GENERATION

MAGAZINE
ISSUE
GENERATION Z
MAGAZINE

ISSUE 5 | DECEMBER 2024

PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
 FOREWORD
Dear Enthusiastic Readers,

Welcome to the latest edition of GENERATION Z MAGAZINE, Issue 5!

This magazine represents the dedication and effort of a passionate team. Each
page reflects the creativity of our authors, the meticulous revisions by our edi-
tors, the captivating designs crafted by our designer, and the invaluable support
from the Head of Library and librarians. Together, we have worked tirelessly to
create a publication that we hope will leave a lasting impression on you.

Generation Z Magazine is Cambodia’s student-run magazine, providing an av-

enue for university and high-school students across the country to share their
research articles and creative work. Circulated through our website and select
printed copies, the magazine offers students and sponsors alike the opportunity
to showcase their ideas and products to a wider Cambodian audience, particular-
ly those with English proficiency.

In a world of constant change and innovation, we aspire for this magazine to be

more than just a collection of articles. We want it to spark imagination, encour-
age critical thinking, and inspire meaningful action. Our focus is not merely on
quantity but on delivering quality content that resonates with and engages our
readers.

Within these pages, you will find a diverse range of themes designed to challenge
perspectives and ignite curiosity. This publication is the result of the collective
dedication of our editors, authors, and university management, whose efforts
have brought this vision to life.

We are excited to share this issue with you and hope it brings as much joy and
inspiration to you as it did to us during its creation.

Warm regards,

ARUNAKA SEAN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
 CONTENTS

Technology and Innovation

02 Is Cambodia going to have Wind Turbines?

Environmental and Sustainability

10 Climate Change

15 From Waste to Wonder: Exploring the Role

of Circular Economy in Cambodia

23 The Climate Crisis

True Crimes and Documentary

30 The Dyatlov Pass Incident

International Relations

42 The Politics, Society, and Economics of

Cambodia During the Cold War

53 Unpredictable Future of Association of

Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

58 How can environmental activism make an

impact in international relations?

Psychology

68 What is going on inside people's head?

75 The Art of Letting Go

79 Is Emotional Intelligence a crucial element?

86 Are high academic achievers deemed to be

successful in their career?

90 Buddhism as Defense Mechanism in Cam-

bodian Society

95 What is the impact of childhood trauma

on the development of courage in deci-
sion-making among adolescents?

Economic and Development

106 Analyzing Market Structure and Firm Strat-

egies of the Tablet Industry in the US

120 Economics and Development of Cambodia

from generation to generation

133 The rise of Artificial Intelligence is notice-

able nowadays. Will it have a positive im-
pact on productivity and economic growth
in the future?

Fiction and Fantasy

142 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: "The

Luckiest Boy in the World"

150 CATS, CATS, CATS!

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Prof. Dr. Meirambek ZHAPAROV

Vice-Rector for Student Affairs
Dr. Meirambek Zhaparov is the Vice-Rector for Student Affairs
and an Associate Professor at Paragon International University
in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

He was an Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Dean

of Engineering and Natural Sciences Faculty at SDU, Almaty,
Kazakhstan, in 2018. He earned a BS degree in Computer
Science at SDU in 2003, an MS degree in Computer Science
at D. Serikbayev East Kazakhstan State University, Ust-Kame-
nogorsk, Kazakhstan, in 2006, and a PhD degree in Computer
Science at SDU in 2013.

His research interests include Microlearning and IT Education,

Computer Science, Project Management, and more. He is also a
member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
“IEEE”.
 CORE TEAM MEMBERS

Ms. Lika Nou

Head of Library

I am Lika, the head librarian, passionate about fos-

tering collaboration and managing teams effectively.
I ensure smooth library operations and events while
embracing opportunities to learn from younger gen-
erations. Leading two issues of Gen Z Magazine has
allowed me to showcase adaptability and innovation
in my work.

Ms. Sokhavattey Rith

Core Team Leader

Greetings! My name is Sokhavattey Rith. I graduated

with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration
and am the leader of the library core team. It was a
pleasure working on this project. I hope everyone en-
joys reading this magazine!

Mr. Sammakara Mak

Media Team Leader

Greetings! I’m Sammakara Mak, a Computer Science

major with a passion for blending creativity and team-
work. As the Media Team Leader for the library core
team, I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with tal-
ented editors and designers to bring this project to life.
It’s been a joy working on this magazine, and I hope
everyone finds it both enjoyable and insightful!
Ms. Phijin Sok
PR Team Leader

Hello, I'm the PR Team Leader for the Library Core

Team, majoring in International Relations and English
Language. I am delighted to work on this project, and
I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.

Ms. Sokuntheary Toem

PR Team Member

Hello, this is Sokuntheary Toem. I am an International Re-

lations student, I am happy to be a part of this magazine.
Hope you enjoys reading it!

Ms. Kunrothny Leyhong

Media Team Member

My name is Kunrothny Leyhong, a Management of

Information Systems student at Paragon International
University. I am passionate in full stack development.
Ms. Rath Seihpech Samol
PR Team Member

Bonjour, I am Rath Seihpech Samol, a student major-

ing in International Relations at Paragon International
University. Being part of the library team and specially
facilitating the magazine’s team help me acknowledge
many skills and meet new people.

Ms. Kannhary Ma
PR Team Member

I am Kannhary Ma, majoring in International Rela-

tions at Paragon International University. I am pas-
sionate about movies, tv shows, books, music, video
games, sports and journaling. I have interest in almost
anything!
EDITORIAL TEAM MEMBERS

Ms. Arunaka Sean

Chief Editor

Greetings, I’m Arunaka a senior from CIA First Inter-

national School. Throughout my learning journey I’ve
been actively involved in both my academics and ex-
tracurricular activities, which has shaped me to who
I am today. Aside from this, I would also seek to find
new hobbies to keep myself entertained and to also ex-
plore more about myself.

Mr. Odom Chhoeurn

Lead Designer

Bonjour! I’m Odom, an Electrical Engineering major with

a passion for design and composition. Joining this project
has been a rewarding experience, teaching me invaluable
lessons in magazine design and writing. Thanks to my
"one-night policy" (aka sleepless nights), I’ve grown sig-
nificantly as a designer and loved every moment of the
journey!

Ms. Angelica Baeck

Associate Editor

Hello! My name is Angelica, and I’m one of the editors

of GenZ magazine. I have a strong interest in inter-
national relations and environmental issues, demon-
strated through my active involvement in a variety of
projects.
Mr. Yousthoninsakd Rith
Associate Editor

Here’s Rith Yousthoninsakd, a grade 12 student at a

high school who is passionate about some stuff. I enjoy
hiking, real and fiction science, reading, and exploring
new things. I’m currently working on one of my big-
gest goals yet, which is to change my life.

Ms. Vouch E Ly
Associate Editor

I major in international trade and logistics and also

have a soft spot for economics. It has always been one
of my greatest desires to be engaged in the writing
world. I strongly hope that I can integrate my writing
ability into my career prospects as an economist in the
future.

Ms. Mardy Hak

Associate Editor

I am a third-year International Relations student with

a deep passion for understanding global dynamics and
fostering cross-cultural dialogue.
Mr. Rathsovannreach Kong
Associate Editor

Reach is a high school student from Cambodia with

a passion for volunteering, community projects, and
smart city initiatives. An award-winning debater and
writer, Reach has also contributed to various communi-
ty projects and received recognition for their achieve-
ments. Balancing academics with extracurriculars.

Ms. Daneih Monya

Associate Editor

I’m Daneih Monya, an editor, and working on this amazing

project has taught me a lot. I’ve also learnt various formats
and enhanced my collaborative skills, particularly with re-
gard to magazine concepts.This has inspired me to dedicate
myself to greater efforts in order to succeed academically
and earn useful talents, hoping that these experiences will
help with my future area of specialization.

Mr. Peter Chea

Associate Editor

My name is Peter Chea. My dedication to Gen Z Mag-

azine has always been the same with my other engage-
ments: recognizing the importance of increasing youth
participation, I am determined to help us voice our
critical ideas, showcase our strengths, and turn them
into tangible action.
Ms. SereyProphea Sarin
Associate Editor

Delighted to meet you, my name is Phea. My passion

has been about the writing arts of literature as well as
guiding. I had a wonderful time as an editor, and read-
ing our generations work is delightful. I hope to read
and review more of our generations works in the up-
coming future.
 TECHNOLOGY &
INNOVATIONS

page | 16
 IS CAMBODIA GOING TO HAVE WIND TURBINES?

Yousthoninsakd Rith
*****
I. Introduction

Due to its ever-growing demand for energy and ongoing environmental

concerns, Cambodia is an enabling factor for renewable energy sources
in wind power. This would include the generation of wind energy using
Wind Turbines. Wind Turbine big giant fan that spins every day on a hill
or a field. We usually see these Wind Turbines in videos, movies, or even
real life. But what exactly is it? Wind Turbine- it is a way of producing
electricity using nature for our everyday usage, including solar panels or
waterways.

Wind turbines need wind to rotate the blades and, in doing so, generate
electricity. Each one produces electricity that is transmitted to a substation
and feeds into the grid that powers our communities. This article looks at
the prospect of wind turbines in Cambodia from the consideration of tech-
nological aspects, wind resources, and economic feasibility.

Figure [2]: Wind Turbines

II. Technological in Wind Turbine

Wind Turbine was first known in 1887 and created by Prof James Blyth
of Anderson’s College, Glasgow (now known as Strathclyde University).
Then came 1888, the first known US Wind Turbine invented by Charles
Brush with a 60-foot or 18-meter height, a rotor diameter of 17 meters,
page | 2
and 144 blades made of
cedar wood. The rotor
was on a vertical shaft
connected to the gener-
ator at the tower's base.
However, with the
huge size of the tow-
er, it only produced 12
Kilowatts of electricity
[3]. That's like 0.5% of
electricity compared to
today's Wind Turbine
with over 2000-3000
Kilowatts per day or
6 million kWh every
year [8]. Figure [3]: World's First Known Wind Turbine

As normal evolution al-

ways happens, the same
goes for the Wind Tur-
bine. Over 130 years,
wind turbines have been
innovative and rede-
signed their components
making them more and
more advanced.

The simple but efficient

design with big compo-
nents including the rotor
Figure [3]: World's First Known Wind Turbine blades, generator, and
tower; mostly the wind
turbine is made out of steel and plastic or fiberglass. The process is just as
shown in the picture.

The genius idea behind the blades made the wind turbines work even
more efficiently. The blades are shaped in a twist shape that’s known as an
page | 3
“airfoil” which increases the aerodynamic efficiency of wind turbine
blades. The blades are created mostly out of fiberglass making them high-
ly durable as well as suffer cracks, and damage caused by the impact of
lightning and birds or openings in the leading or trailing edge, among
other damage. Large-scale turbines typically rotate at 20 rpm (Revolu-
tions per minute), while domestic-sized turbines tend to revolve at rough-
ly 400 rpm. The rotor is connected to the gearbox which increases the
speed of the rotation up to 1200-1800 rpm [1]. The Generators transform
it into electricity and lead it through power cables inside the tower to the
transformer and then it can store or power the consumers. Usually, Wind
Turbine produces electricity that is enough to power over 415 American
homes and 1,100 households in Europe [5].

Wind Turbines have to be very high from the ground to spin more because
wind speed increases with increasing height above the ground, so wind
turbines have to be at least 100 meters tall. Moreover, if we look at it a
modern wind turbine can last up to 20 years and it can be extended to 25
years or longer. [10].

II. Wind Resources in Cambodia

With a height of 100 meters and an average weight of 200 tons, these
large-scale wind turbines typically start turning in winds of 7-9 miles per
hour or 11-14 km/h or 3-4 m/s [9]. In that case, we need to study the wind
speed and the location in Cambodia.

Cambodia, with the wildest and greenest that provides an enormous

amount of wind, there are still outstanding places that have the greatest
potential for Wind power and Wind Turbines. These places are Kampot
Province, Kep, Preah Sihanouk, Kampong Speu, and Mondulkiri Prov-
ince.

These provinces all can endure wind power. We have said above that wind
turbines need 3-4 m/s, but Kampot has over 6 m/s if we take Data for 10%
windiest areas within 100 meters [6]. The same goes for all other places
as mentioned [7].

page | 4
 Figure [1]: Wind data in Cambodia

III. Economic Feasibility of Wind Power in Cambodia

The average cost of a wind turbine is $2.5-$4 millions of dollars but the
offshore turbines can cost up to tens of millions USD. This includes all the
costs of manufacturing, rotor and blades, Generator and Gearbox, installa-
tion and transportation as well as operations and maintenance. While the
expenses are highly significant, they generally hover around $1 million
per MW [4].

Now let’s compare the Costs and Revenues of Wind Power in Cambodia
with a brief example calculation. We’re going to calculate the cost per
Unit of Energy by dividing the total cost of a wind turbine by its expected
annual energy production. This will give us the cost per kilowatt-hour
(kWh) of electricity generated by the wind turbines and then compare
the cost per kWh of wind-generated electricity to the electricity prices in
Cambodia. If the cost of wind power is lower than the grid price, it indi-
cates a potential profit. However, if not it points to a low chance of having
wind turbines in Cambodia.

To our knowledge, the cost of a wind turbine is at least 2 million USD and
its expected annual energy production is 6 million kWh every year. By
dividing it (2 million USD /6 million kWh), we’re going to have “$0.33/
kWh”. Now we’re going to take 780 Kh riels/ kWh as an example [2].
By dividing it by 4100 ($1=4100), the result is going to be “$0.19/kWh”.
page | 5
IV. Conclusion

The wind turbine is one of the great ways of taking nature's power to
our advantage. In this example, the project would result in a loss due
to the high initial cost of the turbine and the relatively low electricity
prices with almost twice the prices. We also need to consider additional
considerations such that the projects are subject to various risks, such as
fluctuations in wind speeds, and equipment failure. These risks should
be carefully considered when evaluating the project's economic viability.
Nevertheless, the broader economic impacts of wind power projects, such
as job creation, technology transfer, and reduced dependence on imported
fossil fuels, should also be taken into account.

After conducting a thorough analysis of technological aspects, wind re-

sources, and economic feasibility, we all can see the result. However, it is
still possible to assess the profitability of wind power projects in Cambo-
dia and make informed decisions about their development.

page | 6
References

[1] Action Renewable. (June 5, 2019).The nacelle. Retrieved from https://

actionrenewables.co.uk/news/how-does-a-wind-turbine-work/
[2] CEICdata. (n.d). What was Cambodia's Cambodia Commodity
Price: Phnom Penh: Electricity on 10 Oct 2024? Retrieved from
https://www.ceicdata.com/en/cambodia/phnom-penh-commodi-
ty-price-index/commodity-price-phnom-penh-electricity
[3] Collin P. (August 27, 2011). Wind Power History – Charles
Brush. MWPS. Retrieved from https://www.mwps.world/
news/2011/08/27/wind-power-history-charles-brush/
[4] Duval. G. (April 5, 2024). Industrial Wind Turbines. Retrieved from
https://todayshomeowner.com/eco-friendly/guides/wind-turbine-
cost/
[5] Duval. G. (September 20, 2024). How Many Turbines Will It Take
To Power an Entire Country? Retrieved from https://todayshome-
owner.com/eco-friendly/guides/how-many-homes-can-be-pow-
ered-by-a-wind-turbine/
[6] Global Wind Atlas. (n.d). Data Cambodia Kampot. Re-
trieved from https://globalwindatlas.info/en/area/Cambo-
dia/K%C3%A2mp%C3%B4t
[7] Global Wind Atlas. (n.d). Data Cambodia. Retrieved from https://
globalwindatlas.info/en/area/Cambodia
[8] Good Energy. (n.d). How much power do wind turbines produce?
Retrieved from https://www.goodenergy.co.uk/how-do-wind-tur-
bines-work/#:~:text=Most%20onshore%20wind%20turbines%20
have,the%20more%20electricity%20is%20generated.2
[9] Graff. F. (August 16, 2021). Specialized machines. Retrieved from
https://www.pbsnc.org/blogs/science/how-much-wind-does-a-
wind-turbine-need/
[10] TWI-global. (n.d). How Long do Wind Turbines Last? Retrieved
from https://www.twi-global.com/technical-knowledge/faqs/how-
long-do-wind-turbines-last

page | 7
Picture References

Figure [1] Global win data. (n.d). Wind data in Cambodia. Retrieved from
https://globalwindatlas.info/en/area/Cambodia
Figure [2] istec. (n.d). Vibration monitoring optimizes wind turbine avail-
ability and maintenance efficiency. Retrieved from https://www.
istec.com/en/vibration-monitoring-optimizes-wind-turbine-avail-
ability-and-maintenance-efficiency/
Figure [3] Shahan. Z. (November 21, 2011). History of wind turbines. Re-
trieved from https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/wind-pow-
er/history-of-wind-turbines/
Figure [4] Tahal. E.(March 11, 2013). Parts of Horizontal axis wind tur-
bine. Retrieved from https://www.green-mechanic.com/2013/03/
horizontal-axis-wind-turbine.html

page | 8
page | 9
 CLIMATE CHANGE

Sathya Chan Meta

*****
I. What is Climate Change?

Climate Change is a long natural term shift on weather and tem-

perature patterns6 and has become mainly the biggest and worst problem
for Earth which connects to living on it. The reason for this is due to the
rapid change driven by human activities that is the largest contributor to
global warming2. Climate change was supposed to be a slow and natural
cause on Earth but ever since the 1800’s, the start of industrial homes, cli-
mate change is being driven to this day in an extreme and horrible factor.

