TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of abbreviations & acronyms 3. Evaluation Framework...............................................................................64

3.1 Evaluation Objective................................................................................................ 64

Executive Summary........................................................................................... I
3.2 Data Collection......................................................................................................... 65

3.3 Evaluation Criteria.................................................................................................... 65

1. Introduction..................................................................................................1
3.4 Data Analysis............................................................................................................ 66
1.1 Evaluation Purpose.....................................................................................................1
4. Findings & Conclusions.............................................................................. 76
1.2 Project Background....................................................................................................4
4.1 Relevance................................................................................................................. 76
1.2.1 Political and Human Rights Context...........................................................11
4.2 Effectiveness............................................................................................................ 77
1.2.2 Theatre in Education..................................................................................15
4.3 Impact....................................................................................................................... 79
1.3 The “Courageous Turtle” Theatre Play....................................................................21
4.4 Efficiency.................................................................................................................. 79
1.4 Intergenerational Dialogues.....................................................................................25
4.5 Sustainability............................................................................................................ 80

4.6 Lessons Learnt......................................................................................................... 82

2. Project Description...................................................................................... 28
4.7 Recommendations................................................................................................... 82
2.1 Goals and Objectives................................................................................................ 28

2.2 Turtle Club Activities................................................................................................ 34

5. Annexes.....................................................................................................A
2.3 Organizational Profile & Project Partner Structure................................................ 38
1. Team Members..............................................................................................................A
2.4 Key Beneficiaries of the Project.............................................................................. 47
2. List of Persons Met........................................................................................................D
2.4.1 Students.................................................................................................... 47
3. Pre Questionnaire..........................................................................................................E
2.4.2 Civil Parties................................................................................................ 48
4. Post Questionnaire........................................................................................................G
2.4.3 Actors........................................................................................................ 50
5. Turtle Song......................................................................................................................I
2.4.4 Filmmakers................................................................................................ 53
6. List of Documents Consulted........................................................................................M
2.4.5 Facilitators................................................................................................. 56
7. Press .............................................................................................................................O
2.5 Communication and Outreach................................................................................. 57
 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY young facilitators – have proven to be crucial for the huge success of this on-going project, as they not only
contribute to the credibility of the content but also provide a unique opportunity for traumatized victims to deal
with their past by sharing their stories. The ifa-funded project concluded at the end of 2017, with a total reach
17773 students and 637 Civil Parties.
Between the years of 1975-1979, approximately 1.7 million of Cambodia’s population of seven million died
under the communist Pol Pot regime, also known as the Khmer Rouge. Hundreds of thousands were ex- The project also included the production of video documentaries about the project and selected Civil Par-
ecuted through drastic measures: pregnant women were cut open; plastic bags were tied overheads suf- ties, as well as the photo project “Lessons from the Past”. These photos were exhibited at the Meta House,
focating victims to death; and men, women and children were shot or buried alive. Others died of starvation as well as at the “Angkor Photo Festival” 2016 in Siem Reap and at Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, Phnom
and disease during forced urban evacuation and in brutal labour camps and families where separated. The Penh in 2017/2018. The project is documented through the website www.turtleclub.asia. Other PR tools in-
term ‘auto-genocide’ was coined to characterize the atrocities perpetrated by fellow Cambodians in one of the clude the production of a leaflet in Khmer language, which is handed out to participating students, as well as
most violent bloodbaths in the 20th century. give-away-t-shirts. Pre- and post-testing is conducted through paper surveys. In 2017, KDKG has been also
introducing an app-based survey to further test the knowledge of young Cambodians regarding the country’s
In Cambodia, almost everyone of a certain age can recall stories of terror, abuse, hunger and the loss of
recent history.
family members. But those stories often fall on the deaf ears of a new generation that either cannot conceive
of such brutality or seems unwilling to learn about it. As much as 70 percent of Cambodia’s population is In 2016, the European Commission in Cambodia – the European Union’s  development assistance
under the age of 30, and four out of five members of this young generation know little or nothing about the to Cambodia – began funding a second project leg through its partner UNOPS, which was titled “The Turtle
Khmer Rouge time in power according to a survey by the Human Rights Center at the University of California, Club”. This evaluation looks at the “Turtle Club” project achievements from 2016-2017. In late 2017, the
Berkeley, in 2009. That ignorance seemed also to embrace the ongoing Khmer Rouge Tribunal. Eight years EU project funding has been extended up until December 2018. From 2016 to 2017, over the course of 15
later, in 2017, the report “So We Can Know What Happened: The educational potential of the Extraordinary months, the project has been staging events in all 25 Cambodian provinces in Cambodia. This has amounted
Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia” by WSD HANDA Center for Human Rights and International Justice to a total of 129 performances at 37 schools and universities with 9619 students and 189 civil parties attend-
at Stanford University and the East-West Center argues that this tribunal has indeed the potential to make a ing. In general, the EU-funded project “Turtle Club” is based on the original project outline, comprising of per-
considerable contribution to a broad range of education initiatives in Cambodia, and that this potential has yet formances and intergenerational dialogue sessions. However, KDKG has added educational components,
to be fully tapped. Drawing on data gathered through focus group discussions with 83 Phnom Penh based such as short film screenings and a mobile exhibition, as well as an information booth, where students can
university students and 16 policy-makers, educators, historians, and other experts, this report disputes com- access relevant literature.
monly held assumptions that Cambodian youth are uninterested in learning about their nation’s past. During
conversations about the ECCC, students identified the potential for the Tribunal to educate their generation Following the evaluation guidelines of OECD guidelines of quality standards for development evaluation, the
about the past as its biggest potential legacy; ranking this higher than judicial, psychological, or capacity- evaluation findings are measured by their effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability. Both the data
building legacies. from surveys and qualitative interviews suggest that the project was effective by reaching its proposed goals.
Students - main target group of the “Courageous Turtle” project - have shown increased knowledge and in-
The U.N.-backed Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) was founded in 2006 to inves- terest in learning more about the history of the Khmer Rouge. Students have further displayed an increased
tigate crimes against humanity under Khmer Rouge rule and hold those responsible to account. The proceed- awareness of past humanitarian and social issues and an increased self-esteem when looking at their future
ings - touted as the largest such reckoning since the Nuremberg trials of prominent Nazis - were to target the and addressing problems within modern society. This leads to a development of civil society participation. To
very top level regime figures and those chiefly responsible for particularly heinous acts.  One of the major help raise public awareness and knowledge, and reduce mental health bias, the project support victims to
innovations of the ECCC is the enhanced recognition of victims in its proceedings. Victims of crimes that fall come forward to share their stories as means of giving voice to the full scope and breadth of the KR atrocity.
under the jurisdiction of the Court are given a fundamental role in the ECCC. They can submit complaints To many Civil Parties, it was important to support education efforts regarding the Khmer Rouge genocide
to the Co-Prosecutors, who take the interests of victims into account when considering whether to initiate
and to engage into intergenerational dialogue with young Cambodians. By entering into intergenerational
prosecution. Victims may also participate as Civil Parties. In this capacity, they are recognized as parties to
dialogues, Civil Parties relieve trauma and stress. They feel better after being able to share their experience.
the proceedings and are allowed to seek collective and moral reparations.
As the younger generations have shown disinterest in the past and also often disbelief in the atrocities, being
The “Turtle Club” project – which is evaluated here - has been proposed to the KR Trial (ECCC) as a “Judicial given a platform further provides acknowledgment to the abuse and suffering.
Reparation project” and is currently listed under the ‘’Guarantee of Non-repetition’’ proposed list, in coop.
with Victims Support Section (VSS) and the Civil Party Lead Co-Lawyers of the Extraordinary Chambers The implementation of the “Turtle Club” project was efficient by achieving its defined objectives within the
in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). The project – initiated and organized by the international NGO KDKG allocated budget lines. On the basis of interviews conducted and after thorough review of questionnaires and
(Cambodian-German Cultural Association and its cultural centre “Meta House” - lends its name from the edu- other monitoring materials, the evaluator assumes that the project was able to achieve its primary objectives
cational theatre play “The Courageous Turtle”. This play had been developed, rehearsed and premiered in of raising historical awareness among the youth, promoting intergenerational dialogue and importance of
the year 2015, with funding by the German “Institute of Foreign Relations” (ifa). Written by female playwright human rights and civil courage among the youth. In the process, it the project has been also providing need-
Sok You Chea (30), “The Courageous Turtle play is a so-called “two-hander”, where two actors act in differ- ed acknowledgement to Civil Parties / Khmer Rouge survivors regarding their life during the Khmer Rouge
ent roles. After a performance of approx. 45 minutes in classrooms, Civil Parties from the ECCC are invited regime and the atrocities that they had witnessed. This was made possible through the strong co-operation
to enter into an intergenerational dialogue with the young audience. These dialogues – which are led by two
with the ECCC / Victims’ Support Section and the Ministry of Education and Youth.

Impact assessment is about sustainable change. This is change that comes about as a result of project or pro-
gram activities. “Turtle Club” survey results, interview data and observations by monitoring staff and evalu-
ator indicate how the project has been impacting students’ perceptions. Intergenerational dialogues do not
only alleviate the suffering of the survivors, but they also transmit important lessons to the youth. With the
EU-funded “Turtle Club” a total of 9619 students and 189 Civil Parties from the ECCC have participated in the
different activities from 2016-2017. Rated by its attendance, the project is the largest of its kind so far and is
bound to leave an impact on society as a whole. However, the data collected and the observations can only
provide short-term indicators. Drawing conclusions towards into the long-term impact and its sustainability
are not possible at the current stage. As the project continues, it would be advisable to come up with follow-
up-surveys and to add an increased focus on measuring longer lasting effects.

INTERVIEW NICO
 INTRODUCTION

Evaluation Purpose

Evaluation refers to a periodic process of gathering data and then analyzing or ordering it in such a way that
the resulting information can be used to determine whether your organization or program is effectively carry-
ing out planned activities, and the extent to which it is achieving its stated objectives and anticipated results.

This evaluation examines the project implementation of the “Turtle Club” (2016-2017), conducted by the
Cambodian-German Cultural Association (KDKG e.V). Evaluation is a process that critically examines a pro-
gram. It involves collecting and analyzing information about a program’s activities, characteristics, and out-
comes. Its purpose is to make judgments about a program, to improve its effectiveness, and/or to inform
programming decisions. Many people think of evaluation as taking a snapshot of outcomes at the end of
a program to prove to a funder that it worked or failed. These same people don’t hold evaluation in much
regard because they feel they are getting too little information too late in the day, especially if their program
fell short of expectations or made no difference at all. Evaluation can, and should, however, be used as an
ongoing management and learning tool to improve an organization’s effectiveness.

Impact evaluations often serve an accountability purpose to determine if and how well a program worked. 
Impact evaluations can also help answer program design questions to determine which, among several alter-
natives, is the most effective approach. The underlying aim of KDKG in regards to the project is to continue
it either with the current funders or new ones up until the activity has been implemented in as many Cam-
bodian learning facilities as possible. This is why this external evaluation does not only examine the project’s
achievements, its effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability as a measure of justification towards
donors, but also to enable KDKG and other potential partners to learn from the findings in order to further
improve the project and its reach. This goes hand-in-hand with the current strategy of the Ministry of Youth,
Education and Sport (MoEYS) to introduce arts education into the curriculum. «Art does not solve problems,
but makes us aware of their existence,» said the famous Polish sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz (1930-
2017). Arts education, on the other hand, does solve problems. Years of research show that it’s closely linked
to almost everything that a nation wants for it children and that parents should demand from the schools:
academic achievement, social and emotional development, civic engagement, and equitable opportunity.
Project Background Awareness of moral and political issues and traits such as moral sensitivity among other factors are central
for youth engagement. However, many Cambodian youth know little about the moral and political issues that
From 1975 to 1979, the Khmer Rouge (KR) attempted to establish their idea of an agrarian, commu- affect the country. This is particularly true for youth’s knowledge on the Khmer Rouge past. Research findings
nist society. During this time, 1.7 million Cambodians died. Throughout the regime, the KR carried clearly indicate that young Cambodians consider their knowledge of the Khmer Rouge regime as inadequate.
out brutal executions against perceived enemies – politicians or soldiers of the former government, According to a Berkeley Study from 2010, four out of five respondents among those who had not lived under
intellectuals such as teachers, doctors or artists, and any other Cambodian perceived to be danger- the Khmer Rouge regime stated that their knowledge of the Khmer Rouge was poor or hardly any. In addition,
ous to the regime. Families were destroyed and supplanted by collectives; and children were put support for truth-seeking was strong and in fact increasing, with a majority of respondents wanting to know
more about what happened during the Khmer Rouge.
into children units. In order to spread fear and terror people were systematically taken away from
their homes, sent to education camps or evacuated to new locations. For most, this usually meant
death. Root causes of the conflict are complex and multifaceted, however, researchers commonly
agree that poverty and corruption under French colonialist rule were major driving factors.

