EVALUATION REPORT: Speak Truth to Power Trainings Cambodia 2011-2012

Acknowledgements: The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights and CIVICUS: Center for Cambodian Civic Education would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their time, energy, and support in facilitating this evaluation and most importantly, for their continued devotion to human rights education and support of the Speak Truth to Power Program: John Heffernan Karen Robinson Laura Engshuber Peder Pedersen Kerry Kennedy Theary Seng Sivnin Eam

Table of Contents:
Executive Summary: Pages 4-5 Introduction: Page 6 Methodology: Data Compilation: Page 7 Selection of Random Sample: Page 7 Interviews: Page 7 Background Information on Trainings: Locations: Page 8 Attendees: Page 9 Structure: Pages 10-11 Instructors: Page 11 Difficulties Encountered: Page 11 Summary of Interviews: General Notes: Pages 12-13 Quantitative Data: Pages 13-14 Suggestions: Page 15 Testimonials: Pages 16-18 Full Interviews: Kampong Chhnang: Pages 19-40 Battambang: Pages 41-68 Conclusion: Page 69

Executive Summary:
The training was like somebody awakening me. Afterwards, I knew how to use my own rights. It's like someone reminded me of my rights and before all was dark. - Sovann Nuth Teacher at Krong High School in Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia

Between October 2011 and September 2012, Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights implementing partner in Cambodia, CIVICUS, conducted 15 trainings of the Speak Truth to Power (STTP) human rights education program across 12 of Cambodia's 24 provinces, with the curriculum also distributed in 3 additional provinces. Reaching just under 2,000, mainly teachers, the Teach Truth To Power trainings focused on telling the stories of human rights defenders from around the world and teaching Cambodians to have the courage to speak up against human rights violations they see in their own country and community. Over a two-weekend period, random sample interviews were conducted in Kampong Chhnang and Battambang, two provinces in Cambodia where trainings were held, with 32 attendees 22 teachers, 8 monks, and 2 government officials. The overwhelming majority of the teachers said that they had successfully taught their students the message of STTP, with some giving inspiring examples of how student behavior had changed as a result of teaching from the STTP Khmer curriculum, and all of the attendees said that they had found the training very motivational and had passed the message of human rights and courage without borders on in some capacity. I see it as important for people to understand human rights. I have told a lot of people, mostly focusing on the situation in Cambodia, not what is happening in other countries. When I told them about what I learned, they started to respect the rights of others. Before that they were almost too courageous in a bad way. Specifically regarding land rights, that is the right to protect their own land. Before they used violence. Now, they started using the law to protect their rights instead of violence. Sophal Peng, Former Monk at Ahn Ranh Pagoda, Current Cashier at Mobitel

Taking the number of teachers surveyed who reported having taught the curriculum, and the average number of students they each teach, it can be estimated that the lessons of the training reached 134 students per teacher. Multiplying those numbers by the total number of teachers attending the trainings, the estimated reach is 144,867 students. That is a staggering 1 percent of the overall population of Cambodia or over 11 percent of

overall secondary school students (ages 12-18) in Cambodia. The Speak Truth to Power trainings have thus had a significant impact in Cambodia. The following report gives full details on the structure of the trainings, the numbers of attendees, and summaries as well as full transcripts of their interviews. The RFK Center and CIVICUS Cambodia hope to use the information gleaned from this evaluation to prepare further trainings and continue to make a positive impact in the lives of thousands of Cambodians. With this conclusive information the RFK Center and CIVICUS are planning phase two of the project which aims to conduct 20 trainings in 12 provinces over a 24-month period. These trainings will incorporate suggestions made by the attendees interviewed, with edits made to the curriculum, adapting the structure of the training to incorporate a broader spectrum of human rights defenders including Cambodians, and focusing more on reaching provincial and local authorities. This is especially important at a time when Cambodia is at a crossroads in its human rights situation, with a government that is cracking down, but a people that have demonstrated that they are willing to stand up and fight. The message of Speak Truth to Power is more applicable in Cambodia in 2014 than ever before.

Introduction:
When Speak Truth to Power (Courage Without Borders in Khmer) was launched in Cambodia in 2011, it was determined that the timing was ideal for a human rights education program. The reasoning behind this was that it has now been 30 years since the genocide and the UNAKRT is acting as a powerful catalyst to propel acceptance of human rights in a more systematic way. This makes human rights education for the young especially important (70% of Cambodians are under the age of 30), so that a society-wide shift towards a greater awareness of human rights can occur. This situation has not changed since 2011. Furthermore, the recent protests have demonstrated even more powerfully that there is a significant segment of the population who views human rights, specifically civil and political ones, as crucial, and is adamant that these should be guaranteed by the government. By creating awareness, the protests are opening up a space for a meaningful human rights discussion. However, such a space is irrelevant if there is no human rights education. Such education is key to allowing Cambodians to be more aware of their rights, enabling them to attempt to secure a future for themselves where these rights are guaranteed. The overall usefulness of STTP in the Cambodian context is therefore not in doubt. If anything, the need for such a curriculum has intensified. There remains only the question of how such a curriculum can best be taught. In order to determine how the program can best be continued in the future, and how to ensure even greater success, the RFK Center undertook an evaluation of the trainings that were held on the Speak Truth to Power curriculum under the auspices of CIVICUS Cambodia in 2011 and 2012. This report summarizes the findings of the evaluation, which took place in February and March 2014.

Methodology:
The methodology consisted of 3 steps: 1. The compilation of data on all of the training attendees 2. The selection of a random sample to be interviewed 3. The interviewing of that random sample to get feedback on the trainings

Compilation of Data First, data was compiled on the number of attendees and their professions. This data is detailed in the Background Information on Trainings section.

Selection of Random Sample Second, a random sample was selected to be interviewed in two provinces, Kampong Chhnang and Battambang, also selected at random. The sample size was 16 people per province. In Kampong Chhnang, the interviewees were 11 teachers, 3 monks, 1 former monk (was monk at the time of training), and 1 local government official. In Battambang, the interviewees were 11 teachers, 4 monks, and 1 local commune official.

Interviews Third, interviews were conducted by Laura Engshuber with the help of translator Sokun Phoeun. Interviewees were conducted over the course of two weekends, March 1-2 in Kampong Chhnang and March 7-9 in Battambang. The questions asked of the interviewees were developed by Laura Engshuber and approved by the RFK Centers head of STTP training, Karen Robinson. Each interview lasted approximately 30 minutes, and the questions ranged from opinions on the actual training (useful of the training, the different elements of the training, the book, and the stories of the defenders) to what the attendees had done with the information they learned.

Background Information on Trainings:

Locations Between October 2011 and September 2012, 15 trainings were carried out in 12 provinces in Cambodia. The following map indicates provinces were trainings were held (in gray). Copies of the curriculum were also distributed in Kep and Banteay Meanchey and sent to government and court officials.

Attendees The following chart gives numerical data on how many attendees were at each training, and what their professions were. Overall, there were 1758 attendees. 61% of them were teachers, 20% were monks, 6.5% were students or teacher trainees, 2% were government and local authorities, and less than 1% respectively were police officers, NGO staff, and volunteers. 9% were of another profession that was only listed once (villagers, cashiers, pagoda workers, etc), or did not list their profession.

Structure The trainings all had the following schedule. 7:00 A.M. Registration including name of school, location, grade(s) 7:15 Introduction (of Project, of Partnerships with RFK Center, CITA, Pagodas, Educational NGOs, Cambodian Human Rights Committee, (etc.) Ms. Theary Seng (CIVICUS Cambodia president), Mr. Nheuk Arun or CITA representative 7:30 Curriculum Speak Truth To Power (a manual for teachers, monks, civic leaders, etc., not for individual students) Ms. Theary Seng 7:45 About this Curriculum (p. 13-16) Volunteer Reader What are Human Rights? (p. 19) Volunteer Reader Chronology of Human Rights (p. 18-33) Volunteer Reader Become a Human Rights Defender (p. 30-31) Volunteer Reader Genocide: Elie Wiesel (p. 34-38) 2 Volunteer Readers to be KK/EW Lesson Plan (p. 39-42) Volunteer Reader 9:45 COFFEE BREAK 10:00 Domestic Violence: Marina Pisklakova (p. 44-47) Volunteer Reader 11:00 LUNCH BREAK 11:45 Reconciliation: Archbishop Desmond Tutu (p. 78-81) Volunteer Reader Lesson Plan (p. 48-51) Volunteer Reader Lesson Plan (p. 82-85) Volunteer Reader Speak Truth To Power: Voices from Beyond the Dark Message from Playwright (p. 104-105) Volunteer Reader Play (p. 106-120) 10 Volunteer Readers 1:15 P.M. Q&A Ms. Theary Seng 1:30 Additional Remarks Ms. Theary Seng, CIVICUS Cambodia 2:00 CLOSING However, the trainings were modified on the day depending on the flow of the discussion. For half of the trainings, it was not possible to go through the entire schedule. The decision was made not to rush through the entire agenda but to cover one lesson really well to give the attendees a structure for the other lessons, and to teach those as

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well if time allowed. The training always featured Elie Wiesel and then the other defenders listed above depending on time available. Sometimes, substitutions were made in terms of the defenders, if there was a current issue to talk about where another defender seemed more relevant. Occasionally, reference was also drawn to figures not in the curriculum, such Nelson Mandela being referenced when there was discussion of Desmond Tutu. While there was an official question and answer session period each training, questions were also asked and answered throughout the training. Small group discussion sections were not common at the trainings; the small groups referenced by interviewees in Battambang were the exception. Each training also included a photo exhibition of human rights defenders placed around the room. During breaks in the program, attendees could walk around and study the portraits and their accompanying descriptions.

Instructors The trainings were led by CIVICUSs Theary Seng. CITA staff helped to facilitate the trainings through publicizing and inviting teachers. Other partners were local pagodas, were most of the trainings were held and local authorities where relevant.

Difficulties Encountered In some instances, the local government attempted to prevent the trainings from occurring. The most troubling cases were in Kandal and Pursat provinces. In these cases, security forces attended the training and actively made attempts to discourage those invited from attending. In Kandal, the instructors were forced to move the training to a teachers house as opposed to a public location.

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Summary of Interviews
General Notes All those interviewed expressed that they found the training incredibly helpful and that it helped them understand human rights more as well as motivated them to stand up and fight for their human rights. All interviewees said that they had told others about what they learned in the training in some capacity: Almost all of the interviewees have told their friends and family about the training and said they responded with interest (31 out of 32). All the monks surveyed in Kampong Chhang said that they had spread the messages through a daily radio program that reaches across three provinces and through dharma trainings that take place between 20 and 30 times a year. Of the monks surveyed in Battambang, one of them also spoke of the dharma training, the others have shared the training with others in their pagoda and community, Of 22 teachers surveyed 18 said that they had told their students about what they learned at the training. The teachers have told their students about the human rights defenders, freedom of expression, respect for others rights, and courage. Some of the attendees requested copies of the book and gave them to friends, all of whom read the book and commented on it, or placed them in their schools library. One teacher reported that he saw students reading the book, others were unsure if they had.