II. The Cause

The origin for this global warming has become one the biggest
problems with a range of consequences that may shorten the chances of
lifes to live properly in 2050 or sooner, is happening because of two
things which are Natural causes and Human causes. The natural causes
are due to the volcanic eruptions or the change of Earth’s circumstances
which actually result in a slow process of climate change just as how it’s
supposed to be. According to NASA,”These natural causes are still in play
today, but their influence is too small or they occur too slowly to explain
the rapid warming”3. What makes it evolve so fast is due to Human activ-
ities most of the time and it is known to start in the 1800’s and for various
reasons. In the start of industrial times, people began to build factories to
manufacture things, depended more on burning fossil fuels as an electric-
ity source, started a massive amount of tree cutting or deforestation, and
more; these actions have caused earth a huge, terrible problem with these
activities. It has a big effect on the environment and society, mainly it has
and is going to cause pollution, fumes in the air from vehicles, factories,
electrical appliances, and the massive amount of fossil fuels burned, that
has produced the heat trapping gas or greenhouse gasses like blanket
page | 10
around Earth’s atmosphere more than usual, year by year.

III. The Outcomes

Undeniably, Climate change has (obviously) had many of the worst con-
sequences caused by the human’s ignorance for about two centuries or
more; the heat rose up from time to time which led to melted ice sheets
and glaciers more than usual, severe storms, and unexpected changes in
weather.etc. These effects mentioned aren’t the only ones, there’s more
of that; the ice that was melted more than usual has caused sea levels to
rise and oceans are becoming warmer 7 and it should be mentioned that
it caused floods that destroyed the homes both Human and Animals if it
can’t be reduced and will disrupted the work people has and may cause
financial problems both for the whole society. For example, a flood in a
certain city may cost a huge amount of money to repair homes, fixing
the roads, offering food and shelter to its citizens may reach millions or
even billions depending on how big the society is and obviously may cost
so much money. A change to the weather patterns may be as bad as the
rising of sea level and causing those problems; mostly people won’t see
it, saying maybe it could be wacky weather but stupidity may be the rea-
son or people just don’t pay attention to it. A change to weather patterns
can cause heat intensive heat waves and a very unstable rainfall either
causing floods or droughts, caused a bigger risk in human health as dark
and dank places may cause more malaria problems, and the effects may
be including gastrointestinal illness like diarrhea may cause a worse ef-
fect such as kidney damage. As a bonus, according to reports, the global
surface temperature has risen to its warmest in the June-August period or
we call summer in the 175 year record, as 1.24°C (2.23°F) was above is
above the 20th century’s average temperature of 15.6°C (60.1°F)5. But
the cause was also because of poor agriculture, landfills, power plants, off-
shore drillings, fracking, and overfishing which makes it a bigger problem
to human society now.

IV. What we can do to stop it

As climate change cannot be stopped, but can be slowed down in the

saying of “reaching carbon emissions to net zero before 2050 or sooner”.
page | 11
People in the world can fix them through simple and practical actions
first then moving to big difficult ones. These actions need to be acted out
before the problem turns worse and worse. Turning off light switches and
electrical appliances, water taps can save both water and electricity and
the more often you do that, the less cartoon emissions it is as we all know
where it all comes from: fossil fuels burned in factories. Riding bikes or
walking on short distances replacing cars or motorbikes can lessen the
traffic and the fumes being exposed out from pipes that making people
cough and splutter, cars and motorbikes are recommended of traveling
long distances but, “it is most recommended that you should use those
electric cars or bikes but it is more likely quite eco-friendly than normal
cars”[2][1]. Solar energy, Hydro Solar electricity power, hydro power or
wind power can kick out fossil fuels as a source of electricity. It is prac-
ticed in every place; there are now solar powered machines and applianc-
es you can use. Cutting back on fossil fuel burning in every country may
sound like a good thing but in the controversial side, poorer countries may
not be able to manage the cut back of less use of fossil fuel as they may
depend on it mainly and sometimes some countries may not, especially
big and rich ones, may not want to cut back unless everyone does, saying
it’s only ‘fair’ that if they do, then the other countries must cut too. But
as a young inexperienced writer, I will leave the political side onto other
matters as I’m not very sure if my statement is right or wrong as it may
be outdated or so wrong and I am no expert at politics. As I had already
mentioned, this problem is also caused because of overfishing, landfills,
agriculture, power plants and more. It should be fixed by both the com-
munity and government through laws on actions, such as laws on fishing,
talking to them and lessen the problem little by little can help them un-
derstand about more acceptable methods of fishing, laws on agriculture,
the government should enforce laws and ban certain harmful chemicals
that farmers use to grown crops and plants, power plants should be built
less replaced by a certain, acceptable energy sources like solar power,
recycling, “upcycling”, and reuse also helps the problem too as using the
things you can use again can minimize the amount of trash poured into the
landfill areas, preserving the forest by planting native shrubs or trees can
help clear out most of the greenhouse gasses over produced, providing a
cool and shady place, building city parks with trees and scenery can help
too and most of all, it is important that people in the whole world must
page | 12
know how bad the rapid climate change can be. You may not be in a
neighborhood of millions or billions but you can start your own expedi-
tion today by doing simple actions and planting trees in your yard (if you
have one) or join a community event that involves helping the environ-
ment or even better, sharing the problem to friends and family especially
kids (maybe in the age of understanding problems or primary school or
older) and I’m sure that some or most kids may be bored of this but it is
important to know that kids will be interested if you make it interesting
and simple maybe they will be, you’ll never know. But as mentioned, cli-
mate change needs to be slowed now or we will be in a disaster in 2050
or sooner.

V. Special Note

I would like to thank you for spending your precious time on read-
ing this long article typed with huge effort. I’m sure you will probably
understand at least a little of my intention of writing this long article.

page | 13
References

Bieker, G (July 20, 2021). A global comparison of the life-cycle green-

house gas emissions. theicct.org. Retrieve October 10, 2024 from
https://theicct.org/publication/a-global-comparison-of-the-life-
cycle-greenhouse-gas-emissions-of-combustion-engine-and-elec-
tric-passenger-cars
Hallisey,K. (May 11, 2022). How Riding A Bike Benefits the Environ-
ment. UCLA. Retrieved October 10, 2024 from https://transporta-
tion.ucla.edu/blog/how-bike-riding-benefits-environment
NASA Earth Observatory. (2010). Is Current Warming Natural? Retrieve
October 10, 2024 from https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/
GlobalWarming/page4.php
NASA. (n.d). Human Activity Is the Cause of Increased Greenhouse Gas
Concentrations. Retrieve October 10, 2024 from https://science.
nasa.gov/climate-change/causes/
NOAA Climate.gov. (September 16, 2024). Seasonal temperature: June
through August 2024. Retrieve October 10, 2024 from https://
www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/glob-
al-climate-summary-august-2024#:~:text=The%20June%20
2024%E2%80%93August%202024,warmest%20such%20peri-
ods%20on%20record.
United Nations. (n.d).What is Climate Change? Retrieve October 10,
2024 from https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-
change
WWF. (n.d). Effects of Climate Change / Threats. Retrieve October 10,
2024 from https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/effects-of-cli-
mate-change

page | 14
 FROM WASTE TO WONDER: EXPLORING THE ROLE
OF CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN CAMBODIA

Ensophea Toch
*****

The image represents sustainability and environmental responsibility, highlighting themes like
renewable energy, eco-friendly practices, innovation, and community collaboration. It encourag-
es a balance between economic development and environmental conservation, promoting green
solutions and global efforts to address climate change.

Introduction

As structure of Cambodian society becomes more urbanized with incre-

mented economic development, the generation of wastes also becomes a
growing problem Waste is created by applying the traditional linear eco-
nomic model of take, make, dispose. But circular economy is a way to get
out of it. This model addresses reduction, elimination, and recovery of
waste, product and material reuse, and renewal and restoration of system
ecosystems. Not only does it lighten the environmental load already bear-
ing, but it is also an opportunity for Cambodia to open its future economy,
foster employment opportunities, and avoid being affected by a disrupted
global supply system. This paper aims at studying different factors in or-
der to understand how Cambodia could transition from a current linear
page | 15
economy, which unnecessary throws away goods, to a circular economy,
one that turns waste into value. The approach upon which this concept is
based focuses on the need to reuse the resources within the economy and
avoid disposal as waste material, a situation that is in contrast with a linear
economy that leads to use and dump fashion. Del focuses on designing
out waste, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural
systems.

Circular Economy: An Overview

The concept of the circular economy is based on the idea of designing

economic activities in a way that they create zero waste, either by reus-
ing, recycling, or regenerating resources. It emphasizes the importance
of closing the loop between production and consumption, ensuring that
resources are continually cycled through the economy rather than being
disposed of as waste. approach stands in stark contrast to the traditional
linear economy, which often results in products being discarded after a
single-use cycle.

Key principles of the circular economy include:

● Designing out waste and pollution: Products and services are cre-
ated with the goal of minimizing waste production and environ-
mental footprint at their disposal moment.
● Keeping products and materials in use: Products and materials are
used for as long as possible, and this is done by recycling, repair-
ing, remanufacturing, and sharing.
● Regenerating natural systems: The circular economy supports
techniques that help to heal the planet, including soil regeneration
and the use of renewable energy.

Globally, the use of circular economy principles has already signaled what
could be the next economy. For instance, most of the European countries
are in the process of developing circular economy strategies with a broad-
er focus encapsulating waste and recycling and resource and production
efficiency.

page | 16
Cambodia’s Challenge

In Cambodia, population has been on the rise for the last few decades and
rapid urbanization has led to enhancement of wastes. The generation of
wastes in Cambodia has been gradually increasing over the past twenty
years due to economic development and shift of the consumption pattern.
In the developed world’s large cities like Phnom Penh, the management
and disposal of garbage face problems due to the growing generation of
waste. As for now, Cambodia has not eliminated traditional approaches
to waste disposal, including landfilling and open burning. Unfortunately,
all these methods are rather unsustainable and prove dangerous to the en-
vironment. Methane that is found in landfills causes climate change, and
open burning releases toxins in the atmosphere, degrading air quality and
human health standards. Moreover, there has been a lot of plastic littering,
including marine life, through the improper disposal of the waste prod-
ucts.

Plastic pollution and the environmental crisis are significant challenges

today. Municipal solid waste contains a large percentage of plastic waste,
and current waste management practices contribute to the pollution of
land and marine environments. Non-biodegradable plastics persist in the
environment for hundreds of years, posing long-term threats to both eco-
systems and human health. Given the scale of Cambodia’s waste problem,
continuing with a linear economy model is unsustainable. Shifting to a
circular economy could offer a viable solution to effectively address the
country's waste issues while promoting sustainable development and en-
couraging more resilient economic practices.

Potential of a Circular Economy in Cambodia

The concept of circular economy holds a number of opportunities for

Cambodia, more specifically in the agricultural, construction, and man-
ufacturing industries. Implementing circular concepts in these sectors
could potentially minimize waste, reduce the utilization of these resourc-
es, and increase productivity. For example, applying lidar to agriculture
could help enhance the circularity of the sector, including encouraging re-
generative farming with the benefits of healthier soils and less reliance on
page | 17
chemicals for production of the foods we consume.

Agriculture is of great significance for Cambodia’s economy; the sector

is represented by 40% of employed citizens. However, the sector is a ma-
jor player in transmitting environmental degradations such as soil exhaus-
tion, water wastage, and pesticide contamination. Adoption of circular
economy initiatives like reuse of water, recycling of waste, and reduction
of carbon could help transform Cambodia’s agriculture into a more circu-
lar economy-powered sector.

For instance, changing the organic waste into biofertilizer could sequester
off the synthetic fertilizers, enhance soil structure, and directly recycle the
nutrients back to the farming system.

A circular economy in the construction industry can be defined as the

ability to design buildings for possible disassembly and reuse of build-
ing materials, as well as reducing and recycling construction waste. The
construction industry in Cambodia has recently been experiencing steady
growth; although resource-consuming, it leads to high waste and pollu-
tion outputs. New trends within the building sector show that through
embracing environmentally considerate measures like recycling materials
or designing for modular or prefabricated systems, the industry can still
record growth as it preserves the environment.

Manufacturing is another potential area that could be associated with cir-

cular innovation in the Cambodian context. Given the relatively high lev-
els of textile waste generated in the country’s garment industry, applying
circular models could be helpful. Waste textiles could be upcycled to pro-
duce new fabrics, thus cutting out the use of virgin materials and lowering
the demanding resource consumption processes.

Case Studies: Local Initiatives Making a Difference

Although the shift towards circular economy may sound like a herculean
task, there are already several local actors in Cambodia that are applying
the circular economy principles and achieving remarkable achievements.
These case studies thus show that small-scale undertakings translate to
page | 18
systemic change in a society and therefore have positive externalities on
both the environment and the economy.

● Plastic Brick Enterprises: One example is the emergence of the

use of plastic waste by some young people who start an entre-
preneurship of making so-called ‘’eco-bricks’’, which are used in
construction. These plastic bricks are constructed from non-recy-
clable plastics, which, if left, would only end up in the landfill or
litter around. Almost all these businesspeople interest themselves
in the reduction of plastic pollution while offering economical and
sustainable building solutions. The use of eco-bricks has been felt,
especially in the rural areas where there is high demand for afford-
able shelter.
● Waste Segregation Initiatives: Similarly, in first kind of waste
management decentralized system, local NGOs in some Cam-
bodian communities aim at encouraging households to sort their
wastes. These goals are oriented to increase the people’s aware-
ness regarding the proper sorting of biodegradable, reusable, and
non-reusable waste. Recycling should also involve waste segre-
gation to enhance the amount of material that is recycled, reduce
the amount of waste dumped in the nearest dumpsite, and promote
composting of organic waste. For instance, being a source of fer-
tilizer for organic waste and getting paid for recyclable waste can
be sold to companies for recycling, hence earning the low-income
houses an extra income.
● Recycling in the Informal Sector: Wastepicking as an informal
sector remains important for the management of wastes in Cam-
bodia as it involves individuals who manually collect and sell
waste that can be recycled. Despite this, it is worth noting that
waste pickers play a great role of providing recycling as a service
within the country. There has been an attempt to professionalize
the sector where some organizations have been offering to train
the waste pickers, offering them appropriate working tools and
paying them adequate wages. To increase the effectiveness of re-
cycling schemes, improve waste collection practices, and provide
the collectors themselves with better working conditions and op-
portunities, the informal sector has to be incorporated into official
page | 19
 waste management plans in Cambodia.