Today, although rich in natural resources, Cambodia still suffers from the legacy of the Pol Pot
years. However, other factors also contribute to further deprivations, inequalities and human rights
violations. Cambodia is the 161 least corrupt nation out of 175 countries, according to the 2017
Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International. According to Amnesty Inter-
national, the respect for freedom of expression, association and assembly is not ensured. Human
rights defenders face threats, harassment, legal action and violence. Forced evictions, land disputes and
land grabbing continue to affect thousands of people. Impunity for perpetrators of human rights abuses and
The following factors contribute to this situation: First, the Khmer Rouge regime left a culture of silence
a non-independent judiciary remains another major problem.
around Cambodia’s violent past. Survivors are often heavily traumatized and/or afraid of repercussions by
A peaceful and democratic future for Cambodia strongly depends on the creative energy and engagement perpetrators, and therefore do not talk to their descendants about the past. Secondly, more than 70 % of
of young people. Indeed, civic engagement by youth is central to developing civil society participation in the all Cambodians were born after the fall of the Khmer Rouge. Third, young Cambodian have little access to
future. Cambodian youth wants to play an active role in shaping their society. However, youth is not engaging information on the Khmer Rouge time. Over 80% of young Cambodians live in rural areas most of them with
widely in social and political processes. Survey results from 2010 indicate that Cambodian youth do not only no access to higher education and/or the public media. In addition, history education about the Khmer Rouge
lack opportunities to engage in democratic processes, but also face numerous social and political barriers in period at schools has been extremely limited. The ability of teachers to teach Khmer Rouge related history in
fulfilling their rights. Young people experience more violence and abuse than any other group in Cambodia. a sensitive and emotional way is constrained by social and political factors, despite the fact that many would
Youth is vulnerable as a result of poverty and social exclusion, physical and mental disorders, violence and like to contribute to a more peaceful and just society. Fourth, most information presented in public media is
abuse, and migration due to land conflicts among other factors. Young men and women leaving rural com- connected to the judicial process of the ECCC, and therefore hard to grasp for Cambodian youth. Fifth, civil
munities for urban employment are particularly exposed to a wide range of issues, including alcohol and drug society organizations usually do not link their work to the country’s violent past.
abuse, gang violence, and sexual exploitation. The overall high unemployment rate and the impact of modern
society further contribute to feelings of disempowerment and frustration.
The “Turtle Club” project attempt to raise young Cambodians’ interest in the Khmer Rouge past. It increases
their understanding of the conflict, and thereby contributes to a culture of memory and respect for survivors.
Dealing with the past is also a productive force for change in today’s society. However, the project organiz-
ers believe that the Khmer Rouge conflict should not be seen as an isolated event, but rather as integral part
of society’s on-going evolution. Therefore, this project encourages young Cambodians to reflect on the root
causes and consequences of the conflict, and how they fuel protracted abuse today. Thus, project does not
exclusively focus on atrocities committed under the Khmer Rouge but also deal with human rights violations
in society today.

The Victims Support Section (VSS) of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia have long been
mostly focusing on receiving and processing applications from Civil Parties and complainants, as well as
conducting a limited number of provincial outreach forums. Only recently it engaged in more comprehensive
non-judicial justice and reparation measures aimed at truth-telling and healing.

In May 2016, the EU has been awarding three grants to civil society organizations in Cambodia to promote
awareness and education on the Khmer Rouge History. H.E Mr. George EDGAR, Ambassador of the Europe-
an Union to Cambodia, said that these grants are an important contribution not only for Cambodia’s struggle
for reconciliation and justice today but for the education of its youth for generations to come. Encouraging
and reinforcing collective and individual historic memory means increasing awareness and understanding of
the importance of respect for human rights.” The three organizations, which have been the grants in close
collaboration with the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport from 2016-2017 were KDKG / Meta
House, the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-CAM) and Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center.

All three projects worked to support the ECCC’s judicial reparation process and the three organizations will be
working closely with the Civil Party Lead Co-Lawyers Section (LCLS) and the Victims Support Section (VSS)
of the ECCC. In a bid to educate both Cambodians and the world about the Khmer Rouge, how they came
into power, the aftermath and the fight for justice, Bophana has used the grant to developed the first mobile
app offering a comprehensive and interactive history of the regime. It traces back to the communists’roots
and formation in the 1950s all the way to the present day, with a wealth of information provided about the on-
going Khmer Rouge tribunals against the party’s surviving leaders. DC-Cam’s project funded teacher training
at commune level and a training seminar for university professors and lecturers.
Meta House’s “Turtle Club” project is an engaging and informative multi-media-roadshow. In the context of
the painful legacies of genocide, torture, and mass atrocity by the Khmer Rouge. The project objective is to
promote intergenerational dialogue and human rights, as well as contribute to the truth, national reconciliation
and conflict prevention process in Cambodia, raising awareness and education on the Khmer Rouge legacy.
It corresponds to a number of projects by other civil society organizations, development agencies, and inter-
national organizations. Local NGOs such as the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association
(ADHOC), the Cambodian Human Rights Action Committee (CHRAC), the Khmer Institute of Democracy
have previously engaged in public information and memorialization campaigns related to the Khmer Rouge.
However, most of their activities so far have been focusing more on the legal and judicial aspects of victim
participation at the ECCC, and the functioning and mandate of the court.

Only few civil society organizations such as Kdei Karuna, Youth for Peace (YfP), the Cambodian Defend-
ers Project (CDP), the Youth Resource Development Program (YRPD) and the Transcultural Psychosocial
Organization (TPO) address broader aspects of Cambodia’s peace-building process, such as the relation
between perpetrators and victims, the after-effects of the civil war on Cambodian communities, past and cur-
rent reconstruction efforts, Buddhist concepts of reconciliation to name a few.

The “Turtle Club” project aims to reconcile and prevent conflict in Cambodian society through truth-seeking
and awareness raising on past and current human rights violations with Khmer Rouge survivors and youth.
The successful outreach and response during 15 months of performances and engagement show that more
interest can be fostered, thereby intensifying their understanding of conflict and contributing to a culture of
memory and respect for survivors. Through youth engagement, communities will be able to do a better job in
creating the services, opportunities, and support that young people need. Youth engagement also offers com-
munity stakeholders the expertise and partnership of young people. Finally, youth engagement is important
because youth have a right to represent their own interest, and to contribute to the democratic development
of society.
Political and Human Rights Context is not a sustainable system. However, a change in Cambodia’s “strongman” model of governance requires
a change in culture, traditions, and mentality. Such a change can only be done by the Cambodian people
On September 3, Kem Sokha was arrested at his home and accused of treason. He had become the sole themselves.
leader of Cambodia’s main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party, when Sam Rainsy re-
signed on February the 11th. Sam Rainsy had been Cambodia’s main opposition leader for more than 20
years. He is now living in self-exile in France after being pursued by the Cambodian government for criminal Across countries, education and democracy are highly correlated. Schooling teaches people to interact with
defamation. He was convicted after being tried in absentia.  On September 4,  The Cambodia Daily shut others and raises the benefits of civic participation, including voting and organizing. In the battle between
down its operation in Cambodia after 24 years because of a $6.4 million tax dispute with the Cambodian democracy and dictatorship, democracy has a wide potential base of support but offers weak incentives to its
government. Other media outlets have also been forced to close. defenders. Dictatorship provides stronger incentives to a narrower base. As education raises the benefits of
civic participation, it raises the support for more democratic regimes relative to dictatorships. This increases
the likelihood of democratic revolutions against dictatorships, and reduces that of successful anti-democratic
coups.
These 2017 events have caused many to declare the death of Cambodia’s democracy. In reality, Cambodia
was never democratic. The Cambodian model of governance traditionally has always been centralized upon
individuals or personalities – the “strongmen.” Since ancient times, the prosperity of the Khmer nation has
constantly relied on the leadership of the strongman. This was the case with King Jayavarman VII, Prince
Norodom Sihanouk, and now Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has remained in power for more than 30 years.
Cambodia’s history, culture, traditions, and mentality continue to strongly shape its political trajectory.

Democracy was only introduced when the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) inter-
vened in 1993, and held Cambodia’s first free and fair election. During the 1980s, Cambodia was engulfed
in civil war. On October 23, 1991, the international community met in Paris to establish a plan to intervene
and establish peace in Cambodia, which produced the Paris Peace Agreement. The Paris Peace Agree-
ment established UNTAC’s mandate to oversee free and fair elections, promote the respect for human rights,
resettle refugees, disarm and demobilize the factions involved in the civil war, establish the rule of law, and
reconstruct infrastructure. While UNTAC was able to remarkably establish a widely-recognized free and fair
election and started the resettlement of refugees.It still failed to disarm and demobilize the factions, recon-
struct infrastructure, and establish the rule of law. UNTAC’s mandate was both Utopian and ambitious. It had
hoped to end the civil war, while also establishing a just human rights regime with a new constitution that
would be respected by everyone.

However, with the lack of strong institutions, Cambodia began reverting to its own model of governance right
after the election. Prime Minister Hun Sen with powerful armed forces, which UNTAC could not demobilize
and disarm, was able to, despite having lost the 1993 election, coerce his way into becoming co-Prime Min-
ister along with Prince Norodom Ranariddh who won the election. Prince Norodom Sihanouk, who was king
at the time and often viewed as a pragmatist, even endorsed Prime Minister Hun Sen over Prince Norodom
Ranariddh, his own son, recognizing the power dynamics that existed in Cambodia. This reversion became
even more apparent when Hun Sen ousted Norodom Ranariddh and the royalist elites in 1997, allowing him
and his party to win the 1998 elections.

While many are surprised about the arrest of Kem Sokha, the shutting down of The Cambodia Daily, and the
exile of Sam Rainsy, these events and this continuous reversion to the “strongman” model are to be expected
because of the lack of culture and respect for social institutions. Even within the politics of Cambodia’s main
opposition party, power centers on personalities and not the ideals of the party. But, the “strongman” model
Theatre in Education

Most people are familiar with the Chinese proverb “tell me and I will forget. Show me and I will remember.
Involve me and I will understand. Step back and I will act”.  Theatre-in-education is the embodiment of this
sentiment. Embracing the pupil as an active participant in the learning process. This empowers the pupil,
giving them a sense of ownership of their learning journey and their engagement with the subject. Through
this engagement pupils develop a deeper understanding and a confidence, which enables them to progress,
deliver and achieve within their chosen field.

Theatre-in-education derives from the 1960s, a time of radical change, and a need to move away from out-
dated methods. The aim was to replace these methods with a model, which enabled pupils to “learn through
experience”. The learning process is a hot topic for academic debate, with various theories identifying three
to eight different learning styles. A common theme, however, seems to be a practical element that utilizes
a variety of skills. A visual element is usually present, the utilization of images and a spatial understanding.
Auditory aspects such as sound and music as well as the voice can be found. Physicality, the use of the body
and the senses can also be identified in various learning models. All of these approaches are fundamental in
theatre and the use of drama in education. From this, we can surmise that in a class full of pupils with a vari-
ety of learning preferences, a large percentage of those pupils would most likely have a leaning towards one
of the above learning styles. Therefore there is a high probability that they would be able to access the topic
and the learning objectives effectively if the topic were to be explored through drama. Theatre-in-education
has the potential to make the traditional “stand and deliver” approach to teaching a thing of the past. Making
the curriculum accessible to pupils is only one aspect of drama in education. Pupils benefit hugely from the
opportunities theatre-in-education provide for personal development.

In recent years, Cambodia’s education landscape has undergone dramatic change as the country attempts
to rebuild a system that was methodically destroyed during the Khmer Rouge period. (James H. Williams)r.
Infrastructure was also destroyed or abandoned. Few books remained and the deterioration of school build-
ings and equipment was widespread.