All interviewees said that most people they told about the training were interested in the lessons and wanted to learn more. Very few people were uninterested. The interviewees speculated that these people were of a different political persuasion or were interested but felt they could not make a difference. Those uninterested were in the minority, according to the interviewees. Some teachers reported changes in the students' behavior to each other as a direct result of them hearing about the lessons. Changes in behavior included students bullying less, speaking up more in class, becoming more active participants, respecting each other more, and coming to the teacher with concerns about either the teacher himself or other teachers. Cambodian students are shy by nature, according to both interviewees and the translator Mr. Sokun Phoeun, so speaking up is not as second nature as it is among Western students. Other interviewees reported changes in the behavior of people in their village to each other. This included being more respectful of each other, using the law to fight for their rights instead of violence, and standing up to the government in land disputes. While pressure and intimidation was a concern for some teachers, it does not seem to

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have been problematic enough to detract teachers from teaching their students about the training. Intimidation related more to the school banning teachers from speaking about politics than about this specific training. In those cases, the teachers were still able to talk to their students about human rights and having courage and respect for others in broad terms without reference to the specific situation in Cambodia. There were some discrepancies in the interviews between Kampong Chhnang and Battambang. While all the interviewees in both provinces enjoyed the training and learned a great deal, the interviewees in Kampong Chhnang could recall more details about the training itself, such as the details of the stories of the human rights defenders. The Battambang interviewees unanimously said that it had been a long time since the training and they could not recall any of the names. However, the Kampong Chhnang training was held 6 months earlier than the Battambang training, so timing does not account for this issue. The Kampong Chhnang interviewees also seemed to apply the details of the lessons more, telling their students the stories of the human rights defenders, while the Battambang interviewees just told their students the general messages. All of the interviewees expressed the wish to see further trainings.

Quantitative Data The following chart gives quantitative data on each teacher and if they have told their students about the training.

Name of Teacher

Province

Taught students about training?

Number of students

Ages of students

How often?

Chuon Cham

Kampong Chhnang Yes

200 200 20-30 N/A 130 N/A

14-16 13-19 12-15 N/A 13-16

2-3 times per year 10-15 minutes every week or two weeks Very often, sometimes entire hour of teaching N/A When he gets free time

Khem Khemra Kampong Chhnang Yes Pisith Dich Rotha Keo Changsy Neang Thineng Som Kampong Chhnang Yes Kampong Chhnang No Kampong Chhnang Yes Kampong Chhnang No

Students are 6- N/A 7 years old, so too young to

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learn Sovann Nuth Vanny Chhun Sipha Sok Somaly Soun Kampong Chhnang Yes Kampong Chhnang Yes Kampong Chhnang Yes Kampong Chhnang Yes 160 100 120 Works in library, 40-80 students come in per day 160 270-300 N/A 90 90 300 320-360 N/A 14-15 15-18 15-16 All ages Once a week Once every two weeks Occasionally, when related to lesson on violence 2 days per month

Sorya Chhun Hov Vuthy Meas Sareth Loun Lak Khim Hean Chin Deth Chin Peov

Kampong Chhnang Yes Battambang Battambang Battambang Battambang Battambang Battambang Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes No

16-17 14-15 N/A 13-15 13-14 13-15 16-18

5-10 minutes per hour Almost every hour N/A 10 times per year 3-4 times per month Once per week 2 times per month

Pin Kompheak Battambang

Students are N/A only 7 years old, so too young to learn 13-16 10 minutes per 2 hours of teaching N/A

Nop Chantith Mao Noun

Battambang Battambang

Yes Yes, but only to ask students to read the book Yes Yes

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no longer N/A works as a teacher but in administration 96 400 11-15 01/12/18

Lab Sophorn Louch Sothea

Battambang Battambang

Every hour (teaches 12 hours per week) 15 times per month

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Suggestions The most common suggestion for improvement by interviewees was that the training should be longer, preferably extended over an entire weekend (two days). The other most common suggestion was to invite a more diverse group of participants, so villagers and other common people, not just teachers. Other suggestions included: Hosting trainings in remote areas Inviting students to the trainings Reducing the number of roles in the play Publicizing trainings more More audience participation Including more stories of Khmer heroes Removing spelling mistakes in curriculum Including other defenders from the book. Ka Hsaw Wa was the most common suggestion.

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Testimonials:
When I talk to people I now have more examples and knowledge to give. I have also taught my students. When I teach lessons on society, I tell them about the stories The students are surprised because Cambodian society is experiencing the same problems as in the stories. Human rights concern all. Even young students are used to violence by their parents. Before, they didn't understand that they have rights. Now they know about the law and they're starting to understand that they can stand up and protect their rights. Khem Khemra, Teacher at Cherng Kreav School I see it as important for people to understand human rights. I have told a lot of people, mostly focusing on the situation in Cambodia, not what is happening in other countries. When I told them about what I learned, they started to respect the rights of others. Before that they were almost too courageous in a bad way. Specifically regarding land rights, that is the right to protect their own land. Before they used violence. Now, they started using the law to protect their rights instead of violence. Sophal Peng, Former Monk at Ahn Ranh Pagoda, Current Cashier at Mobitel It's good if we can use the lessons in Cambodia. They are certainly helpful and applicable because in the reality of Cambodia we have problems with human rights and fear. People no longer dare to protect their rights. But when they start to know about the stories they started to feel that if the defenders can do it, they can as well. Before we had nothing, and we didn't know what to do. Here we learned that there are people who struggled but did protest. It was very motivational. Some [of my] students may be from families who use violence. There are students who bully others and dominate and disturb class. I teach all students that they have the right to study, and that no one has more rights than another. They all have equal rights to education and expression. The students' behavior has started to change. Mostly the bullies started to calm down and reduce their bad behavior I started teaching about [this] before the training, but getting more information has helped me to transmit better. Sometimes I use the stories and tell them to the students as examples of people standing up to others. Changsy Neang, Teacher at Chureng Kreav School The training was like somebody awakening me. Afterwards, I knew how to use my own rights. It's like someone reminded me of my rights, and before all was dark. I teach at a school, and I teach my students about having the courage to speak in public

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no matter how big or small we are. Even though we are in a certain environment where we are not allowed to speak, we should stand up anyway. From my own experience, after going to the training, it felt like I awoke and started to express my voice and points of view. Likewise with the students. Before the training, if I asked a student a question, and they said they did not wish to answer, then I wouldn't push anymore. After the training, I would ask the students to say something further, I encourage students to stand up and speak and be willing to make mistakes, and they do. So Vann Nuth, Teacher at Krong High School Sometimes I quoted from the book and shared with the students When they heard, they responded that they would like to have their own rights as people in other countries do. They would like full rights in Cambodia as well ... Some of the students became calmer and more respectful, before they were very aggressive and bullied a lot. Vanny Chhun, Teacher at Krong High School I raise examples about Tutu to encourage students to stand up and speak more and teach them that every problem should have an answer. First the students listen carefully. Then I encourage them to ask questions when they don't understand a lesson. Afterwards, the students have more courage to participate in group discussions and they developed a sense of responsibility and accountability. Sorya Chhun, Teacher at Ah Ranh Primary School In my community, regarding land disputes, I explained to the villagers that they have rights. The authorities want to grab their lands located at the foot of a mountain. I told the villagers that if we are not happy with this, we could defend our rights and should not just sit down and be quiet There was a commune meeting, and a lot of people stood up and participated. They asked the authorities about what they wanted with the land. The ultimate outcome was that the authorities didn't take the land at the foot of the mountain. -- Hav Vuthy, Teacher at Kanteu II High School Before I was not bright, didn't know what was right and wrong, and I was afraid. But after the training, I became brighter and started to know what was right and wrong and had the courage to defend After reading, I got knowledge and can apply it in my situation, I can think of people who abuse their power and put pressure on me, which is not right I know in my heart now who overuses their power. If the time is right, I will stand up. -- Nop Chanrith,, Teacher at Monivong High School I advise [my students] that if they are asked to do something which is not appropriate,

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to please not do it. I tell them to be brave and speak and have the courage to speak. They respond well to this They have become braver. For example, some teachers who do something inappropriate to them, they dare to speak and tell other teachers and they ask the other teachers to report it to the principal. -- Lab Sophorn, Teacher at Chhrey High School

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Full Interview Transcripts:

The following interviews have been edited for clarity. This involved switching the answers to be in the first person (as a result of having to use a translator, they were initially in the form 'he thinks that '), insertion of some subjects for clarity to replace words such as 'it', combining some sentences for better flow, and taking out some followup questions such as 'how many students do you have?' and combining the answer to follow up questions with the previous answer for better flow and clarity. None of this has distorted the meaning of the answers. Full audio tapes of the interviews are available to be reviewed at any time.

Kampong Chhnang (Interviews Conducted March 1-2, 2014)

Name: Chuon Cham Position: Teacher at Soramarith High School, President of Kampong Chhnang chapter of CITA Why did you choose to attend the training? I was interested in the idea of democracy. I was hoping that I would learn about people throughout the world that promote democracy and be able to debate. Were these goals met? Yes it was very helpful in learning how to strengthen human rights in Cambodia. The training met my expectations as I expected to have the ability to debate and express my point of view. How well did you understand the language used? How well-explained was any terminology you did not previously know? Terms such as democracy, freedom of expression, and reconciliation were explained very well. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? I was not so active because I was in charge of gathering all the people [he was an organizer] but the book was great. Were there any elements of the training (reading aloud, play, question and answer session) you felt were particularly helpful? Were there any you did not feel were helpful 19

and would not recommend in future trainings? I thought the elements and the structure in which the content was presented were useful for students to better understand the concepts. Being able to play a role makes it more real. Which human rights defenders story (Wiesel, Pisklakova, Tutu) did you respond the most to? Were there any you did not respond to or felt should not be included in future trainings? I liked all the stories, and I read the entire book. The three defenders featured were equally important to me, but the language that Tutu used was better than that of Wiesel. His story is more of a universal philosophy. Pisklakova was a heroine for all women in the world, and especially women in Russia. She influenced leaders in Russia through her radio station. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? After the training, I think my situation and what I've done in my life is about 50 percent equal to what the human rights defenders have done. Some local authorities have threatened me, and I feel the same as the defenders, but they have struggled more than me. Do you feel the lessons from the trainings are applicable in a Cambodian context? I think the lessons are very useful for Cambodia, but here some people dare not stand up and fight. When I studied the program in 2011, people did not dare to express themselves, but now in 2014 people tend to be braver. So in the last year, from 2013-2014, Cambodian people are tending to be braver about fighting for their human rights. Have you talked to anyone about human rights informally (in conversation with friends, coworkers, etc) after the training? In my association [CITA] we have always talked about human rights, we are not afraid. Of the thousands of us, only a hundred express their opinion, however. I am not afraid. I've talked to my family and friends about the training and I've organized workshops where we talk about human rights. Sadly these don't happen often enough. We've had 2 workshops on human rights, but those who are there are already part of the opposition. Have you taught your students about what you learned at the training? Yes. When there are lessons about relevant movies, debating, and human rights, I tell the stories of the defenders. How did your students respond? Many of the students raise their hands and want to learn more, and I tell them more stories about the other defenders in the book as well. How many students do you teach and how often have you been able to teach the lesson? I teach 200 students, and am able to talk about the training 2 or 3 times a year.

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Did you receive copies of book? I received 500 books and distributed them at schools throughout Kampong Chhnang to principals. What was your impression of the training and how other participants felt about it? The training was so good and useful for me. Most of the people who attended had similar views. There were a few who were lazy and did not read the whole book. Was this the first human rights training that you attended? I've been participating in trainings like this for ten years. I used to go at the UN (OHCHR) in Phnom Penh. How did the trainings compare to ours? Both were very good. The UN one was two days, versus this was only a half day. I think two days is better.