The activities shown in the above local initiatives prove that circular
economy practices could be scaled up in Cambodia. If encouraged and
supported by the government, with the involvement of private compa-
nies and international organizations, such activities can be scaled to other
problems of waste management in the country.

Challenges and Opportunities

However, there are a number of difficulties in implementing a transition

toward a circular economy in Cambodia. These are nominal access fa-
cilities, fewer people's awareness about the services, and poor research
of legal policies. Nevertheless, these are issues that offer the chance for
introducing novelties, investing, and cooperating.

● Infrastructure and Technology: The shortcoming follows the

absence of appropriate structures for the collection, recycling,
and composting of waste in Cambodia—a key hindrance towards
implementing a circular economy. Whereas there are established
waste management facilities in some of the urban centers, most of
the rural areas do not have these services. However, the country
requires new money for the development of supermaterial recy-
cling centers and new types of technologies dealing with waste.
Other solutions may include perennial waste-to-energy technolo-
gies, which entail the collection, recycling, and disposal of waste
and recycling of waste to energy.
● Public Awareness and Behavior Change: Yet another major is-
sue is the absence of public understanding concerning waste and
the circular economy as a whole. For the greater part of Cambo-
dian society, recycling and waste reduction remain a strange con-
cept that they do not understand. New consumer behavior and the
call for more sustainable consumption will necessitate awareness
creation and immediate policy nudges to encourage consumers as
well as business organizations to embrace circularity.
● Regulatory and Policy Support: Having an effective regulator
and good regulation laws in place are key for enabling the circular
page | 20
 economy. There is thus no well-coordinated framework to devel-
op policies and strategies towards waste reduction and resource
efficiency in Cambodia at the moment. But there is now an awak-
ening; the government has now developed an eye for these prob-
lems. Currently, the Ministry of Environment has been develop-
ing policies in a bid to enhance the management of waste as well
as the application of circular economy principles. To speed up the
change, it is necessary for Cambodia to consider other countries’
case studies that have adopted some policies for the implemen-
tation of a circular economy, for example, the Circular Economy
Action Plan of the European Union member states.
● International Collaboration: Hereby advanced international
cooperation, Cambodia’s transition to a circular economy can be
presented. Expanding cooperation with countries adopting the cir-
cular economy approach may give Cambodia skills, grant support,
and an opportunity to obtain relevant technologies. Non-govern-
mental organizations, global institutions like the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP), are already present in Cam-
bodia and fund circular economy projects in the country, as well
as act as information amplifiers on the necessity of proper waste
management.

Conclusion

Cambodia, as any other country in the world, can successfully transition

from the linear economy of waste to the circular one. Applying the con-
cept of circular economy, Cambodia can turn waste into wonder, make
our environment cleaner, the economy more resilient, and the lives of the
next generations better. Cambodia has a unique opportunity to become a
regional leader in changemaking and set an example for other countries
in Southeast Asia to follow almost immediately. Cambodia can achieve
long-term economic development that conforms to the principles of effi-
cient resource use, careful handling of natural resources, and strengthen-
ing of environmental standards with the proper policies, investments, and
partnerships.

page | 21
References

Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2020). The circular economy: A transfor-

mative COVID-19 recovery strategy.
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org
European Environment Agency. (2019). Circular economy in Europe: De-
veloping the knowledge base.
https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/circular-economy-in-eu-
rope
Clean Up Mission Cambodia 2023 - 2025, UNCRD.
https://uncrd.un.org/sites/uncrd.un.org//files/11th3r_ps-3-ppt-5.
pdf
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES). (2022).
https://www.iges.or.jp/en/publication_documents/pub/researchre-
port/en
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2021). Turning waste
into resources: UNDP's support for circular economy in Cambo-
dia. UNDP Cambodia.
https://www.kh.undp.org
Ministry of Environment, Cambodia. (2023). National environmental
strategy and action plan 2023–2030. Ministry of Environment,
Cambodia.
https://www.moe.gov.kh
World Bank. (2021). Waste management in Cambodia: Opportunities for
a Circular Economy.
https://www.worldbank.org/cambodia

page | 22
 THE CLIMATE CRISIS

Roathsarakunth Muong
*****
Living in a nation with an environment can assist individuals in alle-
viating stress through nature's calming effect and maintaining health free
from pollutants impact. What exactly constitutes an environment though?

The environment refers to the surroundings and conditions compris-

ing all living things (such as animals and plants in forests and aquatic life).
Non living elements (like water bodies and land under sunlight along,
with rocks and air). Currently human activities are placing strain on the
environment resulting in climate change, the depletion of resources and
the loss of biodiversity. By changing the environment through our actions
we are contributing to climate change, pollution, flood occurrences and
the reduction of forests. In todays world climate change poses a challenge
for nations. The issue of climate action is one of the challenges faced by
our planet. Has detrimental effects on our surroundings. Climate action is
a long-term temperature shift in temperatures and weather patterns, lead-
ing to rising global temperatures, melting ice caps, and releasing green-
house gasses. The greenhouse gasses are causing climate action by using
gasoline for driving a car or coal for heating a building, cutting down for-
ests. There is also another climate change that we call the climate crisis.

A climate crisis refers to serious problems that are causing or are

likely to be caused by global climate change, such as severe weather
events or danger signs of rising sea levels and rising sea levels, habi-
tat loss, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, health risks, and disruptions to
economic activity that have never been replaced by violence or economic
decline in the country. Global warming is causing great damage to human
society and natural ecosystems in many parts of the world. Low-income
countries are the worst affected by the climate crisis. Climate change can
lead to setbacks and destruction like reconstructing infrastructure post a
string of storm induced floods or landslides and the displacement of
page | 23
residences and businesses, in communities near coastlines due to increas-
ing sea levels and landslides.This environmental crisis doesn't just im-
pact the economy. Also brings about consequences such as the distress
stemming from calamities leading to personal financial setbacks and com-
promising national interests—like depletion of natural reserves and com-
munal assets and dwindling biodiversity. The impacts of climate change
extend beyond disrupting the balance of ecosystems that support life and
biodiversity; they can also result in increasingly extreme weather condi-
tions.

Figure [1] Climate Change

Due to environmental pollution and climate change, the country

and the world suffer tremendously and lose a lot. Therefore, the need of
the hour is a sustainability practice which can help reduce waste, remove
carbon or carbon emissions, and assist countries with coping with future
environmental and economic shocks. But what is sustainability?

Sustainability is a development which meets the needs of the pres-

ent without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs. These predominantly concern the provision of stewardship of
natural and economic resources and the provisions of social welfare in a
sustainable framework. In sustainability, there are 3 key areas, but one of
those is related to our topic which is environmental sustainability. Such as
conservation of resources, pollution prevention, biodiversity protection,
climate action, and waste reduction. In conservation of resources, it in-
cludes natural resources to ensure their availability for future generations.
Natural resources are materials or substances that occur naturally in the
page | 24
environment and can be used by humans for various purposes. Regarding
the research, they separate it into main categories, such as The first thing
is that renewable resources are almost all elements of nature that can re-
new themselves. Renewable resources include solar energy, wind energy,
water, sunlight, and geothermal energy. Another one is that non-renew-
able resources are limited in their quantity. It includes fossil fuels, miner-
als, and nuclear fuels.

Figure [3] Sustainable

If we look at the Paris Agreement, it is an important achievement

in international cooperation on climate change issues. The Paris Agree-
ment is an international treaty aimed at limiting global warming below the
optimum 1.5 °C compared to pre-industrial levels. It was adopted by 196
parties in 2015 at the COP21 meeting in Paris and will enter into force in
2016. The agreement provides tools for developed countries to reach out
to developing countries in their efforts to reduce and adapt to the climate.
At the same time, it has created all working districts to monitor and report
the results transparently.

page | 25
 Figure [2] Paris agreement

At the same time, each country has implemented the 17 Sustain-

able Development Goals. In one of those 17, there is a 13th Sustainable
Development Goal, which is about climate action. In our society right
now, we can see there are a lot of actions that relate to SDGs 13, such as
cohorts, workshops, and conferences, which help audiences and partici-
pants gain more knowledge and awareness of climate change. In cohorts
and workshops, participants can grab the opportunity to know more about
the problems and solutions that all citizens should know and do, such as
the 3R, which is about reduce, reuse, and recycle. There is also a competi-
tion whose topics relate to the environment, so there will be more people
to get to know about it. The more people know, the less pollution or cli-
mate change the world will face.

In Cambodia, there are also conferences that share about climate

action and give participants a dictionary and weather from UNDP when
they can use it to do self-learning about climate. The LCOY conference is
one of the conferences that allows participants to get to know more about
climate because the activities that are involved in the event are related to
climate. As citizens, we can help to protect our environment as well, such
as by practicing the 3 Rs, which are reduce, reuse, and recycle things. For
example, reuse the plastic bottle by creative ideas such as making it into
trash bins or accessories that we use for decoration.

To illustrate this point, we not only help the environment, but we

page | 26
also save some cash. Decarbonization is also one of the solutions to deal
with climate change. Decarbonization, or reducing carbon, refers to re-
ducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions in society. Reducing car-
bon by 2030 is also a key to achieving the Paris agreement. Significant
carbon reduction requires substantial investment in low-carbon transport
infrastructure and logistic use of renewable energy sources, resource effi-
ciency, and rehabilitation.

In the future, we also hope Cambodia will become a green country

and develop more green jobs. A green job is one of the helpful solutions. If
more people do it, the world will be better and less polluting. Green work
refers to decent work that contributes to the protection and restoration
of the climate in response to climate change. Green jobs can be found in
the production of green products and services, such as renewable energy,
and in environmentally friendly processes, such as waste recycling. Green
jobs help increase energy efficiency in raw materials, limit greenhouse gas
emissions, reduce waste and water pollution to a minimum, protect eco-
systems, and support climate change mitigation and impact. To sum up,
we need sustainability practices to avoid climate change or any pollution,
which can be very harmful for the environment. So, kill the pollution, or
it will kill us. And protect our environment.

page | 27
References

United Nations Development Program. (2024). វចនានុក្រមអាកាសធាតុ. Open

Development Cambodia

Picture References

[1] Nasa Science. Effect

https://science.nasa.gov/climate-change/effects/
[2] Green Queen. (2024). What Is Sustainability? And Why Does It Mat-
ter?
https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/what-is-sustainability-definition/
[3] Concern Worldwide US.
https://concernusa.org/news/paris-climate-agreement-humanitari-
an-work/

page | 28
page | 29
 THE DYATLOV PASS INCIDENT

Leekieth Sun
*****

Image 1
Around the world, hiking is a popular pastime, especially for those
who appreciate spending time in the great outdoors. While there are in-
stances of injuries when hiking such as a twisted ankle or falling, rarely
are they ever fatal. However, there is one prevailing mystery of a hiking
trip that led to the deaths of nine experienced hikers in the Ural Moun-
tains. This mystery will be later known as the Dyatlov Pass Incident. De-
spite the evidence and facts uncovered, there is still the looming mystery
as to what had caused the hikers to flee from their tents during a storm,
which ultimately led to their deaths.
page | 30
 Image 2
Many have chalked it down to the hikers fleeing from the ava-
lanche. Others speculated that there was a military test nearby, which
noises frightened the hikers, causing them to flee. Whereas some believe
that they fled due to paranormal activities such as UFO sightings. To this
day, there seems to be no consensus regarding the cause of their sudden
departure, let alone the reasons why many of the corpses were found un-
derdressed or why there is radiation discovered on three of the hikers.

page | 31
 Background:

To begin with, there were originally ten hikers present for the ex-
pedition. According to Teodora Hadjiyska and Igor Pavlov in 2015, the
group is composed of eight men and two women. All members are expe-
rienced in long ski tours and mountain expeditions, with some being stu-
dents or graduates from the Ural Polytechnical Institute (Hadjiyska, Pav-
lov, 2015). According to an article by Eth Zurich in 2021, their goal was
a 16-day trip to reach Gora Otorten, a mountain that is in the Sverdlovsk
Oblast, 20km north of the incident. Their chosen route is estimated to be
Category III, which is described as the most difficult. At the time of their
expedition, temperatures can get as low as -30 degrees (Zurich, 2012).

On January 25th, 1959, the group of ten led by Igor Dyatlov arrived
at Ivdel by train, a town located in the Sverdlovsk Oblast. Afterwards,
They departed up north by truck towards Vizhay, the last settlement that
is located so far up north. On January 27th, they arrived in Vizhay and be-
gan their trek towards Otorten (Hadjiyska, Pavlov, 2015). According to an
article by Marco Margaritoff in 2024, Yuri Yudin, one of the hikers, had to
leave the trip early because of sickness. Despite this, they continued their
journey into the Russian wilderness. It is expected that they will return to
Vizhay after their expedition and communicate via telegram (Margaritoff,
2024).

page | 32
 The Incident:

That message
was never sent. The
families of the nine
hikers began to raise
concerns. On Feb-
ruary 20th, a search
party was dispatched
to look for the hikers.
According to an arti-
Image 3
cle by Meilan Solly in
2021, Mikhail Sharavin who was a member of the search party spotted the
corner of a tent poking out of the snow. In the tent, they found supplies
that were abandoned such as vodka, a map, and white pork fat (salo). In
addition, there was a slash that indicated someone cut through the tent
from the inside. Furthermore, there are footprints that lead away from the
tent, seemingly barefoot or with a single boot and socks in frigid sub-zero
temperatures (Solly, 2021).

About a mile away from the tent, the bodies of Yuri Doroshen-
ko and Yuri Krivonischenko were discovered about 1.5km from the tent.
Next to their bodies are remnants of a fire and broken tree branches as
high as five meters. The examiner recorded that both bodies have livor
mortis (blood pooling after death) on their backs, however, Krivonischen-
ko was discovered face up, which suggested that his corpse was moved
(Hadjiyska, Pavlov, 2015).
What was alarming was how little clothing they wore to survive the harsh
temperatures, being discovered nearly naked. Several days later, three
other bodies were discovered, which included the body of Igor Dyatlov.
Dyatlov, and two other hikers, Zinaida Kolmogorova and Rustem Slobo-
din were discovered in poses that indicated their attempts at returning to
the tent (Hadjiyska, Pavlov, 2015).

The last four bodies of the nine hikers were later discovered some-
time in May once the snow had melted enough. The search party found a
snow den dug out by the hikers, but what was strange was that the bodies
page | 33
were found a few feet from their improvised shelter. In addition, they were
better dressed than the first five corpses and there are signs that clothes
were passed to another before death, such as Thibeaux-Brignolle wearing
Dubinina’s hat and coat. (Hadjiyska, Pavlov, 2015). This can be due to
paradoxical undressing, where those suffering from hypothermia undress
believing that it is very hot. The clothes they had taken off would have
been worn by the others.

Image 4
While most of the deaths were caused by hypothermia, at least
four hikers suffered terrible wounds such as a fractured skull, a gaping
gash to the head, and broken ribs. One of the female hikers, Lyudmila
Dubinina was found missing her eyeballs and tongue. Dr. Boris Vozrozh-
denny who had examined the body likens these injuries to the effects of a
car crash (Margaritoff, 2024). What was more concerning was the signs of
radiation present on some of the clothing. Krivonischenko’s sweater, the
waistband of Kolevatov’s sweater and his ski trousers were found to be
unusually radioactive (Hadjiyska, Pavlov, 2015).

page | 34
 Theories:

Official investigations were launched by the Soviet government

after all nine bodies were discovered. According to an article by Bran-
don Specktor in 2021, Russian investigation concluded that all nine hikers
died from hypothermia, supposedly “under the influence of a compelling
natural force.” (Specktor, 2021). Despite this, speculations and theories
ran rampant as to what had happened. Why did they leave their tents with-
out proper winter wear? What did the hikers hear outside that made them
cut their tent open from the inside? What caused them to run in a panic?
What caused these violent injuries? And more pressing, why was there
radiation on Krivonischenko and Kolevatov’s clothes?
According to an article by Becky Little in 2024, one such theory is The
Slab Avalanche Theory. This theory was proposed in 2019 when the Rus-
sian government resumed investigations for the incident. Prosecutor An-
drei Kuryakov proposed that there may not be a traditional avalanche, due
to the slope the hikers had set their tent not being steep enough (Little,
2024).