But in recent years a swelling of demand for education and a concerted effort on the part of the Royal Govern-
ment of Cambodia, together with international partners and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), has
revived the education system. The number and characteristics of Cambodian teachers has also changed dra-
matically. However, less than a quarter of primary school teachers are estimated to hold an upper secondary
degree, while about one third even does not hold lower secondary school degree. Educational attainment for
secondary school teachers is greater. Almost two-thirds of secondary teachers have completed at least grade
12, while just 18 percent had some post-secondary education. In-service training is almost non-existent, and
teaching methods have been the same for many years decades, and are rarely reviewed nor thoroughly
evaluated. Hence, rather old-fashioned methods like classroom drill, endless repeating of the same sentence
etc. are prevalent. At the same time, research has shown that a larger focus on interaction between teach-
ers and students, triggering student’s own creativity, provision of audio-visual aids etc. exponentially
boost students’ capacity to acquire skills and knowledge in the long-term.

In this regard, the “Turtle Club” is not only an innovative educational tool to raise awareness on past
and current human right violations and foster youth participation in society, but it can also be seen
as a model project how to introduce new teaching methods in Cambodian classrooms. Because of
its success, KDKG is currently touring Cambodian schools with two follow-up theatre projects, which
focus on underage drinking or girl empowerment.
Another side effect of the “Turtle Club” is that it introduces the performing arts form “theatre” to From 1975 to 1979, under Pol Pot, all art forms were banned, and nine out of ten Cambodian artists, musi-
students who might have never seen it before. “The Turtle project is very important as it increases cians, writers and filmmakers were executed. The Vietnamese, who liberated the country and occupied it un-
the awareness about social issues and Cambodia’s history,” said Soung Sopheak, director of the til the late 1980s, saw the arts mainly as propaganda tools to convey communist teachings. The country was
finally ushered into an era of globalization in 1990. That year marked a turning point for the United Nations
play. “But the second point is that it promotes theatre among young people.” Cambodian youth today
(UN). The Cold War had just ended and the organization’s capability and interest in humanitarian intervention
is turning to modern culture; the traditional arts are declining through lack of interest from young people, and
had changed. No longer struggling under Cold War politics, the UN had the capacity to pursue peacekeeping
there is very little support for the ancient art forms from the government. However, while there is no doubt
missions. The missions were transformed by the ever-globalizing world, both in nature and in numbers. One
that many artists and art forms are in crisis because of neglect, there are glimmers of hope emerging. This is
of the first major UN missions after the Cold War was the peacekeeping mission to Cambodia. The operation
especially true via young artists who are incorporating elements of traditional Khmer art with a contemporary
was named the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) and led to the first free and fair
style attracting youth audiences. Take, for example, the powerhouse artists involved in the “Bonn Phum Art
elections in 1993, when the global community began to support this ailing nation that was isolated by civil
Festival” – a recreation of a traditional Khmer New Year village celebration that has been massively popular
war, genocide and occupation. 
since it began in 2014

From the social perspective, gradual improvement in living standards along with the rapid spread of tech-
nology has steadily changed Cambodian ways of living and culture up until now. Western lifestyles — from
fast foods, birthday celebrations and Christmas promotions — are becoming popular, particularly among the
. young generation who make up the majority of Cambodians. The country is experiencing a difficult process of
cultural revival because there are few artists left and there are not enough tools to transfer cultural industries
In Cambodia, there are about 20 forms of theatre, known as “Lakhon”, which can be classified in three main
know-how to future generations. Cultural industries are under-developed, despite Cambodia’s ratification of
categories: classical, folk and modern. Lakhon Niyeay - spoken theatre - appeared in the 1930’s under the
the UNESCO Convention. To assure that future generations will have equitable access to a diverse range of
French Protectorate when Cambodia invited theatre troupes from neighboring countries (Vietnam, Thailand,
cultural expressions, youths and children need to be assured access to opportunities to experience culture at
Indonesia), which inspired the foundation of Cambodia’s first modern theatre outfit ‘Phirum Theatre of Prog-
an early stage. Here, theatre has not only the potential to make the traditional “stand and deliver” approach
ress’. This continued in the 1950’s, under Sihanouk era, with a group of scholars, Cambodians educated in
to teaching a thing of the past; theatre also introduces Cambodian students to the fact that the arts make for
France who returned to Cambodia and adapted European theatre plays and translated them into Khmer.
a richer and more meaningful life; they influence how we express ourselves, our creative thinking and new
One example is “L’Avare (“The Miserables”) by famous playwright Moliere. Lakhon Niyeay portrays modern
ideas.
history, where theatre writers address social problems. This theatre form aimed to reflect about the society,
and was a very strong educational, social and critical tool, about corruption, the ruling class and used many
satires. The most outstanding figure in the development of Lakhon Niyeay was playwright and director Hang
Tun Hak (1924-75), who was later killed by the Khmer Rouge.
The “Courageous Turtle” Theatre Play

Turtles are frequently depicted in popular culture as easygoing, patient, and wise creatures. Due to their long
lifespan, slow movement, sturdiness, and wrinkled appearance, they are an emblem of longevity and stability
in many cultures around the world. In Cambodia, for example, the turtle plays an important part in the legend
“The Churning of the Milk Sea”, which is also displayed on the famous Angkor Wat bas reliefs. Turtles are
regularly incorporated into human culture, with painters, photographers, poets, songwriters, and sculptors
using them as subjects. When it comes to animal symbolism, the turtle is a great example of persistence,
determination, endurance and more. By its very design, the turtle is a survivor. It has the ability to protect itself
against predators. The turtle is a great guide to call upon when we need to shield ourselves from oncoming
attack.

The theatre play “The Courageous Turtle” is written by Cambodian female playwright and short film director
Sok You Chea (30), based on a story idea by German filmmakers Nicolaus Mesterharm and Marc Eberle.
Sok You tells the story of high school student Panha, who has found a turtle in his garden by accident. In the
course of the play, Panha does not only learn about his family history under the brutal Khmer Rouge, but also
how to fight bullying. Following the proverb “A turtle only makes progress if it sticks out its neck”, he learns
to be courageous and how to deal with insecurity and injustice. In this regard, the play does not only deliver
history education, but equips Cambodia’s young generation with life-long skills that they can use to build up
their society.
The play is set in modern times, with only one historical flashback scene. Its key messages circle around the The scriptwriter had to follow the two-hander-format, coming from the English theatre tradition. On stage, only
question how young Cambodians can build a better tomorrow by learning from the past. As a filmmaker, Sok two actors switch into the roles of several characters, telling the story from multiple perspectives. The two
You knew that writing a play telling the history of Cambodia’s genocide from a balanced perspective would characters often display differences in social standing or experiences, differences that are explored and pos-
be hard to do. Instead, she took a different approach by focusing on contemporary Cambodia. Her mission sibly overcome as the story unfolds. This creative approach is usually an effective way to deliver civic educa-
was to incorporate all the angles of the time period into a dramatization that would allow people to learn from tion in more informal yet emotional ways. Moreover, it is a cost-effective way of bringing theatre into schools
the past in order to build a better present and future as a nation. “What we want the audience to take from nation-wide. Within approximately 45 minutes, the two actors tell an engaging story, using various costumes
the story is that the fate of the country relies on every individual in society,” Ms. Chea said. “When we are and some props within a simple classroom setting. Within this project, theatre has been used for the first time
on the right track, it will lead us to prosperity and one of the ways to start is to promote moral and civil cour- as educational tool in Cambodian classrooms to enhance the students› knowledge of the Pol Pot era and its
age in the community and in the world in which we live.” Challenging the stereotypical images of the Khmer legacy. This approach has been proven very successful, as it also encourages Cambodian students to start
Rouge as monsters and elderly people as submissive temple worshippers, Ms. Chea wanted to bring a sense a dialogue with the older generation about what happened under the regime of the Khmer Rouge.
of reality to the students. “While writing it, I also bore in mind how to make it as fun as possible,” Ms. Chea
said. “And not another lecture for students.” The main themes Ms. Chea wanted to emphasize to students
were courage and morality. “Otherwise, you think the Khmer Rouge soldiers had no courage when they took
Intergenerational Dialogues
over the country?” Ms. Chea asked. “They had courage. The difference between them and what I am trying
to say is that what they did was wrong and immoral. Courage without morals is not good and that is what I
want emphasized.”
Cambodia’s history is marked by decades of civil war and post-war recovery. Specifically, between April
1975 and January 1979, the country suffered under the rule of the communist Khmer Rouge (KR) regime.
During this time, more than 1.7 million people died from starvation, forced labor, torture, and execution. The
immensity of this mass atrocity committed by Khmer Rouge cadres has left Cambodians with deep wounds
and psychological trauma. This violent past continues to affect every sphere of people’s lives and remains
a subject of political controversy and conflict. The legacies of the conflict include dehumanization, deep dis-
trust, stereotypes, and divergent collective memories.

These legacies have unique consequences for younger generations. The post-war generation receives little
formal education on the recent past. They must rely on their parents’ accounts, which often transmit trauma,
uncertain identities and victimization – when they are shared at all. Often, silence prevails. Consequently,
both children of the former Khmer Rouge and children of victim-survivors have limited knowledge about the
root causes and functioning of the KR regime and about their parents’ experiences. Youth are often marginal-
ized – with hierarchical social values placing greater value on the knowledge of elders, youth are frequently
prevented from civic engagement. At the same time, many youth are socialized into an environment that is
marked by structural – and often physical – violence.

Within this context, “The Turtle Club focuses on intergenerational dialogue to promote a broader understand-
ing about the history of the Khmer Rouge, to provide a platform for truth-telling, and to involve youth in the
reconciliation of victim-survivors’ memories. These dialogues have a profound impact on both the young and
older participants, fostering an atmosphere of empathy and understanding that sets the stage for broader
social change. By actively listening to the survivors and acknowledging their past suffering, the youth feel a
new sense of sympathy and even love toward the older generation, and come to praise them for overcoming
the struggles in their lives.

From 2016-2017, 189 Civil Parties have been attending the 129 performances at 37 schools and universi-
ties. They have been talking to and answering questions by a total of 9619 students. Moreover, Civil Parties
have been participating in a number of events at Meta House, where they could comment on the content and
presentation of the theatre play, as their full approval of the activity was deemed crucial by the project team.
On each of these events, Swedish photographer Anders Jiras took photographs, as part of the “Lessons of
the Past” photo series.
 PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Goals and Objectives

In Cambodia’s younger generations, awareness about the root causes of the Khmer Rouge atrocities seems
to be limited. The youth shows little interest in the darkest period of the Cambodian history. While most have a
basic awareness of the topic, they never learn more about it as many find the material too depressing. Others
do not believe their grandparents’ gruesome accounts on their experiences. To address such shortcomings,
the project “Turtle Club” aims to increase young Cambodians’ interest in the Khmer Rouge past. The suc-
cessful outreach and response during the past two years of performances and engagement show that more
interest can be fostered, thereby intensifying their understanding of conflict and contributing to a culture of
memory and respect for survivors.

Dealing with the past can also be a productive force for change in today’s society. Against this background,
the project wants to encourage young Cambodians to reflect on the origins of totalitarianism and conse-
quences of the conflict, and how they fuel protracted abuse today. Thus, the project does not exclusively
focus on atrocities committed under the Khmer Rouge but also deals with human rights violations in society
today. Through youth engagement, communities will be able to do a better job in creating the services, op-
portunities and support that young people need. Youth engagement also offers community stakeholders the
expertise and partnership of young people. Finally, youth engagement is important because young people
have a right to represent their own interest and to contribute to the democratic development of the society.

Creative activities to develop new ideas through a Cambodian language theatre play like “The Courageous
Turtle” aim to foster youth’s interest in both the Khmer Rouge past and current humanitarian issues. To this
end, the project brought a series of community theatre plays on stage to address both past and current forms
of abuse. The project in particular targets students at Cambodian secondary schools but also university stu-
dents. The actors are almost of the same age as the audience members. The same goes for young experts /
freelancers such as filmmakers, editors, graphic designers, who all have benefited from the project in regards
to knowledge and personal development.

