Summary of the points: !" !"#$%&'(#))%*+%,&-#.%/&01&'#203/4#*&1356(& I.
Personal Challenges: The biggest challenges of the youthÂśV development are the attitudes of the youth themselves. These include: x x x x x
Pessimism or negative No strong desire and not determined or assertive enough ( No Clear goal or SMART goal for the future) Passiveness, and lack of courage Not open (especially to new ideas) Not really ready to face the challenges
II. Social Challenges: x x x
Poverty (Lost opportunity of going gain the valuable knowledge at school, been forced to over ZRUNÂŤ
Domestic violence, drug abuse, labor abuse, human trafficking Youth are not giving much chances to prove their abilities to the public
III. Cultural Challenges: x x
Youths are not given high value, and their voices are often unheard <RXWKVÂś JUHDW LGHDV DUH EHLQJ ORVW EHFDXVH RI LQHTXLW\
#" '3*6"405643*&63&#//"%,,&6(%&.(#))%*+%,&-3"&4*/4$4/5#)& ž Start making the changes. The changes that starts from no other then the youths themselves. Change the negative points of the attitudes to the positives ones. ž Building the knowledge competence, and important lifelong skills like interpersonal VNLOOV OHDGHUVKLSV HWF ž Self-GHYHORSPHQW WKURXJK WKH VFKRROœs extra-FXUULFXODU DFWLYLWLHV ,WœV WKH WLPH WR OHDUQ more lessons about the related subjects, about life, get the chance to practices the existing knowledge.
$" '3*6"405643*&63&#//"%,,&6(%&.(#))%*+%,&-3"&6(%&,3.4%61& #,&#&7(3)%& ž Fight against the challenges we are facing by volunteering to join with the NGOs and NPOs (Not for Profit Organizations). ž involve in community services ž share knowledge and experiences to the others through workshop or projects ž Put ourselves in the world of challenges. All of these are some ideas of the wonderful things that we, as the youths, can do to challenge ourselves, as well as to build our competence, critical thinking skill and to grow stronger in the difficult times in order to reach the success and help contribute to improve our society. As long as we keep fighting forward, believing in ourselves and working actively and collaboratively with others Khmer youths, we will be able to bring our Cambodia Nation to the TOP. 7KHUHIRUH WKHUH VKRXOG EH QR GHOD\ /HWœV WDNH WKH VWDUW DQG PDNH WKH FKDQJHV ,I LWœV QRW 86 ZKR" ,I LWœV QRW 12: ZKHQ" ³%HJLQ ZLWK XV DQG HQG ZLWK WKH EULJKW IXWXUH RI RXU SURVSHURXV .KPHU 1DWLRQ ´
SOCIETY DEPENDS SOLELY ON YOUTH FOR THE DEVELOPMENT. Why does it take the participation of the youth, not the more mature and older generation? The primary reason is that youth is youngest generation who is full of passions, power, intelligence, creativity, so forth. Moreover, youth also has a lot of time to learn new things and be inspired, as well as to pass down their fascinating knowledge and experiences to the next generations <RXWK LV WKH IXWXUH OHDGHU 3OXV LWœV DOVR WRR ODWH WR VWDUW ZLWK WKH ROG generation, as they are too old to be reformed or re-educated. Therefore, youth is the potential JHQHUDWLRQ WR EXLOG XS WKH EULJKW IXWXUH IRU WKH VRFLHW\ +RZHYHU LWœV WKH IDFW WKDW QRWKLQJ JRHV SHUIHFWO\ ULJKW DOO WKH WLPH 7KHUHœUH DOZD\V EH FRQVWUDLQV IRU WKH GHYHORSment of the youth. While seeking for the growth and improvement, youth encounters numerous distracters which can be classified into 3 categories, namely personal challenges, social challenges and cultural challenges. What mainly disrupts the youth from success is their attitude themselves. With the modesty, and pessimism, youth sees the world in dark color and everything is too high, too far away and too impossible. This belief avoid youth from dreaming high, or having strong desire, and having little vision of success. :KDWœV PRUH KDYLQJ ODFN RI FDUHIXO SODQ or SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time frame) goal in life also plays a big part betraying youth from reaching the high position. In addition to