LO 6 GLOBAL VALUE (Engaging with issues of global importance) Issues of global importance can include any issue that is significant on the world stage. Examples of global issues include environmental preservation; gender equality; race relations; child poverty; ageing population; the effect of pop culture on morality and traditional society; freedom of education; freedom of speech; fair trade; disparities in wealth;

As part of our project week trip, we will be working with Krousar Thmey which is an NGO based in Cambodia which provides help to disadvantaged children who are often neglected or are in bad situations. This connects to a large issue in the world which is child poverty. My learning on the issue has been more focused on Cambodia’s specific situation which is that many children in Cambodia are neglected as a result of many factors including the inability of their parents to provide for them. A significant cause of this widespread poverty is the Khmer Rouge which was a civil war that resulted in a large number of deaths. Among these deaths were people who worked intellectual jobs such as teaching which has caused long term effects on Cambodia’s society.

Child poverty is a significant issue because it is not fair that someone is born into a lifestyle in which they have to spend each day worried about where they are going to get their next meal or if they have a safe place to sleep at night. Child poverty often prevents an education which has life long implications and results in the repetition of the poverty cycle. Education is the foundation for achieving other sustainable goals.

I am yet to go on the trip however I doubt the impact that my involvement will have on the children we will be working with. Because our time with them is very limited our impact is not going to be very large and considering the type of activity we will be running with them I doubt our impact will any lasting positive results. The activity that we intend to run with the children will be English based and will hopefully increase the confidence of the children when speaking in front of other people. This might have a positive impact on their presentation skills. Although our participation will not directly save them from child poverty (which is what Krousar Thmey does), it may give develop skills that could benefit them in the future.

I think that my learning about this issue has made me a bit more knowledgeable about the struggles that other people go through and in turn how lucky I am to be born into the situation I am. I have yet to go on the trip however I question whether our involvement is more out of self-interest as we need project week to fulfil our personal goals or whether it is aimed at benefiting the children, or perhaps both. Acting in self-interest is not necessarily bad but may impact how effective the help we provide to the people we work with is, which is what is most important. I think that prioritising education is important however I think I held this belief prior to the planning of the activity.