UNV Cambodia Newsletter January 2017 by UNV Cambodia

UNV CAMBODIA NEWSLETTER January 2017

WELCOME WORDS

WELCOME WORDS The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Field Unit in Cambodia is pleased to present our newsletter with information about our currently assigned volunteers, activities in which the team was involved and much more. We would also like to take this opportunity to welcome the new national and international members to our UNV family, and wish them success with their assignments. Last year of 2016 was very busy for the UNV Field Unit, with both an ongoing research project on volunteerism and youth employment, and a new project on the same theme being planned while also managing the regular Field Unit activities. Through our project work, youth and employment continue to be the big themes for UNV Cambodia, besides of course promoting volunteerism in all its forms. Our Research Team begun their work with a study trip in Siem Reap in early April and since then, they have engaged with young people from all over Cambodia and also met and interviewed many others. Mid-May, a UNV team joined the Amazing Tuk-Tuk Race around Phnom Penh, promoting LGBTI rights in Cambodia. UNV also had a booth at the Major & Career Fair at the Institute of Technology, where many students received useful information and signed up to help us with our ongoing research project. In June, UNV Field Unit in collaboration with the UNV Asia Pacific Regional Office and the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports (MoEYS) organized a National consultation workshop on Youth Employment and Volunteerism with participants from different sectors including youth representatives. Field Unit also co-organized the International Youth Day commemorations together with the Government, UN agencies and Civil Society partners in August. Lastly but not least, VolCam network along with MoEYS and organized the International Volunteer Day and the 6th National Forum on Promoting Volunteerism in early December to celebrate and raise awareness about volunteerism in Cambodia. In August, the serving UN Volunteers joined for an annual retreat in Kampot, welcoming also the Field Unit interns and VolCam Volunteer Envoys. Global UNV logo and brand were renewed in 2016 to improve the implementation of the first Strategic Framework (2014-2017) and to make external partners and UN clients better understand who we are and what values we bring to the peace and development. We will be using new UNV logo in this newsletter and in further communication tools. We are also proud to announce that the UNV Cambodia Facebook page has reached 17,000 followers. We would like to give a “big hand” to our volunteers, interns, partners and supporters for the great work you all do. We wish you the best for the new year 2017 and hope that you will enjoy reading this issue of our newsletter. Your UNV Field Unit

UNV CAMBODIA ACTIVITIES International Volunteer Day & 6th National Forum on Promoting Volunteerism International Volunteer Day (IVD) recognizes the work of volunteers and volunteer organizations around the world and their positive impact on their country’s development. The theme of 2016’s International Volunteer Day was ‘#Global Applause – give volunteers a hand’ On 2-3 December 2016 UNV, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, and VolCam network members together with UN Agencies, civil society and the private sector organized back-to-back event under the slogan ‘Volunteer for Sustainable Cambodia’ to celebrate volunteers’ contributions and highlight the role of volunteerism as means of action for realizing the ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ (SDGs). Leading to the International Volunteer Day VolCam also organized a ‘Community Action Challenge 2016’, challenging active citizens to create a small group to improve local community issues. Eight groups were given a small grant and their work was presented at the IVD. The event was opened by H.E. Claire Van der Vaeren, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Cambodia and H.E. Sean Borath, Secretary of State, MoEYS. During the 2 days, over 1 400 participants engaged in high-level and youth panel discussions, interactive booth exhibition, educational games, quizzes, musical performances and other fun activities. To learn more about the IVD, click here.

International Youth Day

International Youth day is an awareness day celebrated annually as an opportunity for governments and other institution to draw the attention to youth issues worldwide. On 12 August 2016, Cambodia celebrated the International Youth Day at the Institute of Technology of Cambodia with the participation of around 1,600 students from universities, high schools and different youth organizations. The event was organized by the MoEYS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Vocational Training, Coordinating Platform Members on Technical Vocational Education and Training, Civil Society Organizations and United Nations, under the theme “Decent Youth Employment for Sustainable Development” closely related to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The event was opened by H.E. Mr. Tauch Choeun, Minister of Education Youth and Sport, followed by Dr. Marc Derveeuw, Representative the UNFPA in Cambodia. After blessing dance performance, participants visited informative booths, listened a youth-led discussion about “Youth and SDG’s” organized in collaboration with the United Nations.

National Consultation on Youth Employment and Volunteerism In collaboration with the UNV Asia Pacific Regional Office and MoEYS, UNV Field Unit organized a one-day National Consultation workshop on Youth Employment and Volunteerism on 9 June 2016. Over 30 participants joined the workshop concerning the upcoming project: ‘Poverty reduction among youth in Cambodia - Development of youth volunteers’ skills sets for increased employability’. To learn more about the National Consultation Workshop, click here.

UNV Travels to Kampot for Annual Retreat UNV Cambodia organized an Annual Retreat under the theme of: ‘Promoting participation to improve the environment and living conditions within local communities’. This time the UNV Field Unit took UN Volunteers into Kampot Province where they learned more about socio-ecological challenges in the region, to exchange their own experiences in Cambodia and to participate in community work to facilitate the country’s development. To learn more about the UNV Retreat, click here.

