| New study highlights status of youth civic participation in Cambodia |
PHNOM PENH, 21 July 2011
Cambodian youth feel optimistic about the overall direction their country is taking but face challenges on the way to a meaningful participation in the political and socio-economic life of Cambodia. A lack of knowledge and understanding of democratic processes and difficulties expressing issues of concern are among the obstacles to greater youth participation as citizens, a study said.
The United Nations Development Programme released the findings of the nation-wide Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) Study on youth civic participation and the media in Cambodia on Thursday. UNDP commissioned the BBC World Service Trust to conduct the study with the objective to support greater civic engagement, participation and interaction between the government, civil society and citizens through better understanding of youth awareness and participation in democratic processes.
The baseline study involved face to face interviews with 2000 youth aged 15-24 discussing civic participation, knowledge of democratic institutions and electoral participation. It showed that respondents’ knowledge of democratic institutions and their roles was very limited, particularly of elected bodies such as the Parliament and commune councils.
Continue reading
Photo: http://khmernz.blogspot.com
