Mainstreaming Peacebuilding Initiatives in Local Cambodian Communities

Peace-building in post-genocide Cambodia has become the work of numerous local and international organizations. These initiatives oft represent international organization agendas which may or may not benefit Cambodian people. This capstone thesis focuses on the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee-Cambodia (CRWRC-Cambodia). For over 10 years CRWRC-Cambodia has, through its community organization programs, supported several local community-based partner organizations. My research explores how CRWRC-Cambodia\u27s local community peace-building program addresses conflict resolution, domestic violence, community organizing, and restorative justice. This capstone begins with a brief examination of Cambodia\u27s historical and present day contexts and continues with specific overviews of Cambodian-based international peace-building non-government organizations, and, in particular, CRWRC-Cambodia. Included is a description and overview covering two 2008 training workshops designed for partner organizations. In the capstone, CRWRC-Cambodia\u27s peace-building program is evaluated using John Paul Lederach\u27s seminal work, Preparing for Peace: Conflict Transformation Across Cultures. Finally, some practical recommendations are respectfully proposed to strengthen CRWRC-Cambodia\u27s peace-building program