Image 5
page | 35
 Nevertheless, while there was one test conducted, there are other
contradictory facts to disprove the avalanche theory. According to Ste-
ven Jones (n.d.) the high level of debris and destruction was absent. The
damage to tree lines near the slope and bodies of the hikers is inconsis-
tent with the damage an avalanche can cause. Assume that an avalanche
occurred, they would be buried under a thick layer of snow. Instead, they
were found under a thin layer and were they swept away. In addition, oth-
er investigators couldn’t recreate an avalanche at the slope. Over 100 were
made since the incident, but none could create an avalanche, certainly not
one that could’ve killed some of the hikers so violently (Jones, n.d.).

The closest they ever came to recreating the incident was in April
when snow was melting. But they pitched their tents at the beginning of
February, so it would’ve been impossible for an avalanche to occur. In
addition, due to their experience, they should know not to pitch their tent
on the path of an avalanche. On that note, the tent collapsed on the side
that was not facing the supposed avalanche. And footprints leading away
from the tent to the woods showed that the hikers walked calmly, rather
than run in a panic (Jones, n.d.).

Another theory proposed was strong winds called katabatic wind.

According to an article by Coleman Lowndes in 2021, these winds will
travel down the slope and suddenly reach velocities as fast as the winds of
a hurricane. This would’ve caused the hikers to panic and leave the tent,
leading to their deaths (Lowndes, 2021). However, this is quickly dis-
proven with the calm footsteps of the hikers. If there were indeed strong
winds, they would’ve been blown away or run as quickly as they could
for shelter. In addition, there were no signs that there were strong winds
on the nearby trees.

page | 36
 Image 6
Other theories proposed were a military drill by the Soviet Red
Army in that area. To maintain secrecy, they would’ve conducted their
tests in the Ural Mountains to avoid American surveillance. Many had
speculated that the Red Army was conducting a parachuting drill where
they dropped bombs midair. Furthermore, there are reports written about
orange orbs in the sky around the time the hikers died (Jones, n.d.). This
might explain the terrible injuries suffered by the hikers, their initial panic
when leaving the tent, and radiation on their clothes. This can also explain
the vagueness of the Soviet government when investigating their deaths,
to avoid scrutiny from their own population and alerting the west of their
military activities.

Several supernatural theories were also proposed such as the hik-

ers being attacked by a Yeti, a mythical humanoid creature. This would
explain their panic and grievous injuries. But it doesn’t explain the calm
footsteps nor the radiation. Others proposed that the hikers had spotted or
heard a UFO, which may explain the radiation and initial panic? But there
are no records or further evidence to prove that there was supernatural
activity.

page | 37
 Conclusion

In summary, the Dyatlov Pass continues to remain a mystery yet

to be unraveled. What was supposed to be a 16-day trip turned out to be
a trip that none of the hikers (excluding Yudin) ever returned from. While
the official ruling of their sudden deaths as being caused by a “under the
influence of a compelling natural force.” As a result, this caused mass
speculation on what happened to the hikers. While most seem to think
there is an avalanche, much evidence points to the contrary. Others be-
lieve that there was a secret military test in that area, hence why there
is a vague evaluation provided by the government to maintain secrecy.
Then there are supernatural theories such as attacks from a yeti or UFO.
Nevertheless, there is hope because investigations have reopened in 2019
and hopefully there will be a conclusive finding of what happened to the
hikers.

page | 38
References

Teodora Hadjiyska and Igor Pavlov (2015). Dyatlov Group:

https://dyatlovpass.com/hikers
Eth Zurich (2021). Mystery Solved: What Killed 9 Hikers in Dy
atlov Pass Incident? https://www.futurity.org/dyatlov-pass-inci
dent-avalanche-2510132-2/
Marko Margaritoff (2024). The True Story of The Dyatlov Pass Mystery
– And the Chilling Potential Explanation: https://allthatsinterest
ing.com/dyatlov-pass-incident-solved
Meilan Solly (2024). Have Scientists Finally Unraveled the 60-
Year Mystery Surrounding Nine Russian Hikers’ Deaths? https://
www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-may-have-fi
nally-unraveled-mystery-dyatlov-pass-incident-180976886/
Brandon Specktor (2021). Russia’s ‘Dyatlov Pass’ conspiracy theory
may finally be solved 60 years later: https://www.livescience.
com/dyatlov-pass-incident-slab-avalanche-hypothesis.html
Becky Little (2024). The Dyatlov Pass Incident: Why the Hiker
Deaths Remain a Mystery: https://www.history.com/
news/dyatlov-pass-incident-soviet-hiker-death-mystery
Coleman Lowndes (2021). Two theories for an unsolved Soviet Mys
tery: https://www.vox.com/2021/4/5/22368032/dyatlov-pass-inci
dent-solved-theory-avalanche

page | 39
Pictures References

1.)Futball80 (2012). The Mikhajlov Cemetry in Yekaterinburg. The tomb

of the group who had died in mysterious circumstances in the
northern Ural Mountain.
2.)AdMe (n.d.) First row (left to right): Igor Dyatlov (23), Zinaida Kolm
ogorova (22), Rustem Slobodin (23), Yuri Doroshenko (21), Geor
gy Krivonischenko (23). Second row (left to right): Nikolay Thi
bault-Brignolle (23), Lyudmila Dubinina (20), Semyon Zolotarev
(38), Alexander Kolevatov (24), Yuri Yudin (survivor): https://vat
nikstan.ru/history/pereval_dyatlova/
3.)Dyatlov Memorial Foundation (1959). The rescue group respond
ing to the Dyatlov Pass Incident discovered the tent on
February 26, 1959:
https://www.futurity.org/dyatlov-pass-incident-ava
lanche-2510132-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_
campaign=dyatlov-pass-incident-avalanche-2510132-2
4.)Russian National Files (n.d.). The bodies of Yuri Krivonischenko
and Yuri Doroshenko:
https://allthatsinteresting.com/dyatlov-pass-incident-solved
5.)Gaume/Puzrin (n.d.). Configuration of the Dyatlov group’s tent in
stalled on a flat surface after making a cut in the slope below a
small shoulder.
https://www.livescience.com/dyatlov-pass-incident-slab-ava
lanche-hypothesis.html
6.)Dead Mountain (n.d.). Still: https://www.themoscowtimes.
com/2021/09/02/what-happened-on-dyatlov-pass-dead-moun
tain-hreveals-all-a74959

page | 40
page | 41
 THE POLITICS, SOCIETY, AND ECONOMICS OF
CAMBODIA DURING THE COLD WAR

Soksothearith Chea
Suntry Khou
*****
What is The Cold War?

The Cold War was a serious political and ideological conflict between
the United States and its allies (the capitalist bloc), and the Soviet Union
along with its allies (the communist bloc). The term “Cold War” was used
because there was no direct large-scale military intervention between the
two superpowers. However, they supported their respective allies in re-
gional conflicts referred to as Proxy Wars. The Cold War’s origin dates
back to the time when World War II ended in 1945, after the postwar con-
ference, the Soviet Union was unhappy with how Europe was divided and
the USA began to distrust the Soviet Union together with preventing the
spread of communism ideology. The war ended in 1991 with the fall of the
Soviet Union which marked a victory for the US and the capitalist bloc.

Figure [1]

page | 42
The Effects of the Cold War on Cambodia

As the effect of the Cold War rapidly extended across the globe due to the
conflict between the two superpowers, Southeast Asia was also influenced
by them; especially in Indochina where their influence caused a lot of
destruction and instability in those countries which consist of Vietnam,
Laos, and Cambodia. Cambodia, one of the three countries in Indochina,
bore the heavy effects of the War in all sectors from politics to Society and
the economy for decades along with countless civil wars that took place
during this period.

Figure [2]
a. Politics

For politics, Cambodia has gone through many phases and po-
litical transitions because of the Cold War’s influence. Starting with the
Sangkum era, Cambodia gained independence from France with the ef-
forts of Prince Sihanouk in 1953 which is one of the biggest achievements
of the century due to the influence of the Cold War as the UN wanted to
unify Cambodia and let Cambodia become a neutral state. In 1954, Prince
Sihanouk abdicated the throne and established the People’s Socialist Com-
munity known as the “Sangkum Reastr Niyum”, applying the non-align
government by remaining politically neutral between the two superpow-
ers during the Cold War. However, it slowly met its downfall in the 1960s
as the communist Saloth Sar (known as “Pol Pot”), who received major
communist influence from China due to the Cold War, became the
page | 43
secretary of the Communist Party to oppose the Sangkum government
(Chandler et al, 2024) and establishing the communist organization known
as the Khmer Rouge.

Figure [3]

After the downfall of the Sangkum Regime, in March 1970, a coup or-
ganized by General Lon Nol who subsequently took control of the gov-
ernment by removing Sihanouk from power created the Khmer Republic
Government that was heavily influenced by the US. After the coup, Prince
Sihanouk established a united front government-in-exile supported by
China and North Vietnam by allying with the communist forces led by Pol
Pot. According to Chandler and Overton (2024), the government in this
era was extremely unstable due to corruption, civil wars, and the effects of
the Vietnam War. From 1970 to 1975, the communist forces seized control
of most of the country until Lon Nol’s government collapsed on April 17,
1975, allowing Pol Pot and the Communist Party of Kampuchea or the
Khmer Rouge to take over the government, and thereby putting Cambo-
dia through another major transition from being a democratic or capitalist
state to a communist country in the new government of Democratic Kam-
puchea. The Khmer Rouge applied Mao Zedong’s way of communism
with The Great Leap Forward and established his version of it, creating a
revolution that resulted in the massacre and genocide of the Cambodian
people (Asia Pacific Curriculum, 2024).

page | 44
 Figure [4]

On January 6, 1979, with the help of the Vietnamese troops, the Cam-
bodian rebels fought the Khmer Rouge and took control of the capital
of Phnom Penh. After that, a new Vietnam-friendly government was in-
stalled by the Vietnamese called the People’s Republic of Kampuchea
(PRK). However, the UN opposed the new government in Cambodia and
the seats were given to the Khmer Rouge instead. The new government
followed the USSR’s way of communism. During this period, the effect
of the Cold War showcased itself as the two superpowers competed to get
a hold of Cambodia creating a further civil war in the country based on
the research by Chandler (2024). This resulted in four opposing parties,
the People’s Republic of Kampuchea supported by the USSR while the
Khmer Rouge, the Buddhist Liberal Democratic Party, and FUNCINPEC
were supported by the US. The civil war continued for the next decade
destroying Cambodian politics, until 1991 when the collapse of the Soviet
Union ended the Cold War and Cambodia eventually found true peace
after years of war due to the influence of the Cold War.

page | 45
 Figure [5]

b. Society
Cambodia’s society has made a dramatic change because of the
Cold War’s effect on the country, the society achieved peace for only a
short period at the start of the Cold War during the Sangkum era but later
faced chaos, civil war, and a genocide. In the Sangkum era, as Cambodia
became a neutral state, Cambodia received peace and made way for de-
velopment starting with education, resulting in countless schools and uni-
versities being built across the country. Many youths got higher education
as well as the chance to study abroad. For Sports, many sports facilities
were built, especially the National Olympic Stadium was built to host
major sporting events. Many hospitals, rehabilitation centers, arts centers,
cultural centers, and pagodas were also established which showed that
Sihanouk wanted to develop Cambodia. Phnom Penh was full of modern
architecture with great urban planning which gave it the nickname “Pearl
of Asia” and “the Paris of South-East Asia”.

page | 46
 Figure [6]

Everything was great at the beginning, but at the end of the era, the
civil war started due to the tension of the Cold War that caused the Viet-
nam War to extend into Cambodian land (Tully, 2005) as US President
Richard Nixon authorized aircraft B-52 to bomb the Viet Cong troops in
Cambodia’s territory resulting killing many people and destroying most
of the infrastructures. Moving on to the Khmer Republic era, the society
deteriorated even more as the war between the Khmer Republic and the
Khmer Rouge worsened together with the ongoing Vietnam War. To make
matters even worse, B-52 aircraft from the US bombed Cambodia with
over 2 million tons of bombs, which made the lives of civilians hard to
endure.

page | 47
 Figure [7]

As for the Khmer Rouge era, the society was at its lowest point
as the whole nation went through a genocide. During this dark era, the
Cambodian people have to live in a classless society with the absence of
free markets, no education, no health systems, no justice, no private prop-
erty, no human rights, no proper nutrition, no religious practice, and no
traditional cultures (Cambodia Tribunal Monitor, N. D.). Any opposition
against the government would result in death or being tortured brutally in
prisons and killing fields such as the S-21 prison in Phnom Penh imitating
the Chinese revolution.

After the Khmer Rouge era ended, millions of people were exhausted and
heartbroken, full of emotional trauma as well as depression because of the
loss of their loved ones. Not a single family made it through the regime
without losing a member and some families were entirely wiped out. Even
though the genocide ended, the civil war was still ongoing due to the influ-
ence of the Cold War. As time went on, people slowly recovered from the
traumas and the new government tried their best to rebuild the country by
building the education system, the health system, the security system, the
culture, and the religion (United States Institute of Peace, N. D.). When
the Cold War ended, Cambodia also achieved true peace and nowadays
the government is still trying to maintain that peace, for the reason that
Cambodians are too tired after almost four decades of civil war.

page | 48
 c. Economy

Cambodia gained its independence in 1953 from the French, from

that time Cambodia had received a large amount of economic and military
assistance from the US and France. During the Sangkum era, Cambodia’s
economy was at its peak in every sector from agriculture, infrastructure,
tourism, international relations, education, and industry. Sihanouk spent
heavily on education and health, as he stood quite correct in his belief
that education was the key to modernization. In the mid-1960s the coun-
try’s main exports were still from the primary sector and the country had
built up several secondary industries, these included cement plants, jute,
textile, cotton, paper, plywood factories, and an oil refinery. According to
Summers (N.D.), the government had also sought to develop the country
with plans including a two-year plan from 1957–58 and a five-year plan
between 1960 and 1965 and had opened a blue-water port at Kompong
Som (Sihanoukville) in 1960. In the second phase, the economy faced
major issues due to the civil war outbreak and the Sangkum government’s
dissolution. From the year 1970 to 1975, under the control of the Khmer
Republic, the economy was marked by chronic crises from inflation, the
collapse of exports, a mounting budget deficit, industrial challenges, trans-
portation disruption, and human rights abuse, because the whole economy
depended on the U.S. subventions (Tully, 2005). The Khmer Republic, led
by Lon Nol, faced significant challenges from 1970-1972 as the military
expanded rapidly to confront the Khmer Rouge insurgency, while the ex-
ternal pressures, including US aid restrictions, and further complicated
situations led to the ascension of the Khmer Rouge. The Khmer Rouge
regime, led by Pol Pot, came to power in Cambodia in 1975. During this
regime, the country’s economy was even worse, because the leaders of
the Khmer Rouge were influenced by communism, and the way they led
the country only made every sector of the economy go backward instead.
The Khmer Rouge aimed to eliminate all traces of the old society and start
afresh in what they called “Year Zero”; their goal was to build a society
without classes, with no rich no poor, and everyone lived in the same
place, eat the same food, and did the same job (Vickery, 1984). Econom-
ically, the Khmer Rouge’s policies were radical and devastating as they
forcefully evacuated the urban population to rural areas, worked in the
collective farms, and eliminated currency traffic, and private property,
page | 49
together with markets by eliminating the pre-existing economic and so-
cial structures. The economic policies of this regime led to famine, slave
labor, and a planned decline in agriculture which aspired to make the state
survive on its own without any foreign interaction. Nevertheless, this very
same plan brought down the economy of Cambodia, resulted in the death
of millions of people and was also one of the reasons behind the down-
fall of the regime. Moreover, the Vietnamese military also helped drive
the Khmer Rouge away and installed the People’s Republic of Kampu-
chea with a weak economy. Irvin (1993) states that 1991 the Paris Peace
Agreement was signed, and a pact called for establishing a United Nations
Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC).

