柬埔寨實習週誌第三週：12/13–12/17
回溯柬埔寨首都金邊發展的進程，深受戰爭和紅色高棉種族滅絕悲劇的傷害，柬埔寨正在逐步重建自己，並經歷了幾年的經濟增長。戰後由於城市發展，20年來，柬埔寨首都金邊的人口增加了兩倍，許多人從外省農村移居，希冀能找到更好的生活條件（？），不幸的是，這些人往往無法在首都支付租金。這些人與他們預期的財富相去甚遠，這座城市正在努力吸收這些負擔不起首都租金的新居民，然而這樣的城市擴大，使得全金邊有近300個不穩定地區，兒童和家庭生活身處極端貧困狀態，且被邊緣化在首都郊區的貧民窟。這個截至2020年擁有1672 萬人口的國家仍然是東南亞和世界上最貧窮的國家之一。
(English is below.)
據 World Bank 統計，柬埔寨 2020 年 12 月人均國內生產總值 (GDP) 為1,543.699 美元，而 2019 年 12 月為 1,643.121 美元。相比之下，這代表比東亞和太平洋地區平均水平低 7 倍，在這種極端貧困的背景下，許多柬埔寨人很難過上穩定的生活。
實習也來到了第三週，這週跟著家扶柬埔寨分事務所與實習單位 SKO 進到金邊郊區的幾個社區工作。相較於首都金邊市區的繁榮樣貌，社區的房舍與居所衛生環境條件有著明顯的對比，且平房中居住著居住著一家口子的成員，許多NGO與家庭一同對抗貧民窟的極端貧困，無論是家扶與SKO也是眾多組織中的其中一員。
除了參與intake工作外，也進行學用品發放及營養方案相關計畫，參與時浮現許多關於個人、家庭、社區/群、社會與國家發展的想法。許多INGO與NGO 參與援助及發展工作，在長年的工作對於柬埔寨產生哪些影響呢？難以一時全面檢視。與SKO 同仁 Sopheara 聊到在柬國社會結構、社會福利與資源分配等各方狀況，在發展的過程若無上下動員，將很難撼動既有體質，但每個國家/地區有各自的脈絡與發展方式。
而柬埔寨歷經古文明、戰亂、遷徙與殖民的柬埔寨，由20多個民族組成，其中高棉族為民族，占總人口的80%，少數民族如占族、普農族、老族、泰族、斯丁族等。高棉語 (Khmer language) 為通用語言，而英語與法語也列為官方語言，90%以上的人口信奉佛教。柬埔寨發展進程雜揉了古代、東方與西方的文化，即便生活相較已發展國家資源缺乏且帶些混亂，然而卻保有浪漫生活。
一捧色彩絢麗的花草，悠閒的步調，午後慵懶的時光蜷縮在吊床裡美美的睡上一覺，飯後朋友家族聚餐悠閒的高歌與跳著群舞，雙掌合十的敬意與微笑等，這些民族特性深刻地烙印在柬式日常生活中，慢慢悠悠的生活，在力求發展的進程中，看似衝突卻帶些和諧。尚在體會特殊的柬式風格。
回憶自己於中東的田野實踐，總想著從 Outsider 進到場域實踐時，該如何真正 Engage 當地風格的發展方式，真正進入日常？當逐漸成為 Half-insider 時，該如何拿捏主觀與客觀的距離呢？將疑問放在心上。
已逝的知名美食旅遊作家 Anthony Bourdain 曾說：
「你經歷著這人生，經歷這世界，你改變著人生，你改變這世界，不管多麼細微的改變，你終究留下了一些印記。而與其同時，你的人生，你的旅程，也會對你造成印記。很多時候，這些印記是美好的，無論是在身體上，還是心靈上；儘管偶爾，它們也令人傷痛。 」
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”
― Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach
身為藝術(教育/參與)、文化研究的從業人員進到發展領域，又能提供怎樣整合與創新的想法呢？這趟學習與探索自我的旅程還在繼續，也不會有終點。
乾爽的柬國冬季，依舊炎熱。
The Slow Grace of Cambodian Days
Cambodia Job Shadowing Weekly Journal
Week Three: December 13–17
Tracing the history of Phnom Penh’s development, Cambodia — deeply scarred by war and the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge genocide — is gradually rebuilding itself and has experienced several years of economic growth. In the post-war period, driven by urban expansion, the population of the capital Phnom Penh has tripled over the past two decades, as many people have migrated from rural provinces in the hope of finding better living conditions (?). Unfortunately, these newcomers often cannot afford rent in the capital. The gap between their expectations and reality is vast. The city is struggling to absorb these new residents who cannot afford urban rents, and this urban expansion has left nearly 300 precarious areas across Phnom Penh where children and families live in conditions of extreme poverty, pushed to the margins in slums on the outskirts of the capital. This country, with a population of 16.72 million as of 2020, remains one of the poorest nations in Southeast Asia and in the world.
