Youth For Peace (YFP) is a Cambodian NGO that believes that sustainable peace and reconciliation have to be firmly rooted in local communities. We believe that youth can be motivated and empowered to play a constructive role as change agents for such peace and reconciliation at the local level.

Youth for Peace (YFP) has started memory work at Samroung Knong after the consultation process on memory initiatives in 2009. Since then the community memorial committee established and capacity building developed. 

From 2013 to 2014, YFP received funds from Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) through the Victims Support Section (VSS) of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) to implement this project. Within this project the Samroung Knong Community Peace Learning Centre was built.

The first time Oung Puon and Mam Yeat were married in 1978, under the Khmer Rouge’s forced marriage program, it was on the pain of death.

“They came for us in the night, about four or five cadres, and forced us and five other couples to marry without our agreement,” said Puon.

“They called our names and told me to take her hand as my wife, then made us give our word we would work for Angkar [the Khmer Rouge leadership] 100 per cent.

These short portraits are mainly taken from the rank and file Khmer Rouge - mostly ex-soldiers. Most never joined the Revolution of their own accord - they were conscripted as young adolescents into the military, "the absolute tool of Angkar", it was called. They will give you interesting details about their everyday experiences and the Pol Pot regime. Still, these interviews were not carried out in vain as a number of features of Democratic Kampuchea were confirmed, while even some new details have been revealed. One soldier said Phnom Penh had been evacuated because "we were afraid of the enemies hiding inside". Another female cadre claimed she was always kind to those who took a rest, but after being warned twice, the security had to be told in case of a third failing, because "what you are told to do must be done".

The past 10 years of our work paved the way for a bright future of Youth for Peace. The lessons from our successes, failures, and encountered challenges are significant steps in moving forward to a peaceful and promising future. In the next 10 years, YFP as well as the new initiative of the Peace Institute of Cambodia will continue its fi rm mission to make remarkable changes in the grass-root communities as well as in the Cambodian society as a whole. We hope that an increasing number of young people will continue to engage in peaceful solutions to social conflicts and participate in a sustainable social development which brings about a culture of peace and a culture of democracy.