page | 50
References

Asia Pacific Curriculum. (2024). The rise and fall of the Khmer Rouge
regime.
https://asiapacificcurriculum.ca/learning-module/rise-and-fall-
khmer-rouge-regime
Blakemore, E. (2022). What was the Cold War—and are we headed to
another one? National Geographic.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/what-was-
the-cold-war
Cambodia Tribunal Monitor (N. D.). Khmer Rouge History.
https://cambodiatribunal.org/history/cambodian-history/
khmer-rouge-history/
Chandler, D. P., & Overton, L. C. (2024). Cambodian Civil War. Ency
clopædia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Cambodia/Civil-war
Chandler, D. P., & Overton, L. C. (2024). Vietnamese intervention. Ency
clopædia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Cambodia/Vietnamese-inter
vention
Chandler, D. P., & Overton, L. C. (2024). Independence of Cambodia.
Encyclopædia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Cambodia/Independence
Facts and Details. (2024). Cambodia’s French colonial period, World
War II, and struggle for independence.
https://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Cambodia/sub5_2a/en
try-2846.html#chapter-0
Irvin, G. (1993). Rebuilding Cambodia’s economy: UNTAC and beyond.
Erasmus Research Institute of Management.
https://repub.eur.nl/pub/19033/wp149.pdf
Summers, L. (N.D.). The sources of economic grievances in Sihanouk’s
Cambodia. JSTOR.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/24491281?seq=3
Tully, J. (2005). A history of Cambodia from empire to survival.
https://cdn.preterhuman.net/texts/history/A%20Short%20Histo
ry%20of%20Cambodia.pdf

page | 51
United States Institute of Peace. (N.D.). Simulation on the Cambodia
peace settlement.
https://www.usip.org/sites/default/files/resources/cambodia.pdf
Vickery, M. (1984). Cambodia: 1975-1982.
http://michaelvickery.org/vickery1984cambodia.pdf
Vickery, M. (1984). Cambodia: 1975-1982.
http://michaelvickery.org/vickery1984cambodia.pdf

Picture References

[1] Klubovy (N. D.). Getty Image. Cold War Glossary.

https://www.thoughtco.com/cold-war-glossary-1779638
[2] Wright I. (2020). South Vietnamese troops raid Cambodia. The
Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/30/south-vietnam-
ese-troops-raid-cambodia-with-us-aid-1970
[3] Broadhurst R., Bouhours T., & Bouhours B. (2015). The golden
years of Sihanoukism: 1955-1966. Cambridge University Press.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/violence-and-the-civilising-pro-
cess-in-cambodia/golden-years-of-sihanism-19551966/14A4A3B5B9AF2C-
9846BCDF518302B5D8
[4] Shutterstock.Cambodian Khmer Rouge Leader. https://www.shut-
terstock.com/editorial/image-editorial/cambodian-khmer-rouge-
leaders-l-r-pol-pot-7812064e
[5] Philip J Coggan (2014). Hun Sen’s Cambodia.
https://pjcoggan.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/hun-sens-cambodia/
[6] Mccready A. (2020). The cyclos, street food and shophouses of
1950s Phnom Penh. https://southeastasiaglobe.com/photos-1950s-phnom-
penh/
[7] Turse N. (2023). Notorious 1973 attack killed many more than
previ ously known.https://theintercept.com/2023/05/23/kissinger-cambo-
dia-deaths-neak-luong/

page | 52
 UNPREDICTABLE FUTURE OF ASSOCIATION OF
SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS (ASEAN)

Navy Keo
*****

Source: Eye on Asia. (n.d.). ASEAN: A regional profile [Infographic]. National Library Board
Singapore. https://www.eyeonasia.gov.sg/asean-countries/know/overview-of-asean-countries/
asean-a-regional-profile/

I. Introduction

ASEAN is a rapidly developing regional organization created by

the governments of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and
Thailand in 1967. Then Brunie, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia
sequentially joined ASEAN. It aims to improve economic growth, cul-
tural development, and social progress in Southeast Asia while promot-
ing regional security and unity among its ten members. Over the years,
ASEAN’s ten members spanned 1.7 million square miles and had a total
population of 673.02 million. This research paper will explore the history
page | 53
and objectives, significant key socio-economic issues, as well as political
structures, and the future of ASEAN. To assist in the analysis of both chal-
lenges and opportunities, especially interms of the need for sustainable
development strategies that promote inclusive growth and environmental
protection, we will examine key areas such as economic integration, de-
mographic change, urbanization, climate change, and resource manage-
ment.

II. History and Objectives of ASEAN

In 1967, in Southeast Asia, the situation was tense because of the

Cold War; therefore, the five countries-Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philip-
pines, Singapore, and Thailand- decided to find a solution to the situation.
They gathered in Bangkok and approved an important agreement, the first
declaration of what would later develop into ASEAN. This wasn’t just a
piece of paper; it symbolized a dedication to working together for a better
future. After the Cold War, ASEAN expanded its membership and deep-
ened economic ties through free trade agreements (Vuong, 2019).
Consequently, their wishes involved peace, a flourishing economy,
and a united Southeast Asia. This included providing mutual support in
cultural and social areas. Additionally, in addition to the goals mentioned
earlier, ASEAN also aims to address global challenges by working togeth-
er on common interests, teaming up with outside groups, and strengthen-
ing regional stability. The ASEAN Charter, which was put into effect in
2007 to strengthen institutions for these objectives, solidifies ASEAN’s
status as a key regional organization.

III. Socio-Economic

Major developments are currently taking place in Southeast Asia.A

2012 ASEAN report indicates that countries are experiencing significant
changes, both in their economic activities and societal lifestyles. The
ASEAN Secretariat confirmed in 2012 that the AEC is encouraging eco-
nomic integration by liberalizing trade and opening up regional markets
more. Additionally, there is a shift in demographics as the middle-aged
and urban populations increase. As well as the development of humans is
on the rise thanks to improvements in education, poverty alleviation.
page | 54
 To begin with, ASEAN, established in 1976, has been focusing on
economic cooperation and integration since its inception. Initially, it fo-
cused on trade in goods but expanded to services, investment, and labor.
According to ASEAN aims to foster regional integration, promote do-
mestic growth, and strengthen the global economic system through local-
ized efforts, thereby fostering a collaborative environment for productive
regional outcomes (Peter). Peter also continued claiming that, ASEAN
emerged to bridge the gap between Southeast Asian economies by fo-
cusing on international economic integration, focusing on extra-region-
al markets like Japan and industrializing Northeast Asia, and identifying
growth opportunities in the industrial world.
Not only that, most ASEAN countries have developed their econ-
omies rapidly in the last 25 years, with four countries including Indone-
sia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand being rated by the World Bank as
“Miracle”. Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam have successfully transitioned
from a plan to a market economy, resulting in increased growth rates and
poverty reduction. According to the ASEAN Secretariat, 2020 Cambodia
successfully pushed its Gini Ratio down from 0.42 in 2005 to only 0.29
in 2019. Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines
also recorded a decrease in income inequality. On the other hand, issues
such as skills gaps in the workforce, income inequality, and the need for a
strong social safety net remain. Indonesia and Laos, for example, appear
to have experienced increasing income inequality over the same period.

IV. Addressing Regional Security

The thing we need to talk about after ASEAN economic expansion

is the association’s regional peacekeeping. To facilitate coordination, co-
operation, and dialogue between member states on regional issues, the ten
ASEAN countries meet once a year. These include terrorism, maritime
disputes, and transnational crime. The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation
in Southeast Asia (TAC) plays an important role for ASEAN in its security
approach, emphasizing respect for territorial integrity and the peaceful
settlement of disputes. ASEAN’s ability to manage regional security in
Southeast Asia has been, and is, limited by two factors: one, the interests
and actions of the great powers, which have defined the parameters of
ASEAN’s security policies; and two, divergent security perceptions and
page | 55
interests within ASEAN, which have defined the limits of intraorgani-
zational cooperation and made it difficult to evaluate the significance of
ASEAN’s stated security objectives (Narine, 1998).

V. Political Structure and Future

The political structure in the ten ASEAN nations differ: Thailand has a
constitutional monarchy; Indonesia a presidential republic; Singapore a
dominant-party republic; Malaysia a federal parliamentary democracy;
the Philippines a multi-party presidential republic; Brunei has an abso-
lute monarchy; Vietnam a one-party socialist republic; Laos a communist
state; Myanmar a military regime; and Cambodia a dominant one-party
constitutional monarchy.
From energy to infrastructure to investment corridors, there are numerous
reasons to be optimistic for ASEAN and for member nation Singapore,
which has long been the gateway to the bloc and remains the location of
choice for firms looking to set up regional headquarters. ASEAN’s GDP,
which was USD3.6trn in 2022, according to the 2024 ASEAN Statistical
Brief, is projected to reach USD 4.5 Trillion by 2030 – likely positioning
the bloc as the world’s leading growth prospect.

VI. Conclusion

In conclusion, this research shows that ASEAN has successfully

promoted economic growth, cultural development, and regional security
since 1967. ASEAN has made substantial advancements in economic in-
tegration, urbanization, and poverty alleviation, yet still faces challenges
like income inequality and inadequacies in workforce abilities. It is cru-
cial for the future of ASEAN through sustainable development to high-
light both inclusive growth and environmental protection. In the future,
ASEAN has the potential to harness its combined power to secure a sus-
tainable and prosperous outcome, guaranteeing ongoing stability and ad-
vancement for member countries in an increasingly interconnected world.

page | 56
References

ASEAN Political Security Community. (n.d.). Association of Southeast

Asian Nationals. https://asean.org/our-communities/asean-politi-
cal-security-community/
Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (1978). 10 years ASEAN (pp.
14–15). Jakarta: ASEAN. Call no.: RSING 309.2233 TEN.
Narine, S. (1998). ASEAN and the Management of Regional Security.
Pacific Affairs, 71(2), 195–214. https://doi.org/10.2307/2760976
Putra, S. (2024, April 23). ASEAN Statistical Brief – Vol 7 (April 2024) |
ASEANstats Official Web Portal. ASEANstats Official Web Por-
tal | ASEAN Secretariat Statistics Division Official Web Portal.
https://www.aseanstats.org/publication/asb202404/
The ASEAN Secretariat. 2021. ASEAN KEY FIGURES. file:///D:/POLS/
ASEAN/ASEAN-KEY-FIGURES-2021-FINAL-1.pdf.
Vuong, T. S. [Trường Sa Production]. (2019, October 23). What is ASE-
AN? [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/WAnfj8v5acM?si=x-
aBL0hMgzZMUU5B6

page | 57
 HOW CAN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISM MAKE AN
IMPACT IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS?

Kansokunthean Orm
*****
Abstract

In this article you will explore the powerful role of environmental activism
in shaping international relations and policy where the Climate change is
rapidly increasing. Environmental activism is defined as the collective ac-
tions taken by individual and group to protect the environment, fostering
awareness and find solutions to issues that is threatening the planet. As cli-
mate-related impacts intensify, activism has transitioned from occasional
protests to a powerful force demanding a massive change on the environ-
ment from governments and corporations. The article highlights three key
areas influenced by environmental activism: the shaping of global climate
agreements, the intersection of trade and economic policies, and address-
ing global financial inequalities. Activists hold governments accountable
and push for more ambitious climate goals, illustrate their influence on the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change . Furthermore,
the article discusses how environmental movements can reshape the inter-
national trade policies through the lens of “green protectionism “ and the
implications for developing countries. Finally, the role of environmental
activism in advocating for climate justice is examined, emphasizing the
need of solutions for vulnerable communities disproportionately that were
affected by climate change. Ultimately, this article asserts that environ-
mental activism is a vital force in reshaping the international diplomacy,
economic frameworks, and the pursuit of sustainable development.

page | 58
1. What is Environmental activism?
The term “environmental activism” is defined as the actions of individ-
uals or groups that protect or aid the environment. Those involved the
engagement of people from all age groups work together to bring us
closer to protecting the planet for future generations to enjoy by involv-
ing the movement identify issues that threaten the planet’s viability,
from community to global concerns, and then develop strategies to pro-
mote awareness or produce solutions that directly address the problem.
(In some cases, advocating for the environment can also include other
important activism, such as civic and social justice.).

2. Why does it relate to international relations?

It brings important attention to serious environmental issues, mobilizing
others to use their voices- and their votes to influence political leaders,
and creates a massive transformation in global political and economic.

[1]

1
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) sets out the basic legal
framework and principles for international climate change cooperation with the aim of stabi-
lizing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to avoid “dangerous anthropo-
genic interference with the climate system.”
2
Green protectionism: promoting the sustainable practices to protect the environment on a
global scale.
3
Fuel industry: the oil industry or the oil patch, includes the global processes of exploration,
extraction, refining, transportation, and marketing of petroleum products.

page | 59
 I. Introduction

As climate-related activism effects become more serious, it concerns

many companies. The increasing impacts of climate change—floods,
wildfires, and record-breaking heatwaves, 2024, environmental activ-
ism has moved beyond occasional protests that call for an immediate
action. Perceived inaction – or even backsliding – on climate commit-
ments by governments and companies increases the likelihood of both
mainstream protests and more targeted actions. Companies should an-
ticipate a rise in disruptive direct action, such as interruptions of confer-
ences/meetings, targeting of senior management’s homes, transport and
infrastructure blockades, as well as property destruction. The sectors
at highest threat continue to be those involved in energy, extractives,
transportation, tech and construction, putting the governments and the
corporations under immense pressure, because it’s not only from for-
mal international agreements but also from a rising wave of disrup-
tive protests aimed at pushing climate commitments further and faster,
blockades of key infrastructure to targeted actions against the fossil fuel
industry , climate activists are demanding more than promises—they
are demanding systemic change. This surge in activism is not just re-
shaping local landscapes but influencing international diplomacy and
economic stability, making environmental movements become a global
issue in politics for these days, which causes a defining force in shaping
international policies and relations.

[2] [3]

4
Local landscapes: Local Landscape Areas (LLAs) are designated to safeguard and enhance the
character and quality of a landscape which is valued locally or regionally.
5
NGOs: A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a group that functions independently of
any government with the objective of improving social conditions.

page | 60
 II. Shaping Global Climate Agreements

Activism creates ambition for more protection of climate and holds

nations accountable, it plays significant role in shaping global climate
agreements by pressuring governments and international organizations
to adopt stricter measures to address climate change. Activists, NGOs
, and grassroots movements raise awareness about the environmental
crisis, hold decision-makers accountable, and often influence policy
through public protests, and media campaigns. These efforts urge the
political leaders to take actions quickly and adopt more ambitious goals
in international forums like the United Nations Climate Change Con-
ference (COP). For instance, according to The United Nations Frame-
work Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), The Paris Agree-
ment a landmark international climate treaty, was heavily influenced
by sustained environmental activism. The Agreement includes commit-
ments from all countries to reduce their emissions, regularly assess the
collective progress towards their goals, and even provides financing to
developing countries to mitigate climate change. In recent years, activ-
isms have continued to play a key role in debates surrounding climate
justice, loss and damage vulnerable ecosystem of planet Earth, and
calls for phasing out fossil fuels in upcoming agreements. The dynamic
between activists and policymakers has become the central point of
shaping the global climate agenda.

