Thursday, April 28, 2011 Opportunity, Possibility for Young Leaders Limited in Cambodia: Youth Leader

Hou Sidany, acting coordinator of Youth Council of Cambodia, left, Chhem Pe, middle, a 2009 champion of Youth Leadership Challenge, a local reality TV show. (Photo: by Heng Reaksmey)

Unless you are well connected like this inexperienced general, your opportunities will be very slim in Hoon Xhen's Nambodia

Pich Samnang, VOA Khmer
Phnom Penh Tuesday, 26 April 2011

“They seem to be ignorant of important information for their self development although they have internet and facebook.”

It is not the case that young people in Cambodia do not want to participate in social activities, but the problem is that the possibility and opportunity for their participation is still not widespread, according to a young leadership champion.

“Youth's access to information seems limited,” said Chhem Pe, a 2009 champion of Youth Leadership Challenge, a local reality TV show. “ Both scholarship and community activity-related information by non-governmental organizations, governmental organizations and the government itself appears inaccessible to most young people,” he said on Hello VOA on Monday.

Chhem Pe, however, also said the lack of information about the country's development has resulted from the ignorance of youths themselves too.

“Some youths enjoy themselves too much” said Pe. “ They are enjoying extreme materialism and love affaire at young age, so they are distracted from the country's development issues, the community situation and their own future goals also,” said the 21-year-old student of sociology at Royal University of Phnom Penh.

“They seem to be ignorant of important information for their self development although they have internet and facebook,” he said.

Hou Sidany, acting coordinator of Youth Council of Cambodia, which organizes the Youth Leadership Challenge show, said young people need more opportunities to participate in social activities in order to become real leaders of their country.

“We need to implant them to value and get involved in community activities such as fund raising to help orphans, collecting books for community library or figuring out community problems and needs,” she said on Hello VOA on Monday.

So, more of such Youth Leadership programs should be paid attention to so as to engage more young people in community services so that they can develop both themselves and their community, she said.

“In order for a country to be both economically and politically strong and powerful, youths' human resources are needed, so they need to be invested on,” said a caller, Mr. Sen, from Siem Reap province.