ESTRUCTURA DEL DEPARTAMENTO DE MANTENIMIENTO

Many of the village respondents who had some awareness of the program or particular initiatives attributed the work being done to one person, the Conservation and Community Program’s Community Engagement Officer. With the team made up of three foreigners and two Khmer nationals, it quickly became obvious that the community engagement was mainly being carried out by the Khmer nationals in the team. When asked if this had been a strategic decision Jackson replies:

“Yea of course, it is easier to build the trust, it is easier to go to the community, they understand the culture, they know about the language. It is easier for everyone; it is more effective as well with the communication thing. I think that as long as we can trust Nisay and Samay as those mediators with the initiatives and everything then I think it is the best approach to have always have locals be the ones who are with the locals, by locals I mean nationals…Sometimes when they are doing a workshop or an educational activity and you have the foreigner speak then they will be more interested because they are supposed to have larger knowledge or something like that…For the knowledge of the foreigners keep that for a strategy thing and for the everyday just use locals.”

Jackson, Male, 18-30, Conservation and Community Program

How the team is choosing to interact with the community is fundamental to the relationship that is forming between the two groups. In my time in the village opportunities for interaction with the local community were not taken up by the expats in the Conservation and Community Program team. Six days of the week my translator held a free English class, often with over 50 children in attendance. Parents and onlookers would stop by each day, and a few teenagers and adults were regulars to the class. This presented a perfect chance to meet people in the village, build relationships, and trust. There was a constant call for native English speakers to participate as it this was viewed as being beneficial to the class. These calls fell on deaf ears among members of the Conservation and Community team.

It is not only how the Conservation and Community team are engaging with the local community that was of interest, but also how the local community are being invited to participate in initiatives. In relation to community participation I asked respondents in the village if they had ever been involved

in any of the initiatives from the Conservation and Community Program. There was a definite variation in responses.

Figure 6.3 Local level engagement

Members of the Conservation and Community discuss the new marine management area with Community of Fisheries leadership.

The Village Leaders who had been most aware of the program viewed the relationship between the two groups as positive and explained they were often involved in meetings and workshops (see figure 6.3 above).

“They [members of the Conservation and Community Program] come very often, like they always come and sometimes we need free time, they come too much. Yes they have like project and they come to ask for the Community [of Fisheries] ideas. They say that they work like partners and because our community is Community of Fishery it comes first. It is recognised from the province and from the King like that.”

Heng, Male, 31-50, Village Leader

However it was not solely the village authorities that had been invited to participate and there were others in the community who had been asked to share their ideas.

“He said about the idea of the village cleaning, waste management he was involved to give the ideas. Last time…he worked with Mr Nisay so he shared the idea. Before they did not have the rubbish bin yet just the bag around every house but because the animal they like to grab it and eat it out, it was still messy so right now they update so they have rubbish bin.”

Lack of awareness about the program meant some respondents had no idea that workshops or anything similar ever took place. Others explained that they had been invited to participate in ceremonies or workshops, even if they had never actually attended. It was suggested that people in the village were invited to participate in initiative blessings, but not asked to share their ideas about community development.

“So normally the people they just come for the ceremony blessing or something, something like that, but for the idea for how to develop the community they never come.”

Ponleu, Male, 31-50, Other Livelihoods

There was a sentiment in the village that the Conservation and Community Program engagement was mainly taking place with the local authorities rather than at the grassroots.

“They ask the ideas from the Community of Fisheries but from him never. They ask ideas from the Community of Fisheries but from the local people not really.”

Sokha, Male, 18-30, Fishing

During my time in the village there was a workshop held with the Community of Fisheries. Mr Nisay, from the Conservation and Community team, had visited Pulau Weh in Indonesia earlier in the year and was sharing what he had learned about their locally managed marine areas (LMMAs). From the village, 13 men, two women, and two children attended. Following a power point presentation a series of questions were put to those attending to spark discussion. The discussion revealed the attendees interest in working with other Community Fisheries in the area as well as with the Navy. They were explicit in wanting to become more involved in local decision making. While they recognised the challenges of having limited access to funding they also contributed ideas about what they would like to see in their community fishery area in the future. This workshop clearly indicated that there were Community of Fisheries members, both men and women, who had a strong desire to be actively involved in their local fishery’s planning, management, and decision making.