[4] [5]

6
The Paris Agreement: an international treaty on climate change that was signed in 2016.
7
Liberalized trade: the removal or reduction of barriers to trade among countries, such as tariffs
and quotas.
8
Ecological Imperialism: The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900-1900 is a 1986 book by
environmental historian Alfred W. Crosby.
9
Indigenous: any group of people native to a specific region.

page | 61
 III. Influence trades and economic policies

The relationship between liberalized trade , investment laws, and the

protection of environment have always been a strong. The environmen-
tal movements are also affecting trades and businesses international-
ly, as many countries are increasingly use climate regulations to sway
global markets, and the activist groups are pressuring and encourag-
ing companies to switch to more environmentally friendly methods.
As a result, many Global South countries are witnessing an increase
in “green protectionism,” in which governments utilize environmental
laws to impose trade restrictions on non-compliant countries. There are
worries that environmental standards, which are frequently shaped by
the Global North, may obstruct trade, hinder industrial development,
or negatively impact exports from developing nations. This contradic-
tion was highlighted in the 1991 Tuna/Dolphin case, which caused a
controversial discussion about environmental rules that should apply to
international business and trade. While Global North activists generally
supported environment protection into international trade policy, many
activists in Global South considered this as “ecological imperialism”
growth within an open international system while promoting environ-
mental sustainability. International trade regimes started to accept the
sustainable development and the incorporate environmental consid-
erations into their frameworks. On the contrary, many environmental
activists opposed this market-oriented approach, slamming the inter-
national economic system for allowing businesses to plunder natural
resources, solidifying economic inequality, and wreaking havoc on the
environment. Against these paradigms, grassroots movements have
fought back, concentrating on defending local lands and livelihoods
against extractive industries, particularly in the Global South. Interna-
tional trade and investment agreements frequently come across to these
campaigners as external forces that uphold corporate power and jeopar-
dize local communities. Instead, they commend for economic systems
that are socially justice and ecologically sustainable, often positioning
with Indigenous and peasant -movements to defend access to land and
resources. As a result, the environmental activism shapes policies with
both environmental and economic impacts.

page | 62
 [6] [7]

10
Peasant movements: a social movement involved with the agricultural policy, which claims
peasant’s rights.
11
COP26: The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to
as COP26, was the 26th United Nations Climate Change conference, held at the SEC Centre in
Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom, from 31 October to 13 November 2021.

IV. Approaching global finance inequality

Environmental activism plays a crucial role in addressing global in-

equality. When it comes to solving the environmental issues, it of-
ten affects the financial system of the poorer and developing nations.
Therefore, the environmental activism plays the important part in in-
ternational relations by pushing for climate justice, climate justice rec-
ognizes the disproportionate impacts of climate change on low-income
communities and communities all over the world, the people and places
least responsible for the problem, thus, it makes wealthier countries
often become responsible for pollutions and carbon emissions, while
poorer countries suffer the most from the consequences, such as rising
sea levels, extreme weather, or resource depletion. Funding for disaster
relief, climate adaption, and the advancement of green technologies are
some examples of this support. During the COP26 summit, wealthy
countries guaranteed to contribute $100 billion annually to support the
development of the nations that need to adapt to climate impacts. While
this goal has faced various setbacks, it reflects how environmental ac-
tivism can affect wealth distribution for environmental causes. Another
one is the Green Climate Fund , created through activism to aid devel-
oping countries reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate
change. By directing money from wealthy countries towards the most
vulnerable, it closes the inequality gap and makes sure people who bear

page | 63
 the least responsibility for climate change get the support they require
to mitigate its impacts. Because of this, environmental activists fre-
quently draw attention to this disparity and push for more just solutions
that deal with the disproportionate effects on marginalized groups.

V. Conclusion

In conclusion, environment activism has evolved into a powerful global

movement influencing policies, trade, politic and finance on an inter-
national level. By pressuring governments, corporation businesses and
international bodies, activist drive stricter climate agreements and push
for a huge change to protect the ecosystem. This activism shapes not
only environmental policies but also economic and trade regulations,
challenging unsustainable practices and advocating for environmen-
tal sustainability, furthermore, activism highlights for climate justice
that supports vulnerable communities disproportionately affected by
climate change. As the urgency of environmental issues continues to
grow, activism remains a vital force in shaping international relations,
diplomacy, and economic systems.

[8] [9]

[10]
12
Green Climate Fund: a fund for climate finance that was established within the framework of
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
page | 64
 References

California, U. O. (2024). What is Climate Justice? Center Of Climate

Justic.What is Climate Justice? - UC Center for Climate Justice
University of Nevada, R. (2024). What Is Environmental Activism and
Why Does It Matter? University of Nevada, Reno.
What Is Environmental Activism and Why Does It Matter? | Uni-
versity of Nevada, Reno
Cambridge University Press (2022). Environmental Justice Challenges
to International Economic Ordering. Cambridge University Press
Environmental Justice Challenges to International Economic Or-
dering | American Journal of International Law | Cambridge Core
Wellner, T. (2024). Ten global topics and trends to watch in 2024. Con-
trol Risks.
Ten global topics and trends to watch in 2024
Fund, G. C. (2024). How to access climate finance. Green Climate
Fund.
Homepage | Green Climate Fund
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2024).
Trade and environmental sustainability. Organization for Econom-
ic Co-operation and Development.
Trade and environmental sustainability | OECD
Sloam, J. Pickard, S. & Henn, M. (2022). Young People and Environ-
mental Activism: The Transformation of Democratic Politics.
Journal of Youth Studies.
Full article: ‘Young People and Environmental Activism: The
Transformation of Democratic Politics’
United Nations. (2024). COP26: Together for our planet. United Na-
tions.
COP26: Together for our planet | United Nations
United Nations. (2021). The Paris Agreement. United Nations.
The Paris Agreement | United Nations

page | 65
 Picture Refereces

[1] Altaeb, M. (2024). Youth Environmental Activism in the MENA

Region. The Collaborative for Development Action.
From Where I Stand - CDA Collaborative Learning
[2] Amnesty International. (2022). Assemblée générale de l’ONU, les
États doivent reconnaître que nos droits dépendent d’un envi-
ronnement sain. Amnesty International.
Assemblée générale de l'ONU, les États doivent reconnaître que
nos droits dépendent d’un environnement sain - Amnesty Interna-
tional Belgique
[3] Ecolytiq. (2021). A Brief History of Climate Action. Ecolytiq.
A Brief History of Climate Action - ecolytiq
[4] Digital For Planet (2021). HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PARIS AGREE-
MENT! Digital For Planet.
Happy birthday, Paris Agreement! - DIGITAL FOR PLANET
[5] European Commission. (2023). Green energy and politics: crowd-
funding to the rescue? European Commission.
Green energy and politics: crowdfunding to the rescue?
[6] Barron, J. (2016). The Economic Profile of Saudi Arabia. Word-
Press.
Jessica Barron – International Marketing: Riyadh, Saudia Arabia
[7] FILMS, E. M. (2023). Time to act: seizing the potential of US cir-
cular economy innovation. Ellen MacArthur Foundation FILMS.
Seizing the potential of US circular economy innovation
[8] CHEManager. (2018). 2017 Through the Rear-view Mirror. CHEM-
anager.
2017 Through the Rear-view Mirror | CHEManager
[9] The Guardian. (2021). Clean environment is a human right, UN
council agrees. The Guardian.
Clean environment is a human right, UN council agrees | United
Nations | The Guardian
[10] Peace Palace Library. (2024). International Relations. Peace Pal-
ace Library.
International Relations | Peace Palace Library

page | 66
page | 67
 WHAT IS GOING ON INSIDE PEOPLE’S MIND?

Dalyna Tan
*****
Have you ever wondered what is inside other people’s mind?
What are they thinking about right now? Is it possible for knowing what
exact of other’s thought?

[1]

page | 68
What is Mind?
Where is it? Is it in the brain?
How does it work?

The word ‘Mind’ refers to the set of Conscious mind is responsi-

ble for elements in an individual that thinks, feels, perceives, behaviors,
remembers, wills and imagination, including all unconscious cognitive
processes which is the information and experience or the memory that we
are not consciously aware of it. You might be right, Mind is located in the
brain but the exact location of it in the brain, is still remain mysteriously.
Our mind, it might not be what we think it is.
Neuroscientists considered mind is a pretty special place. A researcher
report that the experience of the human mind is extremely powerful. It
includes thoughts, pain, boredom, hunger, depression, dreams, lust, all
sorts of emotions, moral sense and infinite shades of ever new experience
(Jörg, 2022).

A psychologist said that in common parlance, the mind most of-

ten refers to the seat of human consciousness (Henriques, 2011). Mostly
when we talk about mind, we usually think of our brain. Let’s get to know
about our mind deeper. There are two types of mind which is the con-
scious mind and the unconscious mind. First, you need to know that brain
contain around a hundred billion neurons, which make it a massive pow-
erful organ in your skull, it is far more complex of how its work in reality.
Our mind helps our brain operating the process inside it. Without mind,
brain will not be function as it supposed to be. A mindset trainer reveal
that your brain and mind are inseparable. Your thoughts are generated by
your mind, which is like brain’s software (Ferguson, n.d).
Neuroscientist: medical scientists who work to understand
human brain and human nervous system.

Everything inside of our current awareness including feelings, memories,

perceptions, self awareness, sensations, thoughts and fantasies. Thoughts,
emotions, even self-awareness that we experiencing at the moment are
part of conscious mind. A report described that our conscious mind is
our objective or thinking mind. It is considered as a place to that has no
page | 69
memory and can only hold one thought at a time (Tracy, n.d). As in ev-
eryday life, our conscious mind seems to work so hard every second,
every minute, in order to collect our thoughts, our emotion that we have,
our memories that create. We can picture it as a multi-function machine
that gather, store and manage information that we get around us. For
example, the temperature in your bedroom start to get low and you start
feeling so cold. When in the kitchen, you accidentally touch the hot pan,
so you burned your hand and next you feel the pain. We get so much in-
formation every day but we just don’t know where it went. Sometime it
just disappears, sometime that information always pops up on our mind
and they are never easily be forgotten.

Unconscious mind, however, take place below conscious mind. The un-
conscious mind stores the deeper thoughts, feelings, memories, other
deeper mental process that is outside of conscious awareness. A hypno-
therapist said that memory is a good example of both the conscious and
the unconscious mind. A memory will often be stored in our long term
memory (unconscious) but can be transferred into our awareness and
thus become conscious (Krouwel, 2020). The first person that talk about
unconscious mind is Sigmund Freud. He pointed out the importance of
the unconscious mind and how it impacts our everyday activities. An ed-
ucator in the somatic field reveal that at a deeper level, the unconscious
mind is where identity resides, it holds all of personal values, goals, mo-
tivations, and feeling about yourself (Wong, 2023).

page | 70
 THEORY OF MIND

[2] [3]

Almost every human being on this earth has an ability to under-

stand, predict what others are thinking or what others may have known
and how others feel. We can confirm that the person has Theory Of
Mind. In each individual’s mind, it is complicated more than we thought
it is, as nobody has no direct access to the mind of another. A research
show that people access their theory of mind in order to effectively so-
cially interact (Geer, 2023). Not many people know that we all develop
our own theory of mind since preschool years between 3 to 5 years old.
Surprising right? An educator report that as people age, their theory of
mind emerges and continues to develop. The growth of theory of mind
skills tends to improve progressively and sequentially with age. Theories
of mind abilities in the brain emerge during preschool years, as children
gain greater experience with social interactions (Cherry, 2023). It actually
makes sense, most of children in preschool year, able to acknowledge
feeling of people around them, especially their mom and dad, they know
if they don’t eat their meal or don’t take a bath, they know their mom will
feel upset about it. Moreover, around peers, preschool children will be
able to know that something is wrong with their peers like when they feel
sick or they are unhappy. However, there are also some group of children
that have difficulty developing theory of mind including children with
autism, deaf children, etc. Theory of mind play such an important role
in our life, no matter where we are, at home, school, work, even in our
social life, relationship, friendship, etc. The more people become older,
the more they gain experience about life, as they learn not only from

page | 71
themselves but also, from others as well. This leads them to improve
their theory of mind, how they interpret other people’s behaviors, actions,
thoughts and emotions. This ability, Theory of mind, continues to devel-
op from childhood until adulthood and it will never stop growing. There
was a report that reveal that those who are socially skilled often have a
higher capacity for theory of mind, while those with a lower capacity may
have difficulty relating to others (Psychology Today, n.d.).

Even though people all have their own theory of mind to predict or un-
derstand other’s beliefs or actions, all of us as human won’t be able to
know what exact of other’s thoughts and feelings, as each individual’s
brain work differently, experience different situation, different knowl-
edge. This theory only gives us the idea or explanation of what is going
inside their mind.

So, if you are looking forward to know the inner of someone’s mind, you
are not only need to have better social skills, but try to approach them
slowly, interact with them, and give them some space in order to make
good observation about them. Also, Don’t forget to use your Theory of
Mind!

page | 72
References

Jörg, J. (2022). How to understand your mind, beyond thought. Essen-

tia Foundation. https://www.essentiafoundation.org/how-to-un-
derstand-your-mind-without-self-reference/reading/ Henriques,
G. (2011). What Is the Mind?. Psychology Today. https://www.
psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/201112/what-is-
the-mind
Ferguson, C. (n.d). How Your Mind Works and Why It’s Important To
Know. CAROLINE FERGUSON MINDSET TRAINER. https://
carolineferguson.com/how-your-mind works/#:~:text=Your%20
brain%20contains%20around%20100,automatic%20func-
tions%20of%20your%20body
Tracy, B. (n.d). Understanding Your Conscious Mind. BRIAN TRACY
INTERNATIONAL https://www.briantracy.com/blog/general/un-
derstanding-your-conscious-mind/
Krouwel, M. (2020). What are the conscious and the unconscious
mind? Matt Hypnotherapist. https://matt-hypnotherapist.
co.uk/what-are-the-conscious-and-unconsciousmind/#:~:tex-
t=Quick%20summary%20–%20What%20are%20the,)%20
and%Wong, A. (2023). Unconscious Mind: How Our Beliefs and
Experiences Shape Our Lives.
SOMATOPIA.https://www.somatopia.com/blog/uncon-
scious-mindtechniques#:~:text=The%20unconscious%20
mind%20is%20not,make%
Cherry, K. (2023). How the Theory of Mind Helps Us Understand
Others. Verywellmind https://www.verywellmind.com/theo-
ry-of-mind-4176826
Geer, J. (2023). Theory of Mind. Study.com. https://study.com/acade-
my/lesson/the-theory-of-mind-and-the-false-belieftask.html#:~:-
text=The%20stages%20of%20theory%20of,values%20empha-
sized%20by%20each%20culture.
Psychology Today. (n.d.). Theory of Mind. Psychology Today. https://
www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/theory-of-mind

page | 73
Picture References

https://www.cleanpng.com/png-cartoon-brain-animated-cartoon-brain-
with-outstret-7938080/
https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-flat-people-
talking_16933989.htm#fromView=keyword&page=1&position=
22&uuid=29847067-2db5-40df-bdee-40a0de2cc4c0
Communicationtheory.org. (n.d.). Theory of min- Hidden feelings. [Illus-
tration]. https://www.communicationtheory.org/theory-of-mind-
false-belief-test/

page | 74
 THE ART OF LETTING GO

Souchy Tan
*****
1. Introduction

When you end a relationship with

someone, you feel like losing a piece
of yourself. You feel an emptiness
that is a loss of identity and purpose.
Everything turns into a devoid space
of any true meaning, and you might
even start to question whether life is
worth living at all (Mark Manson,
2023). (One little Nightmare, 2024)

If you are still holding on to someone and discovering this article, it is
time to move on. It is hard to forget and move on from someone you loved
dearly. However, if they are already in another phase of life, you should
too.
2. Body
● Set limits for social media

You can choose to unfollow, un-

friend, or even block them if seeing
their profile aches you. Therefore,
make sure that you do that for your
own good not up to their attention
(Schofield, 2024). Do not constantly
check their page to see where they
are or what is going on with their
lives. It is not worth the pain that
will come afterward. (The love in Unfollwing, 2022)

page | 75
 ● Spent time with your friends or family

When you surround yourself with

people who have your back and just
want the best for you, you will re-
cover from that sadness and realize
that you have a lot to be grateful
for. This will also help to strengthen
non-romantic relationships (Lloyd,
2024). Book that trip or go to the
city that you always wanted to go
to with them. Live your life to the
(Reply 1988, 2023)
fullest.