these, passiveness is another constrain of the self development of the youth as well as the society as a whole. It sometimes become a very typical character of youth to not to courageously volunteer to do anything, no matter that thing is big or small. For example, in class, when the teacher asks if anyone volunteer to answer the question, a lot of students end up sitting silently and say QRWKLQJ HYHQ WKRXJK WKH\ KDYH DOUHDG\ KDG WKH DQVZHUV LQ WKHLU PLQG 2I FRXUVH LWœV JRRG WR sense and speculate the failure, but we will not know if ZH GRQœW WU\ 7KHUHœUH D WKHRU\ VD\V ³<RXœOO QHYHU SDVV XQOHVV \RXœYH HYHU IDLOHG´ :H OHDUQ IURP WKH H[SHULHQFH %HVLGHV EHLQJ too proud and not opening to new ideas, and not willing to learn and share with the others are also the huge distracters of achieving the goal in life. 6HFRQGO\ LWœV QRW RQO\ WKH EHKDYLRU RI WKH \RXWK EXW DOVR WKH FRQGLWLRQs of the society they are living in that slow down the growth of youths. These factors refer mainly to poverty. Poverty cut of lots of opportunities from the youth. For instance, they lost the chance of going to gain the valuable and priceless knowledge from school, and this chance is being replaced by the injustice, low paid, and over hard working hours or at least helping the parents with the rice growing, the farming, the house cleaning, or cooking the meals to feed the family. 6HFRQGO\ WKH RWKHU IDFWRUV WKDW PD\ DOVR FUHDWH FKDOOHQJH IRU WKH \RXWKœV GHYHORSPHQW DUH domestic violence, drug abuse, labor abuse, human tracking in which these kinds of socially hatred activities are committed illegally by some bad people. All of these traps can pull the youths down to the bottom of the world, as well as creating instabilities and slow down the development of youth and the society itself. Thirdly, culture can also be another challenge that youths are facing these days. Youth potentials are hidden by the social norm in which youth is considered of being miles inferior to the older generations %HFDXVH RI WKLV D ORW RI \RXWKœV JUHDW LGHDV DUH EHLQJ ORVW LQ
the pROO RI LQHTXLW\ DQG WKH\ GRQœW JHW PXFK RSSRUWXQLW\ WR VWDQG RQ D SURSHU SRVLWLRQ in the society. This also hinder the youth from showing their full potential of playing part in the social development. Making future plan can be an example to this. Older generations in my IDPLO\ RIWHQ VD\ ³<RX DUH WRR \RXQJ WR PDNH \RXU RZQ GHFLVLRQ WR FKRRVH WKH PDMRU DW WR XQLYHUVLW\´ 7KH\ VRPHWLPHV GRQœW UHDOO\ UHVSHFW WKH \RXWKœV choice, and often love to follow the family traditional job without taking much consideration if their kids have the right quality, ability and talent to do it or not. This common, but sometimes too conservative idea FDQ GHWHU WKH \RXWK IURP VKRZLQJ WKH IXOO SRWHQWLDO ,WœV D ZDVWH WR IRUFH VRPHRQH ZKR LV really good at Math, Physic and full of imagination to continue the family work of farming instead of studying to get the scholarship to study engineering or architecture. It would be better if the youths are equally valued and given the chance to have their voice heard and show their full power or potentials. Luckily, where there is problem there are always be the ways out. As an individual, I feel that the best response to the constraints that deter us, the youth, from the success is to start making the changes; the change that starts from none other than ourselves. It is not the time to complain about the situation. It is not the time to complain about the ways we are being judge. It is no longer the time for us to keeping complaining of the others. It is the time for us to make the start. The best key to win over the challenges is to step in and fight WKRURXJKO\ DJDLQVW WKH SUREOHPV /HWœV VWDUW E\ FKDQJLQJ WKH QHJDWLYH DWWLWXGH ZH KDYH Pessimistic should be changed optimistic, while impossible should be changed to possible. Passive should be changed to active. Timid should be changed to courage. Decisive and reluctant