Names: Chhay Pi Chmunin and Khem Khemra Position: Official at Regional Department of Religion and Teacher at Cherng Kreav High School [Joint interview due to timing issue] How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? CP: Mr. Cham promoted the program and I heard about it that way. I was interested in the topic. What were you hoping to learn from the training? Were these goals met? CP: I learned about human rights, the freedom of expression, and the courage to express one's voice. Was the curriculum presented easy to follow and understand? CP: The structure was suitable, but some of the presenters (Theary Seng) could not speak Khmer clearly. KK: I thought Theary explained herself very well and allowed students to interact. The training was very good and right for society. I was surprised at how Theary was involved in a human rights organization and used to be a victim herself, her personal story taught a lot. How well did you understand the language used? How well-explained was any terminology you did not previously know? CP: During the training we came across legal terminology that we hadn't heard before, but the explanation was good. KK: It was all explained well. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would

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you have preferred more or less audience participation? CP: I didn't ask questions, but I thought there was a good balance of participation. Were there any elements of the training (reading aloud, play, question and answer session) you felt were particularly helpful? Were there any you did not feel were helpful and would not recommend in future trainings? CP: I was interested in the stories and think even more stories should be included in the seminar. A longer seminar (2 days) would be good. KK: Before the training, I did not know much about human rights defenders in the world, so I was impressed by their willingness to debate and stand up. I especially admired those who sacrificed for humanity as a whole. It's good when the instructors are experienced in the field and have themselves been victims as well. Cambodia is one of the countries where human rights are violated, so more trainings like this would be good. Which human rights defenders story (Wiesel, Pisklakova, Tutu) did you respond the most to? Were there any you did not respond to or felt should not be included in future trainings? CP: I found Wiesel's the most interesting. KK: The two best for me were Pisklakova and Tutu. My four favorites in the entire book were Tutu, Pisklakova, Tutu, and Ka Hsaw Wa. Ka Hsaw Wa talks about land disputes, which is a very sensitive issue here in Cambodia. I thought Tutu and the religious issues were very important. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? CP: I became aware of the fact that there were so many human rights defenders that have tried to change the world. Do you feel the lessons from the trainings are applicable in a Cambodian context? Wiesel's was a war story, so it is very applicable in Cambodia. I also want to hear more and have others hear more about Pisklakova. Domestic violence is very applicable in Cambodia. Tutu's story was also very applicable, dealing with color and religion. Have you talked to anyone about human rights after the training? CP: I have shared the stories with my family, friends, and colleagues. KK: I also shared it with people in my family and community. When I talk to people I now have more examples and knowledge to give. I have also taught my students. When I teach lessons on society, I tell them about the stories. I have 200 students. How do they respond? KK: The students are surprised because Cambodian society is experiencing the same problems as in the stories. Human rights concern all. Even young students are used to violence by their parents. Before, they didn't understand that they have rights. Now they know about the law and they're starting to understand that they can stand up and protect their rights. CP: Among my 48 colleagues, some want to learn more, others don't.

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Did you feel any pressure, working for the government, not to talk about the training? CP: No, the head of my section actually encouraged me to go, and religion promotes human rights, but I can't speak for other departments. KK: When Mr. Cham recommended the training, people accused him of being a member of the opposition. Human rights is general knowledge, but unfortunately it's associated with the opposition. Do you have suggestions for future trainings? KK: So many of the participants were educated, it would be good to have more young people at the workshop. Having more of a youth audience, and members of the community and management level government officials would be good, so not just teachers. CP: It would also be good to conduct trainings in remote areas, since many people cannot get to the central cities. KK: They should encourage the chiefs of more remote communities to organize trainings.

Name: Pisith Dich Position: Teacher at Kiomh Chhmang School How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the information through CITA and Theary. I participated because I'm in love with the idea of human rights and wanted to be able to compare them within in Cambodia and outside of it, that is what level of human rights do they have in other countries. I've heard that in other countries they have rights on paper, and we have the same in Cambodia, but here they try to prevent their promotion. I had to go to the training secretly. I work for the government as a teacher, and the government puts pressure on everything outside, which is regarded as the opposition. Everyone outside is investigated and observed. What were you hoping to learn from the training? Were these goals met? The training was very effective and helped me and others. Before people were not brave enough to speak the truth but at workshops like this, they are allowed to. Afterwards, people tend to share with others more. Was the curriculum presented easy to follow and understand? Yes. The lessons should not be difficult, because they are what the people want and need. How well did you understand the language used? How well-explained was any terminology you did not previously know? The terminology was no problem. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would

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you have preferred more or less audience participation? During the seminar there were a lot of chances to speak. Were there any elements of the training (reading aloud, play, question and answer session) you felt were particularly helpful? Were there any you did not feel were helpful and would not recommend in future trainings? The mix of the elements was effective. Through the workshop I understood how to speak truth, before I didn't know how to do that. The training was effective and the book was good. The book was particularly useful. The play was also good. Which human rights defenders story (Wiesel, Pisklakova, Tutu) did you respond the most to? Were there any you did not respond to or felt should not be included in future trainings? Wiesel was the most useful defender. But more should be included in the training. More are needed in order to combine all the ideas together. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? I understand about 93 percent of human rights. Do you feel the lessons from the trainings are applicable in a Cambodian context? The lessons are very applicable, but the implementation depends on permission from the government. Do you feel comfortable talking to others in your life who did not attend the training about human rights? If we go and share that we have the right to demonstrate, authorities will come and take you away. Even during this interview, we are not safe. Those who volunteer to establish organizations are those willing to sacrifice. I'm a public teacher, and so there is no chance of being promoted due to being a member of CITA. Have you talked to anyone about human rights informally (in conversation with friends, coworkers, etc) after the training? I talk to those close to me about it, but not strangers. Otherwise they may think that we are trying to promote opposition ideas. In Cambodia, some don't have trust in human rights because those who are in the prisons now were activists before. Who helps us after we are in prison? This is what the people are afraid of. Have you taught your students about what you learned at the training? I want to share all the information with my students, but I only talk about it to the students studying directly in my class, which is 20-30 students. I'm still concerned that if I talk to more, they will report me. We are banned from speaking about politics, and human rights is considered politics, in class. The principal of the school has advised us not to include politics in the classroom. If the school is aware that there will be a seminar, they will host other meetings to try to get people not to attend.

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How do the students respond to what you teach? When I talk in lessons comparing the situation in Cambodia to other countries, the students are interested. I feel if I talk about human rights often enough, the students will think about it. Sometimes I talk for the entire hour, and very, very often. I also talk to students before class. Do you have suggestions for improving future trainings? There should be more trainings more often. The trainings also need to be longer. It may take an entire day to truly understand one defender. The trainings should also be held at schools. If we do trainings in public and invite principals, it would be good. If we invite the management level of the government, there is a small chance they will join.

Name: Rotha Keo Position: Teacher at Krong Kampong Chhnang School How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I heard about it through CITA. In Cambodian society, at the workplace or otherwise, there is a lack of courage to speak so I thought it would present me with an opportunity to speak. What were you hoping to learn from the training? Were these goals met? The training gradually developed my courage to speak. Rong Chhung also invited me to another training as well. Was the curriculum presented easy to follow and understand? It was very useful. I didn't read the whole book, but the parts I read were interesting. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Reading aloud was particularly useful. We were asked to form groups and read and ask questions. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? I had no chance to ask questions because I was an organizer so I couldn't participate fully. Which human rights defenders story (Wiesel, Pisklakova, Tutu) did you respond the most to? Were there any you did not respond to or felt should not be included in future trainings? I read about Wiesel. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? I understood little, so it is difficult to share with others. I couldn't participate because I was an organizer, we didn't expect so many participants so I was tied up and couldn't pay

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that much attention to the training. Have you talked to anyone about human rights informally (in conversation with friends, coworkers, etc) after the training? I have not talked about it much due to my lack of knowledge. I shared the book with others. I received 30 books and I invited people and explained what the book was and if they were interested I gave it to them. I gave it to family, other teachers, friends, and workers. They all liked it and said it encouraged them to speak out. I also talked to students about it outside of class, but I have to understand the content better myself first. Do you feel any pressure not to talk about the training from the government? I don't feel any pressure from outside. But I'm unsure about others. The principal of the school doesn't allow teachers to distribute books, and there can be problems with salaries. But I always want to attend trainings. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? The training should be longer. More time would mean that students have more time to ask questions and the instructors can explain more. The time constraints were difficult. During the training, there was lots of reading, and then the question and answer session was reduced as a result. More books would also be good, from year to year there are new students and I would like to give out more books.

Name: Chamroeun Snguon Position: Monk at Ah Ranh Pagoda How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I heard about the training from CITA. I thought the training was very important and I wanted to gain courage to express my points of view and voice. Was the curriculum presented easy to follow and understand? It was so easy to understand because it was fit in with my mindset and subject matter. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? It was good, and there was a microphone so we could ask questions. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? I was very active, I read aloud, played a role during the play, and asked questions. Which human rights defenders story (Wiesel, Pisklakova, Tutu) did you respond the most to? Were there any you did not respond to or felt should not be included in future trainings? I was most interested in Wiesel and Tutu. All of them and their stories were interesting, they should definitely all be included in future trainings, and they were all very

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courageous. We should not exclude any of them, their situations are suitable to other places as well. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? There were so many human rights violations during history, and so few defenders. Their lives were not easy. Do you feel the lessons from the trainings are applicable in a Cambodian context? The stories are very applicable in Cambodia. We have a lot of human rights violations. We cannot follow the lessons 100 percent, but we do the best we can. Have you talked to anyone about human rights informally (in conversation with friends, coworkers, etc) after the training? Yes, I shared the message through the radio and during religious ceremonies and dharma trainings. Can you tell me more about the radio program? The radio station broadcasts in three provinces, Kampong Chhnang, Kampong Cham, and Kampong Thom. The program is about Buddhism and Khmer society. The majority of the audience are elders, but some young as well. The focus is on Buddhism dharma and human rights. How often does it run? Seven days a week, and on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday callers call in and share their views. How have listeners responded to the teachings? The majority of the audience are interested because its important to society and they actively participate. While the program focus is on dharma, I relate it to the content of the book. I don't tell the stories of the defenders, but I spread their message. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? No, there is no feedback for improvement. But next training, please provide more information to get more people to come, publicize it more. Also, when we do research, it would be good if we surveyed those in the remote areas and get their stories, and not just rely on documents. Is this the first human rights training you attended? No, I attended one before, some people came to Kampong Chhnang and conducted one, I don't know who. How did the trainings compare? Although they had different structures, the overall message was the same. Your training was more interesting compared to the other workshop. The book was very interesting, and famous activists came, and their original stories made it very relatable and motivated

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me so much. Rong Chhung shared his personal experiences from when he was in prison, and Theary shared her personal story as well. Do you have any other comments or questions? The book is very important and it's great to have this in the Khmer language. Human rights are not promoted in Cambodia, and there has been pressure from the government regarding the radio station and threats to close it. Law enforcement officials here do not seem to respect human rights. Also, I was so happy to be interviewed because I can express my views that I had buried a long, long time ago.

