CORDE Background

• Purpose
• History
• Vision
• Mission
• Organized Structure
• Collaboration
• Legal Status

Purpose

The Cambodian Organization for Research, Development and Education (CORDE) was initiated in 1994 as "a private, non-profit, and non-political voluntary development organization to facilitate social transformation of communities in Cambodia through transformation of individuals. To raise the quality of human life and well-being of individuals, families and communities, CORDE enhances individual capacities and capabilities by engaging the communities to determine their own path of development and educating and training individuals for development actions.

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History

In 1993, after decades of political turbulence in Cambodia, elections were held and a multi-party free-market democracy under a constitutional monarchy was established.  Many Cambodians, while living in refugee camps in Thailand, came into contact with Bahá'í development workers and encountered principles that they believed would help their nation rebuild itself.

The most pressing concern in the mid-1990s was the lot of Cambodia's young people, many of whom were unable to attend school, because of both poverty and an education system in need of major reform. At that time it was recognised that more than half of the country's population was under the age of 15. Access to health care - particularly oral hygiene - was woefully inadequate. The war had also stripped Cambodia's landscape of its vegetation. Mines had destroyed the fertility of its soil and made cultivation dangerous. People, unconvinced they would live long enough to see their own harvests, had lost the motivation to cultivate the land. This pitiful situation led a number Cambodians to seek the assistance of the Bahá'í community of Cambodia to develop constructive programs whereby the principles of the Bahá'í Faith and their own skills be applied to the redevelopment of the country.

A group of seven Bahá'ís launched a development agency in Cambodia in 1994 - the Cambodian Organization for Research, Development and Education (CORDE). Under this program, they committed themselves to serving the needs of Cambodians, initially utilising knowledge they had acquired at refugee camps along the Cambodian-Thai border. In its original mission statement CORDE was described as 'a private, non-profit, and non-political voluntary development organization involved in the process of social and economic transformation and of upraising the quality of human life and well-being of individuals, families and communities, upholding the principles of human honour and dignity through the provision of viable and sustainable projects that will enhance their capacities and capabilities, thereby increasing the level of participation resulting in empowerment for a long-term sustained impact.' CORDE's stated aim was to assist Cambodia evolve into a creative, productive and confident society. CORDE was registered with the Ministry of Social Welfare and Community Development and became the first local NGO to be registered thus with the Ministry of Health.

 In its initial years, CORDE's activities were largely focused on building wells in villages and promoting oral and dental health education for children, drawing on the resources of three of its founding members who were dental aides trained by the United Nations at a refugee camp. In 1994, there were only nine dental clinics for a population of nine million people. Authorities were only able to present dental health as part of hygiene education in schools with no means to ever provide toothbrushes for children or youth.

Visiting Bahá'í dentists complemented the resources provided by government dentists.

 Efforts to assist Cambodia's agricultural regeneration were also initiated. A small nursery was developed where young people were trained to grow seedlings. Some 500 saplings of fruit trees were distributed to villagers as a gift from the Bahá'í community, with the understanding that the villagers would grow these trees and their fruit would be fed to their children to improve their nutrition. As the trees grew, previously dispirited individuals, saw their sense of hope for a peaceful future increase.

 It soon became apparent, however, that these populations needed access to additional aspects of education. Decades of warfare had left in their wake increasing suspicion, lawlessness and crime. Family solidarity and moral behaviour was weakened. CORDE began to introduce moral concepts into its educational programs, as well as literacy and language training. One of CORDE's founders organised a pool of teachers to offer informal classes in rural areas, with particular attention being paid to women and early-teenage youth. Occasional educational activity soon evolved into more formal tutorial classes, each day offering two hours of supplementary and complementary education. For a large percentage of the children from poor families, the classes given by CORDE were the only education they were receiving.

 CORDE began to spearhead a project to set up tutorial schools. It was recognised that more tutorial schools could be started throughout the country if assistance for materials, books and blackboards could be provided and extensions built to houses. It was also noted that, while literacy and basic education was the most fundamental need, it needed to be delivered with an approach that went beyond reading and writing, that encouraged participants to learn to express their own ideas with clarity. Using the resources of Stamford College, seminars and modular training were arranged on teacher-training methodology and educational principles. Teenage high school students were recruited and trained to offer literacy classes in their own communities. By 1995, there were some 20 classes with volunteer teachers receiving financial assistance for transport, oil for lamps and stationary for students. Two years later, the number of classes had increased to 35 with more than 500 children participating in Battambang province alone. Another group of weekly classes in the Saang region, multiplied and evolved into a daily fixture. By 2004, CORDE's tutorial classes were reaching some 1000 students in Battambang.