The other main target group of the “Turtle Club” project comprises of older Khmer Rouge survivors / Civil Par-
ties (CPs). The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) is the first court examining inter-
national mass crimes that provides an opportunity for victims to participate directly in the trial proceedings as
so-called Civil Parties (CP). CPs are parties in the proceedings against accused persons being prosecuted
before the ECCC, and they enjoy rights broadly similar to the prosecution and the defense. Any person, who
can demonstrate that he or she has suffered physical, material or psychological injury as a direct conse-
quence of at least one of the crimes prosecuted before the ECCC, may apply to become a Civil Party. Civil
Parties can seek collective and moral reparations, but no individual monetary compensation can be awarded.
The “Courageous Turtle” project will be proposed to the ECCC as a Judicial Reparation project and is cur-
rently listed under the ‘’Guarantee of Non-repetition’’ proposed list, in cooperation with the Victims Support
Section (VSS) and the Civil Party Lead Co-Lawyers of the ECCC. Intergenerational dialogue has been iden-
tified as a means of redress and as the main reason this project has been approved. A second one is its
geographical scope – as the play was / is performed throughout the country it gave survivors even in remote
areas an equal chance to participate in a reparation project.

The VSS team and the Civil Party Lead Co-Lawyers continue to help the project to identify/select civil parties
who attend the theatre play performances, which are followed by the inter-generational dialogue. Civil Parties
are selected in cooperation with the VSS at the ECCC. There are certain criteria for the participation of CP’s
to reparation projects (or their consultation phase) and that - as a judicial reparation process - the Lead-Co-
Lawyers/Civil Party Lawyers keep control of the process who should be proposed to participate.

One criteria is that the CP’s mentioned the keywords «education» or «future generation» in their application
to make sure that the attending will truly benefit from the reparation project and that the project will address
their specific «harm». Still, CP’s who never participated in any reparation project (or consultation) also get
a chance to join the project to ensure that not always the same usual candidates are part of it. Last but not
least the VSS chooses CP’s from different provinces in order to generate a representative sample. The Civil
Party Lawyers lastly contact the CP’s to explain the purpose of the event and get their informed consent. VSS
sends the list out to the project.

Within the project, Khmer Rouge survivors are able to share their experiences with the younger generation,
one of their greatest desires and an important factor in their healing process. Using theatre as a trigger for
inter-generational dialogues in classrooms is a new approach in Cambodia. Although decades have passed
since the demise of the Khmer Rouge, virtually no mechanisms exist to help people share their experiences.

Moreover, the project also aims to benefit government and non-government stakeholders in several ways.
Firstly, youth engagement and partnership will greatly improve the effectiveness in addressing and commu-
nity needs. GOs and NGOs will benefit from their creativity and perspective leading to the improvement of
their services. Bringing in a fresh perspective, both governmental and non-governmental organizations are
going to be challenged to adjust their approach and work with young people in shaping their society.
Turtle Club Activities

· Theatre Performances in classrooms followed by a Q&A. THE COURAGEOUS TURTLE play follows
Cambodian high school student Panha, who finds out about his family history. The two actors perform
an engaging story enacting several characters each, using different costumes and props within a
simple classroom setting. The 45-minutes performance is followed by a Q&A with youth facilitators.

· Intergenerational Dialogues with Civil Parties, followed by Q&As. CP facilitators organizes and
facilitates the participation of Civil Parties during the events. Four civil parties join during the three
day event, they watched the watch the Khmer-Rouge related documentaries and/or movies and the
theatre play with the students and then students are offered with a testimony from a Khmer Rouge
survivor. Then follows a group discussion, moderated by the facilitator, where students are encour-
aged to ask the Civil Parties about their life stories and experiences under the Khmer Rouge regime.

· Film Screenings in classrooms - Cambodian short films and documentaries about the Pol Pot
era were selected by Meta House, including the award-winning short film “Rice” by Sothea Ines; the
Khmer-US production “Golden Voice” by Greg Cahill, which has been translated into Khmer lan-
guage; “Pros Thom” by Chhorn Bunhorn. Screenings with a total length of 45 minutes are followed by
a Q&A session with facilitators.

· Turtle Drawing Competition - Students are asked to draw “courageous” turtles; moreover, they are
obliged to write a few sentences, answering the question “What would you want a “courageous turtle’
to change in your society/ village, if it had all the powers in the world?”. This allows project facilitators
to understand how youth perceive the world they live in and the problems they face. The drawing
contest is led by facilitators; students with the best drawing win a “Turtle”-T-Shirt.

· Mobile Exhibition on schoolyards includes 10 large-size-panels. One side of each panel displays
a photo from the “Lessons of the Past” Civil Party series; the other side shows a paintings by senior
Cambodian artist Chhim Sothy about his experience under Pol Pot. Further questions can be posed
to event assistant, who oversees the information booth.

·
· Information Booth on schoolyards provides students with the opportunity to deepen their newly
found knowledge about the Khmer Rouge history and the ECCC proceedings. It showcases topical
books, brochures, leaflets and magazines in Khmer language relating to the period of Democratic
Kampuchea (1975- 1979). Materials include “The Sound of Minorities”, “Where is Justice”, “My Story
and Yours” by NGO Kdei Karuna “Cambodian Artists Speak Out” by Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation,
“The Civil Parties Story Book” by NGO CHRAC and many more.

· Leaflet - The project distributes a leaflet (a2, color) in Khmer language, which delivers a brief intro-
duction to the project and the topics raised. The idea is that students take this leaflet home and then
enter into further discussions with family members and friends. Key messages of the play are high-
lighted. As reading is still not very popular in Cambodia, the leaflet might encourage students to read
more and / or to share their reading experiences with peers.

· Video / Photo Documentation – Activities in schools and universities were documented on video
and through photographs. Usually, the media team has been interviewing two civil parties and two stu-
dents per location, as well as teachers or headmasters if they had made themselves available. These
interviews and accompanying footage has been edited into films and clips in Khmer language with
English subtitles which are publicized on the project website, on facebook and through other online
outlets. Films were also screened at various events at Meta House.

· Monitoring Tools - Pre-/Post-Testing is executed through questionnaires, to be filled out by stu-

dents at the beginning and at the end of each event. This is to measure an increase in knowledge
or changes of behavior. Questionnaires were then checked and processed by facilitators and KDKG
team; results were shared at a later stage with monitoring officials and evaluator team. Since the end
of 2017, the on-going project also utilizes an app-based-survey software, which has been developed
by Phnom Penh firm “Dynamo”. The survey features 25 multiple-choice-questions, testing the knowl-
edge of students regarding historical facts. Results of this survey will be compiled and evaluated for a
youth study, in cooperation with the German Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation (KAS).
Organizational Profile & Project Partner Structure The Cambodian-German Cultural Association (KDKG e.V.) is the umbrella organization of Meta House.
The international NGO is registered with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Cambodia and has
signed Memorandums of Understanding with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and the Ministry of
Khmer culture experienced a deep and devastating blow during the terrible years of the Khmer Rouge re-
Culture and Fine Arts. It is the sole partner of the German Cultural Foundation Goethe-Institute in Cambo-
gime. Performing arts were banned and artists, artisans, dancers and musicians were executed or died. To
dia. KDKG e.V is responsible for the conceptualization, implementation, coordination, and follow-up on the
contribute to the revival of the Cambodian art and film scene, Cambodia’s first independent arts, media and
progress and evaluation of the “Turtle Club” project, funded by the European Commission in Cambodia / EU,
communication centre, Meta House (www.meta-house.com) was established in January 2007 in the capital
through its partner UNOPS.
Phnom Penh opposite Wat Botum pagoda, where Pol Pot once was a monk.
Through its support to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) managed by the
Meta House was founded by German journalist, documentarian and cultural manager Nicolaus Mesterharm
United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the European Union has been awarding a total of three
and a team of Cambodian colleagues, in cooperation with the German Goethe-Institute. It actively supports
grants in May 2016 to civil society organizations in Cambodia to promote awareness and education on the
Cambodian artists and students to promote the development of contemporary arts and media, through local
Khmer Rouge History. The grants are for a total of 724,700 Euros and were awarded through a competitive
and international exhibitions, regular film screenings, workshops, community-based projects, artist exchange
process.
programs and by fostering links with galleries, curators, non-governmental/governmental organizations, as
well as South-East Asian and international universities. It also hosts dance, theatre and music events, and I am delighted that the EU, as one of the key development partners to Cambodia, is able to support three
provides space for meaningful public events, workshops and seminars by national and international NGOs. civil society organizations working on documentation, education and awareness on the Cambodian recent
Through close cooperation with a large number of youth and student organizations Meta House is constantly history”, said H.E Mr. George Edgar, Ambassador of the European Union to Cambodia. “These grants are
reaching out to Cambodia’s young generation. an important contribution not only for Cambodia’s struggle for reconciliation and justice today, but for the
education of its youth for generations to come. Encouraging and reinforcing collective and individual historic
memory means increasing awareness and understanding of the importance of respect for human rights. I
hope that the work we are funding will encourage a culture of dialogue and of constructive debate, reflecting
on the meaning of justice and reconciliation’’, Ambassador George Edgar added. The three organizations,
have been implementing these grants in close collaboration with the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth
and Sport, were:

* KDKG / Meta House, which received 244,100 EURO (273,952 USD) and with the Cambodian German
Cultural Association will conduct a multi-media project using different educational tools, including theater,
a traveling exhibition, a drawing contest, film screenings and intergenerational dialogue with Khmer Rouge
survivors.

* Bophana Center, which received 335,000 Euro (376,002 USD) to promote multimedia education and cre-
ativity about Cambodian history and civilization. The project will contribute to the development of an educa-
tional multimedia application which will be used as a tool in high schools and universities, facilitating teachers’
work in the classrooms, and also allowing students to enjoy learning history using smart devices.

* Documentation Center of Cambodia, DC-Cam, which received 145,600 Euro (163,409 USD) to continue
its long-standing work in pursuing memory, justice, and reconciliation though the inclusion of the history of
Democratic Kampuchea in the Cambodian school curriculum. The project will fund teacher training at com-
mune level and a training seminar for university professors and lecturers.
In 2010, Meta House has been opening a new facility at #37, Sothearos Boulevard, inaugurated by Minister
of Culture H.E. Hem Chhem and German Ambassador Frank Marcus Mann. Set on more than 500 square All these projects have been working to support the judicial reparation process of the ECCC; all three orga-
meter, it accommodates a large gallery/multi-function room, the German language school, a rooftop cinema nizations have been working closely with the Civil Party Lead Co-Lawyers Section (LCLS) and the Victims
and the “Art Café”. In 2013/2014, Meta House was awarded “Best Art Space” by the Cambodian magazine Support Section (VSS) of the ECCC throughout the implementations of the projects in the years 2016-2017.
“The Advisor”; other (international) awards include APAC Award “Best Contemporary Arts Centre 2016”, In- All projects are receiving continuing support through additional funding by the EU this year. In this regard, the
dochina Business Awards 2017 “Best Indochina NPO” and M&A Global Awards Winner 2018 “Best Contem- EU initiative also facilitated a “closer” cooperation between these three leading Cambodian NGOs in the field
porary Arts Centre”. of Khmer Rouge history education for youth.

Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center was inaugurated in 2006. Dedicated to the restoration, protection,
archiving and promotion of Cambodia’s rich audio-visual heritage, the NGOs offers young Cambodians vo-
cational training  for careers in filmmaking, broadcasting and new media. The center has been co-founded“by
Oscar-nominated director Rithy Panh  (born 1964), whose films often focus on the aftermath of the Khmer
Rouge regime in Cambodia. Rithy Panh›s works are from an authoritative viewpoint, because his family was
expelled from Phnom Penh in 1975 by the Khmer Rouge. One after another, his father, mother, sisters and
nephews died of starvation or exhaustion, as they were held in a remote labor camp in rural Cambodia. He
believes that “education helps analyze the images and master the techniques; creation enables us to speak
up but also express what we see and how we feel.» 
The Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam) is a Cambodian non-governmental organization whose
mission is to research and record the era of Democratic Kampuchea for the purposes of memory and justice.
The Center presently contains the world›s largest archive on the Khmer Rouge period with over 155,000 pages
of documents and 6,000 photographs. DC-Cam undertakes numerous research, outreach, and educational
projects, which have resulted in the publication of many books on the Khmer Rouge period, a national genocide
education initiative, and support services for victims and survivors of the Khmer Rouge regime.

Precondition for the awarding of grants for NGOs by the EU was in this case an existing MoU with the Minis-
try of Education, Youth and Sport (which Meta House / KDKG had already signed in 2014). The Minister of
Education, HE Dr. Hang Chuon Naron, has been acknowledging the fact that students knowledge of Khmer
Rouge history was limited, before given his approval for performances to be held in public high schools and
universities. Therefore, KDKG had full support from government, which enable the Turtle Team to be fully able
to conduct this “multimedia educational roadshow” in schools. Mr Leng Sarie from the “Curriculum Depart-
ment” has been appointed in June 2016 by the Minister as the project’s “focal point”. This was to improve the
communication between school directors, school staff and project organizers as – in its earlier phase – the
project have had encountered some difficulties in ensuring support and commitment by teachers and head-
masters. From July 2016 onwards, Mr. Sarie was responsible for suggesting suitable locations for implemen-
tation and approaching respective staff before the arrival of the team in order to have classrooms and students
ready, with full support of their teachers.

