Over the last decade, an increasing number of research projects and client services, both formal and informal, have been implemented to address the needs of families suffering violence in Cambodia. While this in itself is positive, it is also revealing the depth and extent of the problem. The legacy of genocide and civil war has not only left the scars of cultural trauma on the people of Cambodia, but also destroyed many of the cultural institutions and traditions formerly used to help people prepare for marriage, resolve family conflict, cultivate healthy family systems, and prevent/heal domestic violence.
The purpose of this report is to share the findings of a small case study research project, conducted by Peace Bridges as part of a larger strategy for developing a program to equip peacebuilders committed to supporting healthy family systems in their communities. By employing an holistic, multiple-case study, we hoped to explore how the peace education KASH (knowledge, attitudes, skills and habits) taught by Peace Bridges has impacted family conflict, the context of its applicability, and further challenges and opportunities community peacebuilders experience in transforming family conflict.
Our research was guided by the following question:
How has the knowledge, attitudes, skills and habits (KASH) taught in the Conflict Counseling and Mediation Training (CCMT) better equipped participants to transform family conflict?
This report is divided into four parts:
- Part 1 provides information about the research project: the rationale, objectives, sources of data, and the research team.
- Part 2 provides the context of the research, both generally, in terms of family violence in Cambodia, and specifically, in terms of Peace Bridges' community peacebuilding work. This includes a review of relevant literature.
- Part 3 presents a discussion of the findings, beginning with illustrating the context and type of family conflict participants experienced (objective 1) and then moving on to an exploration of how participants engaged that conflict (objectives 2 through 4).
- Part 4 includes a conclusion & recommendations, relevant both to Peace Bridges' own program development and to other organizations developing strategies and resources for reducing family violence in Cambodia.