UNV Research Team Study Trip to Siem Reap UNV Research team participated in a study trip of volunteer delegates of cities across Cambodia, under the theme of ‘Youth Volunteer and Community Works’ that took place at the National Youth Centre in Siem Reap 4-8 April 2016. The research team invited the young volunteers to participate in three focus groups to discuss the concept of volunteerism, and prepared an interactive presentation about UNV and the role of volunteerism with focus on the project ‘Volunteerism and Youth Employment’ that UNV Cambodia is currently working on. On the way to study trip the team also visited a school in Preah Domrey commune where they met with a Youth Star Volunteer who has been teaching young children English language at the school. To learn more about the study trip, click here.

UNV Cambodia Joins the LGBTI Pride Week in Phnom Penh In mid-May, Cambodia celebrated the LGBTI Pride Week under the theme ‘I am What I am’, to raise awareness of the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people in Cambodia and to promote their acceptance among the general public. The Pride Week celebrated LGBTI through many public activities such as workshops, radio talks, field visits to transgender communities, parties, concerts, a film festival, presentations addressing topics like poverty reduction, school bullying or non-discriminatory legislation. UNV Field Unit supported the empowerment of LGBTI people by participating in the ‘Amazingly Fabulous PRIDE Tuk-Tuk Race’ that took place in Phnom Penh on 21 May 2016. In the race participants solved puzzles and visited LGBTI-friendly places around the city and documented their journey on social media. For more information about LGBTI community in Cambodia, click here.

UNV Booth at the Major & Career Fair

On Sunday, 5 June 2016, UNV prepared a booth for the Major & Career Fair - a full day event organized by the Fulbright and Undergraduate State Alumni Association of Cambodia (FUSAAC) that took place at the Institute of Technology. UNV team with the help of other volunteers promoted the work of UNV and volunteerism in general. Students, visiting the booth, could receive information, play a quiz about ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ and other puzzles and games. UNV team explained the importance and linkages of volunteerism to employment, and students were given an opportunity to sign up to take part in the UNV research project and help the Research Team conduct more interviews throughout the country.

OUR SERVING UN VOLUNTEERS UNV CAMBODIA FIELD UNIT

SEIJA ANTTONEN, FINLAND

MARKARA NUON, CAMBODIA

UNV Programme Officer

UNV Programme Assisstant

ANETA MRKVICKOVA, THE CZECH REPUBLIC

HRACHIA KAZHOYAN, ARMENIA

UN Youth Volunteer in Communications, Outreach and Youth

UNV Project Coordinator

SAMADEE SARAY, CAMBODIA

ICHITA KOMORI, JAPAN UN University Volunteer in Advocacy and Mobilization on Youth

UNV Project Assistant

UNV FIELD UNIT NATIONAL INTERNS

KOEMONYNEATH PHEN

SOPHEANITH SENG

VISETHVATHANAK SOM

UNICEF

ANNA CHRASTINOVA, THE CZECH REPUBLIC

MARIKO YAMAGUCHI, JAPAN UNV in Community Development

UN Youth Volunteer in Community Development

CHANSEREYPICH SENG, CAMBODIA UNV in Communication and Public Advocacy

UNRC

UNAIDS

MARIA SVINDSETH, NORWAY

KRISTINA SERIS, GERMANY

UN Youth Volunteer in HIV/ AIDS, Social Mobilization and Youth

UN Coherence and Development Effectiveness Specialist

OHCHR

CHRISTINE PICKERING, CANADA

YURA BAK, KOREA Legal & Policy Research Assistant

Human Rights Communication and Information Officer

UNFPA

MONIKA MEY, CAMBODIA

SATHABORAMANA KHEANG, CAMBODIA

Communication Officer

Coordination Officer for Partners for Prevention

WHO

UNIDO

PETER ZOLLER, GERMANY

ALEJANDRA DE BENITO, SPAIN

UNV Specialist on Biodiversity

UN Youth Volunteer in Gender, Equity and Human Rights

UNDP

LENKA TAVODOVA, SLOVAKIA UN Joint Programme Advocacy and External Communication Officer

VOLUNTEER VOICES

Mariken Bruusgaard Harbitz, who served as International UN Youth Volunteer with UN Women until April 2016, shares her volunteer experience in Cambodia. “Being a UN Volunteer in Cambodia, and at the UN Women office here has truly been an amazing experience, both because of the level of autonomy, trust and encouragement given from my host-agency, and also based on the level of support received from the UNV field unit. I will always remember this year together with all the experiences, hard work, challenges and wonderful people I met on the road.” To learn more about Mariken’s experience, click here to read her story.

HAPPENING IN CAMBODIA 

See the Khmer Traditional Dance Show (National Museum of Cambodia)

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Movies: The Killing Fields or Virginity Trade + The Girls of Phnom Penh (February 2017, Flicks Community Movie Theater)

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Photo Exhibit: The Human Costs of SE Asia’s Ice Epidemic (07/02/2017, Meta House)

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Exhibition: Sopheap Pich, From Studio To Fine Art (16/02/2017, French Institute)

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Movie Night at Climbing Gym (28/02/2017, Phnom Climb Community Gym)

OPPORTUNITIES 

Become a volunteer in United Nations (www.unv.org)

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Join the WaterAid Youth Campaign Proposal Competition (07/02/2017)