Name: Sopun Pak Position: Monk at Ah Ranh Pagoda How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I was studying at university and a teacher promoted the program. I found the topic very interesting. I was curious about courage in the community and the role we play in society and wanted to express my freedoms and be heard by others. What were you hoping to learn from the training? Were these goals met? The training was so good in that promoted courage within ourselves. I learned about human rights defenders in history and how they experienced a lot of setbacks. It encouraged me a lot to express my own rights. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Yes, it was easy to understand. The instructors were good, and drew on their own experience. Which human rights defenders story (Wiesel, Pisklakova, Tutu) did you respond the most to? Were there any you did not respond to or felt should not be included in future trainings? The one of Indian nationality, Kailash Satyarthi, was interesting because he struggled to free children from slavery, colleagues of his got killed, but he didn't give up. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? I understand my own role more, and how we can express our own voice. Secondly, I understand my own rights, although in the context of Cambodia there is a limit to expressing our rights. Have you talked to anyone about human rights after the training? Yes, in three different ways. First, I shared the message through the radio program that was discussed before [see interview with Chamroeun Snguon]. Secondly, I have shared it

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through my dharma trainings. Lastly, in my daily relationships with ordinary people. On the radio, I talk about the concepts of Buddhism and human rights, and how we can all live together supporting human rights. The dharma is about understanding the value in life. It's about courage to live with confidence. In my every day relations, I've talked about the training to my brothers, sisters, and friends. I share knowledge and let them know how they can contribute. Can you tell me more about the dharma trainings? We normally do them at religious ceremonies. There are both elders and young people who come to the ceremonies. The trainings are about the dharma, but we try to include talk of human rights and courage. Dharma is often hard to understand, so explaining it in the context of human rights and courage simplifies it. We don't have the trainings nearly often enough, but we try whenever we have the chance. There are more than 20 every year. There are about 30 people at each training, both locals and people from overseas. The people from overseas share the training via video, and they also travel to other provinces and show it to people there. How do people respond to the training? Normally is the feedback is that it's easy to understand. The focus is on Buddhism and we relate it to society and human rights so that the old and young can understand. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? Training was good. But in the book, we have only international defenders. It might not be clear how it's applicable in Cambodia. I would have liked to have seen more on Cambodia in the book. It would appeal to people and be very applicable. So more of a direct focus on Cambodia would have been good.

Name: Soa Van Det Position: Monk at Ah Ranh Pagoda How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I heard about it through Mr. Cham. I wanted to learn more about human rights. What were you hoping to learn from the training? Were these goals met? The time constraints made it difficult. I still learned a lot, but could not understand some broad concepts because of the time. Making the training two days long would be good. How well did you understand the language used? How well-explained was any terminology you did not previously know? There was no strange terminology, but the concepts were hard to comprehend. Quotations in the book were hard to follow and the translation was difficult at times. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Yes, I liked the visual aids and playing a role was good.

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Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? I attended from beginning to end but did not have a chance to ask questions because there were so many people. The time constraints and crowd made it difficult. A lot of others also wanted to learn questions but couldn't. There were lots of active participants. Which human rights defenders story (Wiesel, Pisklakova, Tutu) did you respond the most to? Were there any you did not respond to or felt should not be included in future trainings? I like the story of Juliana Dogbadzi, she lives under pressure but didn't give up and found the courage to express herself. I felt pity for her. If it's possible, we should try to include her story, he story is not directly related to me, but it would be useful to learn more about how women are not valued in places like India and the Arab world. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? I think I have a medium understanding now. I learned a lot about international human rights and shared that with others through the radio program. But I synthesize the dharma and human rights concepts, only talking about human rights would not be appropriate. [did not ask for more specifics on radio program and dharma trainings as these are the same as done by the other monks, they are from the same pagoda] Did you share what you learned with anyone else? I shared it with friends and people I generally came into contact with, such as nuns, monks, etc. How did they respond? I think it helped people understand more about freedom of speech. There are only a few defenders in the book, but they encourage freedom of speech. Human rights such as this are forbidden in Cambodia. One person that I shared it with, when she heard the women's stories, she said she would have died in their situation. She didn't have enough courage herself. But hearing the story inspired her and gave her hope. Do you have suggestions for improving future trainings? I think they should be more widely publicized, and also a longer time frame would be good. In terms of the content, during the reading aloud, I got the feeling that some people stood up and read aloud but they didn't understand the message themselves. The translation from English into Khmer needs to be better. There are mistakes in the spelling in the book, and that distorts some of the content in the book. Quotes such as 'don't let my past become the future of your children' are very difficult to digest in translation. So in summary, the concepts should be made easier to understand and spelling should be improved.

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Name: Sophal Peng Position: Monk at Ah Ranh Pagoda at time of training, now cashier at Mobitel How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the information through Mr. Cham. I had studied human rights a bit at university and was interested in human rights and how to use our own rights and others' rights. What were you hoping to learn from the training? Were these goals met? I understood about 80 percent. Some of it was new, some I didn't know. Before I knew about natural rights, rights that we are born with, such as the right to life, freedom, and expression. But I didn't know about the human rights defenders. No one had introduced those to the public. They are important models that encourage us because we also struggle and try to defend human rights. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? So many people attended so I could not participate. Those in the front row were picked to be involved. I wanted to participate more. I think they should limit the participants and also have more time. Some times we couldn't even read properly because of the time constraint. Were there any elements of the training (reading aloud, play, question and answer session) you felt were particularly helpful? Were there any you did not feel were helpful and would not recommend in future trainings? It would have been good to extend the reading aloud, as it is important. After we read, we can take action. Which human rights defenders story (Wiesel, Pisklakova, Tutu) did you respond the most to? Were there any you did not respond to or felt should not be included in future trainings? I liked Ka Hsaw Wa, who defends land rights. It would be good to feature him in the training, as is the story is related to a sensitive issue in Cambodia right now. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? I gained understanding and shared it with friends and family so they know about human rights law and use it protect themselves. Can you tell me more about what you shared with people? How did they respond? I see it as important for people to understand human rights. I have told a lot of people, mostly focusing on the situation in Cambodia, not what is happening in other countries. When I told them about what I learned, they started to respect the rights of others. Before

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that they were almost too courageous in a bad way. Specifically regarding land rights, that is the right to protect their own land. Before they used violence. Now, they started using the law to protect their rights instead of violence. Was this the first human rights training you attended? Yes. Before, I also tried to educate people, but my knowledge was limited so I could not do as much. Now, my knowledge has improved, so I can teach others more. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? The translation should be more understandable. It was difficult to comprehend, sometimes the subjects and verbs were difficult to understand.

Name: Changsy Neang Position: Teacher at Chureng Kreav School How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the info from Mr. Cham. I thought the topic was good and useful so that I could get extra info and knowledge. What were you hoping to learn from the training? Were these goals met? It helped me a lot but because time was short there were some concepts, such as the laws on human rights, I could not fully understand. Was the curriculum presented easy to follow and understand? Yes, the concepts in the book were good. Unfortunately I've been busy and haven't had time to do more research on them. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? I read aloud. Were there any elements of the training (reading aloud, play, question and answer session) you felt were particularly helpful? Were there any you did not feel were helpful and would not recommend in future trainings? I thought the play role was most interesting. The combination of action and the play together made the concepts make so much more sense to me. I can't think of any element that should be taken out. Which human rights defenders story (Wiesel, Pisklakova, Tutu) did you respond the most to? Were there any you did not respond to or felt should not be included in future trainings? Wisel was the most interesting because the history is very interesting and similar to the Cambodian context, we also had a civil war so it's related to our society. I was also particularly interested in the women's stories.

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After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? Before I used to study about human rights when I was training to become a teacher, so I knew a bit of the law. But during your training, I learned about defenders and their stories, they were very interesting and I admire them because they struggled to make a change and fought against discrimination. Do you feel the lessons from the trainings are applicable in a Cambodian context? It's good if we can use the lessons in Cambodia. They are certainly helpful and applicable because in the reality of Cambodia we have problems with human rights and fear. People no longer dare to protect their rights. But when they start to know about the stories they started to feel that if the defenders can do it, they can as well. Before we had nothing, and we didn't know what to do. Here we learned that there are people who struggled but did protest. It was very motivational.

Have you talked to anyone about what you learned at the training? I shared it with my colleagues, particularly when discussing the daily situation in Cambodia. My colleagues also shared information with him. I really don't like the situation now, we don't have a voice to say what we want publicly. Authorities use threats and intimidation. Us teachers cannot speak up as we would face personal issues and be threatened legally. Have you taught your students about what you learned at the training? Yes. Some students may be from families who use violence. There are students who bully others and dominate and disturb class. I teach all students that they have the right to study, and that no one has more rights than another. They all have equal rights to education and expression. How do they respond? The students' behavior has started to change. Mostly the bullies started to calm down and reduce their bad behavior. In extreme cases, I've reported them to the principal, but over all the bad behavior has reduced. Have you always taught this or just since the training? I started teaching about it before the training, but getting more information has helped me to transmit better. Sometimes I use the stories and tell them to the students as examples of people standing up to others. Do you know if other teaches teach the same lessons? Yes, the other teachers in my school, 14 colleagues, each the same thing. We went through teacher training school at the same time, and were taught to treat all students the same. I've also shared the information from the training with my friends. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings?

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It would be good if we could include Cambodian heroes in the book. We can learn to stand up and protect our rights when people try to take them away. If we had Khmer people as heroes, we could see that their stories are similar to us and use them as role models to try to stand up for our rights. It would also be good, if time allows, if CIVICUS conducts workshops where they invite students. It would let students see that not only teachers teach about human rights, but others, and especially foreigners, preach human rights and that they are universal. It would also be good if we could conduct the trainings once or twice a year, so more frequently. It reminds people of the lessons.

Name: Thineng Som Position: Teacher at Aranh School How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the information from CITA. I wanted to know more about human rights in other countries. What were you hoping to learn from the training? Were these goals met? The training helped me in many ways. Beforehand, I knew very little about human rights. Now I know more. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? It was easy to follow, and the slide presentation was particularly useful. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? I asked one question. I thought that the rights in Cambodia were respected in different ways than in other countries, so I asked about whether or not in the future it would be more similar. My friends were more actively involved. There were a lot of people. I would also have liked to read aloud during the role play, I think if you can both see it and feel it at once, it feels very real. Which human rights defenders story (Wiesel, Pisklakova, Tutu) did you respond the most to? Were there any you did not respond to or felt should not be included in future trainings? All of the defenders were good in different ways. I read some of the book, and I read Theary's story. It's interesting when the presenters share their own story. Have you talked to anyone about what you learned at the training? I was unable to share it with my students, because they are very small (6-7 years old). But I shared it with my colleagues as I think we cannot stay where we are in our current situation. How did they respond?

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Some said they did not know much about human rights beforehand and were interested, others were not interested. I have about 20 colleagues, and 4-5 said they were not interested, all old people, the others were. I also shared the information with the elders in my family, and they didn't know much before, but started to understand as I shared the information with them. Was this the first such training you attended? Yes. Do you have any suggestions for future trainings? I would like to see more ordinary villagers join. Them learning first hand would be more effective than me sharing with them. I've been able to share the information with my direct neighbors, 4 to 5 houses, but I cannot travel far to share the information, so it would be good if they could get it firsthand.

Name: Sovann Nuth Position: Teacher at Krong High School How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? At the time I was a member of the Sam Rainsy Party. I got the information from the party and from CITA and I decided to join because I wanted to learn more about the subject. I didn't want to be considered a frog in the well. What were you hoping to learn from the training? Were these goals met? The training was like somebody awakening me. Afterwards, I knew how to use my own rights. It's like someone reminded me of my rights, and before all was dark. Was the curriculum presented easy to follow and understand? The presenters explained it well, but the book is very thick and we could not touch everything in it. The training was too short and there were a lot of people. How well did you understand the language used? How well-explained was any terminology you did not previously know? The were no difficult terminologies. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Parts of the lessons couldn't be understood. The textbook explanations are too long, something short and concise would be better, it should be explained in short sentences. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? I just sat and listened, there were too many people. The facilitator couldn't offer everyone the chance to speak.