● Let yourself out of the past

“He gave me that book for our first date.”

“It is her scrunchie over there.”

While you are dating, it is very common

to gift each other something like flowers,
cards, clothes…and so on. It might lay
around in your room, and it keeps remind-
ing you who you got it from. If its exis-
tence haunts you every day, or maybe it is
the reason why you are hanging on, you
can box them up and throw them away.
(Water Color, 2021)
Stop clinging to something in the past. You
can start doing new things that you have never done before, like going on
a solo trip, taking yoga class, baking pies, or more.

page | 76
 ● Trust the process

To stop thinking about them all

the time, to stop worrying if they
will change their mind, and to stop
wishing that things had turned out
differently could take longer than
you think. But it does not imply that
there is something wrong with you.
It expresses the intensity of your
love and the depth of your concern
for that person (Rodriguez, 2023).
It is because you have so much love
and care for him or her. Heartbreak
will not recover within the time (The love in Unfollwing, 2022)

frame that you want it to be, but you

will get over it for sure.

3. Conclusion

To sum up, you definitely can get over someone as long as you put your
mind to it. It is obviously not easy to do so, but it does not mean that you
cannot. On the other hand, it is not a healthy habit to go back to someone
who had hurt you in the past. Maybe your relationship ends for a good
reason. You deserve a person, who will love you unconditionally. Even
if in the meantime you cannot find that person yet, you can love yourself
unconditionally too.

page | 77
References

Lloyd, S. L. (2024, April 22). 12 expert-approved tips to help you get

over someone you love after a difficult breakup. Brides.
https://www.brides.com/how-to-get-over-someone-you-
love-4587337
Mark Manson. (2023, November 20). How to get over someone and move
on with your life. https://markmanson.net/how-to-get-over-some-
one
One little nightmare. (2024, March). Pinterest. https://i.pinimg.com/origi-
nals/b0/89/1c/b0891cbd1d726e7c5bf3b7e9bb0c8461.jpg
Reply 1988. (2023). Pinterest.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3d/02/e0/3d02e0361e243f4ad-
0c832ae0e1fd09d.jpg
Rodriguez, M. (2023, December 11). How to get over someone - blog.
Restored.
https://restoredministry.com/blog/how-to-get-over-someone
Schofield, D. (2024, February 27). You can’t rush getting over someone.
do these things to help instead. British GQ. https://www.gq-maga-
zine.co.uk/lifestyle/article/how-to-get-over-someone
The Love in Unfollowing. (2022, February 3). MODA MAGAZINE.
https://modamadison.com/latest/unfollowing-as-a-form-of-self-
love
Water color. (2021). Pinterest. https://i.pinimg.com/564x/02/
cb/94/02cb94933f06f5a0f726449fc0d68861.jpg
Women. (2022). Pinterest. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/87/bf/88/87b-
f88e61d536686947941c54583b8a0.jpg

page | 78
 IS EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE A CRUCIAL
ELEMENT?

Maline Muleka Kuntheng

*****
Abstract

Emotional intelligence (EI) or Emotional Quotient (EQ) is often

overshadowed by the more familiar concept of intellectual intelligence
(IQ). However, it is time we recognize its profound impact on our lives.
This article takes a closer look at EI, defining it as our ability to understand
and manage our own emotions while also recognizing and influencing the
feelings of those around us. Despite its importance, many still undervalue
EI, believing that IQ alone is the key to success. We will explore three
vital areas where emotional intelligence shines: building and maintaining
healthy relationships, enhancing effectiveness as leaders, and promoting
better mental well-being. By highlighting the significance of EI, this arti-
cle advocates for its recognition as a fundamental skill that complements
our intellectual abilities. Ultimately, it urges us all to improve our emo-
tional intelligence for a more fulfilling and successful life.

Keywords: Emotional intelligence, intellectual intelligence, healthy re-

lationships, leadership, mental well-being, empathy, interpersonal skills,
communication, emotions, feelings, rational.

Figure [1]

page | 79
Is Emotional Intelligence a crucial element?

It is unarguable that most people know and understand more about

intellectual intelligence or, in other words, Intellectual Quotient (IQ),
while emotional intelligence (EI), also known as Emotional Quotient
(EQ), has yet to be known to the same extent. According to Harvard Busi-
ness School, EI is the ability to understand and manage your emotions, as
well as recognize and influence the emotions of those around you. This
term was first coined in 1990 by researchers John Mayer and Peter Salov-
ey, but psychologist Daniel Goleman popularized it. With that known, EI
is being overlooked and often perceived as “not so important” by some. It
happens because they believe IQ is needed to achieve at least a decent life,
if not “successful.” However, another group also thinks EI is essential and
likely more required sometimes. This article will cover and showcase that
emotional intelligence is a crucial characteristic of everyone.

Figure [2]

First and foremost, emotional intelligence helps people foster and

maintain healthy relationships. “Emotional Intelligence paves the way for
building stronger connections” (Gould Training).

Being emotionally intelligent simply means one can empathize, recog-

nize, and understand how oneself and others feel, which is a powerful
skill. Many romantic, friendly, or professional relationships fall apart be-
cause of miscommunication, misunderstanding, and the inability to relate
to the other party’s emotions—a sign of obtaining a low EI or EQ. IQ
alone does not bring you that far in life; with just intellectual intelligence,
it cannot solely handle situations like this; however, EQ can. Sure, you
are smart, but you cannot communicate or fathom your feelings, let alone
those of others; your relations with people still, unfortunately, suck. That
page | 80
is why EI plays a big part in relationships.

According to the Harvard Business Review, it is mentioned that emo-

tional intelligence aids people in regulating their emotions lead to avoid-
ing overreacting during conflicts, including better handling them calmly
rather than throwing tantrums or acting on impulse. It emphasizes that it
can help significantly keep negative emotions under control, such as an-
ger, frustration, or hatred, evade further escalations, and help clear minds
looking for solutions.

Figure [3]

Secondly, EI is a must-have in leadership. People may not realize it,

but everyone on Earth is a leader somehow.

Leadership simply means the ability to lead—and don’t we all lead our-
selves? Yes, leadership does not just apply to leading groups of people but
also to you and yourself. Self-leaders who obtain a good level of EQ can
determine their strengths and weaknesses, but how does that help them?
Well, what an excellent question! In this case, emotional intelligence
will be able to aid in making decisions, as well as setting realistic and
achievable goals for themselves. When making decisions, people often
refrain from involving their emotions as they believe using emotions in
decision-making can be a disaster. Well, not wholly wrong, yet not en-
tirely correct either. Emotions have their value and shall not be avoided
or repressed. Even though being rational is essential, people should not
overlook emotions either. As highlighted by Psychology Today, who men-
tioned the latest research established by Antonio Damasio and his
page | 81
colleagues, they concluded that decisions made with the presence of emo-
tions are vital for evaluating options and predicting possible outcomes.
This evidence proves that EI enables leaders to harness their emotions,
which takes them to a better route with more thoughtful and practical
choices. This skill alone is critical in high-pressure situations where being
solely rational may not be suitable, just like this quote; "In a very real
sense, we have two minds, one that thinks and one that feels" (Daniel
Goleman, 1995) logical reasoning alone does not always guarantee the
best decisions; emotions and intuition play a crucial role. That is why EI
is needed in leadership, either self-leading or leading others.

Furthermore, regarding workplace leadership, let us take Satya Nadella,

CEO of Microsoft, as an example. He transformed the company's cul-
ture by emphasizing empathy and collaboration. He encouraged a growth
mindset, allowing employees to view challenges as learning opportuni-
ties. By sharing his personal experiences, particularly as a parent of a
child with special needs, he fostered a supportive environment that im-
proved morale and teamwork. Nadella's emotionally intelligent leadership
has been vital to Microsoft's resurgence in the tech industry. This example
shows how EI enhances leadership well.

Figure [4]

Last but not least, emotional intelligence promotes stable mental

health. In this day and age, people encounter a variety of external prob-
lems daily, which is already too much on everyone’s plate. To add insult to
injury, many of them are also struggling mentally. It cannot get any worse,
can it? Well, of course, it can, which is a hard pill of truth to swallow, but
having a strong EI level can significantly improve. The real question is,
how does EI link to mental health exactly?
page | 82
Since the first paragraph, it has clearly shown that EI is the skill of under-
standing, managing, and recognizing emotions, which serves as emotional
well-being–and that is how they are connected. People who acquire good
emotional intelligence usually have better mental health, as the-National
Institutes of Health (NIH) reported that higher EI or EQ means more ad-
vanced and improved stress management and interpersonal functioning;
nevertheless, if we look in the exact opposite direction of emotional in-
telligence, a low EQ. Unfortunately, some people have sky-high IQs but
different for their EQ; this can affect their mental health critically.

According to NHI, once again, people with low EQ often struggle with
stress and are more likely to face anxiety, depression, substance abuse,
and even suicidal thoughts. They also have a limited emotional vocabu-
lary, making identifying and managing their feelings challenging so that
they may hide negative emotions with fake positivity. Besides that, they
often feel misunderstood due to poor communication and tend to blame
others for their feelings rather than taking responsibility.

They also have trouble being assertive, so they either avoid the issue or
react aggressively when upset. They tend to jump to conclusions, hold
onto grudges, and cannot quickly move on from mistakes, which stops
them from growing. With low self-confidence, they get offended easily,
leading to a negative mindset—these all illustrate an unhealthy mentality.
This all shows how important emotional intelligence is for maintaining
good mental health.

In conclusion, emotional intelligence (EI) or emotional quotient

(EQ) is essential as it offers countless benefits for our personal and pro-
fessional lives. EI helps attain healthy connections,
serves as a seed for skill in leadership, and nurtures a good mentality.
Given what EI can offer, it is essential to recognize it and take a step back
from thinking that only IQ is needed in a person. Although IQ is a must-
have, it can only go a long and prosperous way with the help of Emotional
Intelligence; therefore, everyone should always try to improve their EI.
Emotional intelligence is more than an abstract concept; it is a vital skill
that can significantly enhance your life, so take the first step today! Reflect
on your own EI, seek resources, and practice empathy in your daily
page | 83
interactions. Let us nurture our emotional intelligence and build stronger,
healthier relationships!

References

.., D. L. (n.d.). The vital connection between emotional intelligence and

well-being – Part 1: Understanding emotional intelligence and
why it matters. NCBI.
Retrieved October 10, 2024 from. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pmc/articles/PMC10783582/Goleman, D. (n.d.). Quote by Dan-
iel Goleman: “In a very real sense we mhave two minds, one
tha...”Goodreads. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from https://www.
goodreads.com/quotes/606002-in-a-very-real-sense-we-have-
two-minds-one
Landry, L. (2019, April 3). Emotional Intelligence in Leadership: Why
It is Important. HBS Online. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from
https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/emotional-intelligence-in-leader-
ship
Ratson, M. (2023, August 7). The Power b. of Emotions in Decision
Making. Psychology Today. Retrieved October 9, 2024, from of
Emotions in Decision. Making. Psychology Today.
Retrieve October 9, 2024, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/
blog/the-wisdom-of-anger/202308/the-power-of-emotions-in-de-
cision-making
Strengthen Your Relationships:How EI Can Help You Understand. Peo-
ple On A Deeper Level - London UK Based Training. (n.d.).
Gould Training. Retrieved October 10, 2024, from https://www.
gouldtraining.co.uk/topics/eq/emotional-intelligence-training/
strengthen-relationships

page | 84
Picture References

[1] Heart and Brain concept, conflict between emotions and rational think-
ing, teamwork and balance between soul and intelligence. Vector
logo or icon design. (2023, January 23). Vecteezy. Retrieved October
23, 2024, from https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/17640958-
heart-and-brain-concept-conflict-between-emotions-and-rational-
thinking-teamwork-and-balance-between-soul-and-intelligence-
vector-logo-or-icon-design

[2] Clark, S. (2021, February 24). Tips for Maintaining Healthy Re-
lationships During Pandemic Life. Temple Sinai. Retrieved
2024, from https://www.templesinairi.org/heres-to-your-health/
tips-for-maintaining-healthy-relationships-during-pandemic-life

[3] Free Vector | Business decisions concept illustration. (2020, No-

vember 17). Freepik. Retrieved October, 2024, from https://
www.freepik.com/free-vector/business-decisions-concept-il-
lustration_11140496.htm#fromView=keyword&page=1&posi-
tion=4&uuid=23b09aba-f1c1-44e0-8901-ebba0beb98f1

[4] (n.d.). GreenConnect. Retrieved October 23, 2024, from https://www.

greenconnect.org.au/

page | 85
 ARE HIGH ACADEMIC ACHIEVERS DEEMED TO BE
SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR CAREER?

Amararat Sourng
*****
Abstract

This research paper investigates whether high academic achievers would

be more likely to achieve success throughout their careers or would their
peers be more successful in the future. As the modern education system
becomes more challenging due to technological advancements, high ex-
pectations and standards, many high schoolers, who are incredibly moti-
vated and ambitious, are extremely competitive mainly when it comes to
their studies, scores and achievements hoping for a better future. Based on
the conclusions of various scientific research papers, it is argued that high
achievers would have certain advantages over other students as the result
of the amount of general knowledge, characteristics and work ethics they
attain. In addition, being able to study abroad brings several benefits for
their careers. The paper concludes by strongly suggesting that everyone
should care and put more effort into their studies, especially during high
school.

Are high academic achievers deemed to be

successful in their career?

High-achieving high school students dislike it the most when they are told
to put down their work, goals, and ambitions to relax just for a bit (Wang,
2023). According to the Collins Dictionary, a high achiever is “someone
who is successful in their studies or their work, usually as a result of their
efforts.” They are usually hardworking, consistently aiming for extra
credits, doing voluntary work, and joining extracurricular activities out-
side of school. While high school achievements are sometimes thought to
be trivial to people’s future, some may argue that those achievements can
lead people to success. This essay will advance the idea that high academ-
ic achievers are more likely to achieve success throughout their careers.
page | 86
First of all, high achievers obtain a greater amount of general knowledge,
since it is normally taught in school, and that knowledge could lead them
to a successful career. Although most people might say that the history,
biology or algebra lessons they learned in high school are certainly going
to be forgotten and never used again after graduation; there seems to be a
difference for high achievers because general knowledge could help open
certain job opportunities. In a recent paper on this subject, Bellés-Obre-
ro and Duchini concluded that having general knowledge increases the
probability of getting hired in a highly skilled profession by 2.4% (2024).
Therefore, high achievers would have more options of career paths to
choose from and a clearer view of their future, which leads to a more ef-
fective lifelong plan.

Secondly, an amazing student likely turns into an amazing employee be-

cause schools tend to extract some of the best characteristics and work
ethics, ranging from being hardworking, self-motivated, etc…, out of stu-
dents, which is particularly needed in the work environment. While many
claim that schools do not prepare students for the real world because they
teach subjects that are irrelevant to the student’s livelihood, it is simply
not true. Schools have rules to keep students disciplined. For example,
pupils must come to school on time, be punctual, submit assignments
before deadlines, show respect, work as teams, and other activities that
would almost certainly happen in the workplace. Specifically, homework
is handed out to allow students to be quick-witted at solving problems and
be more independent, Moskowitz (2022) argues convincingly that ‘when
teachers don’t assign homework, it reflects an unconscious conviction that
kids can’t learn without adults’ which shows that homework plays an im-
portant role in the student’s mindset developments. Furthermore, because
high achievers mostly follow rules and do things with as much effort as
they can, they secure themselves with work ethics that lots of employers
are looking for.

