By: Linking & Learning Facilitation team Cambodia

To enhance harmonious partnerships, engagements, inclusion, and social protection,  Live & Learn Cambodia (LLC), the Voice Cambodia Linking and Learning facilitator conducted the first virtual kick-off Linking & Learning event on 21^st October 2021. 20 participants from 7 Voice grantee-partner organisations were invited to join the event. The event allowed the grantees to share individual projects’ common nature and good practices based on innovative approaches. They sought valuable inputs and project coordination while organizing a Linking & Learning platform to set a joint operational work plan.

The grantee partner’s focus areas were; empowering community engagement, participation, accessing social resources and amplifying their voices.

For more details on the work of the grantee-partners click on the links below.

1. The Independent Democratic Informal Economy Association (IDEA): https://voice.global/grantees/improving-working-conditions-rights-cambodian-domestic-workers/
2. HelpAge Cambodia (HAC): https://voice.global/grantees/inclusion-elderly/
3. Impact Hub Phnom Penh (IHPP): https://voice.global/grantees/now-us-award-organiser-cambodia/
4. Cambodian Food and Service Workers Federation (CFSWF): https://voice.global/grantees/making-cambodias-national-social-security-law-transparent-and-inclusive/
5. ARV Users Association (AUA): https://www.facebook.com/auacambodia.org/

6. Women Peace Makers Organization (WPM): https://www.facebook.com/Women.Peacemakers/?eid=ARB8Pa9nnkneDTzB_2LwrAUkL8ftaDesgcHPne3JT5ATG2R_xoMhbjAM8TKeIKh8riVa5IKUdXKp7i4Z
7. Conserve Indigenous Peoples Languages Organisation (CIPL): https://www.facebook.com/ciplconserve/

Three impact themes by empowering 5 rightsholder groups were our priorities. Please click here: https://voice.global/grantees-overview/?f=cambodia.

In the morning session, participants learned and discussed a conceptual approach of the Linking & Learning platform shared by LLC.  The participants got more learning of innovative business ideas, social enterprise, youth empowerment, and the NOW-Us! Award by IHPP.

The participants came up with an increasing understanding of elderly peoples’ living conditions in Cambodia, network building of the elderly people association, and relevant regulations related to the elderly with disabilities updated by HAC.

In the afternoon session, participants learned and discussed the ‘informal economy, empowerment of (elderly) people with disabilities, human rights, advocacy strategy, social protection system, social justice, artistic platform, and inclusiveness. This session was facilitated by IDEA and CFSWF. They also learned Community of Practice (CoP) and Community of Stakeholder (CoS) shared by the Voice team. By providing a space to local communities and multiple stakeholders, CoP & CoS are innovative platforms created on the subject of strengthening social engagement and human resource mobilization. In particular, donors, government agencies, private sector (s), and social media are crucial actors in project collaboration.

Ms. Von Samphous said,

“Working together empowering informal economy workers particularly the disabled elderly people is a good approach in addressing social issues.  Our society needs promoting a justice based-approach (JBA) and strengthening human rights… Furthermore, we need to do more innovative advocacy strategies to influence duty-bearers to respect our community voices. Joint petition and public statement fighting against social discrimination and ignorance concerned should be developed and released”

In addition, Mr. Tim Malay said,

“Improving a social protection system requires us to design reasonable advocacy strategies. Cartoon-based awareness on social protection to build community knowledge, national consultation with government and artistic platforms amplifying workers’ voices and rights should be regularly applied.   

In general, various issues and concerns about women, the elderly people, indigenous people, and social benefits were raised and proposed for joint innovative solutions.

Through project technical support and collaboration, each grantee appreciated boosting the “Linking & Learning platform” based on joint events and consultation. They committed to sharing their valuable resources and practical experiences.

They came up with joint work plans and events. They agreed to develop public statements, joint campaigns, and petitions on social protection and care under joint coordination and facilitation. The series of joint events aim at amplifying community voices in the 5 rightsholder groups.

Pictorial from the event.