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Were there any elements of the training (reading aloud, play, question and answer session) you felt were particularly helpful? Were there any you did not feel were helpful and would not recommend in future trainings? The slide presentation was the best element. The reading aloud I'm not sure was that effective, when people stand and read they might forget what they've read after they finish reading aloud. Which human rights defenders story (Wiesel, Pisklakova, Tutu) did you respond the most to? Were there any you did not respond to or felt should not be included in future trainings? I didn't read the book much, but I read Theary's story because she came directly and tried to promote it. Have you talked to anyone about what you learned at the training? I teach at a school, and I teach my student about having the courage to speak in public no matter how big or small we are. Even though we are in a certain environment where we are not allowed to speak, we should stand up anyway. The training was useful to teaching that lesson better. I encourage my students to be willing to express their points of view and let them know that even if they make mistakes, no one will take them and put them in a soup. How did they respond? I just explained the general lessons to my students, but they seem to get the point and start asking more questions. From my own experience, after going to the training, it felt like I awoke and started to express my voice and points of view. Likewise with the students. Before the training, if I asked a student a question, and they said they did not wish to answer, then I wouldn't push anymore. After the training, I would ask the students to say something further, I encourage students to stand up and speak and be willing to make mistakes, and they do. How many students do you have? I teach students ages 14-15 and have about 160 students. I also shared the lessons with my neighbors. I encourage them to find the cause of a problem as opposed to simply being silent, and that starts with the courage to speak. Was this the first such training you attended? Yes. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? Overall the training is good. The book is thick, so we have to take I home. The time frame should be expanded if we want to get through it all.

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Names: Vanny Chhun and Sipha Sok Positions: Teachers at Krong High School [Joint interview due to timing issue] How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? VC: I heard about the training from Mr. Cham. I wanted to learn more about human rights. SS: I also heard about the training from Mr. Cham. When I heard the news, I wanted to learn more about my own rights. Was this the first such training you attended? VC: I had previously had two trainings in Phnom Penh. SS: I attended one previous training in 1993. Was the training useful? VC: It was very helpful and I would like to have more trainings. SS: It was not only good, but also very important. I read the book. Unfortunately in Cambodia, we cannot speak out. The law says that humans have the right to life, a salary, etc, but in the real situation, we do not have these. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? SS: The role play had so many characters it was confusing. VC: I felt the same. SS: If there were fewer characters, it would be better. VC: The reading aloud was useful. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? VC: I read aloud and asked questions. SS: I just sat and listened. VC: More trainings would be good. SS: I want the training to be publicized more widely so more can come. By law we are allowed to form an association, but the authorities create pressure to inhibit the training, but the leaders of the association pushed hard. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? SS: I have broader knowledge about international human rights defenders such as Tutu. VC: I would like another training. Do you feel the lessons from the trainings are applicable in a Cambodian context? VC: The stories are applicable but we do not expect rights so we cannot fully practice them as they do in other countries. SS: They can be applicable only when the leaders of our country allow us to have rights

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and are more responsible for their followers. Have you talked to anyone about what you learned at the training? VC: I shared it with my friends and peers and distributed the books. SS: I did the same. How did they respond? VC: After sharing, their behavior seemed to change. They were not so aggressive as before. Some people when we talk about human rights, they don't want to listen, but some listen. SS: When I shared, those people started to understand about their own rights and others' rights. Have you noticed a manifest difference in their behavior afterwards? SS: If we have rights, so do others, and they understand that. When they start to understand, they stop violating other people's rights. For example, if they have their own rights to self-protection, to free speech, to freedom of religion, then they realize they can't hurt or violate the rights of others or force others to believe in their religion. Have you talked to your students about what you learned at the training? VC: Yes. Sometimes I quoted from the book and shared with the students. SS: I also taught my students and quoted from the book. I shared that we should not violate others rights. How did they respond? VC: When they heard, they responded that they would like to have their own rights as people in other countries do. They would like full rights in Cambodia as well. SS: The students are interested and understand that if we treat others in a particular way, they can treat us like that too. They learn to treat others as they would like to be treated. Did their behavior change? SS: Yes, before they bullied and shouted, after the explanations they started to be calmer. VC: Some of the students became calmer and more respectful, before they were very aggressive and bullied a lot. How many students do you have? VC: Two classes of 50 students each, ages 15-18. SS: 3 classes of more than 40 students each, ages 15-16. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? SS: Next time you should invite people from all levels, not just teachers.

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Names: Somaly Soun and Sorya Chhun Position: Teachers at Aranh Primary School and Soramarith High School [Joint interview due to timing issue] How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? SS: I got the information through CITA. SC: Same. SS: I thought if I didn't make the decision to join, that would mean I didn't have the courage to face the current situation, and I had the courage to do it. SC: The topic is about courage, that we should have the courage to speak and we have the right to freedom of speech. Was this the first such training you attended? SS: I used to participate in trainings at LICADHO and received a certificate. SC: This was the first training for me. Was the training useful? SS: The training was so useful, I learned to have the courage to speak and that we should not hide within ourselves. SC: I feel similarly, it was useful and important, it promotes courage an that we should not hide but should speak up about our troubles. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? SS: All of the elements were useful, if we only hear people speak it is not as effective as also seeing. SC: I participated actively in the role play, I felt like a real character and understood the topic quite well. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? SS: I didn't participate because the time was unfavorable and there were a lot of people. Which human rights defenders story (Wiesel, Pisklakova, Tutu) did you respond the most to? Were there any you did not respond to or felt should not be included in future trainings? SS: Tutu's story reflects the real situation the most. SC: I still remember the quote from Tutu about the gods. Was the book easy to follow? SS: It was easy to understand everything. SC: It's good because it's written in Khmer so everyone can understand. The pictures were clear and when something was especially important, it was in red, so it was easy to notice.

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Have you talked to anyone about what you learned at the training? SS: I talked to others who were not there, they found it interesting and wanted to read the book. SC: I shared it with my family, friends, colleagues, and students. What was their response? SS: The book was good, they found the characters motivating. SC: They grew aware that human rights is not only an issue in Cambodia, but in other countries as well. The people there stood up, so they realize that people here should also stand up and defend their rights. Have you taught your students about what you learned at the training? SS: I'm in charge of the library, so when students come in, I share the stories. About 40 to 80 students come in per day, depending on the schedule. In one month, we usually are allotted two days to talk about the stories. SC: I teach only two hours per week, so only eight hours per month, so there's little time. I usually spend 5 to 10 minutes per hour talking about the stories. How did the students respond? SS: The students sit down and listen carefully, and my colleagues were interested and expressed sadness about the fact that they did not know about the training. SC: I raise examples about Tutu to encourage students to stand up and speak more and teach them that every problem should have an answer. First the students listen carefully. Then I encourage them to ask questions when they don't understand a lesson. Afterwards, the students have more courage to participate in group discussions and they developed a sense of responsibility and accountability. Do you have suggestions for improving future trainings? SS: It should be longer. Everyone should participate. SC: There were a lot of questions that could not be answered, so the training should be longer.

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Battambang (Interviews Conducted March 7-9, 2014)

Name: Som Sophan Position: Monk at Po Veal Pagoda How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the info from another monk. I decided to attend because humans should have the right to freedom of speech and movement. If we don't have these, we don't have any transparency. What were you hoping to learn? Were these goals met? Theary focused on the human rights defenders and I remember the defender from South Africa who fought against discrimination between blacks and whites, Nelson Mandela. I also remember Martin Luther King. It's been a long time, if I was asked immediately afterwards I would remember better. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? When the book was paired with the explanation, I understood around 70 percent. The attendees could understand. But there was some terminology that was quite difficult to understand and the instructor did not explain it fully. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? The training was very useful, especially the structure. The level of knowledge of the attendees was different. The presentation, play, and slideshow met the different levels of the individuals. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? I didn't participate because there were a lot of attendees. But those who wanted to were given the chance to participate. Although I didn't participate, I was given material to study and could follow the play. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? I found that the training was very useful. I shared it with others through the dharma teaching. All humans should have equal rights, but in Cambodia those who have the most rights seem to be those in power and the rich. Do you feel the lessons from the trainings are applicable in a Cambodian context? Yes, they are applicable.

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Can you tell me more about the dharma teachings? The attendees include monks and ordinary people. Although those who did not share with others at least learned for themselves, we monks share through dharma teachings. There are always some ordinary people there and we can talk about human rights. Humans who have no rights seem to have a very hard life. This applies not only in Cambodia, but elsewhere. For instance, people have the right to freedom of movement and clothing. The dharma teachings are held on holy days, usually a month has 4 holy days.There are 20 to 30 people at each holy day's teaching. Sometimes, in case there's a big ceremony, there's 300 to 500, sometimes up to 1,000, attendees, but that is only occasional. There is a diverse group of attendees, such as ordinary people, teachers, and so on. Most of the attendees are elder women, but there's a variety of ages and occupations. What do you teach at the training? Specifically they are about the precepts of the dharma. The five precepts are: do not kill, do not steal, do not rape, do not lie, and do not drink. If we compare the five precepts to human rights, they are very similar. In the first, in human rights we have the right to life and the precept says not to kill, and the others are similar as well. Is there anything specific to the training that you taught at the dharma teaching? There wasn't so much from the training that I could include, but when I studied the presentations I could include some elements, such as the broad themes. I mainly shared them in my classes and public seminars. Can you tell me more about that? I share it n my presentations in class during my studies. There are more than 50 people in my class, they are women, men, monks. I believe that when I share the messages in class, they will continue to share it with others, so if I share the values of human rights, the others can pass them on. For instance, I shared the stories of Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, and others but I cannot remember all the names. I share mostly about discrimination. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? They should be publicized more widely. Most of those who attended just followed their peers and colleagues. You should try to attract a more diverse audience. If there is another training, people from all over should be invited, teachers, government officials, villagers, etc, and they not only come because of friends.

Name: Chea Sophorn Position: Monk at Po Veal Pagoda How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I heard about it from friends. I joined because my knowledge of human rights was

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limited, so I was trying to get more knowledge. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? Some parts were easy to understand, others were difficult. Some terminology and sentences were not clear. Was the terminology explained during the training? Some was explained, and someI forget. Some had different meanings in the context of human rights, so I would understand the word in one context, but not in the context of human rights. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? The play, slideshow, and reading aloud were very helpful. The attendees were from different backgrounds, so the variety was good, and having several activities was helpful. Activities play an important role, they make it less stressful and enjoyable. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? I didn't participate, those who sat in the front volunteered and were picked. Which of the human rights defenders presented at the training did you think was the most interesting? Mandela because he fought against discrimination. Besides the defenders in the book, I also read another book and studied Gandhi and caste discrimination. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? In the past, there were problems. In Cambodia, we have rights to do anything on paper, but not in actuality, such as the right to freedom of speech or to participate in politics. Those with power may have more rights than those without. Have you talked to anyone about what you learned at the training? I talked with friends who study with me. When I went to remote areas, I talked to elders and others there, about 15 to 20 people. I talked to them specifically about our rights to choose our representatives. This was before the 2013 election, I talked to those who were afraid of voting against the CPP. We have the right to choose freely and not be threatened. What was their response? They seemed to understand and got my points and were happy with them. They seemed happy about getting general human rights knowledge. What did you tell them about? I can't remember what I shared specifically, but I shared general ideas.