 CORDE has built six formal Centres of Learning and two more in the process of being built in the Battambang province. The students at Centres of Learning – who may be too old for the tutorial classes - are taught moral education, family health and basic agriculture, as well as developing their literacy ability. (for more information on current programs go to: /current.htm)

Critical factors in CORDE's success in Battambang have included the organisations' understanding of the vital role of basic education for poverty reduction and the strength of its grass-roots commitment to expanding access to education. Its influence is also being felt farther afield. In the Reangkesay locality, for example, a public school Principal requested CORDE to conduct moral classes for the students once a week which soon grew into two days a week. In another locality, a UniED student began a children's class. Because of his service, religious leaders requested to start a class and decided to build a grass-roofed school. Through a curricula which is based on spiritual principles, offered in classes and the dedication of the teachers, the attitudes of the children have changed with parents and community leaders requesting CORDE to open more classes.

Cambodia has enthusiastically embarked on its path of growth and development with great determination, assisted by numerous governments and organizations. With as many as 39% of the population living below the poverty line, the government's highest priority has been to promote economic progress and social development. While there are many NGOs working in the area of micro-credit, for example, current developments are largely driven by the conviction that economic activities are central to human well-being. The role of CORDE in Battambang has been crucial to developing the capacity of individuals and communities to commit themselves not only to economic but educational and moral progress. One of Cambodia's principal challenges has been to find a committed group of young workers who are willing to stay in their home districts to serve the needs of their fellow human-beings, and not migrate to work in major cities. Through the training given by CORDE, and  the provision of a small allowance, these workers have stayed and formed a core group dedicated to serving the needs of the community.

Battambang - a vital centre of the country - has yet to gain a significant share of the development efforts accorded to other parts of Cambodia. The creation of wealth and its equitable distribution are indispensable to 'integral development', meaning the necessary development of all participants in the society to play their part in influencing its material and social prosperity. CORDE has discovered that central to this conceptual framework of integral development is the involvement of the local population in discovering their own paths of development. They have also learned, however, that it is necessary to add to this involvement the recognition of the fundamental nobility of a human being and a respect for human honour.

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Vision

To transform Cambodia into a creative, productive and confident society through individual transformation.

Mission

To provide literacy and empowerment programs that incorporate character development for children and junior youth to transform them personally and engage them in social action for the transformation of the community.

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Organized Structure

CORDE is managed by a Board of nine Directors with Mr. Hou Sopheap serving as its Executive Director. It also has an international advisory Board to enhance its learning.

The head office of CORDE is established in Battambang which houses the office of the executive director, assistant director, secretary, and other volunteers.

At the ground level CORDE has established CCLs, with each CCL having a director running its programs with the help of volunteer teachers.

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Collaboration with other agencies

CORDE collaborates and receives assistance from a network of local and international development agencies, such as:

• University for Education and Development, Battamabang, Cambodia
• Institute for Training and Development, Battambang, Cambodia
• Mona Foundation, USA
• Global Kids, USA
• William Masetha Foundation, Zambia, Africa
• Badi Foundation,
• Development Learning Press, Florida, USA
• Yayasan Salam, Malaysia
• Social and Economic Development Services, Malaysia

UniED's faculty and staff collaborate closely with CORDE. All CORDE teachers become trained at UniED and the expectation is for qualified UniED graduates to become CORDE Centres of Learning Directors. UniED graduates are encouraged to use their newly-acquired skills at the local level to carry out community-building activities. Each of the thirteen first intake students who completed their undergraduate coursework, moved back to develop their home communities, not only in various parts of Battambang but as afar afield as the Saang region and Sabah, Malaysia.

The Institute for Training and Development, Cambodia collaborates with CORDE to source for teachers with the right attitudes of service when carrying out its own training and development program

Yayasan Salam, Malaysia has provided a volunteer to serve in CORDE. This volunteer was supported by them financially and assistance rendered was in the Junior Youth Training Programs.

Badi Foundation, Development Learning Press and William Masetha Foundation render assistance through the production of and permission to translate their training materials especially for the training of the Junior Youth.

Global Kids, USA has rendered and is rendering valuable assistance in the establishment of CCLs. Through collaboration with Global Kids CORDE has been able to construct one CCL and assistance has been received for another one.

Social and Economic Development Services, Malaysia have been providing CORDE with teaching and training materials.

Mona Foundation, USA are in the process of collaborating with CORDE in its programs financially

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Legal Status

CORDE has achieved legal status by registering itself with various government ministries. It was first registered in 1994 as a Local NGO with the Ministry of Social Welfare and Community Development, Cambodia. In 1995 it was registered with the Ministry of Health and the first local NGO to be registered as such. In the year 2000 CORDE re-registered with the Ministry of Interior under new rules set up by the Government.

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