In 2016 “Turtle Club” has been proposed as one of several judicial reparation projects of Case 002/02 to ad-
dress the needs of the victims of the Khmer Rouge regime. However, as the court has not reached its final ver-
dict, the Trial Chamber has authorized the Victim Support Section (VSS) and the Lead Co-Lawyers (LCL)
to implement reparation projects before the issuance of the verdict. That is why the project is listed under the
“Guarantee of Non-Repetition” proposed list.
The Civil Party Lead Co-Lawyers, in consultation with the Civil Party Lawyers, are solely responsible for filing
the final claim for reparations before the ECCC. The CPLCLs are therefore tasked with making final reviews
and approving the project on behalf of the civil parties. As a cooperating partner and the representatives of
civil party interests, the CPLCLs participate in the project development, including identification, design and
fundraising. The Victim Support Section (VSS) in cooperation with the CPLCLs supports in the same way,
but is primarily responsible for fundraising prioritized reparation projects. CPs that have listed the keywords
“education” or “future generation” in their application can be chosen to participate in this project to make sure
that the attending will truly benefit from the reparation project and that the project will address their specific
“harm”. Still, CP’s who never participated in any reparation project (or consultation) also get a chance to join
the project to ensure that not always the same usual candidates are part of it. Last but not least the VSS
chooses CP’s from different provinces in order to generate a representative sample.

Last, but not least, the project was able to find two corporate sponsors: The telecommunication group Smart
Axiata – which also funds other KDKG activities such as the environmental event series “Green Night” since
2009 – has been paying for a tour bus, which were customized and branded with project logos. The soft drink
producer “Freshy” had been contributing soft drinks for students for all events in 2016 and 2017. In return,
sponsors’ logos have been displayed on PR materials such as leaflet, T-Shirts and online outlets.
KDKG e.V Organisational Chart
Key Beneficiaries of the Project

Students

The original selection criteria for this were: “Age: 12 – 25; Gender: app. 50 % girls / 50 % boys; regional ori-
gin: app. 80 % from rural areas, 20 % from universities. Ethnicity: app. 75 % students of “Khmer origin”, 20
% of “Cham origin”, and 5 % ethnic minorities.” These selection and monitoring procedures were outlined in
the proposal: “Schools targeted by this project will be selected based on the group affiliation of the students.
The group affiliation of each school audience will be assessed during each theatre play. Monthly monitoring
meetings will assess the overall group affiliation of the target audience, and adjust the selection of additional
schools accordingly.” From 2016 to 2017, over the course of 15 months, the project has been staging events
in all 25 Cambodian provinces in Cambodia. This has amounted to a total of 129 performances at 37 schools
and universities with 9619 students and 189 civil parties attending. 4279 of audience members were male
(44%); 5340 were female (56%). Out of these 9619 students, 3,1% were of Cham origin“ and 2,3% were
members of ethnic minority groups.

Planned outcomes were the following: a) Cambodian students who attended the theatre plays proactively in-
form themselves on the Khmer Rouge past and/or humanitarian issues in the country. b) Cambodian students
who attended the theatre plays proactively search for opportunities to engage on issues related to the Khmer
Rouge past and/or humanitarian issues in the country. Based on observations of monitors and evaluators,
as well as documented through the submitted data sets, it can be stated that the project achieved a measur-
able change in students’ level of knowledge on the Khmer Rouge past and/or present humanitarian issues.
Besides the pre-assessment through a questionnaire and focus group discussions before each theatre play
in 50 % of all target schools, as well as post-assessment in the same target schools app. one month after the
theatre plays, the film team led numerous interviews with members of our young audience.

High-school student Ouch Srey Pov (15) was interviewed in Kampong Chnnang. She said that “watching a
theatre play is much better than reading a text book in school. I wish that education could be always that en-
tertaining. When I go home, I will try to ask my parent about their time under Pol Pot. So far, we have never
spoken about it.”
Civil Parties These are their shortened statements from Civil Parties:Mr. Rous Bunthan: “It’s hard to remember about the
killing and torture. But still I feel good to speak with young students, I really felt that they were interested and
The original selection criteria for this were: “Age: 45 – 80; Gender: app. 50 % women/ 50 % men; regional
that our discussion was fruitful.” Mr. Ek Vireak: “Although difficult at first, it was a huge relief to be able to
origin: app. 50 % from provincial towns/cities, app. 50 % from rural communities.”
speak about my experience with the students. It felt like a huge burden had been lifted from my heart”
These selection and monitoring procedures were outlined in the proposal: “Civil Parties targeted by this proj-
Actors
ect will be selected in cooperation with the Victims’ Support Section at the ECCC. There are certain criteria for
the participation of CPs to reparation projects (or their consultation phase) and that - as a judicial reparation The original selection criteria were: Age: 18 – 25; Gender: app. 50 % girls / 50 % boys; Regional origin: app.
process - the Lead-Co-Lawyers/Civil Party Lawyers need to keep control of the CPs who should be proposed 50 % from provincial towns/cities / app. 50 % from rural communities; Ethnicity: app. 50 % of “Khmer origin”,
to participate. CPs who mentioned “education” or “future generation” in their application, in the “reparation 50 % of “Cham origin” (or experiences working with Cham). These selection procedures were outlined in the
box”, so we make sure that the CPs attending will truly “benefit” from the reparation project and that the proj- proposal: A casting call will go out to professional/semi-professional local actors of the University of Fine Arts
ect will address their specific “harm”. CPs who never participated in any reparation project (or consultation) in Phnom Penh.
were given a chance to participate, to facilitate reparation. CPs come from different provinces so we have
equal regional representation. From 2016 to 2017, over the course of 15 months, the project has been tour-
ing in all provinces, with 189 civil parties attending it. 85 of audience members were male (45%); 104 were
female (55%). Out of these 189 Civil Parties, 16% were from rural areas and 84% provincial towns/cities.

The project works with one actor and one actress; Phal Sreyphoan (born in 1994, age: 24) and Ven Keana
(born in 1993, age: 25). Both have been studying ”drama“ at the Royal Academy of Phnom Penh. None of
them is of Cham origin; Cham actors are very rare in Cambodia. The project could not locate a single Cham
actor of the desired age group in Phnom Penh. The selection of the actors was based on test performances.
Another critical criterion for selection was that the female actress was allowed to travel by herself.

Planned outcomes were the following:

Planned outcomes were the following: a) CPs who participated in the intergenerational dialogues have re-
a) Cambodian actors who conducted the theatre plays proactively inform themselves on the Khmer
ceived some acknowledgment for the past abuses suffered; b) CPs, who participated in the intergenerational
Rouge past and/or humanitarian issues in the country;
dialogues continue to share their experiences under Khmer Rouge with other members of the young genera-
tion in their villages, communities. Based on observations of monitors and evaluators, it can be stated that b) ) Cambodian actors who conducted the theatre plays proactively search for theatre roles that are
the civil parties felt acknowledged after the performances through the intergenerational dialogue. The civil related to past or contemporary humanitarian issues.
parties were motivated to speak to the younger generation in their towns and provinces about the Khmer
Rouge regime .
Based on observations of monitors and evaluators, as well as documented through the submitted data sets,
it can be stated that the project achieved a change in actors’ level of knowledge on the Khmer Rouge past
and/or present humanitarian issues. Besides pre-assessment through a questionnaire and a semi-structured
interview at the beginning of the project, interim- and post-assessment through questionnaire and semi-
structured interviews after nine and twelve months of the project period, the film team led related interviews
with our actors.

These are their shortened statements:

Ven Keana: “We want to tell our audience: Don’t hide! Stand up for your rights! We have a voice to change
things.”

Phal Sreyphoan: “This modern theatre play builds an understanding about human rights and the Khmer
Rouge, so we don’t let it to happen again in Cambodia.”

Our actors would love to be hired by other organizations that use theatre for social change; however – as this
project approach is still very new Cambodia – possibilities to do so are very limited.
Filmmakers

The original selection criteria for this were: Age: 18 - 25; Gender: app.50% girls/50% boys; Origin: app.50%
from provincial towns, app. 50% from rural communities; Ethnicity: app. 50% of “Khmer origin”, 50% of “Cham
origin” (or experiences working with Cham). These selection procedures were outlined in proposal: A casting
call went out to professional/semi-professional young filmmakers. Main selection criteria were content, qual-
ity, production value of their previous work, and their ideas brought forward during the audition.

Nico Mesterharm and the media professionals/trainers Mark Hammond and Jan Mueller oversaw the produc-
tion of project films by Sao Sopheak, Sun Sovannara and Choun Sopheap and Lach Chantha. Main selec-
tion criteria for this gender-balanced team included the content, overall quality and production value of their
submitted work samples, as well as prior experience with video production and their ability to travel with the
theatre team to selected provinces. All filmmakers have had previous work experiences with the Cham com-
munity in the framework of documentary productions for local TV stations. None of our students studies film
holds a film degree, as there is no film school in Cambodia yet.

Planned outcomes were the following:

a) Cambodian film makers who participated in the project proactively inform themselves on the Khmer Rouge
past and/or humanitarian issues in the country;

b) Cambodian filmmakers who participated in the project proactively search for job positions in the film sector
that are related to past or contemporary humanitarian issues;

c) Young Cambodian film makers who participated in the project write and develop film ideas on subjects
related to past or contemporary social problems. Based on observations of monitors and evaluators, as well
as documented through the submitted data sets, it can be stated that the project achieved a change in the
young filmmaker’s level of knowledge on the Khmer Rouge past and/or present humanitarian issues.

These are shortened statements from young filmmakers:

Ines Sothea: “I did a lot of research about KR regime, met many survivors, went to ECCC, talked to my rela-
tives, and finally wrote the story of the film RICE.”

Sopheak Sao: “Making movies is a way for me to express what I feel, with the hope that my movies will
change societies mindset; and now there is a generation of young filmmakers, and I hope they will do better
than me.”
Facilitators
The original selection criteria for this were: Age: 18 – 25; Gender: app. 50 % girls / 50 % boys; Regional origin:
app. 50 % from provincial towns/cities / app. 50 % from rural communities; Ethnicity: app. 50 % of “Khmer
origin”, 50 % of “Cham origin”. These selection procedures were outlined in the proposal: Young Cambodian
group facilitators will either be provided by Youth for Peace and/or selected during the auditions before a
casting panel composed of the national and international film and theatre directors, representatives from the
partner organizations, and youth representatives. A call for applications will go out to former staff/beneficia-
ries of youth organizations. Additional selection criteria will include their experience in similar projects, and
facilitation skills in group processes.

Planned outcomes were the following:

a) Young Cambodians who participated as facilitators in the project proactively inform themselves on the
Khmer Rouge past and/or humanitarian issues in the country;

b) Young Cambodians who participated as facilitators in the project proactively search for job positions in the
social sector that are related to past or contemporary humanitarian issues. Based on observations of moni-
tors and evaluators, as well as documented through the submitted data sets, it can be stated that the project
not only broadened the knowledge of our young facilitators, but also motivated them to dig deeper in order to
understand about the different factors which paved the ground for the Khmer Rouge’s accession to power, as
well as to identify the legacy of the Pol Pot times in regards to current social issues. Art exposes and helps
resolve issues of social justice.  As a cultural tool, art helps humanize and actualize the emotions, grievances,
and fears of those who may not have another place to voice concerns.