According to World Bank statistics, Cambodia’s GDP per capita in December 2020 was USD 1,543.699, down from USD 1,643.121 in December 2019. By comparison, this is seven times lower than the East Asia and Pacific regional average. Against this backdrop of extreme poverty, a stable life remains out of reach for many Cambodians.
Now into my third week of the internship, this week I accompanied both the Taiwan Fund for Children and Families (TFCF) Cambodia branch office and my internship organization SKO into several communities on the outskirts of Phnom Penh. Compared to the prosperous appearance of central Phnom Penh, the contrast in housing conditions and sanitary environments in these communities is stark. Single-room dwellings house entire families, and many NGOs — among them TFCF and SKO — are working alongside these households to confront the extreme poverty of slum life.
In addition to participating in intake work, I also took part in the distribution of school supplies and programs related to nutrition initiatives. Many thoughts surfaced during these activities — about individuals, families, communities, and the development of societies and nations. Many INGOs and NGOs have been involved in aid and development work here. What impact has all of this long-term effort actually had on Cambodia? It is difficult to assess comprehensively in a single moment. In conversation with SKO colleague Sopheara, we touched on Cambodia’s social structure, social welfare, and resource distribution. In the process of development, without mobilization from both above and below, it will be very difficult to shake the existing system — yet every country and region has its own context and its own way of developing.
Cambodia has passed through ancient civilization, war, displacement, and colonization. It is composed of more than 20 ethnic groups, with the Khmer as the dominant ethnicity making up around 80% of the total population, alongside minority groups such as the Cham, Phnong, Lao, Thai, and Stieng peoples. Khmer is the common language, while English and French are also recognized as official languages, and over 90% of the population practices Buddhism. Cambodia’s developmental trajectory is a blend of ancient, Eastern, and Western cultures. Though life here is less resource-rich and somewhat more chaotic compared to developed countries, a certain romantic quality of living persists.
A handful of brilliantly colored flowers and plants, a leisurely pace, a drowsy afternoon curled up in a hammock for a long, beautiful nap, friends and family gathered after dinner for casual singing and group dancing, hands pressed together in respectful greeting paired with a warm smile — these qualities of character are deeply etched into the rhythms of Cambodian daily life. This unhurried, gentle way of living, set against the relentless drive for development, seems contradictory on the surface, yet carries a certain harmony within it. I am still slowly absorbing this distinctive Cambodian sensibility.
Reflecting on my own fieldwork experience in the Middle East, I have always found myself asking: when moving from being an outsider into a field of practice, how does one truly engage with local ways of development and really enter the fabric of everyday life? And when gradually becoming a half-insider, how does one calibrate the distance between the subjective and the objective? I carry these questions with me.
The late food and travel writer Anthony Bourdain once said:
“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.” — Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach
As someone working in arts (education and participation) and cultural research who has entered the field of development — what kind of integrated and innovative thinking can I contribute? This journey of learning and self-exploration continues, and it will never truly have an end.
Cambodia’s dry winter season. Still hot.