CAMBODIA Takeo, ‘memory and identity’ at the annual meeting of Catholic universities

The 28th annual conference of Aseaccu was held from August 23 to 27 at the San Pablo Institute. The association brings together 86 members and is based in the Philippines. During the working days, a visit was also made to the “extermination camps” where the Khmer Rouge massacres were perpetrated. Vicar of Phnom Penh: starting from “different cultures” it is essential to always find “our identities”.

Phnom Penh () – It was a space for deepening the “historical and political memory” of Cambodia, the social development of the country and other Asian realities, identities and social problems in the current scenario. These were some of the many points that animated the four days of meetings and debates promoted by the entity that brings together the main Catholic educational institutions of Southeast and East Asia. The work, however, was not limited to the classroom: it was interspersed with visits to local communities, exchange of experiences and presentation of activities. And also, it was the occasion for an interfaith prayer meeting and a stop at one of the places made famous by the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge: the Choeung Ek killing field, 17 km southwest of Phnom Penh.

From August 23 to 27, the 28th annual conference of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities of Southeast and East Asia (Aseaccu) was held. The appointment was at the San Pablo Institute, in the province of Takeo, in the south of Cambodia. On this occasion, the participants debated a particularly important and sensitive topic for the host country: “Memory and identity”.

Aseaccu, based in the Philippines, is a regional forum recognized by the Vatican and belongs to the International Federation of Catholic Universities. It has 86 members, including the San Pablo Institute itself, the only Catholic higher institution present in Cambodia. The Asia-Pacific Forum was created to promote Catholic higher education and contribute to pedagogical dialogue at the international level, which transcends the regions in which it is present.

The key issues addressed by the attendees were Identity, culture and reconciliation in Cambodia -and in the countries of the region-. Msgr. Olivier Schmitthaeusler, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, also spoke on these points, underlining, as he says Churches d’Asie (EdA), that “although we face different cultures, we must always remember our identities” as a starting point. During the four days of work, he added the prelate, the meetings and reflections acquired a special value “given that Cambodian society is still immersed in a process of reconstruction after the Khmer Rouge regime.” This conference, he concluded, should encourage us to “explore our culture and our world” and help us “live in today’s world, preserving our memory and our history” in order to “build our identity and forge our future.”

The Cambodian Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Naron Hangchuon, also participated in the workshops. “In the current global context,” he said, it is necessary to find “new ways” to offer “quality education to students.” As the fourth industrial revolution continues to “shape the global economy and workforce,” he added, young people “have to prepare for a new world stage” and schools “have to change their curricula to meet future goals.” “.