Plant Trees in Cambodian Community Forests

As part of the Community Peacebuilding Initiative (CPI), the Peace Bridges Organization (PBO) actively promotes and supports religious cooperation in their efforts to protect and conserve the Prey Lang forest areas. With a strong focus on community engagement, the PBO works in close collaboration with the Prey Lang Community Network (PLCN), local authorities, and religious leaders to organize special ordination ceremonies that serve as powerful messages of forest protection and conservation. These unique ceremonies bring together community members, local authorities, and religious leaders, fostering a sense of unity and shared responsibility for safeguarding the precious Prey Lang forest. Through their active participation, religious leaders demonstrate their commitment to environmental stewardship, emphasizing the significance of preserving this vital natural resource for future generations. The involvement of local authorities in these ordination ceremonies further strengthens the collective effort to protect the forest. This collaboration ensures that all relevant stakeholders are actively involved in shaping the future of the Prey Lang forest. The ordination ceremonies serve as a platform for dialogue and cooperation of religious leaders, local authorities, and community members also helps to raise awareness among the wider public about the urgent need for forest protection and conservation.

Links:

• Tree Ordination by PLCN in Stung Treng
• Tree Ordination by PLCN in Phreah Vihea
• Tree Ordination by PLCN in Sandan Kampong Thom

Local faith actors play very important roles in caring for environment and natrual resources protection and conservation in local communities. A few of PBO's Community Based Organizations (CBOs) inlcude Prey Lang Community Network, Kbal Khlar Community Forest, Boueng Thom Fishery Conversation, Anlong Tbagn Key Fishery Conversant in Sadan District, Kampong Thom province work together across leadership of their communities to plan and mobilze resources inlcuding local religous leaders from three religions and belief to dialogue about the teaching of their faiths in caring for all creations what they can do to contribute to their local natrual resources proection and conservation. The three main religions and belief include Buddhist monk and Bhuddist followers, Christian leaders and anamists. Local authgorities include village, commune and district leaders, local police. The participatns include local teachers and studrents as well. Ther event was co-lead by a local group of women were trained and coached by PBO to engage in their community's issues inlcude domestic violence, child protection, gang violence and natural resources protection and conservation. At the end of the program all participants took part in fish release into Boueng Thom conservation lake.      

Links:

• Interfaith Fish Release Event Facebook post