Kaul Seila (Facilitator): “As a youth, I became interested in history through watching documentaries about the
Khmer Rouge. When reading books, it’s hard to imagine how life looks like, but when we look at the perfor-
mance by the experts, we are confident in believing that what they are portraying is true.”
Communication and Outreach

Press Conferences

Angkor Photo Festival

On 6th December 2016, “The Turtle Club” team and 10 Civil Parties participated to the Angkor Photo Festi-
On June, 30th 2016, a press conference was organized at Meta House, Phnom Penh. For this launching
val in Siem Reap, for the opening of the first photo exhibition “Lessons from the Past”, which featured 100
event, the keynote speeches were delivered by EU Ambassador H.E George Edgar, German Ambassador
photos of Civil Parties. The wall text for the exhibition read: “For over a quarter of a century, Cambodians
KDKG director Nico Mesterharm and an ECCC representative. This was followed by a performance of the
have waited for justice. The Khmer Rouge Tribunal at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
theatre play and a speech from the Civil Party representative. The event was attended by the Ambassador of
(ECCC) aims to provide justice for those who died and those who survived. But the trials are also for the
the Federal Republic of Germany to Cambodia and the Secretary of State of the Ministry of Education, H.E
new generation - to educate Cambodia’s youth about the darkest chapter in Cambodian history. Since 2015,
Nat Bunroeun, representatives from VSS and 17 Civil Parties. Prior to the press conference, the 17 civil par-
Phnom Penh-based arts center Meta House and its umbrella organization the Cambodian-German Cultural
ties participated in the portrait photo shooting for the exhibition “Lesson from the past”. Cambodian media
Association (KDKG) have conducted the community theatre project “The Courageous Turtle” with the Minis-
attended (CEN news, Fresh news, Kampuchea Thmey, Nokor Wat) and reported accordingly.
try of Youth, Education and Sport (MoEYS). For the first time, theatre is being used as an educational tool in
A second press conference was held on November, 19th 2016, at Meta House. The objective was to an- Cambodian classrooms to enhance students’ knowledge of the Khmer Rouge regime.
nounce the corporate sponsorship by “Freshy” and “Smart”. Thus, representatives from both companies were
So far, more than 20,000 youths have participated in events, which also entail intergenerational dialogues
delivering short speeches. Other speakers included the Meta House director Nico Mesterharm, as well as a
with ECCC Civil Parties. Civil Parties at the ECCC are those persons who have suffered harm, directly or
ECCC representative. 29 Civil Parties had been invited by the Victim Support Section. After a short introduc-
indirectly, from the crimes investigated by the court and who have requested participation in the criminal
tion by the facilitators, “The Courageous Turtle” theatre play was performed, followed by a speech from the
proceedings. The on-going photo project “Lessons from the Past” captures the voices of Civil Parties, who
Civil Party representative. Prior to the press conference, the 29 civil parties had been participating in the por-
have attended the theatre performances. Swedish photographer Anders Jiras and the Meta House team
trait photo shooting for the exhibition “Lesson from the past”. Cambodian media attended (CEN news, Fresh
want to find out what are their messages to the youth of today. The project has been proposed to the Khmer
news, Rasmey Kampuchea and the 3 TV stations Bayon TV, SEA TV, APSARA) and reported accordingly.
Rouge Trial as a Judicial Reparation project and is currently listed under the ‘’Guarantee of Non-repetition’’
proposed list, in co-operation with the Victims Support Section and the Civil Party Lead Co-Lawyers of the
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.” On the opening night, the play was performed on an
open-air-stage next to the exhibition space.
Exhibition at Meta House

In December 2017, Meta House organized a three-week-long exhibition of 250 students’ drawings from each
of the 25 provinces including Phnom Penh, where the “Turtle Club” activities had been implemented from
2016 – 2017. Within the “Turtle Drawing Competition”, participating students in target schools or universities
were asked to draw “courageous” turtles; moreover, they were obliged to write a few sentences, answering
the question “What would you want a “courageous turtle’ to change in your society/ village, if it had all the
powers in the world?” This had been allowing project facilitators to understand how youth perceive the world
they live in and the problems they face. The drawing contest was led by facilitators; students with the best
drawing won a “Turtle”-T-Shirt.

Other exhibition materials included the 10 panels from the mobile exhibition. One side of each panel dis-
played a photo from the “Lessons of the Past” Civil Party series by Swedish photographer Anders Jiras;
the other side showed a paintings by senior Cambodian artist Chhim Sothy about his experience under Pol
Pot. 18 Civil Parties were in attendance. On the same night, four documentaries about Civil Parties were
screened; two civil party representatives (male / female) delivered accompanying speeches.

Documentaries
TV broadcasting

The original proposal foresaw a screening of the project documentary on national TV to coincide with our an-
nual closing event in December 2017. Due to the crackdown on civil liberties with a special focus on human
rights NGOs at this time the Turtle team was suggested by officials to delay the broadcast to after the general
elections in 2018.As the project teaches (also) about «civil courage» the assumption was that audience might
think that project encourages students to stand up against the government, which is not the case. however,
in order not to jeopardize the project and / or the existence of the NGO the team has agreed to wait with the
broadcast up until the elections are over. This has also been communicated with UNOPS.

Turtle Theme Song

The “Turtle theme Song” was composed recorded and produced by German musician Jan Müller (Dub Ad-
diction), female Cambodian MC Lisha and singer Nem Tum. The lyrics sum up the key project messages. In
2018, the Turtle team will produce the music video, in cooperation with Cambodian dancer / choreographer
Yon Davy, which will be publicized online.
Press/PR Articles in the Press

Turtle Club Project organizers succeeded at drawing the attention of the media and the public on the “The
Turtle Club”. The project received a lot of media attention on TV, radio, online and through articles in Cambo-
dian and international newspapers print. Media outlets include SEA-TV, TKK, CNC, TV9, Apsara TV, Bayon
TV und Hang Meas, Kampuchea Thmey, Reasmey Kampuchea, Koh Santepheap, Khmer Times, Phnom
Penh Post, Cambodia Daily, El Pais, CEN News, Fresh News, Nokor Wat und Media Time.

Material and Website

Information Technology, mainly internet and social media, is creating new spaces for youth participation. Ac-
cording to a 2016 survey from Open Institute, Cambodia use of smartphones increased from 20% in 2013 to
48% of the population in 2016, and 8 out of 10 smartphone users are university students. The internet pres-
ence has been also used to present art projects to a broader public.

The website http://www.turtleclub.asia was developed by an experienced team (designer/programmer/web-

master) and is available in both English and Khmer language. It helps to disseminate the project film as well
as selected video clips of student’s and Civil Parties recorded in the video booth. Testimonials as well as
student feedback and the best art works from the drawing contest were selected, and will be uploaded on
a redesigned website by the middle of 2018, by a fulltime media editor and part time creative director who
oversees the operations. Furthermore, the website made available further resource materials about the
Khmer Rouge era, the selection of photos from the exhibition “Lessons from the past”. A PDF press kit and
professional PR photos can be downloaded from the website. Two joint press conferences at the beginning
and end of the project will communicate aims and achievements. IIn addition the Facebook group “The Turtle
Club” joined by 435 people, mainly Cambodians, follows the chronology of the tour through Cambodia and
accompany the project with additional news, links and related topics.
 FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS He further feels that young Cambodians today don’t understand what happened under Pol Pot. Many don’t
believe what happened to the people and experience them as exaggerated stories. Yet there is not enough
budget to organize additional excursions, like to the Tuol Sleng museum or the sites of the mass graves as
Based on semi structured interviews of all key stakeholders, observation of the evaluators and student sur- Choeung Ek. However, he feels that teaching students through the medium of theater and film will be more
veys conducted before and after the performance, the project success was measured based on : effective than through history books. “We should have a variety of activities. If we stop performing the theatre
project the next generation will forget what has happened”.
· Relevance
Most students have heard about the Khmer Rouge history on government television channel. During the
· Effectiveness and Impact
event, students listened carefully and raised many questions, a female student from Kampong Thom High
· Efficiency and Sustainability School said “How I can contribute to build peace in Cambodia is by studying the causes and effects of Khmer
Rouge regime. And if in the future I become a leader, I will lead my country with a democratic philosophy”.
Relevance Another student from Sihanoukville stated after watching the play “The legacy of Khmer Rouge is a culture
of fear and mental illness. I have seen my grandparents cried when I asked them about their living during the
Being a young country, where the youth (under age 30) represent 68% of the population who are all second Khmer Rouge era. They told their grandchildren to please keep silent and forget the past. But, in name of the
or third generation offspring of the survivors of the Khmer Rouge era (1975 – 1979), it was relevant to target post-war generation, I will use my civil courage to break the silence.” Ms Chan In, a grade 12 student from
this audience. As they will be taking the country forward, the future of Cambodia’s civil society with room for Preah Vihear province, added “Cambodian people are hungry for justice. So we all have to actively partici-
an open-minded, reflective, participatory and democratic debate lies in the hands of the youth. pate in social activities and raise our voice together for fighting injustice act in the community”.
As it is also conclusive from the surveys, more than 50 % students had very little to no knowledge of the The teachers interviewed, also recognized the innovative educational approach of the project. They appreci-
Khmer Rouge era before the performances. While most students wanted to learn about the subject and also ated the practical and engaging structure of the presentation and recognized it as an irreplaceable educa-
understood the importance of historical awareness for peaceful conflict resolution. This makes the project tional package as compared to traditional ways of teaching about the Khmer Rouge history and human rights.
relevant, as students are eager to know about their history, but the current school curriculum does not give Teachers offered a warm welcome from teachers and one said “If there is to be any other educational event
them the opportunity for the same. conducted by your team, please don’t forget to bring it to our school again.”
Due to the brutality of the Khmer Rouge regime, the hardships, suffering and fear that people experienced The participation of the survivors provided a platform wherein the youth could discuss the Khmer Rouge his-
during the time has not stopped today. The vast majority of the survivors still suffer from some degree of tory with them in a more structured format which is otherwise experienced by the youth in informal setting
mental or emotional problem. Their participation helps them to share their stories and ease their suffering. outside school, this limits their practical knowledge about the subject as it is just a school lesson for them
The ongoing social and political environment in Cambodia makes it all the more important for the youth to thereby not attracting active interest. The intergenerational dialogue and truth seeking activities after each
understand the holistic effects of the Khmer Rouge genocide and for the society to develop tools to educate play provides the platform for the students to gain knowledge on the subject and for the civil parties to gain
the youth towards peaceful conflict resolution and lay the foundations of a peaceful society. acknowledgement and support thereby contributing in the healing process.

“Quotes by Ek Vireak, Civil Party: “I am very happy to share my story and my life under Pol Pot regime with
Effectiveness
the young generation as I want them to know the sufferings during this regime and I want to tell them what
Over the previous year, “The Turtle Club” project’s reception has been overwhelming among all stakeholders. happened and why, so it doesn’t happen again in Cambodia.”
With experiences gained and lessons learnt since 2015, the team has been able to evolve and develop the
tools to address the needs and interests of stakeholders.

The accessibility of the project is its biggest asset, being able to attract and relate to a wide range of audi-
ences, from over 60 year old survivors to the youngest generation.

As the current school curriculum focuses more on history lessons based on textbook wisdom, the practical
and participative approach of the project provides a unique opportunity for the students to learn about the
Khmer Rouge past and human rights issues in a more engaging way. The school management, civil parties
and the audiences alike, always felt that more such activities should be conducted in schools to help the
youth understand the importance of human rights in society.

Leng Sarie, the Deputy Office Chief at the Department of Curriculum Development with the Ministry of Edu-
cation, Youth and Sport, describes the quality of the textbook as ‘medium’ and states that the teachers them-
selves only have limited knowledge of the Khmer Rouge and that there are not enough teaching materials.
Impact

Although it is difficult to quantify the impact of a cultural project in short to medium term, the data available
does show that the project did impact the audiences in the specified way.

Most students were eager to know about the Khmer Rouge past and understood the importance of histori-
cal awareness for conflict resolution but more than half did not know about this time of their history. After the
performance more than half knew more about the subject. Hence, the project was successful in raising their
awareness about the subject.

Majority of the students were aware about civil courage and agreed that people openly talked around them
about the Khmer Rouge but again when looking at how many knew about the Khmer Rouge, it can be said
that the present tools and dialogue is not sufficient to raise their awareness on the subject. Most students
agreed after the performance to discuss more and recommend the play to their family and friends, thereby
reinstating the fact that the performance was successful in encouraging dialogue.

Efficiency

It can be stated that the way the project is planned and implemented is highly efficient. After the initial plan-
ning phase of preparing the project, writing and rehearsing the play and laying out the infrastructure, it is
possible to reproduce it as many times as needed without a lot of additional effort. By choosing the theatrical
two-hander approach, it only requires two actors with no stage equipment other than a few costumes and
props to bring the story to life anywhere at any time.