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How often did you talk to travel there? It's my hometown, so about 3 or 4 times a year. Sometimes when I visit the remote town, people father around and then I start to preach about human rights. Sometimes the attendees ask questions about the right to choose representatives and the five precepts. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? I wish the training was more frequent, the last one was years ago. We forget a lot, the last time there were a lot of people there, if the training was more often then more could attend. The training should be once a year. But I liked the training.

Name: Nun Sopheap Position: Monk at Po Veal Pagoda How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the info from a friend. I was interested in learning more about human rights. Did you find the training useful? I found the training very useful, it was about human rights and the courage to speak. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? The book was very helpful, though some of the English explanation I could not understand. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? The elements were important and useful. The play and reading aloud were good for sharing, but all the elements were useful. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? I just sat and observed the other readers. At the time I was not confident enough and decided not to participate. Which of the human rights defenders presented at the training did you think was the most interesting? It's been a long time so I can't remember. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? I understand about people's rights. In some countries there were concerns about human rights but people stood up and were successful.

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Do you think the lessons are applicable in Cambodia? Some rights are applicable but here people are not given rights such as the right to stand up and protest. Have you talked to anyone about what you learned at the training? I talked with my monk friends and fellow students, and sometimes my friends also share with me. Mostly I shared about human rights in general. I'm not as well-educated on the matter as I would like so I just share general knowledge. I have not shared with anyone other than my friends. Was this the first human rights training you attended? Yes. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? The training should be held once a year. It should not be so long. And it should be publicized more widely.

Name: Hov Vuthy Position: Teacher at Kanteu II High School How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I heard about it from CITA. I thought it was a good topic and wanted to learn more about courage without borders. I was also interested in how to debate and stand up for our rights. Did you find the training useful? It was very useful because before I didn't know much about rights and courage. Afterwards I got knowledge on rights and how to debate and I shared it with my students. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? I read the book only during the training. It was easy to understand, but I didn't read it enough after. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? Especially the play was very useful, it encouraged us to have courage. Later on, we can recall the play roles and use them as a model. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? I cannot remember well, I may have stood up and expressed my point of view. I didn't participate in the play or read aloud though.

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Which of the human rights defenders presented at the training did you think was the most interesting? I can't remember, it's been a long time. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? I have a better understanding about human rights. Do you think the lessons are applicable in Cambodia? Yes, they can be applied. In my community, regarding land disputes, I explained to the villagers that they have rights. The authorities want to grab their lands located at the foot of a mountain. I told the villagers that if we are not happy with this, we could defend our rights and should not just sit down and be quiet. The same with some land along a stream. The authorities tried to take it, offering an unfair price per square meter. Those who live there didn't like the price, so I encouraged them to protest and speak up if they are not happy. How did they respond? They responded that if there was a leader they would actively follow them to defend their rights. There was a commune meeting, and a lot of people stood up and participated. They asked the authorities about what they wanted with the land. The ultimate outcome was that the authorities didn't take the land at the foot of the mountain. And they've realized that if they want it in the future, they must offer a reasonable price. I also went to other communes to explain about property rights. I shared with the villagers that they have to defend their property from rich people because powerful individuals are working with the soldiers. Sometimes other people would like to take our land because of connections with soldiers, and they do business with land. Why do you think the authorities did not take the land? I'm not sure whether the authorities feared a protest. But the villagers asked very hard questions, like what were the ultimate reasons. Did you also teach your students about what you learned? Yes, about courage without borders. I insert it into my lessons. I teach them what I remember from the training. The main objective is to each the students to have the courage to speak out and to debate. I encourage them to speak up in class and be willing to disagree. How do they respond? I teach them to have courage to speak about what they don't like, such as grades. They can stand up and speak about that now, and now my students have the courage to stand up and debate with me. For instance, I speak very softly and if they cannot hear, they now have the courage to tell me to speak more loudly. Also, they now have the courage to defend their rights when a teacher gives them a severe punishment. They say that they don't think it's reasonable, to say that 'teacher, the way you punish us is not moral'. Now they have the courage to talk.

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How many students do you teach? 6 classes, with 45 to 50 students in each class. They are ages 14 to 15. How often do you share this message with your students? Almost every hour that I teach. Was this the first human rights training you attended? No, I used to attend a training before. Can you compare that one and ours? They are each good in their own way. The other training taught about the law and rights while this one focused on courage. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? The next training should have more attendees.

Name: Pin Kompheak Position: Teacher at Net Yorng High School [Asked for comments not to be published outside of this internal report] How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the info from another teacher. I attended because I wanted to know more about the topic. Did you find the training useful? Was useful and full of new knowledge for me. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? I read the book, the content regarding the defense of our rights was useful but only sometimes successful in Cambodia. We defend our rights but only sometimes have success. For instance, the factory workers standing up for a salary increase were not successful.

Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? The play and reading aloud were very helpful. It allows people to listen and think. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? The instructor grouped the students and asked questions of them, and I answered some questions. Only half of my group did.

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Which of the human rights defenders presented at the training did you think was the most interesting? I cannot remember. At the time, there were stories about them presented, but I cannot remember well. During the seminar I requested the book about the defenders to put in the school's library. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? I have a better understanding about human rights such as to demand and require a salary. Do you think the lessons are applicable in Cambodia? We cannot apply the lessons 100 percent, maybe 60 percent. Did you talk to anyone after the training about what you learned? Right after the training, I discussed with friends in a group. I did not share with my students. I compared the knowledge I had about human rights before and afterwards. Why did you not share with your students? Were you afraid? I don't have any courage to do it all by myself, if other teachers did too I would join. Do you know if other teachers feel the same? The teachers at the training were from different schools, so I do not know. Did you share what you learned with friends and family? I shared a little with my friends, but not with my family. Was this the first training you attended? Yes. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? There should be more seminars, the first one was conducted in 2011 and there has been nothing since. You should also publish some thin textbooks for students to read in the library and for staff. There was a teacher who requested the book so I put it in the library, but I don't know if students read it or not. If possible, you should also include the program in television or radio so the students can watch or listen at home. Students don't want to read, they want to watch and listen.

Name: Meas Sareth Position: Teacher at Wat Kot Secondary School How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the info from CITA. I was keen to know about the way they would conduct the training.

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What were you hoping to learn? I cannot recall very well, during the training I learned how to have courage and to speak about what we want to express. Did you find the training useful? I think the training was so useful. It taught us what we don't know and how to express ourselves. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? I didn't read it after the training as I'm very busy. Teachers have a hard life, we are concerned about living, thinking about how we're going to eat. For me, life as a teacher is very hard, in the time when I'm not a teacher I drive a mototaxi. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? The voice of the instructor was loud and could be understood. The important thing was the voice of the instructor. I observed that the instructor, Theary, was very courageous and brave to talk. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? I participated in the reading aloud, but I can't remember which part I read. Which of the human rights defenders presented at the training did you think was the most interesting? I just remember that the instructor gave a lot of examples, I can't remember their names. The training also displayed the teaching of the human rights defenders. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? I understood a lot better after the training after I learned more. But it was just for my understanding, I could not go out and protest. Why? If I dared to speak, I would get in trouble. Do you think the lessons are applicable in Cambodia? Some of the rights are applicable now, but not at the time of the training. People can speak more, especially through facebook, now. Did you talk to anyone after the training about what you learned? Yes, especially with my colleagues. What was their response?

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I shared and they seemed to agree. When we share about human rights, it depends on the circumstances. I'm comfortable sharing with my friends. Have you told your students about what you learned? Yes, I dare to speak seriously with them. I share about human rights violations in Cambodia and about the way we should try to fight. There are limits to what is taught about human rights in Cambodia, for instance they don't learn the history of the Kampong Kreung. That can't be found in their normal books, so I teach them about what is not in the books. I teach the history of human rights because I think we have a right to know about our history. What is their response? They listen and seem to be interested. The students ask questions and I explain things. How many students do you have? I haven't been teaching for a year due to illness, but before that I taught 3 classes with 30 students each, ages 13 to 15. How often did you talk to them about human rights? Not so often, only when I found the lesson plan could be related to human rights. Maybe 10 times a year. Was this the first training you attended? Yes. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? Seminars should be conducted more often. In Cambodia, people seem to lack knowledge. We have just recovered from the Khmer Rouge, so there is limited education on human rights.

Name: Khmao Seyla Position: Monk at Po Veal Pagoda How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the info from the principal of the pagoda and friends. I decided to attend because I felt interested in the topic. It reflects the current situation in Cambodia with violence, human rights, and land disputes. Did you find the training useful? It was useful because it was related to the Cambodian context. There were topics presented by Rong Chhung about the rights of teachers like salaries, some schools firing teachers without solid reasons, teachers getting pressure frm the government and not being able to do certain things, and deforestation.

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Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? The content of the book was good and I was able to get knowledge from it. The spelling was ok, the colors could be improved. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? The most helpful element was the slideshow and the clear presentation from the instructor. The reflected the real aspect of the current situation. Were you able to participate actively (read aloud, ask questions) in the training? Would you have preferred more or less audience participation? I did not, I just sat and listened because there were other monks already asking some questions that I would like to ask. Which of the human rights defenders presented at the training did you think was the most interesting? All of their stories were important. They were about women, land disputes, teachers, and deforestation. After the training, how well do you feel you understand human rights in a historical context? I understood a lot, I listened to the instructors and I usually listen to the radio such as the VOA, Radio Free Asia, and AFA, so I know a lot about human rights and how they apply to the real context of the Cambodian situation. Did you talk to anyone after the training about what you learned? I shared the book with the other monks, andI talked about it with monks, other friends, and students living in the pagoda. I shred what I learned in general and the knowledge I got from the book.

What was their response? They joined in the discussion, what I shared was something they had heard about before. Some things were new them, especially for students who have not listened to the radio. For those who had learned about it before, they joined in the discussion. For example, when I talked about a topic current to Cambodia, they shared their own knowledge. Those who hadn't learned about it before listened and sometimes joined in the discussion as well, but not as much. How many people did you share it with? 15 people including monks in class. Did you talk to anyone outside of the pagoda? Yes, I also talked with people outside of the pagoda about land disputes, especially people in my hometown. I encouraged my family to have the courage to speak. There are

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no ongoing land disputes in my town though. What was their response? They always respond that they are under pressure and threat from other people higher than us. They say they are poor and a minority [not an ethnic minority, just marginalized because of poverty] so there's no way to win in court. If they go to court, they spend money for nothing. So they come to believe that minor people can't win against big ones. Very few of them have courage, a lot still abide by the thought that they cannot win. They are not educated. They didn't deny what I shared with them, but they just want to whine. Later, in 2013, about 70 percent of the people understood more about their rights and have more courage to speak, maybe they listen to the radio or hear what is happening in the news, but they still don't dare to speak in public. Especially when they want to file a protest, they don't know where to go, but educated people do know. Have you told your students about what you learned? Yes, I dare to speak seriously with them. I share about human rights violations in Cambodia and about the way we should try to fight. There are limits to what is taught about human rights in Cambodia, for instance they don't learn the history of the Kampong Kreung. That can't be found in their normal books, so I teach them about what is not in the books. I teach the history of human rights because I think we have a right to know about our history. Was this the first training you attended? Yes. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? I think the training was good. It should also be conducted in remote areas, and also in universities so the educated students there get a better understanding.

