Conflict Management Workshops

Conflict Management Training participants

A few weeks ago, I was invited to go to with Women Peacemakers to Seda Commune, Camber District, Tboung Khmum Province to assist with the Conflict Management Training, one of the follow ups to the Community Nonviolence Workshops I attended in March. And by assist I mean, I observed the training and took pictures, while my amazing co-workers lead the sessions in Khmer and explained parts of the training to me in English.

Road to the school

We headed out off Phnom Penh, because the workshops were held from Saturday through Tuesday, and WPM did follow up interviews on Wednesday and Thursday. I returned to Phnom Penh on Monday though, because of work with my other organizations.

The training was held at a school building located in the middle of a field. Many of the training participants had met the WPM staff members on earlier trips, so I was the only person in need of introduction. The director excited explained that my name is Hannah, that I'm from America, and that I work with WPM part time. She then remembered that I can introduce myself in Khmer, so she had me repeat the information myself. I added that I have lived in Cambodia for one year. During the workshop, several of the participants made a point to come over and speak to me. One woman thanked me for working in Cambodia, one old man brought me a fruit and asked me if we have it in America, and one of the commune leaders told me that I was doing a good job respecting Khmer culture by wearing the traditional sampot skirt- but that I should wear long sleeves next time to really be a Cambodian lady.

Wearing my sampot during the workshop

The WPM Director and two of the staff members jointly lead the trainings. They taught the group about self-reflection, perspectives, stereotypes, prejudice, conflict, alternatives to violence, and many other things that I'm sure I was unable to understand with my limited Khmer. While much of Cambodian education focuses on rote learning, WPM makes a point of having their trainings be participatory. The students were encouraged to speak, hold group discussions, do small group work, play games, and use their creativity.

Community Nonviolence Workshops

Community Nonviolence Workshop in Sapour Village

Prepping for workshops

Here in Phnom Penh, I work with two different organizations, Women PaceMakers (WPM), Returnee Integration Support Center (RISC), and I have just agreed to partner with a third, Peace Institute of Cambodia. I spend my working hours split between the organizations.

Rumpeak 2 Village

I have been especially busy with WPM. In December and January I helped to write a grant application, a progress report for another funder, and a completion report. Since then I've written a concept note for a potential funder, and have worked on the 2014 annual report. Though most of my time is taken up with writing, and leading English conversation classes with my coworkers, recently I was able to go with several of my coworkers to conduct some pre-workers out in the province. 

Workshop in Rumpeak 3 Village

WPM conducts workshops focused on peace and women's issues. Out in the provinces WPM does women's rights and conflict management workshops, while in Phnom Penh we conduct workshops for empowerment of young adults and active non-violence. Before conducting new full length workshops, especially in the provinces, we first conduct always a series of "pre-workshops" in order to introduce ourselve to the communities and to get to know their specific issues.

Rumpeak 1 Village

This past month, I joined with two of my coworkers and the WPM director as they conducted such pre-workshops in 8 different villages in Tboung Khmum Province, which is about a three hour drive from Phnom Penh.  Over the course of three days we conducted 8 one hour long pre-workshops. The workshops were conducted in homes, at schools, and even at two Mosques. All of the workshops were conducted in Khmer, so I didn't understand much since my Kmher is so limited, but the villagers seemed to appreciate that I could introduce myself and tell them where I'm from. To make myself useful I played photographer for the week, taking pictures of the workshops and villages we visited. 

Khmar Chum Village

Though I couldn't understand much, I appreciated the opportunity to witness village life and to watch how the villagers interacted with one another, and to participate in the work of WPM.