During the period of 15 months, the team was able to perform in all 25 provinces, was able to reach over 9000
students with 129 performances at 37 educational institutes. After a review of the budgeting, the evaluator is
confident that the project was handled with responsibility and well within the proposed margins. Considering
the scope and reach of the project, it can further be concluded that the organizers made the best use of their
resources, paid staff and stakeholders reasonably according to local standards and assessed and managed
the risks well. Considering the results, the resources were most efficiently used.

Sustainability

The primary objective of the project was to foster reconciliation and conflict prevention in Cambodian society
through truth seeking and awareness raising on past and current human rights violations with Khmer Rouge
survivors and youth.

Although, difficult to quantify results of a cultural project. In the short term all available data from interviews,
survey and results and observations suggest that “The Turtle Club” project was successful in achieving the
primary objective as many students remembered the storyline, the underlying message about human rights
and civil courage after the performance. The long term impact could only be assessed after conducting a
survey 6-12 months after the performance.

The teachers also appreciated the format of the performance as an effective educational tool which they
could replicate in the future to integrate within their classes.

Savitha art teacher in Preaek Leab High School: “After seeing the Turtle project today it gave me the idea to
tell the story of my parents who were victims during the Khmer Rouge regime. I teach a mix of traditional art
subjects like singing, choral, Apsara dancing, that I practiced when I was younger; and now I think I should
integrate art, my parents stories and lessons from history books in my class, to make it more interactive and
participative.
The civil parties were impressed by the project and could relate to it. Marie Guiraud, the French lead co
lawyer at ECCC had observed - “ We had very touching stories from civil parties who spontaneously said,
months after having seen the play when they were at court, ‘I was a turtle during the Khmer Rouge. I did not
dare sticking my head out’.”

After interacting with the school directors, teachers and representatives from Ministry of Education, Youth
and Sport, it was observed the project should be continued and could be replicated by others to cover more
students in more remote regions as it was realized that the students in rural areas had lesser knowledge
about the subject than their urban counterparts.Mr. Leng Sarie, Deputy Chief of Bureau of the Department of
Curriculum Development, MoEYS: “ Through art, the Courageous Turtle project can create interest in Cam-
bodian youth for their history. Also, the website can be a platform to spread knowledge by having movies and
interactive material online and encourage youth participation.

Criticism

As observed after interacting with students and teachers, the need was felt to design the program in a way
such that the students could experience the play and the exhibition AS in some instances none attended the
exhibition, and thus had still a very limited knowledge about the Khmer Rouge.

A need was felt to devote more time for dialogue which was restricted due to school times as the students
were initially shy or hesitant to talk, but by the time they were more comfortable, the time assigned for the
program was already finished.

The field team faced some logistical problems while performing in remote areas as they had to travel long
hours to the schools and with a lack of accommodation or food, it was difficult to conduct operations in areas
too remote.

“Sometimes it is difficult to find a place to eat and sleep, we may have to travel for 1hour and half or 2hours
to go to hotel/guesthouse, which are located in the big town”

– Pagna (Event Assistant)

Some school directors were hesitant at first in granting access to their schools, citing the “political message”
of the performance. Although this was solved with the help of the presence of a representative from the Min-
istry of Education, Youth and Sport it did delay the performance at a few instances.

I
Lessons Learnt

After analyzingv the questionnaires, it can be seen that “The Turtle Club” proved to be a very innovative
educational tool as students understood more about the Khmer Rouge past, importance of civil courage and
intergenerational dialogue. The teachers also recognized the format as a practical tool for them to be able to
replicate in their classes to facilitate learning.

The intergenerational dialogue after the play, was recognized by the civil parties/survivors as an acknowl-
edgement for their time during the Khmer Rouge and gave them a platform to share their experiences with
the youth, which they otherwise do not get.

As the play was written, directed and performed by Cambodians, it was noticed that it promotes interest of
theatre among the youth as most students interviewed enjoyed the play and showed a keen interest in the
subject.

The response of the project was very good, although it was limited by logistical issues to reach some very
rural areas in the country.

Recommendations

· Follow-up studies

It was felt that the data available was not sufficient to quantify the overall impact of the project. Being a cul-
tural project, follow up surveys should be conducted at schools after a year to understand the real impact of
the project.

The questionnaire should also have more questions about the students understanding of dialogue and their
understanding of current political and social environment.

“We don’t go back to schools to check if students have done further research. But we have hope that they will
look for the answer themselves. Hope that students can change. After they start wondering what happened.”

- Sopheap (event manager)

· Expanding government cooperation

Leng Sarie of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport stated that he would wish for more government
involvement on provincial levels with school directors, history teachers and classes starting already in lower
secondary schools. He found that it would also be beneficial to improve the levels of discourse on the Khmer
Rouge and how it is taught in classrooms. The play could be used as an inspiration to improve existing teach-
ing methods and by finding willing partners within government and schools, which would solve the problem
for the team to conduct the project in remote schools. The impact would help Cambodian students learn in
rural areas would be greatly enhanced.

· Building ongoing cooperation with schools

By visiting schools annually, a trusting relationship and subsequent sensitivity towards the project and the
issues raised could be fostered with the teachers and school administration. Discussions following the play
could be implemented into the curriculum and carried on without facilitation at other times as students might
have had the time to reflect, in effect deepening the sustainable impact. At this time, lessons about the Khmer
Rouge are limited to only several days a year. With some government support, this might be possible to ex-
tend on individual levels.

· Strengthening successive engagement

Over the past few years, one way that tech-savvy young Cambodians have become more informed and
engaged with others is through social media. With almost 40% of Cambodians owning a smart phone in
2015, constituting an increase of 81,5% from 2013, this provides a clear opportunity to engage with students
beyond the classroom and constitutes a medium to provide unfiltered information to further deepen the un-
derstanding of the subject matter. Bophana centre, Phnom Penh has developed an application to teach about
the Khmer Rouge history which could be mentioned after the performance so the students could learn more
about the history in their free time.

· Duration

After interviewing the facilitators, it was realized that more time should be given for students to attend the
exhibition before the event, so they already have an idea of what the performance would be about.

“We should give students who attend the theatre play 30 minutes to go and see the exhibitions, and we
should ask them some questions as what it means for them ? what is it ? etc as students have sometimes
very few questions to ask to CP, if they see the exhibition, maybe it would arouse more questions within them”

- Sela (Facilitator)

NEW ORDER IN THE CLASSROOMS

As the projects one of the main objectives is to raise awareness through intergenerational dialogue and in
the process, provide acknowledgment for the survivors, the time given for post performance dialogue should
be increased. The educational system was the first one to be disintegrated by Pol Pot’s government. Schools nationwide
were ordered to be closed. Teachers were among the first victims of the Khmer Rouge’s purging as they radi-
cally were preparing a massive indoctrination program for the youth. In fact, 90% of the teachers that time
were killed while the rest fled the country or stayed in anonymity.
· Adaptation for even younger students

The project in the previous year focused on students from secondary schools, although it could be adapted The educational policy of the Khmer Rouge was very strong on “technical skills” - namely the skills required
to be performed for even younger students as it would help raising the awareness among the young students to grow rice, to fish, to farm, as well as to share simple medical knowledge. The goals were not about per-
sonal advancement but, rather, the advancement of the collective. The new “school system” was designed to
from a young age.
“teach” not through classroom activities but through physical labour. 

· Media outreach The painting was created by artist Chhim Sothy, who remembers the following: “Every day after lunch, I and
other children received a one-hour-lesson to study reading. In fact, I did not want to study because the lesson
It is also recommended to get some popular TV channels to cover the event and show the performance on was the same over and over again. I already learned something before Khmer Rouge, so I just went in, read
television, so that the play can be viewed by audiences even in remote areas. a few words, and got out to look for crabs, snails, and other things to eat. The teacher was another Unit chief.
And the lesson was about the revolutionary development. I remembered a sentence: “Democratic Cambodia
is rich, we have rice fields and levee everywhere and the people try to do the agriculture to improve their life.”
It took almost two months to finish the sentence. If you were able to read 2 or 3 words you would be allowed
to go out and looked for something to eat.”
 EVALUATION FRAMEWORK
Evaluation Criteria

Evaluation Objectives

· Evaluate the relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability of the primary and specific
objectives of the project in respect to its desired outcome, and therefore provide accountability to do-
nors, stakeholders and beneficiaries.

· Assess how the project contributed towards raising historical awareness, increased knowledge of cur-
rent human rights issues and encourage civil courage among the youth.

· Assess how the civil parties surveyed felt that the projects performance provided them with acknowl-
edgement for their life under the Khmer Rouge.

· Based on key lessons learned, recommend improvements to project methodology to improve its
overall impact in the future.

· Data Collection

· Data was collected before and after the performance through monitoring reports, direct observation,
questionnaires and interviews of students, civil parties and teachers.

· The project covered all 25 provinces in Cambodia, with 129 performances at 37 institutions with 9619
students with 55.50 % male audiences and 44.50% female audiences. 189 civil parties attended the The evaluation report presents conclusions based on –
performances.
· Relevance, to identify the key issues and the ability of the project to address them.

· Effectiveness, to identify if the project was able to achieve the stated results and if the defined objec-
tives were realistic.

· Impact, to measure the extent to which the project outcomes lead to a change in the audience’s
awareness of the identified issues.

· Efficiency, to identify if the project was cost effective and the resources were optimally utilized.

· Sustainability, to assess the projects capability to address the key issues/objectives in medium to
long term and the need if any, to continue the project in the future.
Data Analysis How much do you know about Khmer Rouge history?

As mentioned above, the students were required to fill a questionnaire before and after the performance.

It was observed that before the performance more than half the students (57%) had little to no knowledge
of the Khmer Rouge past. 36 % had a neutral opinion on the subject and 7% knew about the Khmer Rouge.

After the theatre performance the number of students who knew about Khmer Rouge significantly increased
by 4 times from 7% to 29%, the number of children who had little to no knowledge was halved from 55% to
27% and neutral students increased a little to 43%.

It can be seen that the Students in Cambodia know little about that period of their history and the project did
have a huge impact in raising awareness about the subject.
I would like to learn more about what happened during the Khmer Rouge period Studying the past can prevent something like the Khmer Rouge to happen again

Before the play, out of the 8,988 respondents, 98% students wished to know more about the Khmer Rouge Before the play, students in the vast majority (65%) agreed and the rest 29% strongly agreed about the im-
period. portance of historical awareness for peaceful conflict resolution. 3% students disagreed or strongly disagreed
to it, while 2% were not sure.
After the play, the percentage of students who wanted to know more increased to 99.21%

This shows that most students were already eager to learn more about that period of their history. The per- After the play, the students strongly agreeing increased to 46% and agreeing decreased to 50%. 2% students
formance reinstated their eagerness to learn more. disagreed, while 2 % still were not sure.

For this question about understanding the past to prevent it to be repeated, it can reminds us that quote “Those
who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” from the writer and philosopher Santayana. So
one who understands how a mechanism is taking place must be able to fight it.

So, it enforces that the students are already aware that it is important to have historical awareness to avoid
conflicts in the future. The performance reinstated their understanding for the same.
I understand what civil courage means In case I saw or heard about someone being mistreated, I would:

In the case, if they saw or heard someone being mistreated, students reaction would be for 71% of them to
Before the play, an overwhelming majority (76%) of the students agreed and 18% strongly agreed to say that inform their parents/friends/others and 26% to intervene themselves while 3% did not know or would do noth-
they understand the meaning of civil courage, while 6 % did not know of civil courage. ing.After watching the play, the 31 % students would intervene themselves, 56 % would inform their peers,
while 4 % students would do nothing or did not know what to do.
After the performance, 35% of students strongly agreed to know about civil courage. 63 % agreed to know
about it while only 2% did not know about it. The performance helped the students to understand what civil The results show that students feel quite sensitive if something may happen to one of their peers and that
courage means, a concept that can be difficult to perceive. And through the theatre play, students can identify they would intervene one way or another. This shows that the performance raised an urge of personal re-
better to actions that can be reflected as civil courage actions. sponsibility of helping people in need but at the same time the students who would not act increased.