Name: Loun Lak Position: Teacher at Omal Secondary School How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the info from CITA. I decided to attend because it would provide some ideas about human rights in government positions. Did you find the training useful? Yes, it was so useful for those who attended. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? The book was easy to understand and told the stories of real human rights defenders' lives.

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Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? I could not find elements that were not useful, the training was very useful in terms of teaching about the rights of individuals and the good heart of the participants. Which of the human rights defenders presented at the training did you think was the most interesting? I don't remember the names of the people from the book, but I was interested in Rong Chhung and Theary Seng's stories. Did you talk to anyone after the training about what you learned? I work as both a teacher and tuktuk driver. When I have customers in my tuktuk I ask them if they have some interest in human rights, and if they do then I talk to them about human rights, such as labor rights. What was their response? Most of them, they seem interested in the topics. They respect other people's rights and are aware that a small group dominates in this country. Did you also talk to your students about the training? Yes I talked to them about their rights, such as labor rights. What was their response? Some of them respond in a positive way. They agree with the purpose and seem to agree with what we want to share. Others, I cannot say what they are thinking. They might have been educated differently by their parents. But that is only a few, the majority respond positively. Can you give me more details about what you taught? I shared about the journey of life, studying and then growing up and then getting a salary, and if the salary is not high enough, then they should not accept it. I also teach them about the right to life, and if you're living under pressure from powerful people, you can either choose to accept it or not. How often do you teach your students this? Quite often at the end of lessons, about 3 to 4 times per month.

How many students do you teach? 3 classes with 30 students each. They're 13 to 14 years old. Was this the first training you attended? It was the second, the first was one I was invited to by Rong Chhung. How do they compare? The first training was not as detailed as this one, it was mostly about reasons and benefits

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of being registered in the community and labor rights. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? Overall it was good. All the attendees should not be under pressure from their schools so that they are willing to support and promote good deeds. I also think there should be more variety among the attendees, get more people from different backgrounds. The majority were teachers, there should be more non-teachers. Only those who promote good deeds were willing to attend. The training should also influence the government more, the top leaders in the government seem not to consider the benefits of the people below them, so that network should be stronger.

Name: Tes Mom Position: Commune official in department of women's affairs, Rattanak Commune How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? Theary sent an invite letter to the head of women's affairs at the commune. I was assigned to go and could decide if I wanted to. I decided to attend because I wanted to know more about the topic and if it was not useful, I could just throw the material away. Did you find the training useful? The training was mostly good. What was not good about it? I remember a story but not the name, but I was impressed by the story, it was about a woman who wanted to defend women's rights in the factories and talk to the president. From what I remember, that lady encouraged people to dare to speak and not just listen and respect orders from people in power. We should have the right to think about whether or not something is right or wrong to follow and we cannot just listen to orders. I can't remember the name of the defender, but Theary's story was similar. The defender came from abroad and struggled all her life. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? The content of the book is very meaningful. I could read only some because I was very busy and some parts were in English. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? I found the group work very helpful and good. It allowed me to share my own opinion. The slideshow was good for the attendees to remember the information because we could see. The main book reveals the stories of international defenders, it doesn't include Cambodians. During the slideshow there were some ideas raised about why we didn't include Cambodian ancient heroes. If Cambodians are included in the book and trainings, maybe it will attract more Cambodian youths. I shared the book with my colleagues and

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they raised the same concern. Were you able to participate during the training? I read aloud and during the question and answer session I asked some questions to Theary. I was not the one who asked the most questions. I remember a question being asked about why there were only international defenders, the response was that she was sorry but she would search for Cambodians to fit into the context. During the group discussion, people shared, and they thought that Theary seemed to talk a bit about politics, mostly that we should not believe in three people, the prime minister, the president of the senate, and the president of the assembly. Instructor tried to encourage them not to believe in them 100 percent. During the training, Theary asked if any of the attendees had been threatened not to attend, the teachers said no. I also received no threats, my commune was invited and I was assigned. The majority of attendees were teachers. After the training, how well do you feel like you understand the concepts presented? I understand a lot better. Human rights is a very broad topic. People have broad rights as long as they stay within the law. So for instance, we don't have the right to sell drugs because that is against the law. Do you feel like the lessons are applicable in Cambodia? I got from the training that we should have the courage to speak and not just take orders. Did you talk to anyone after the training about what you learned? I shared the book with friends and some of them said it was good. Theary requested that we share the book. I shared with 10 people.

What was their response? After I shared, I'm not sure if they understood or what their views are. Some said we should include more Cambodians, some said it was so-so, and some others criticized but I can't remember what their criticisms were. I shared it with my colleagues, my husband, and some close friends that I used to work with. Did you do anything beyond share the book? No, I only shared the book because I didn't have time to discuss it. I shared the book and told them if they had questions to come talk to me. Did you feel any pressure not to share the book or discuss it? No, I could talk freely. Was this the first training you attended? I used to attend another workshop a long time ago when I was single. How do they compare? The first workshop was 100 percent about human rights, his was about human rights

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defenders, their struggles, the instructors' stories, and a bit of politics. Did you find the inclusion of politics problematic? It should be ok as long as it stays neutral. It's ok for me as an ordinary person or lowranking official. But I'm afraid that if I teach the lessons to more high-ranking officials, then it could become a problem. Was there any follow-up from your department about the training? No, my boss didn't ask me anything about the training. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? The next training, there should be people from various backgrounds, such as ordinary people.

Name: Khim Hean Position: Teacher at Wat Kor Secondary School How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the info from CITA I wanted to know more in the name of a citizen and government official. I was hoping to learn about human rights. Did you find the training useful? I believe the training was very useful. I learned 50 percent about human rights and 50 percent on debating for our rights. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? The book was easy to understand, but I only read it for 2 to 3 days after the training. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? The play role was very good. The slide presentation and teachings convinced me and helped me gain better knowledge. Were you able to participate during the training? I just attended and studied. Because it was too crowded, there was not enough chance for all the people. Which human rights defender did you think was the most interesting? It's been too long, I can't remember. After the training, how well do you feel like you understand the concepts presented? I could understand about 60 percent of what was taught because as a teacher I had some knowledge already.

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What about the other 40%? There were many students so we did not concentrate on everything. There were too many students and too little time. Do you feel like the lessons are applicable in Cambodia? Yes, they are applicable, but we can include it in our teaching just a little. Did you talk to your students after the training about what you learned? Only when there s something in he lessons related to human rights. I cannot teach something far from the actual school curriculum. So it's not so often, but outside of class I can speak. I tach about the right to defend our rights and children's rights and youth rights, such as the right to study and the right to live. What was their response? I just lecture, they ask some questions that are simple to answer. How many students do you have? 300 students. How often are you able to teach them about human rights? Four times a month, so once per week. Did you also discuss it with anyone else? Yes, with other teachers. There was some controversy because some have different ideas. Some don't read the book so they don't know the content, but mostly they say that the book is good. But some support the ruling party so if you say something directly against it, they will not agree. Do you feel any pressure not to talk about human rights? I have fear, but I also have the courage to speak so I manage to speak amongst teachers and have a debate. Was this the first training you attended? I used to attend workshops before but this was the only one that talked about courage.

Have you talked to anyone else not mentioned already? I also talked with my community and parents of students, telling them that students have the right to come to school. How do they respond? The parents agree with what I share, but explain that because of the living conditions, they have to decide not to allow their children to go study. And how do the students feel?

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The students agree with the teachers when we say they have the right to study, but then they forget. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? The training was very good. In Cambodia we lack education about human rights, so the training should be held more often and you should encourage more people to attend.

Name: Chin Deth Position: Teacher at Preah Monivong High School [Asked for comments not to be published outside of this internal report] How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the information from CITA. The reason I decided to attend was because I wanted knowledge to debate and develop the country. Did you find the training useful? The training was very useful, I learned about equal rights and debating and resolving problems in the government. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? The content was very good, it's about leaders having ideas to develop their countries.

Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? The elements were related to each other and all played an important role in attracting audience attention. Were you able to participate during the training? I participated in the small group discussion. Which human rights defender did you think was the most interesting? I cannot remember the defenders in the book, it's been 3 or 4 years since the training. After the training, how well do you feel like you understand the concepts presented? I can understand better now and have more knowledge. I also participate I the UN Population Fund Assistance and was trained about life skills there. Do you feel like the lessons are applicable in Cambodia? Yes, they are very good, especially about the rights of children. Did you talk to your students after the training about what you learned?

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I had a partnership with UNFPA and we formed a training for teachers. The focus was on the four rights of children: the rights to life, education, food, and expression. I also helped promote the right to freedom of speech. About 70 teachers attended, who teach secondary and high school. What was their response? I combined the lessons from your training and UNFPA so they have more knowledge about human rights and education. Did you share it with anyone else? I also shared it with other teachers, mostly about the rights of children and the right to education. Did you share it with your students? During the lessons in English, I also included lessons from the training. I prepared a lesson about human rights for the students. To get them involved and to be active in class, some students had to come up and give presentations. I gave them a paper with a topic on it and then the student presents on it. How did they respond? In the group there is a presentation and they exchange ideas and posters. Were they interested? They were very interested when they saw the posters of each group on the board. The topics included human rights, the important of learning English, and Asian integration.

How many students do you have? 8 classes of 40 to 45 students each. They are 16 to 18 years old. How often do you teach this material? It depends on the lessons and how often there is time for activities, but on average 2 times per month. How long have you been working with UNFPA? Since September 2013. The training was in September. How did you get involved with UNFPA? I got the information from CITA, I also travel to other provinces attending workshops on human rights. The training I organized was in Battambang. I'm also involved with the Peace Corps and Global Teachers, I teach for them in addition to at my school. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? I think the workshop was very good and should be held more often and you should invite more teachers. I also shared it with almost everyone in my community and they understand better now. I give them documents on education and talk about the prevention

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of domestic violence. I also shared with other teachers in my unit.

Name: Chin Peov Position: Teacher How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the information from CITA. I thought it would be important and useful and wished to know more. What were you hoping to earn? I hoped to exchange and express ideas. Did you find the training useful? It was useful and met my goals. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? I read the book 2 to 3 times, it was good. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? All of the elements were very helpful and useful. The presenters spoke clearly. Were you able to participate during the training? I could speak and talk with Theary, I asked questions during the training. But I cannot remember if I participated in the role play. Which human rights defender did you think was the most interesting? It's been years so I forget, but I remember there was a slideshow about stories of human rights defenders. After the training, how well do you feel like you understand the concepts presented? During the training the instructors shared the stories of the defenders and I thought it was very good. My knowledge of human rights has improved. Do you feel like the lessons are applicable in Cambodia? Yes. For exmaple, in school there are some pressures, for instance I want to provide extra classes for students and charge for them, but the school limits how much I can charge. At the training I learned about having the courage to speak up and talk about that. Did you talk to anyone after the training about what you learned? I have been able to share with some teachers who also want to get involved with Theary, those who are on the opposition side. Have you talked to your students about it?

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My students are small, they are in 2nd grade, so they wouldn't understand. What was the response from teachers? I shared about the good elements of being a member of CITA. CITA helps us defend our rights. Those who don't want to become members, I cannot talk to. Did you talk about anything other than CITA? No, I only talked about CITA. Did you discuss it with anyone other than fellow teachers? People in your family, friends, community? No. Was this the first training you attended? Yes. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? They should take place more often. More teachers would come. Other than that, don't change the training.

