus.

However, I don’t think 3 weeks for exchange is enough. There are Cambodians, Vietnamese, Americans, Burmese, and Bangladesh in the group, so we share different nationalities, languages and cultures. We sometimes had conflicts by misunderstanding which made whole team felt very upset. Luckily, we had a circle meeting which everyone could raise what we didn’t like and problems solved. When we just knew each other well and built strong team, it was time to say good-bye to them.

Sarus should have given us four weeks like previous years.

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Because I don’t have any experiences in exchange programs, my sister told me about Sarus which her friends joined last year. I remember that I answered 6 or 7 questions related to leadership and conflict in shortlist, and I was asked to attach my scanned passport, ID card, university transcript, recommendation letter. Well preparing for shortlist, I could go interview session which I will never forget a critical question. “Why does Vietnamese step outside their border and live in Cambodia?” I answered, “Vietnamese’s living condition is poor and they want a better life in Cambodia. There are more jobs in Cambodia.”

A few weeks later, I got an email telling me I became a Sarus leader.

Stepping into this community, I know that I make some changes. I have learnt two main things from Sarus. First one is problem solving. We are able to solve all the conflict of misunderstanding by allowing both parties to talk directly to each other or in circle meeting and solve the problems.

Secondly, I have to be supportive to be a good leader because supporting is a good medicine to motivate people.

I thank Sarus for giving me big challenges. I was sometimes very stressful when some of Sarus leaders were very busy, and Sarus was a long exchange program which kept me busy with my work and study. I also thank Sarus for introducing us circle meeting where I can share and receive any feelings and reflections.

Photostory

The Exchange Program

Orientation

Visiting Royal Palace

Discussion Time

Leadership Game

Making Trash

Leadership Game

Having Fun (Kep Beach)

First Field Trip R e p a i r i n g

Other happy moments Sharing Session

Sharing Session

Having Fun (Koh Kong)

Planting Tree

Expressing ourselves

Second Field Trip

Teaching Children

Independent Study

Interviewing Commune Chief Interviewing Vietnamese boy

Preparing for Interview

S c h o o l