should be changed to passionate and determine. Careless should be changed to reflexive. Being close should be changed to open. We should remember that our life is like the parachute in the sky, we can only float high in the air if we open the parachute widely, while in contrast, we would fall down and make a big disaster if the parachute is closed, so FRPH RQ2SHQ RXU KHDUW WR QHZ WKLQJV DQG WDNH WKH RWKHU SHRSOH FULWLFLVPV In addition to this, we should also build our competent characteristics, such as accountability, creativeness and especially enthusiasm. ,WœV WLPH IRU XV WR &+$1*( WR EH VRPHRQH EHWWHU As an addition to the changes in attitude, building knowledge competence despite the obstacles on the way is another bridge to future success. Society really need the qualified youth, so we all must make ourselves be very knowledgeable or highly educated. Poverty will not be able to destroy our whole life, as long as we keep moving forward and working our best to achieve the high goals 7KHUHœUH HYHQ FRXQWOHVV RI RSSRUWXQLWLHV H[FHSW ZH GRQœW KDYH that great intension and determination to catch them. As Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president RI 86$ VDLG ³/RRN IRU WKH EHVW SUHSDUH IRU WKH ZRUVW DQG WDNH ZKDWHYHU FRPHV´. If we are ERUQ SRRU LW GRHVQœW WRWDOO\ PHDQ ZH FDQQRW KDYH KLJK HGXFDWLRQ DQG JHW WKH ZHOO SDLG MRE DV we can still try hard to get the scholarships. It does not take miracle, as there is no such thing as miracle, and it completely takes efforts and commitments. Apart from working hard for scholarship, joining any workshops or conference would be another great way to expand our knowledge. We should put huge amount of effort on gaining knowledge, as Buddha said thousand years ago that ³knowledge is the endless source of wealth, and with knowledge we will not be easily defeated by our enemies.´ Therefore, knowledge will be our forever weapons against the problems in society such as drug abuse, labor abuse, and human trafficking because with superb knowledge, we will never be suffered of these things. Thirdly, involving in school extra-curricular activities could also be another wonderful way to develop ourselves. It refers to activities apart from sitting in the class and listening to the teachers. Although it is true that most high schools in our country, Cambodia, GRQœW SURYLGH KXJH YDULHWLHV RI H[WUD DFWLYLWLHV DW VFKRRO WKHUHœUH VWLOO VRPH JRRG SURJUDPs that we can join, for example, the scout group, Red Cross youth group, workshops on gender equity or AIDS and so on. While at university, WKHUHœUH TXLWH D ORW RI H[WUD DFWLYLWLHV OLNH dance club, debate club, reading club, organizing committee of the school, student senate, HVSHFLDOO\ VFKRROœV ILHOG WULSV WR institution, organizations or community sites. If we only go to
school, sit in the class and wait to be explained about the lessons, we will only learn the lessons, which is not simply enough to get a head in this very challenging world. By doing extra-curricular work, we will surprisingly gain a lot of useful ideas, experiences and knowledge that will profit us in the near and far future. Me, myself, have earned a great deal of knowledge when joining the book club at the university and got more knowledge after I was chosen to be the assistant of the program, as I get a lot of chance to be closed to the mountain of books. In short, if the problem is that we are too poor to afford to buy books, why not volunteer to throw ourselves into the huge piles of books? If the problem is experience, why not volunteer to throw ourselves into the world of experienced people? For the society as a whole WKHUHÂśUH YDULRXV WKLQJs that we, the youth, can do to bring about the development to the community and the society. These activities include volunteering to work for NGOs or NPOs, involving in community services, sharing what we have or what we know to the others through