EVERY so often someone asks me: “What’s your favorite country, other than your own?”
I’ve always had the same answer: Taiwan. “Taiwan? Why Taiwan?” people ask.
Very simple: Because Taiwan is a barren rock in a typhoon-laden sea with no natural resources to live off of — it even has to import sand and gravel from China for construction — yet it has the fourth-largest financial reserves in the world. Because rather than digging in the ground and mining whatever comes up, Taiwan has mined its 23 million people, their talent, energy and intelligence — men and women...
Add it all up and the numbers say that if you really want to know how a country is going to do in the 21st century, don’t count its oil reserves or gold mines, count its highly effective teachers, involved parents and committed students. “Today’s learning outcomes at school,” says Schleicher, “are a powerful predictor for the wealth and social outcomes that countries will reap in the long run.”
Im Chaem, former head of a Khmer Rouge security center in Battambang's Preah Netpreah district, where an estimated 40,000 people died, is accused of participating in a plan to to execute perceived enemies of the regime, Voice of America said Tuesday.
Thursday, 8 March 2012 -- International Women's Day
Signing in at Wat Damnak Siem Reap
The very progressive, courageous, amiable deputy chief monk--the Venerable Chhun Chhoeurn--here giving the opening address and stayed for the morning and later came back to give the closing remarks. He encouraged the 60 monks of Wat Damnak and nearby Wat Bo and 60 teachers to support our Courage curriculum.
Coffee/snack break at 10 a.m.
The courageous, dedicated CIVICUS Cambodia Sivnin here operating the slide presentation as a monk is reading for the plenary the section on "What are Human Rights?" from the Courage curriculum.
A monk reading for the plenary "What are Human Rights?"
Lunch packages delivery for lunch together at the pagoda training venue in order to preserve the precious limited time to get through the necessary Courage materials.
Even monks can use a nice massage after a heavy lunch under a heavy tropical heat in the early afternoon before continuing on with the Courage Without Borders curriculum training at the beautiful Wat Damnak Siem Reap on this International Women's Day.
We break for lunch at the same time that monks "chhan" (having lunch) in order that we do break the rhythm of the training with everyone attending at the same time, and in order we may use the "sala chhan" or dining hall of the pagoda with flowing air and light.
Poveal Pagoda is the most beautiful and the oldest in Battambang, and the site of learning for 150 monks who reside there, located in the center of town a few minutes away from the Sangke River
Of the 140 participants, 30 are monks from the Poveal pagoda, some teacher-trainees, approx. 50 members of CITA and another 50 teachers not associated with CITA. Not only is CIVICUS Cambodia's training on the Courage curriculum receiving excellent feedback from all the participants in all the places we've trained, but CIVICUS Cambodia is also providing a facilitation for provincial authority, monks, members and non-members of CITA to come together who otherwise are suspicious of one another. Here a Cham Muslim teacher is reading from a Courage lesson for the plenary.
Over one hour drive from Borei Keila neighborhood in Phnom Penh. About 140 families settled for the shanty dwellings in the back. Those in the more makeshift tents in the front are the ones who held out and resisted to the end. Some 100 families have returned to the destroyed homes in Borei Keila as nothing in Phnom Penh is better than this God-forsaken desolation in the middle of nowhere.
Theary Seng (CIVICUS Cambodia), Mr. Sia Phearum (director of Housing Rights Task Force), Kate Mackintosh (former lawyer for Medecins Sans Frontiers( speaking to woman who is in her 9th month of pregnancy. There is no medical facilities provided for by the government or the company who violently evicted her and other residents of Borei Keila.
The shanty dwellings in the background are for the people who accepted the settlement of the company.
Former residents of Borei Keila who have been moved to this desolation in the middle of nowhere without any infrasture--a woman 9 month pregnant, and a mother with her 3-month newborn.
