I mentioned that April included the Khmer New Year's break and I really should mention something about it. Our moto had a flat tire and all the nearby repair shops were closed, so we stayed close to home. We cooked The Cow Climbed the Mountain (a sort of Khmer hot pot meal) with friends at the home of our language tutor, worked on our rooftop garden, visited our team leaders' home for chocolate chip pancakes, and lounged around in front of the fans. It was nice.

It was really nice to see the city so sleepy and calm - very unusual and a big contrast to when it came back alive again. Plus, the broken moto gave me a great incentive to ride the bike to work again and that has been a nice change of pace. I'll have to discipline myself to do it even when the moto is available.

At any rate, the break is over and we are busy again. we have been busy and will soon be busy again - off to Laos on 29 for Regional Meetings (and a few days of rest). So it will be even slower on the blogging side for the next few weeks....

But since I am here, I'll mention a tiny bit about some of our work projects. Holly and I just completed a literature review for Peace Bridges about family violence in Cambodia. (A rough draft is available here.) PB provides training for community peacebuilders, and one of the most common requests is for more specific training with family conflict and violence. The next stage of the research will be a survey and assessment of Cambodian programs addressing domestic violence, but we are waiting to begin until staffing issues are sorted out. We hope to have a pilot program developed by next spring and a specialization course to train peacebuilders in related issues in a year. Because we offer training and services on the interpersonal side of the spectrum, PB complements a lot of the advocacy work being done in Cambodia, so we're excited about the possibilities ahead. For example, in response to some interviewing I did for the literature review, we partnered with LICADHO to offer an International Women's Day Event in Kandal Province. Nearly 2,000 people attended a public drama educating the general public and local authorities about domestic violence and the 2005 law on domestic violence. In addition, PB is partnering with a provincial NGO in a restorative justice project, teaching prison guards and inmates about nonviolence and communication skills. The recidivism rate after the training has dropped significantly.

Lots of good things are happening, and it's nice to be a part of it. A good way to start a new year!

PS I will link to Peace Bridges'new weblog, still under development, for all those who are curious. :)