workshops or projects, and joining contests or competitions. By volunteering to be the member of NGOs or NPOs or just simply join some of their activities, we will unintentionally been inspired by the things we seH DQG OHDUQ IURP WKHP ,WÂśV a great opportunity for us to practice our skills and knowledge that we gain from school, to expand our knowledge relDWHG WR ZKDW ZHÂśYH OHDUQW DW VFKRRO DV ZHOO DV WR GHYHORS our awareness on the social issues. Plus, we will be able to develop our communication skills, interpersonal skills, team work, leadership and to build a wide friends network that will later help us in the future. To share my own experience, honestly at the first time I heard people mention the benefit of volunteer; I felt that it was just propaganda because they only want someone to work for them free. It was until I tried joining the SEALNet project when I was in 11 grade at high school, I realized that it really have great influences on my life. Firstly, I UHDOL]HG WKDW ,ÂśYH FKDQJH P\ DWWLWXGH D ORW , FKDQJHG IURP EHLQJ QHJDWLYH DQG SDVVLYH WR YHU\ RSWLPLVWLF DQG DFWLYH 6HFRQGO\ ,ÂśYH DOVR FKDQJed my attitude toward my own Khmer culture. Before, I was like other youths who used to say Âł.KPHU traditional FXOWXUH" 1DKÂŤ,WÂśV VR RXWGDWHG ,WÂśV QRZ st FHQWXU\ DQG WKHUHÂśV QR JRRG being interested in ancient Khmer boxing,
!"#$
traditional songs like the ERULQJ ³<L .H´ ) RU ROG VWXII OLNH WKDW ´ ,Q FRQWUDVW DIWHU having worked closely with the traditional art and the performers at the Cambodia Living Art Organization that we cooperated with, I started to get to understand better about the priceless value of my traditional art, and I then began to feel deeply in love with my prestigious tradition and really appreciate this wonderful thing. As a part of the contribution back to the community or the society, we can help spread out our appreciation to other hundreds youths through the Khmer traditional concert at the high schools. This is just an example of one of the meaningful things we, as a youth, can do for the society. It is to get to know any aspect insight the society through volunteer work to help contribute back to the society by simply passing out what we know and what we have to the others in our society. Involving in the community service is another marvelous way for us, the youths, to fight against the problems we are facing and simultaneously benefit the society as a whole. There are countless numbers of organization, association, or group of people whose object is the help improving the condition of the community through activities ranged from the small scale like books, clothes and food distributions, to the bigger scale like building rural toilets, or wells and to the long term impact activities like teaching English to rural kids, sharing new agricultural techniques to the farmers, or sharing ideas on how to effectively produce the handiwork that will generate a great sum of money for the family in rural areas. What is all of these social activities to do with fighting against the challenge that the youths meet? The reason is that if we are shy, inactive, not knowledgeable enough or we are quite great, but not been given the chance to show our abilities to make changes or develop the society, volunteering will be the chance for to improve ourselves and prove our capabilities. I remember the first time I joined a food distribution program at Initiative of Change Association (ICA), I actually opened my mouth and eyes widely as I realized that