So it is observed that a majority of the students already understood what civil courage is, but the perfor-
mance made them feel more passionate and involved.
The Khmer Rouge tribunal is important for Cambodia to understand history and draw les- What is more important?
sons from the past

The students changing their mind about the importance of wealth or society before and after the performance
Before the play, 69% of respondents agree and 28% strongly agree that the Khmer Rouge tribunal also called remains mostly unchanged. Hence it can be concluded that more students consider society more important
the Extraordinary Chambers in the Court of Cambodia (ECCC) is important for history and to draw lessons than wealth and majority of the students consider them equally important. As the play is generally performed
from the past. After the play, the number of students strongly agreeing goes up to 40%.The number of stu- in the province where many Cambodians are still struggling to have access to basic needs (food, accom-
dents disagreeing to this question remains relatively unchanged before and after the performance. modation etc) it is easily understandable that the students consider them on the same importance level. But
then, for the respondents who have chosen between wealth or participation in society, it is the latest that
This justifies that with the performance, a large amount of students who appreciated the need of ECCC, gathered the most respondents (27% against 5%) Also we can see that the play had very little impact on
reinstated their feeling about peaceful conflict resolution. Although, the students who did not agree did not changing the students mindset on this question. Students are aware about the balance of wealth and par-
change their mind. ticipation in society.
People around me talk openly about Khmer Rouge history I will recommend and/or discuss the play with my friends/parents

This question was asked to students only before the play, and a large majority of them (71%) agree and 18% The majority of the students (75%) would discuss and recommend the play to their family and friends, while
strongly agree that people around them talk openly about the Khmer Rouge history. The students answers 24 % were not sure about it.
confirm what the different studies in Cambodia and interviews conducted during this evaluation reveals that
people, especially relatives, and TV, radio talk about the Khmer Rouge, so this subject is not a taboo.

But then, the topic is usually mentioned not in depth, for example the number of documentaries being shown Hence, it can be seen that the students did enjoy the play and showing high interest in it. Although it is dif-
on TV is relatively low, or debate about that topic. So Cambodians have heard about it, but still many do not ficult to determine, which parts of the performance they liked, to be able to correct and adapt it for future
or cannot believe that it happened. performances.
ANNEXES Film Team

1. Team Members Nicolaus Mesterharm,

Film Producer

Marc Hammond
KDKG: Cambodian-German Cultural Association Film Director

Meng Sokun
Film Sound Recordist
Management Team
Leb Ke
Film Translator
Exhibition Colin Grafton
Nicolaus Mesterharm, Film Subtitler
Exhibition Curator Sao Sopheak
Nicolaus Mesterharm, Film Director
Journalist / Text Exhibition Lach Chantha
Luke Hunt, Camera Man
Journalist / Text Exhibition Jan Mueller
Film Sound Designer

Hang Sokunthea
Chhoung Yiv Chhoy, Film Translator
Exhibition & Leaflet Designer
Sun Sokunnara
Anders Jiras, Film Editor
Exhibition Photographer Ministry of Education
Chea Sokhour, Leng Sarie
Journalist / Text Exhibition Focal Point and Consultant MoEYS

Evaluation Team

Eline Caillaud, Khmer Art Action: Performing Team

Evaluator (France) Soung Sopheak

Chris Simes, Director

Inge Daehne, Phal Sreyphoan

Evaluator (Germany) Actress

Ho Sokunthy
Evaluator (UK) Program Coordinator
Sot Chanthon
Admin & Finance Officer

Ven Keana
Actor
 2. List of Persons Met 3. Pre Questionnaire

· Nicolaus Mesterharm, Head of the Project, KDKG Director Measuring Test 1

· Tuon Sonarin, Project Manager, KDKG Before the play

· Sao Sopheak, Monitoring Manager, KDKG

· Choun Sopheap, Youth Facilitator, KDKG Name: _______________________________

· Kaul Sela , Civil Party Facilitator, KDKG Age: _______________________________

· Panha Soksan, Event Assistant, KDKG Sex: _______________________________

· Prom rady, Driver, KDKG Ethnicity: _______________________________

· Lach Sreytouch, Civil Party Logistics Officer, KDKG Nationality: _______________________________

· Raeuy Chanroth, Research Assistant, KDKG

· Christina Hotamanidis, Online Multimedia Editor 1. How much do you know about Khmer Rouge history?
○ very much ○ much ○ neutral ○ little ○ very little ○ don’t know
· Leng Sarie, Deputy Office Chief at the Department of Curriculum Development, Ministry of Educa-
tion, Youth and Sport

· Soung Sopheak, Performance Director , KAA 2. I would like to learn more about what happened during the Khmer Rouge period

· Ven Keana, Actor, KAA ○ strongly agree ○ agree ○ disagree ○ strongly disagree ○ don’t know

· Phal Sreyphoan, Actress, KAA

· Marie Guiraud, Int. Civil Party Lead Co-Lawyer at the ECCC 3. Studying the past can prevent something like the Khmer Rouge to happen again

· Heng Vannak, Director of Victim Support Section at the ECCC ○ strongly agree ○ agree ○ disagree ○ strongly disagree ○ don’t know

· Suon Bunrith, Program Manager CLA

· Chhoung Yiv Chhoy, Exhibition & Leaflet Designer 4. I understand what civil courage means

· Hang Sokunthea, Film Translator ○ strongly agree ○ agree ○ disagree ○ strongly disagree ○ don’t know

· Colin Grafton, Film Subtitler

· Sun Sovannara, Online Multimedia Editor 5. In case I saw or heard about someone being mistreated, I would:

· Ly Polen, Online Outlets / Creative Director ○ do nothing ○ tell friends/parents/others ○ intervene myself ○ don’t know

· Cheng Socheat, Online Multimedia Editor

· Mr. Ek Vireak, Civil Party 6. The Khmer Rouge tribunal is important for Cambodia to understand history and draw les-
sons from the past
· Mr. Rous Bunthan, Civil Party
○ strongly agree ○ agree ○ disagree ○ strongly disagree ○ don’t know
Apart from the individual interview, the evaluator interviewed and collected short statements from the stu-
dents, teachers and civil parties during the implementation of the project in rural Cambodia and Phnom Penh.
7. What is more important?

○ increase of my personal and family’s wealth 4. Post Questionnaire

○ participation in the society (social, political)
Measuring Test 2
○ both of same importance
After the play
○ I don’t know

Name: _______________________________
8. People around me talk openly about the history of the Khmer Rouge regime
Age: _______________________________
○ strongly agree ○ agree ○ disagree ○ strongly disagree ○ don’t know
Sex: _______________________________

Ethnicity: _______________________________

Nationality: _______________________________

1. How much do you know about Khmer Rouge history?

○ very much ○ much ○ neutral ○ little ○ very little ○ don’t know

2. I would like to learn more about what happened during the Khmer Rouge period

○ strongly agree ○ agree ○ disagree ○ strongly disagree ○ don’t know

3. Studying the past can prevent something like the Khmer Rouge to happen again

○ strongly agree ○ agree ○ disagree ○ strongly disagree ○ don’t know

4. I understand what civil courage means

○ strongly agree ○ agree ○ disagree ○ strongly disagree ○ don’t know

5. In case I saw or heard about someone being mistreated, I would:

○ do nothing ○ tell friends/parents/others ○ intervene myself ○ don’t know

6. The Khmer Rouge tribunal is important for Cambodia to understand history and draw les- 5. The Turtle Song
sons from the past
Intro
○ strongly agree ○ agree ○ disagree ○ strongly disagree ○ don’t know
(Playful short conversation, leading to chorus)

Boy
7. What is more important?
Look! A moto robbery!
○increase of my personal and family’s wealth
Girl
○ participation in the society (social, political)
You go help the bike owner!
○ both of same importance
Boy
○ I don’t know
You go.

Girl
8. I will recommend and/or discuss the theatre performance with my friends/parents
○ Yes ○ Maybe ○ No ○ don’t know What?

You’re a man. You go!

Boy

You are a pretty girl. You go!

Boy + Girl

Let’s go together then.

Boy + Girl

Help!

Robbery!

Chorus

(Summary message to take home)

When you have moral courage and stand by your fellow citizens in time of need, despite the risk.

Like a bunch of chopsticks that cannot bend.

We are united, overcoming challenges.

Then our wishes will come true.

Leading society to a bright and prosperous future.

Have you ever seen a stranger in trouble?

Who faces danger and needs help.

But you don’t intervene because you want to stay out of trouble.
 Or you simply don’t want to put yourself at risk. Boy + Girl

You rather pretend to be mute and deaf. It’s normal to be fearful but don’t let it stop us from doing what is right.

Not helping because you want peace. We are the courageous turtle; we dare to stick our heads out to move forward, to build a brighter future for
our society together.
When you face trouble, no one will help you, either.
Chorus
In this society we have sorrow and we are scared and hide for our lives.
Summary message to take home
We lead a life that lacks in moral courage.
When you have moral courage and stand by your fellow citizens in time of need, despite the risk.

Like a bunch of chopsticks that cannot bend.

Rap Verse 2
We are united, overcoming challenges.
Like a turtle that can only make progress when it sticks its head out to move forward.
Then our wishes will come true.
Unless we stop hiding from problems, have moral courage, help each other in times of need despite the
risk, we would not have better days. Leading society to a bright and prosperous future.

Living in a society is like being on the same boat,

so we should face and solve problems together in order to lead our society to a bright and beautiful shore. Chorus

Chorus (Message to take home)

Summary message to take home

When you have moral courage and stand by your fellow citizens in time of need, despite the risk.

Like a bunch of chopsticks that cannot bend. -End of song-

We are united, overcoming challenges.

Then our wishes will come true.

Leading society to a bright and prosperous future.

Everyone in the society, whether it’s a boy or a girl, old or young, is capable and is strong.

If we want a beautiful society, we should build it together.

Don’t be hesitant, don’t wait, we should start to build at this moment.

Be determined and willing, with sincerity and a caring heart we help each other. United we will win against
every obstacle.

We share love, we have mercy and kindness, we live beautifully, we are courageous turtles.

Bridge

Khmer-English Translation:
 6. List of Documents Consulted 7. Press Articles

Caitlin McCaffrie, Somaly Kum, Daniel Mattes and Lina Tay. So We Can Know What Happened The Edu-
cational Potential of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia. Stanford: Report for the WSD
HANDA Center for Human Rights and International Justice at Stanford University and the East-West Center,
2018.

Chansambath, Sen Chantarasingh and Bong. Research Brief: Youth Political Participation in Cambodia.
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, 2017.

Coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations (“NGOs”), Community Organisations and Unions. Cambodia

Gagged: Democracy at Risk? Report on Freedom of Expression in Cambodia. Cambodian Center for Human
Rights, 2010.

Deane, Nastasia Bach and Meredith. Breaking the Silence, Achieving Justice and Reconciliation in Post-
genocide Cambodia. DC CAM, 2009.

International, Transparency. Research Evidence for the Relationship Between Corruption and Civil Liberties.
2018.

James H. Williams, Yuto Kitamura and C. Sopcheak Ken. Higher Education in Cambodia: Expansion and
Quality Improvement. Research Institute for Higher Education, Hiroshima University, 2014.

Judith Strasser, Thida Kim, Silke Studzinsky, Sopheap Taing. A Study about Victims’ Participation at the
Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia and Gender-Based Violence under the Khmer Rouge
Regime. Transcultural Psychosocial Organization Cambodia, 2014.

Kimchhoy Phong, Lihol Srou, and Javier Solá. Mobile Phones and Internet Use. Open Development Cam-
bodia, 2016.

Ltd, UNICEF Cambodia and Indochina Research. Adolescent Engagement Research Report. 2016.

Luis Benveniste, Jeffery Marshall and M. Caridad Araujo. Teaching in Cambodia. 2008. Credit : Nokor Wat News

McGrew, Heather Ryan and Laura. Performance and Perception, The Impact of the Extraordinary Chambers.
Open Society Justice Initiative, 2016.

Phuong Pham, Patrick Vinck, Mychelle Balthazard, Sokhom Hean. After the First Trial, A Population-Based
Survey on Knowledge and Perceptions of Justice and the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambo-
dia. Human Rights Center, University of California, 2011.

Phuong Pham, Patrick Vinck, Mychelle Balthazard, Sokhom Hean and Eric Stover. So We Will Never Forget:
A Population-Based Survey on Attitudes about Social Reconstruction and the Extraordinary Chambers in the
Courts of Cambodia. University of California, 2009.

Rights, Cambodian Center for Human. Cambodia Gagged: Democracy at Risk ? Report on Freedom of Ex-
pression in Cambodia. 2010.

Umakoshi, Philip G. Altbach and Toru. Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Challenges. The Johns
Hopkins University Press, 2004.

UNDP. Reaching and Engaging the Cambodian Youth on Issues of Civic Participation. BBC Media Action,
Research & Learning, 2014.
Credit : Reaksmey Kampuchea
Credit: Khmer Times