Stirring the Fire founder Phil Borges about his recent trip to Cambodia to document the work of CASC and Youth Star.

I recently returned from Cambodia where I documented two organizations that the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence against Women is supporting in its effort to end violence against women.  Although the issues we covered were extremely difficult (acid attacks and domestic violence) it was heartening to see the effective and creative solutions that are being developed to improve the conditions of women in the developing world.  My team and I spent nearly three weeks documenting the Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity (CASC) and an organization called Youth Star.

Phil and Ashlee in the field © Danielle Prince 2011

Today almost every NGO I’m working with is asking for film as well as stills to get their message out.  To handle this extra work-load I have started taking interns on these documentary excursions.  I can’t tell you how wonderful it was to have Danielle Prince and Ashley Larson’s help as we worked together to develop and shoot the stories for both organizations.   In addition to taking fastidious notes, collecting model releases and helping with sound, Danielle kept up a running blog of our experiences.  Danielle has a Masters degree in International Development Studies and is currently working for a Seattle based organization addressing domestic violence.  In addition to watching over me, Ashlee helped with sound, manned a second camera on all our interviews and collected some of our B-roll.  Ashlee just graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Photography.

Danielle and Ashley recording audio and footage

I have several upcoming trips for the UN Trust Fund so if you are interested in this type of experience please click here to learn more and fill out our intern application form.

I was extremely impressed with the work both CASC and Youth Star were doing.  It was especially exciting for me to see how effective recent university graduates were in addressing an issue as sensitive and complex as domestic violence.  Danielle who is very experienced in working with the victims of domestic violence was extremely impressed with the accomplishments of the graduate students volunteering for Youth Star.

I want to thank Mao Vutha of Youth Star and Ziad Samman from CASC for all the logistical support, introductions and background information they provided during our stay.

Look for the media we collected soon on StirringtheFire.org!

Phil in action © Danielle Prince 2011

Youth Leadership for Violence-Free Communities

Empowering and engaging youth as actors for change is a fundamental but underemployed approach for ending violence against women and girls. Youth Star Cambodia is an NGO that provides Cambodian university graduates an opportunity to gain experience and develop their civic leadership skills by working as volunteer interns in underserved rural areas. With support from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, Youth Star Cambodia enlisted 20 university graduates for a year-long volunteer service in an education and youth-led mobilization programme to address domestic violence.

Working with youth and other community members in districts across rural Cambodia, the volunteers created space for dialogue and education on values, sexual rights and gender relationships and sparked community action to prevent gender-based violence. While the youth volunteers themselves gained a range of skills and experience in mobilizing youth for action and change, the youth credited the programme with improved relationships, decreased violence, a sense of value and place in their communities, and increased school attendance.

Ending Violence against Women – Acid Burns

Acid burning is one of the most extreme forms of violence that causes severe physical and psychological scarring, and social ostracism. The victims of acid violence, largely women and girls, are often left with limited access to medical or psychological assistance, no legal recourse, and no means of livelihood.

Acid Survivors Trust International (ASTI) is the only organization in the world focused on combating and eradicating acid burns violence at the international level. In Cambodia, ASTI partners with Cambodian Acid Survivors Charity (CASC) to provide vital services to survivors of acid burns violence. With support from the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, ASTI and CASC assist women survivors of acid violence to receive justice and to rebuild their lives. The organizations also sensitize and empower local communities to stand up against acid violence.

The UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women, managed by UN Women, is a leading source of support for local and national efforts to end violence against women and girls. Join the UN Trust Fund in this vital work—for more information on how you can support the UN trust Fund click here.