Changing Times Blog

Development is Enabling

CORDE is a private, voluntary, non-profit, and non-political development organization established in Cambodia to facilitate social transformation of communities by assisting individuals, families and society to transform through literacy and empowerment, moral development and health programs involving children, youth and adults.

I believe there are quite a few NGOs out there that share the same core values as CORDE and have the similar vision too. Especially in Cambodia, where non-governmental organizations are omnipresent, CORDE may come across as just one of the many engines of development. Cambodia has come a long way, although the Polpot regime wasn’t too far ago at all. With its fast-paced development that is taking place, it is even more crucial that the locals are getting the much-needed education AND moral education to be at par with its material progress. What is unique with CORDE is its focus on building of moral capacities which is the training of human resources to become useful service-oriented community members who are willing to engage in social action and give back to their communities… and we start from Children and Junior Youth.

As I quote from one visitor who came to Battambang to visit CORDE:

“When we think of development, we tend to think about what we want for ourselves. What I normally want for myself is possession of different material objects. Yet, what would I want for my child? Would I want my child to have great toys? Would I want my child to be the nicest dressed student? Yes, I would. I would also want my child to understand life, be happy, be polite, and be progressing in maturity and acquiring virtues. Hence, our conception of development should reflect that of our desire for a child. Finally, the best way to teach a child is to teach the child the ability to learn on her/his own and be inspired to do so. . . . I am writing about this tonight because this is the number one lesson CORDE has taught me. A development project is about enabling. It is not about me serving you. It is not about who has more knowledge. It is about helping one another, no matter the race, religion, and social or economic class.”

Five years ago, a group of us made a video for this NGO and today, a few of us come back together and want to do the same again. We will be spending the next two weeks in Battambang to find out what has changed as it celebrates its 15th anniversary this year. If you are interested to contribute to the making of the next video project, you can always drop me a line at amy@themovingpictures.org.
Good old days of making the first video with a small camera and a big mic.

The previous CORDE video can be viewed here (while Amy and her team are filming the next):
http://www.vimeo.com/2331143

[Source: Amy Lim at Catch us Flying]