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Equitable Cambodia was formed out of the localization of the international solidarity organization Bridges Across Borders Cambodia (BABC) and was registered as a Cambodian national non-governmental organization in March 2012.
BABC worked to support people's action for inclusive development, social justice and human rights in Cambodia from 2003-2012. During that time, it successfully fought poverty and deprivation through the establishment of child protection facilities, formal and non-formal education, leadership and harm reduction programs from which over 6000 children and youth benefited, and through community-based development initiatives that increased the food security and improved the health and well-being of over 5000 poor and vulnerable Cambodians.
BABC was a leading advocate of land and housing rights in Cambodia. Through media and legal advocacy, coalition building, policy research and lobbying at the national and international level, BABC helped to elevate the issue of forced evictions and land-grabbing in Cambodia and made international development agencies more accountable and responsive to this pervasive human rights problem.
BABC was also engaged in extensive efforts to support human rights defenders and expand access to justice through the development and implementation of community empowerment and legal awareness programs. BABC developed ground-breaking popular education curriculum on international human rights law, domestic law, and strategies that communities can employ to defend their rights in the face of forced displacement. It trained grassroots facilitators from fifteen Cambodian provinces and municipalities and supported them to use these materials to raise awareness and empower thousands of people in threatened communities across the country.
Equitable Cambodia is now carrying on this work under Cambodian leadership. Equitable Cambodia is governed by a Board of Directors and managed on a day-to-day basis by an Executive Committee, comprised of the senior management of the organization. The Executive Committee is coordinated by Mr. Eang Vuthy, who serves as the legal representative of the organization.
The overall goal of Equitable Cambodia is to transform the national development model into one that respects, protects and progressively fulfills the human rights of the Cambodian people.
Equitable Cambodia's strategic objectives for 2010-2012 are:
- Global awareness is raised and international solidarity is fostered around the pressing issues facing poor and marginalized Cambodian communities.
- Poor and marginalized communities are motivated, organized and effectively supported to overcome their common problems and reach their full potential.
- Cambodians are more informed and equipped to defend their rights and advocate for equitable development and accountability.
- The government, development partners and private sector improve respect for land, housing and natural resource rights.
Members:
Resources
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5Avoiding Forced Displacement: A Community Guide to Negotiation and Advocacy (Southeast Asia Edition)
This guide aims to help communities develop “interest-based” negotiation skills and understand how to use a range of tools to deal with the power imbalance between them and those trying to take their housing, land and resources. The guide may be useful to communities threatened with eviction as well as communities that are negotiating solutions for evictions already suffered. It encourages communities to develop a negotiation strategy that incorporates advocacy at key points in order to strengthen their position.
Innovative Approach to Land Conflict Transformation: Lessons learned from the HAGL/indigenous communities’ mediation process in Ratanakiri, Cambodia
In the Mekong region, conflicts between local communities and large scale land concessions are widespread. They are often difficult to solve. In Cambodia, an innovative approach to conflict resolution was tested in a case involving a private company, Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL), and several indigenous communities who lost some of their customary lands and forests when the company obtained a concession to grow rubber in the Province of Ratanakiri. The approach was developed by CSOs Equitable Cambodia (EC) and Inclusive Development International (IDI) with the support of QDF funding from MRLG.
Innovative Approach to Land Conflict Transformation: Lessons Learned From the HAGL/Indigenous Communities’ Mediation Process in Ratanakiri, Cambodia
In the Mekong region, conflicts between local communities and large scale land concessions are widespread. They are often difficult to solve. In Cambodia, an innovative approach to conflict resolution was tested in a case involving a private company, Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL), and several indigenous communities who lost some of their customary lands and forests when the company obtained a concession to grow rubber in the Province of Ratanakiri. The approach was developed by CSOs Equitable Cambodia (EC) and Inclusive Development International (IDI) with the support of QDF funding from MRLG.
Avoiding Forced Evictions: A Community Guide to Negotiation and Advocacy: Participant’s Manual
This guide aims to help communities who face, or have suffered from, evictions by providing guidance on how to prepare for negotiations. Communities can use this guide to negotiate and advocate for solutions or alternatives to eviction that improve the lives of the whole community.
This resource is part of the CCSI’s Directory of Community Guidance on Agreements Relating to Agriculture or Forestry Investment.
BITTERSWEET HARVEST: A Human Rights Impact Assessment of the European Union's Everything but Arms Instiative in Cambodia
While there is ample evidence of state and corporate complicity in the serious and systematic human rights violations that have surrounded the development of industrial sugarcane plantations in Cambodia, nobody has been held accountable and those affected have been denied access to an effective remedy at the local and national levels. Unable to obtain redress through Cambodian institutions, affected communities have turned to Europe in search of accountability.