³ZRZ ,œYH QHYHU WKRXJKW RI LW ´ 0U 9LUDN WKH IRXQGHU RI WKH DVVRFLDWLRQ VDLG ³:K\ GR ZH GR WKLV IRRG GLVWULEXWLRQ"´ $W WKDW WLPH QHZ SDUWLFLSDQWV OLNH PH DQG VRPH RWKHUV VDLG ³ ,WœV to help the poor people and the patients at hospital to have a nice meal once, so that they will have more hope to keep moving on despite WKHLU SRYHUW\ DQG GLIILFXOWLHV ´ $V D UHVSRQVH WR our answers, he said that the main purpose is to spread a fantastic disease. At that time we were astonished and asked ³Disease? Why spread disease? What kind of disease is called IDQWDVWLF"´ 7KH IDQWDVWLF GLVHDVH WKDW KH ZDV WDNLQJ ZDV ³7+( 60,/,1* ',6($6(´ :KHQ we are giving our smile to the other, we will at least nearly always get the smile back from the RWKHUV VR LI ZH JHW RXW DQG VPLOH WR WKH RWKHUV ZHœOO EH DEOH WR VSUHDG WKH KDSSLQHVV WR WKH whole community. Therefore, the food distribution is one of the activities to spread the smiling disease as well as to make us actually look and the things we see. We should realize that there so many people who sees but never looks. As a result, instead of just seeing poor and disabilities people suffer, we should take the time to look what is going on with them, and take the time to help. Even Zig Ziglar, a chairman of the leading multinational training company in USA DOVR VDLG ³<RX FDQ KDYH HYHU\WKLQJ LQ OLIH \RX ZDQW LI \RX ZLOO MXVW KHOS HQRXJK RWKHU SHRSOH WR JHW ZKDW WKH\ ZDQW´ Even scholarship providers also understand the positive power of volunteering to both the youths DQG WKH VRFLHW\ 7KDWœV ZK\ WKH\ RIWHQ ZDQW the youths who contribute actively in the social issues. Another good way to improve ourselves and our abilities is to share our knowledge to others. We all learn by practicing, so the more we practice, the more we learn because we need to do great deal of researches and preparations of the topics before presenting it to the others. Then when we got stuck of the question asked by the others, we will have the motivation to keep on researching for more detailed information on the topics. This means that the process of sharing does not only benefit the others, but also us, the sharers. Putting ourselves in the world of competitions will also benefit us. By joining contests, like essay contests or projects contest, we can take the chance to practice and improve the critical and analytical thinking skills. :KDWœV PRUH LWœV DOVR WKH FKDQFe for us to show our ideas and to have our voice heard. While the society will be able to get floods of interesting and useful ideas from us, so this means both the youth like us and the society will develop accordingly and simultaneously. To sum up, youths are facing many challenges that can be divided into 3 parts, namely the personal attitudes of negative, passive and inactive; the social factors such as poverty, drug abuse, labor abuse, human trafficking and the cultural norms of not equally value the new and creative ideas of the youth. While as ways of addressing to these challenges, I believe that youth as us should start from changing the negative side of their attitudes to be someone better. Then building competence and knowledge is the next step to fight against the injustice and problems they are facing. After these, the other things that we can do as response to the challenge are to develop our skills and abilities through the involvement in community services, volunteer work, competitions and especially through sharing to the others. As a Cambodian youth, we have to be courage, and always stand tall in any difficult situations. We should never ever let those challenges avoiding us from succeed. ,WœV QRW WKH WLPH WR NHHS FRPSODLQLQJ EXW LWœV WKH WLPH WR VWDUW PDNLQJ WKH FKDQJHs and always keep in mind that ³,I LW LV QRW XV ZKR" ,I LW LV QRW QRZ ZKHQ""´ DQG ³6XFFHVV LV QRW WKH PDWWHU RI FKDQFH EXW RI FKRLFH ,WœV QRW VRPHWKLQJ WR EH DZDLWHG IRU EXW VRPHWKLQJ WR DFKLHYH´ (YHQ our prestigious Angkor temple was not build in a day. Keep moving forward no matter what. ,WœV MXVW D EHOLHI EXW LWœV WKH dream that does FRPH WUXH WKDW ³7RJHWKHU ZH FDQ PRYH PRXQWDLQ ´ Khmer youths are superficially powerful if we believe, keep trying and collaborating together for the sack of the growth of your nation. /(7œ6 67$57 )520 EACH OF US AND END WITH THE FOREVER LASTING, PROSPEROUS KHMER NATION.