Name: Nop Chanrith Position: Teacher at Monivong High School How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the information from CITA. I wanted to debate about defending rights under pressure, and learn how to debate and defend our rights. Did you find the training useful? The training was very useful. Before I was not bright, didn't know what was right and wrong, and I was afraid. But after the training, I became brighter and started to know what was right and wrong and had the courage to defend. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? I think the book was good and clear. Regarding courage without borders, the book presents the defenders' struggles. They can get their rights and are brave. Now I know that. After reading, I got knowledge and can apply it in my situation, I can think of people who abuse their power and put pressure on me, which is not right. Have you stood up to these people? It depends on the situation and circumstances. But I know in my heart now who overuses their power. If the time is right, I will stand up. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were

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particularly helpful or unhelpful? Playing a role was the most useful because of the way they act. Were you able to participate during the training? I just listened because the time was limited and there were so many attendees. Which human rights defender did you think was the most interesting? I cannot remember. After the training, how well do you feel like you understand the concepts presented? I feel that I can understand a lot about human rights, but understanding is different than expression, which is difficult. Do you feel like the lessons are applicable in Cambodia? Almost 90 percent of what we learned is applicable, but it's very difficult to express our rights here. Did you talk to your students after the training about what you learned? I shared about democracy and current aspects of Cambodia, such as that democracy is not fully implemented.

How did they respond? They say yes when I share, but I don't know their thoughts or what is in their hearts. How often are you able to share? The topics are my favorite, so every 2 hours I teach, I try to keep 10 minutes aside for teaching these topics. I always reserve this time in my schedule. I teach 18 hours per week. How many students do you have and how old are they? I teach ages 13 through 16. I have 3 classes, and 45 students or more per class. Some of my students come back after class and tell me that what I teach is right. Did you talk about anything other than your students? I share a lot with my friends, family, and other teachers, especially those who have not joined CITA. How do they respond? They agree and think it's good what I share and would like to follow. What do you share with them? I share that they should dare to stand up, recognize their rights, have courage, and that they should not be afraid. Was this the first training you attended? I previously attended one workshop organized by Rong Chhung.

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Can you compare the two? Rong Chhung's workshop was also about the right to debate for our rights in society. Theary added the courage without borders element. Both were useful in their own way. Theary encouraged us to defend our rights and that we must have the courage to speak. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? The trainings should be conducted more often to awake more people. If more people gather to join, they will understand more and get courage. If more people understand their rights, we will have more success.

Name: Mao Noun Position: Teacher at Far High School How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I was invited by another teacher. I didn't know about the topic when I attended.

Did you find the training useful? I found it useful. They talked about books, history, and the struggles in the lives of the defenders. They taught us how to have courage and to be brave. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? I read some parts of the book. It's good, it presents history and struggles. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? I think all the elements were very useful. The slide presentation attracted my attention, the role play helped me remember for a very long time. I have a child so I don't have much time to read, but because of the play I can remember anyway.

Were you able to participate during the training? I was able to discuss in the small group, but I was not the representative. I also read aloud. Which human rights defender did you think was the most interesting? I can't remember the names, only the pictures. The one that stuck with me the most was the one of the person with the black scarf over their head and a rope around their neck. After the training, how well do you feel like you understand the concepts presented? Before, I felt like I didn't have any courage and was not brave. After the training, I found people supported me to have courage.

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Like who? Theary, she motivated me to have the courage to speak. Do you feel like the lessons are applicable in Cambodia? If we join together, they can be applied. If we are alone, then we cannot do it. For teachers, there are regulations not allowing them to participate in politics. It is impossible for me as an individual, as a school it might be possible. Did you talk to your students after the training about what you learned? I talked with students and put the book in the library. Can you tell me more about what you told your students? When the time allows, I ask students to read the book in the library and tell them if they have questions to come to me. I just encourage students to read the book. Do you know if any of them have read it? So far none of them have come back and asked me about it, so I don't know if they read it. How many students do you have? Before the training, I taught 2 to 3 classes, but soon after the training I switched to working in the office of the school so I don't teach anymore. Did you talk to anyone else? Immediately after the training, I talked to my family. How did they respond? They just listen. Was this the first training you attended? Yes. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? I think that the training is good enough. There were a lot of people and there was a lot of discussion.

Name: Lab Sophorn Position: Teacher at Chhrey High School How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the info from CITA. I love those who are independent. Did you find the training useful?

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Yes, it was very useful. It taught me to have courage, to debate and not just follow the law, if we know what we're following it's wrong. Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? The book is good because it teaches us to have courage. I shared the book with students, I give it to them to read during class and afterwards I collect it back. I took 7 copies with me from the training, and I shared them all. I also shared it with my nephew who is also a teacher and I gave it to my son who gave it to his painting teacher. How did the students respond? They said it was good. Up to today, I still include the concept of the book in my teaching. I teach 3 classes of 38, 33, and 25 students each. The students seem to like it, they come to talk after class. I have not had a classroom-wide discussion. What do you teach the students? I advise them that if they are asked to do something which is not appropriate, to please not do it. I tell them to be brave and speak and have the courage to speak. They respond well to this. Have you noticed any changes in behavior? They have become braver. For example, some teachers who do something inappropriate to them, they dare to speak and tell other teachers and they ask the other teachers to report it to the principal. When I got such information from a student, I told them that they were brave to tell me. I further encourage students to say what they don't like about other teachers. Have you reported any other teachers to the principal as a result? No, because I just changed schools, so I'm a new teacher. I have a lot of students and they reported inappropriate things done by teachers, but I felt uncomfortable reporting the teachers in a new environment, I didn't want the other teachers to immediately hate me. Can you give an example of inappropriate behavior? [she asked that we don't publish the following outside of this report] In sewing class, the teacher asked students for 2000 riel for no reason. Some poor student quit school because of this. I asked the poor student to come study with me and take extra classes, and I asked another teacher to enroll the student so that they didn't have to be in class with the teacher who asked for money. Do you feel pressure from your school not to speak? I don't know about the new school's thoughts on me. At the old school, I was considered a member of the opposition, but there are lots of opposition teachers, and they did not want me to leave. Did you tell your family and friends about what you learned at the training? I gave the book to my husband and son to read and I talked with people in my

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community. They responded that the book was good. Did their behavior change at all? Not really. The villagers are not as good as my students. I really want to share with people in my community because I want them to stand up together and defend their rights together. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? All of the elements were helpful and useful. Which human rights defender did you think was the most interesting? I cannot remember. I remember the pictures. I keep in my heart that we should have the courage to defend our rights. For example, some teachers really want to stand up and defend but they are trouble so later on they are intimidated so they don't have the will to continue. You said you had your students read the book during class, which parts? I gave parts to them, but I can't remember which. Not only the ones from the training, but also others. How often do you teach your students about human rights? Once a month I give them the book, and almost every hour I tell them to stand up for themselves. I teach 12 hours per week. Was this the first training you attended? Yes. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? I think you should continue to have trainings, but don't let there be so much time between them or people start to lose courage. I have courage, but we need something to keep feeling this way, to motivate the attendees.

Name: Louch Sothea Position: Teacher at Wat Domrey Sot Primary School How did you hear about the training and why did you choose to attend? I got the information from CITA. The reason I decided to attend was because I wanted to learn about human rights and democracy. Did you find the training useful? The training was not only useful for me but for others. We need to understand what the rights are in order to understand our roles in practicing and implementing our rights.

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Was the curriculum (book) presented easy to follow and understand? Can you comment on the content, word choice, clarity, etc? The content is good and the spelling is ok. The book taught me about rights and not to allow my rights to be violated by others. I not only used the book myself, I also put it in the library for students. Students are old enough to be able to read this. Was the structure of the training easy to follow? Were there any parts that were particularly helpful or unhelpful? I was most interested in the slide presentation about the history of the heroes and heroines. After that, the play was also very useful as it looked like we watched a live play. Which of the human rights defenders did you find most interesting? I cannot remember the names, but I remember the story of a black man who struggled for freedom and made it and became the president of South Africa. Were you able to participate during the training? I read aloud but didn't join in the play role, and I also asked some questions.. After the training, how well do you feel like you understand the concepts presented? Because time was short so the training was conducted quickly, although I paid attention, I only understood about 80 percent. Do you feel like the lessons are applicable in Cambodia? I think it can be used in Cambodia because now we need democracy. Did you talk to anyone after the training about what you learned? I shared with a lot of people about human rights and how we should defend our rights without violence. Who did you share it with? With not only my students, but my friends and friends who are teachers and neighbors. I love listening to the radio about human rights. There is a program broadcasting at 9 to 10 am so I get a lot of knowledge from that program. What was their response? Mostly the listen and say that the ideas are good. Have you observed any changes in behavior? They want to learn and tell me that if there is another training, they would like to go. Can you tell me more about what you told your students? Specifically I taught them about the rights to life, education, to know more about human trafficking, and the right to vote. How did they respond?

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When they got the info, they were happy and understood their rights and that they shouldn't allow themselves to be cheated or exploited in the workplace. How often do you tell your students about human rights? More than 15 times per month. How many students do you have? Over 400 between ages 12 and 18. Also, every year I teach 52 to 57 students who are in training to become teachers, they are between ages 20 and 25. Do you teach them specifics from the training? I teach them in general what I learned at the training and on the radio, but no specifics from the training such as the stories. Was this the first training you attended? I used to attend a forum and studied at a private school where they also included human rights in the curriculum. Do you feel pressure not to talk about human rights? After the training there was pressure, I put the book in the library and the school didn't want it there, but I insisted on doing so and the book is not related to politics. Do you know if anyone has read the book you put in the library? I knew there were some students reading it because I saw them reading it. It stands out because the cover art is black so it draws attention. When I observed, they were focused on reading it, sometimes they shared with their friends, but mostly they just sat and read. Do you have any suggestions for improving future trainings? More people should be allowed to attend. Only 50 attendees were allowed to attend so when more people wanted to join they were refused. [the count from our sign-in sheet has 124 attendees so not sure how he came up with 50] The training should be two days long. I pay really close attention because I would like to share with others, and I want others to get an education and not be cheated or exploited and not to be nave.

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Conclusion:
The Speak Truth to Power curriculum combines instruction on basic human rights concepts and international human rights law with stories of human rights defenders throughout the world. The lessons were designed with a multiplying effect in mind; the aim was not to go to schools directly, but rather to teach teachers, monks, and other authority figures who could then spread the lessons. This strategy worked: almost all of the teachers said that they had taught their students, who number in the hundreds, about the lessons. Thus, we could estimate that while there were only 1758 attendees at the trainings, they actually reached about 144,867 students, not counting the number of people listening in to the radio programs organized by monks and villagers, friends, and family that the attendees spoke to. While changes can and should be made future trainings can benefit from a more streamlined structure, increasing the length of the trainings, and reaching more government officials the STTP trainings in Cambodia have thus had a significant measurable impact, reaching over 1 percent of the overall population and 11 percent of secondary school students across Cambodia. Ultimately, teachers, monks, and community officials interviewed expressed a strong enthusiasm for STTP and shared stories of its transformative impact. STTP has the power to create more knowledgeable, engaged, and active citizens and human rights defenders in Cambodia. In a country grappling with its history and human rights record, as well as its current political regime, this is crucial. Cambodia cannot hope to better its human rights situation if citizens are uninformed about their rights and the rights of others and/or are unwilling to speak up to protect these rights. STTP, with its focus on education and bravery, is thus incredibly applicable in Cambodia, as indicated in the testimonials collected. Further trainings will amplify the successes already enjoyed and expand and maximize the benefits to students, teachers, and ordinary citizens throughout Cambodia.

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