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Youth Festival 2007
Kampong Cham Provincial Town
March 10-11, 2007
Almost 8,000 Cambodian youth and villagers attended the second annual "Youth Festival" organized by the International Republican Institute (IRI) with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The two-day event was co-hosted by the local NGO Youth Council of Cambodia (YCC). More than 30 NGOs, universities and private companies presented interactive activities and seminars on a variety of topics including democracy, local governance, leadership, gender, banking services, information technology, elections, public health and HIV/AIDS. During the opening ceremony, H.E. Sim Sokpry, Deputy Governor of Kampong Cham, emphasized the important role that education plays in shaping the future a Cambodia's youth and how it contributes to the development of the country.
To kick off the festival, students participated in a marathon, with the winners awarded prizes. Other Youth Festival activities and exhibitions included mock TV interviews hosted by YCC in collaboration with TV5; a pavilion sponsored by IRI that aimed to inspire young people to be active in politics; a quiz on democracy issues; a seminar on "Safe Migration" presented by the NGO "Friends"; a seminar on "Land Safety" by ADHOC; blog training conducted by Open Forum; and a movie and musical show on HIV awareness presented by Catholic Relief Services. The Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia (COMFREL) also hosted an "Election Workshop" attended by approximately 100 community members involved in the upcoming April 1st commune council elections.
Another highlight of the festival was the taping of the final episode of the "Youth Leadership Challenge," a television series patterned after the American TV show "The Apprentice" starring Donald Trump. The Cambodian version tests young leaders each week on various techniques for constructively engaging the government and citizens on good governance issues. The final challenge tested the competitor's public speaking skills, and the audience members selected the winner by secret ballot.