UN Analysis Final.pdf - United Nations in Cambodia

This study found that youth conceptions of volunteerism may depend on the benefits or advantages they
can derive from it. Youths generally perceive volunteering as work that does not offer a salary. Not everyone
thought it was a great idea. One 19-year-old said that: “Voluntary work in the community is a useless waste of
time.” Some did not hold a positive view of volunteerism even if they had no experience of it.
On the other hand, ethnic youth in Ratanakiri province said they liked to work as volunteers. They believe their
participation can strengthen their understanding and help their community:
I used to work as volunteer with many local NGOs that implement projects in my community and I gained
more understanding about development and how to strengthen the community. From this experience I
became a successful youth activist and I currently have created a community-based organisation to help
the youth in my village... – 23-year-old male, Ratanakiri
Volunteering work among youths seems to be shaped by the availability of support, usually from an NGO.
This idea is substantiated by a recent study in which young student respondents expressed willingness to
volunteer provided that there was some means of support (Mysliwiec 2005). The same students saw their
role to be one of teaching or imparting their knowledge to others. However, none viewed volunteerism
in reciprocal terms or stated that they could also learn something from the people and communities they
would be working with (Mysliwiec 2005).
There are indications that volunteering is gaining traction in Cambodia’s rural areas. EveryChild-Cambodia
(2006) found 84 child- and youth-led clubs and organizations across the country, although some are local
divisions or branches of NGOs that facilitate programmes for children and youths (Annex 8-1 in Appendix A).
The activities of these associations include leadership training, home-based care (for people living with HIV
and AIDS), primary health care, child rights promotion, monitoring child abuse, capacity building for club
members, holding literacy classes. In a 2007 CARE survey in Koh Kong, 15-24 year-old interviewees claimed
to participate in several associations and activities in their villages, such as savings groups, home-based
care-related activities, sports, and a group that works on the environment, sanitation and hygiene.
This suggests that, while some have a negative attitude towards volunteerism (believing that it detracts from
income generation), there remains a sense of altruism among many, particularly in rural areas. In terms of
the development of social capital, the above accounts also demonstrate that, if the youth of Cambodia can
move beyond the traditional concept of ’charitable’ voluntary work, volunteerism can become a worthwhile,
inclusive form of participation that expresses solidarity, fosters social cohesion and promotes participatory
development. Volunteerism, in fact, bridges diverse pathways of participation to promote social, economic
and political development. “Helping to do the right thing, and helping people, goes together with promoting
a system that is more just and more equitable” (UNV/IAVE/CIVICUS 2008).
8.3 OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH PARTICIPATION AND ANALYSIS
8.3.1 OPPORTUNITIES FOR POLITICAL PARTICIPATION
Young Cambodians could also contribute by engaging the State as citizens and as constituents in the
electoral process (e.g. in the National Assembly and Commune Council elections). For those aged 18-24,
such engagement brings an opportunity to help determine the election of local and national leaders who
can represent young people’s needs and interests.
Situation Analysis of Youth in Cambodia
93