So I haven't really had an eventful week, but I realized that I haven't talked much about the work I am doing over here. Essentially the program we are working on develops curriculums to teach basic legal rights to Cambodian citizens. Education is limited here and there is not a lot of trust in the legal system or knowledge of basic legal rights, so Bridges Across Borders is aiming to teach what is called "street law", which consists of really simple, interactive lessons on legal rights.
Some of my fellow interns are working on such things as promoting children's rights, awareness of domestic violence laws, and land rights, especially against forced evictions by the government.
As for me, I will be working this summer on editing and reformatting a labor law manual and creating a manual to promote rights for persons with HIV/AIDS.
Right now I am finishing up the labor law editing with my group, so I will talk a little bit about this work. Our manual consists of 10 sections dealing with topics ranging from basic labor rights to special protections in the Cambodian Labor Code for women, children, and plantation workers. The more I research this work, the more I have realized that many workers are not aware of the rights they have which are built into the law and there are a lot of abuses which go on in the workplace.
One of the biggest industries in Cambodia is the garment and footwear industry, which makes all those Gap clothes and Nike sneakers, and also allowed me to buy a pair of Pumas for $12 and 2 Adidas shirts for $10 at the local market. There are a lot of problems in this industry with workers being forced to work long hours without overtime pay, unsafe working conditions, and sexual harassment in the workplace. Further, there is a serious anti-union climate here, and some union organizers have been killed in recent years.
I don't know how much of an impact our work will have, but hopefully it will allow some workers, especially workers in the garment industry, to recognize the basic rights they have to be protected in the workplace and paid a fair wage. There is a small chance we will get to work with some union leaders and garment workers and potentially even teach a class to some workers, but much more of our time will likely be spent on the HIV/AIDS manual, and we will definitely be doing some direct research and site visits for that topic.
Hope all is well back in North America. Good luck to the Senators, hopefully they can come back in the next couple of games. We are having a pretty low-key weekend here after our Angkor Wat adventures last weekend. Best wishes to everyone from Phnom Penh and thanks again for all the comments, facebook posts, and e-mails, I appreciate them a ton.
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2 comments:
Kevin! Just wanted to let you know I am occasionally reading your blog and tracking your adventures. It sounds like you are having an amazing experience! But then again, when isnt Kevin OShea off somewhere exciting having an amazing experience? Anyway, congratulations to you and your peers for the important work you are doing this summer. I am sure it will have a lasting effect, even if only on a small level. Take care and keep in touch.
PS - I will never hear Summer of 69 and not think of you. So glad they have that in Cambodia :)
Hey Kev,
Just a something I'm wondering about (because I'm Carly and I wouldn't be me if I didn't ask about this...) Do the materials you are compiling have a gender dimension to them? I'm just wondering if the majority of the workers in the garment industry are male or female, and if the way the material is presented would have a different impact given the specific cultural perspectives on gender. In most countries, workers in the garment industry are largely female while most of the leaders and bosses are male - obviously creating a climate that makes it difficult for women to express their rights even if they are aware of them. Recognizing the interplay of male and female roles in different cultures can have a huge impact in how (and if) people assert their rights. Having culturally-sensitive material and having it presented in a similar manner is so important. Is there a recognition that the gender composition of the labour force might require different approaches? I'd be so interested to see what you guys have cookin' - innovative stuff keeps me going because of my development background. You can take the girl outta IDS but you can't take the IDS outta the girl!
Miss you a ton,
Carly
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