Graduation Ceremony for Graduates of Community Management Course in Cambodia

By Khim Sophanna, FNF Cambodia Programme Manager

A graduation ceremony was held for 19 Cambodian students who successfully completed the 13-module, distance-learning “Community Management Course” (CMC).

This special event was presided over by H.E. Frank M. Mann, German ambassador to Cambodia and H.E. Rafael Dochao Moreno, Chargé d’ Affairs of the European Commission Delegation to Cambodia.

The course is the result of the cooperation among the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, the European Union and the Cambodian Centre for Study and Development in Agriculture (CEDAC).

The event started at about 2.30 pm on 7 August 2009 when FNF Cambodia Programme Manager Khim Sophanna delivered a welcome remark on behalf of Dr. Rainer Adam, head of the FNF’s Southeast & East Asia office. This was followed by an opening remark by H.E. Rafael Dochao Moreno, EU charge d’ affairs to Cambodia. Mr. Moreno described the 19 graduates as “EU Ambassadors” who would apply their knowledge and skills to help reduce poverty and to promote good governance, democracy and economic sustainability in their respective communities. Dr. Alan Smith, director of the Centre for Local Development (CLD) in Chiang Mai, gave a speech on “Input on Quality Monitoring on Community Management Course”.

Mr. Michael C. Usher, managing Director of the Thai-German Institute - International Technical Services (TGI-ITS), was also present as one of the guest speakers. He spoke of the technical support that TGI provided in collaboration with CLD to ensure the quality of the course. TGI-ITS is an NGO that provides support for European and Thai companies seeking to engage in cross-border commercial activities.

After that, representatives of two CMC students, Ms. Sim Somanita and Mr. Kong Phaloeuk spoke of their personal impressions as successful CMC graduates, what they had learned and how the lessons had benefitted them.

H.E. Frank M. Mann, German ambassador to Cambodia, gave a closing remark. He spoke about Cambodia-Germany cooperation in rural development work aimed at reducing poverty in Cambodia.

After that the German ambassador, the EU Charge d’ Affairs, Dr. Alan Smith and Mr. Michael Usher presented a CMC Certificate of Achievement to each graduate. After the certificate presentation, all the participants posed for a group photo.

Participants were invited to view exhibitions of the distance-learning programme, and joined a cocktail party afterwards.

Launched on 20 March 2007, the CMC course is one of the two main components of the 3-year project running till December 2009. The other component “Capacity Building for Self-Reliance and Sustainable Poverty Alleviation in Cambodia” is conducted in the form of workshops. Taking part in the launch were: Dr. Wilfried A. Herrmann, the then FNF Project director for Thailand and Cambodia; Mr. Theo Kidess, Charge d’Affairs at the German Embassy in Phnom Penh, and Mr. Erik Habers, Counselor of the European Commission Delegation in Bangkok.

The objectives of the project are to contribute to poverty reduction through improved rural community management, better training of commune council members and increased use of economic multipliers in disadvantaged communities. This is carried out in the forms of formal and informal activities, including participatory training programmes and network-building based on "best-practice".

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