Lastly, there is a higher chance that academic achievers will study abroad
(Allen 2010; Kim and Goldstein 2005). Even though there are more than
30 developed countries in the world, more than 5 billion people aren’t for-
tunate to live or study in one. Those people grow up in developing coun-
tries with limited knowledge opportunities, so it has become increasingly
page | 87
competitive for high achievers to snatch every opportunity that comes
their way; to study in a more developed country in search of a higher de-
gree of education and hopefully get into a higher paid job position in the
future.

Moreover, getting job opportunities is not the only benefit of study-

ing abroad. According to Rodriguez 2023, ‘studying abroad can be a
life-changing experience for any student, such as having ‘expanded cul-
tural awareness’, learning to adapt and appreciate different cultures. In ad-
dition, students could have an ‘enhanced academic experience’ by learn-
ing another language, and an ‘enhanced personal growth’ since studying
abroad forces them to expand their comfort zone as well as put them
through countless challenges. For instance, international students often
stay in a dorm sometimes with a roommate or more in a foreign country;
they have to learn to be independent, know how to make new friends, and
be creative, using everything they have to prevent potential obstacles. All
of these points are what likely add up to a ‘career advancement’ for those
high achievers, meaning they may be able to receive a higher job status
throughout their career.

To conclude, despite some doubts related to the efforts being put into the
student’s high school years, this research paper has proven that high ac-
ademic achievers are more likely to achieve success throughout their ca-
reers due to the greater amount of general knowledge, characteristics, and
work ethics they obtained from the school. Besides that, studying abroad
is also incredibly beneficial for their future career. Thus, students should
care and put more effort into their studies, especially during their time in
high school.

page | 88
References

Bellés-Obrero, C., & Duchini, E. (2021, December). Who benefits from

general knowledge? ScienceDirect. Retrieved August 28, 2024,
from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/
S0272775721000418
Kim, H. S., & Lawrence, J. H. (2021, March 17). Who Studies Abroad?
Understanding the Impact of Intent on Participation. PubMed.
Retrieved August 28, 2024, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.
gov/33746345/
Moskowitz, E. (2022, November 10). Why homework matters. The Thom-
as B. Fordham Institute. Retrieved August 28, 2024, from https://
fordhaminstitute.org/national/commentary/why-homework-mat-
ters
Rodriguez, J. (2023, March 23). Five Benefits of Studying Abroad - Seaver
Blog | Pepperdine Seaver College. Seaver College. Retrieved Au-
gust 28, 2024, from https://seaver.pepperdine.edu/blog/posts/ben-
efits-of-studying-abroad.htm
Wang, C. (2023, October 9). On High Achievers and the High School
Academic Pressure Cooker. Medium. Retrieved August 28, 2024,
from https://medium.com/illumination/on-high-achievers-and-
the-high-school-academic-pressure-cooker-fd4197a2028c

page | 89
 BUDDHISM AS DEFENSE MECHANISM IN
CAMBODIA SOCIETY

Leaksmie Penn
*****
Buddhism as a Defense Mechanism in Cambodian Society

Repetition of recitation continues relentlessly, echoing against the

monastery walls and clamoring into the ears of devotees. Cambodians of
all ages, clad in white shirts and modest bottoms, pass around like a col-
ony of ants, some sitting down as they pray to the depiction of Buddha or
perhaps listening intently to the Pali mantra being recited about self-con-
trol. They are all occupied with religious occasions proceeding all over
the country. Pchum Ben is a traditional festival in Cambodia counting
with the Khmer lunar calendar on the fifteenth day of the tenth month and
signifies the end of the Buddhist calendar (Inga, 2022). On the surface
level, Pchum Ben is so heavily affiliated with the practice of Buddhism
Theravada that one might have assumed it is a religious festival celebrated
among other Buddhist countries, such as Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka,
and Bhutan. The close nature of Pchum Ben to Buddhism stems from the
heavily engraved belief and philosophy of Buddhism to the Khmer socie-
tal ideology.

In this article, we will discuss Buddhism in Cambodia, spiritual bypass-

ing in Buddhism, and healthy defense mechanisms. By understanding
the purpose of religion as a defense mechanism, we learn to separate the
lines between faith and reality, ensuring a safe measure of belief and logic
is maintained for our mental well-being. Hence, this article mainly dis-
cussed the relationship between believers and belief, Buddhism and Cam-
bodians. We refrain from exploring the influence of Buddhism Theravada
on Khmer culture.

Buddhism in Cambodia

It is a universal law that states natural phenomena and natural disasters are
page | 90
bound to coexist alongside the existence of humanity. This relationship
piques an interest in the human brain, posing a question regarding the
roots of cause. This leads humans to create beliefs that they are the doings
of otherworldly beings just to satisfy the absence of explanation (Nuon,
2020). A statement by Dr. Tix (2017) parallels this. When faced with a
situation that gives us no control, we resolve it using faith. The absence of
science left humans of the prehistoric age like the Khmer, to orchestrate
something for the gap of confusion; thus, it is filled with belief and spiri-
tuality, faith and religion.

Prolonged history with India has influenced Cambodia in numerous ways,

particularly religion. According to Britannica (2019), 97.1% of the pop-
ulation is Buddhist, and accordingly, the state religion of the country is
Buddhism Theravada as well. The influence of Buddhism can also be
seen in the traditions and art cultures of Cambodia from wedding ceremo-
nies, funeral ceremonies, holiday festivals, performing arts, architectural
buildings, etc. This showcases the prevalent existence of Buddhism in
Cambodia has undeniably left a deep impact on the societal ideology and
individual ideology of Cambodians as a whole.

Spiritual Bypassing in Buddhism

Spiritual bypassing is a term first coined by John Welwood, referring to a

tendency commonly seen in spiritual believers in which they use faith and
belief as means to escape from issues they are facing. As he admitted, this
is an occurrence he and his Buddhist peers tend to use to run away from
their real-life issues and inner turmoil (Welwood, 2024).

While using spirituality and religion as a defense mechanism is generally

a very effective method to cope, it can also easily lead people astray from
the truth. The further we are from reality, the harder it is for us to face
it; which tends to result in people having a religious trauma or delusion.
As a matter of fact, this frequent occurrence I have seen growing up as a
Buddhist in Cambodia has baffled me now that I have learned to observe
my surroundings. People tend to gloss over their problems as the karma of
their actions from their previous lives, refusing to admit that their current
situation is the result of their actions and their environment in this life.
page | 91
Just like a lot of people reading this article, initially, I was unaware of the
spiritual bypassing in my day-to-day life. I spent my life until then consol-
ing myself that the hardships I face in life are the product of accumulated
karma from my past lives. As aware as I was regarding the teaching of
independence in Buddhism, I was too afraid to face the harsh reality that I
carry no control over the path I walk on. The fact that such a thing would
affect my future without my consent left me feeling helpless and inferior.
It was only recently I came to realize that everything was a consolation
I fabricated to swallow the issues in my life. Now, what are the signs of
spiritual bypassing?

According to an article by Kendra Cherry (2023), here are some

signs of spiritual bypassing we can look out for:

● Deliberately avoid negative feelings

● Using spirituality to protect your ego
● Believing that traumatic events serve as life lessons or that there is a
meaning behind every negative experience
● Indulge yourself in spiritual practice under the impression that it is
always positive.
● Unrealistic level of idealism and optimism
● Feelings of disassociation such as ignorance and lack of sympathy
● Pretentious actions and solutions in response to the crisis
● Believing you must suppress your emotions all the times

Leaving this issue unaddressed for long ultimately leaves us in a

state where it becomes challenging for us to connect and build emotion-
al relationships with ourselves along with others. When you believe in
something for too long, you start to blend it with the truth, which is why
we need to set a clear line between religion as a consolation and religion
as a guide to life. While it is perfectly normal to soothe pain with belief,
that does not mean it is fine and healthy to keep doing so. When things did
not turn out the way we wanted despite relying on religion, some people
might have the humility to accept the explanation but others might take
it as an offense and ostracize the whole religion itself. This will not only
cause religious trauma to somebody but also fails its original purpose to
soothe someone's pain as it only adds more salt to the open wound,
page | 92
leaving them pained, angered, and unsatisfied.

In Faces to Spiritual Bypassing

By any means, it is difficult to change a belief we grow up to ac-

cept as the norm, but just because something is common does not mean it
is acceptable. In the case of spiritual bypassing in Buddhism, we come to
realize some issues we are forced to bury under the name of belief, result-
ing in countless people running away from solving their problems under
the comfort of their past life karmas, thinking that we do not have the
power to change our environment. While this is the solution to spiritual
bypassing, here are some countermeasures we can take for inner well-be-
ing such as refraining from labeling situations strictly positive or nega-
tive, accepting that negative feelings and thoughts are natural and that it is
okay to dwell in them for a moment, consider uncomfortable thoughts as
a signal for change, something that triggers us to get up and fix our stance
rather than explain everything using religion.

A flower is the byproduct of their environment, and a human is

also a byproduct of their environment. Yet as a human, we have the con-
sciousness to think and the will to change; therefore, we shall not let the
societal norm push us and countless others down a wrongful path. Indeed,
the ideology in Cambodian society to use faith and religion to help their
people during hard times is a smart and efficient move, it can easily falsify
the reality for a lot of people. The deeper they fall into agony, the more
dependent they grow on religious belief which ultimately differs from the
prime principle of Buddhism, that we should depend on ourselves. Ergo
the connotation to find healthy coping mechanisms and build a healthy
mindset, drawing a vivid line separating the truth from faith.

page | 93
References

Inga. (2022). Pchum Ben – Ancestors’ Days, history and legend. Cam-
bodia Travel-Magazines. https://www.visit-angkor.org/blog/
pchum-ben-ancestors-day-history-legend/
Nuon, B. (2020). History minute: what do Cambodians believe in?
(Part 1). Women’s Media Centre of Cambodia. https://wmc.org.
kh/article/82946/%E1%9E%93%E1%9E%B6%E1%9E%91%
E1%9E%B8%E1%9E%94%E1%9F%92%E1%9E%9A%E1
%9E%9C%E1%9E%8F%E1%9F%92%E1%9E%8F%E1%9
E%B7%E1%9E%9F%E1%9E%B6%E1%9E%9F%E1%9F%
92%E1%9E%9A%E1%9F%92%E1%9E%8F%E1%9F%96-
%E1%9E%8F%E1%9E%BE/
Tix, A. (2017). The psychology of religion. Psychology Today. https://
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-pursuit-peace/201712/
the-psychology-religion
Britannica. (n.d). Religion of Cambodia. https://www.britannica.com/
place/Cambodia/Religion
Welwood, J. (2024). On spiritual bypassing and relationships. Science &
Nonduality. https://scienceandnonduality.com/article/on-spiritu-
al-bypassing-and-relationship/
Cherry, K. (2023). Spiritual bypassing as a defense mechanism. Verywell
mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-spiritual-bypass-
ing-5081640

page | 94
 WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF CHILDHOOD TRAU-
MA ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF COURAGE IN
DECISION-MAKING AMONG ADOLESCENTS?

Kiming Lim
*****
Words:"If a white cloth is stained even with a small spot, the stain
appears very ugly indeed. So the smallest fault of a holy man becomes
painfully prominent" (Ramakrishna). Children are fragile and vulnerable,
like a blank sheet of paper. Significant events such as parental incarcera-
tion, poverty, and abuse can traumatically injure a child in the long term
since children are the most vulnerable to developing traumatic experienc-
es, acting as a foundation for development (Ho, 2022; Boyden et al. 2019;
Smolkin, 2020). As presented in a 2010 report by the National Survey of
Child and Adolescent Wellbeing, children present during the arrest of a
house member were more than 50% more likely to suffer from PTSD than
children who did not (Kirkland, 2021). Additionally, the Medical Research
Council from King's College London suggested that childhood trauma
doubles their risks of developing mental health disorders (Torjesen, 2019).
The American Psychological Association defines trauma as an emotional
response to horrific experiences such as, but not limited to, "an accident,
rape or natural disaster," often difficult to move on from and having to
deal with unpleasant effects, psychologically and physically. According
to the British Medical Journal, "About 3% of the adult population has
PTSD at any one time" (Bisson et al., 2015). Amongst this population of
3% of adult populations, 61% result from childhood maltreatment. The
prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder should be acknowledged to
evaluate its impact on courage. A published study in the British Journal of
Psychology completed by Doctor Cox, Hallam, O'Connor, and Rachman
has highlighted the definition of courage that courage is "the persistence in
the face of subjective and bodily sensations of fear." (Cox et al.). We can
further understand Children's courage through Doctor Ted Thomas and Ira
Chaleff's "Moral Courage and Intelligent Disobedience," which mentions
how moral courage requires taking the risk of isolation and "painful per-
sonal consequences" (Thomas and Chaleff, 2017).
page | 95
 Furthermore, other elements that influence the execution of cour-
age, such as childhood treatment, should be considered. Such claims can
be seen in Zanette's "Predator-induced fear causes PTSD-like changes in
the brains and behavior of wild animals," which found that negligent care
for offspring led to the deaths of their offspring (Zanette et al., 2019). That
being said, the relationship between children's trauma and the develop-
ment of courage exists at an equilibrium where courage heals trauma, but
the emergence of courage is under the influence of moral consciousness,
which can be hindered because of trauma. Nevertheless, the objective of
this report is to exemplify the impact of trauma on the development of
courage in decision-making skills in adolescents. Contrary to popular be-
liefs that children are the least prone to trauma, an analysis of psycho-
logical research, personal narratives, and historical examples reveals the
nuanced ways in which trauma shapes the adolescent's ability to confront
challenges (risk awareness), influences psychological resilience and cop-
ing mechanisms, and can be mitigated with the help of comprehensive
support structures.

Consequently, a child's ability to confront challenges is under the

influence of trauma. Statistically, 90% of American institutionalized ado-
lescents have had multiple traumatic experiences and are 15% more likely
to have behavioral problems and five times more likely to be involved
in criminal activity (Owen, 2020). The uprising of trauma starts with an
underlying experience that symbolizes horrifying ordeals, those which in-
clude childhood negligence, abuse, maltreatment, parental divorce, men-
tal illness, or imprisonment. As a result, children who go through these
events end up having to go through shock, denial, unpredictable emotions,
flashbacks, strained relationships, and nauseated headaches (Trauma, n.d).
Research findings show that 52% of individuals have gone through at
least one adverse childhood experience, which led to higher mortality and
morbidity in adulthood, leading to a lower health-related quality of life
(Benton et al. ,2020; Corso et al., 2008). Early childhood maltreatment,
especially with strained relationships, causes childhood traumatic expe-
riences and attachment issues that linger throughout said child's lifetime
(Owen, 2020). Furthermore, several studies have proven that childhood
maltreatment and trauma will diminish the ability to exert courage to con-
front conflicts because of alterations in pathophysiological and biological
page | 96
processes, including emotional dysregulation (Gumpp et al., 2020; Weis
et al., 2022). Understanding this correlation requires acknowledging the
relationship between the effects of trauma, such as anxiety and fear, and
courage. A negative correlation between courage and anxiety can be ob-
served through a study on the Long-Term Effects of Traumatic Brain Inju-
ry on Anxiety-Like Behaviors in Mice done by Doctors Popovitz, Mysore,
and Adwanikar. The study found that traumatic brain injuries lead to the
presence of anxiety-like behaviors oscillating post-injury (Popovitz et al.,
2019). This correlation proves reliable as the relationship was also preva-
lent in an experiment conducted on Malaysian Undergraduates, conclud-
ing that courage negatively correlates with social anxiety (Abdollahi et
al., 2022). Therefore, because trauma amplifies anxiety, children's courage
in facing challenges would be hindered. Studies on "Childhood Trauma
History Is Linked to Abnormal Brain Connectivity in Major Depression"
in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United
States of America have also mentioned that 180 studies have proven that
childhood trauma causes structural abnormalities in the brain hindering
the child's exertion of skills of memory, emotion, and pleasure (Yu et al.,
2019) which was detected even into adulthood. Because of changes in
brain structure and emotions, children's ability to confront challenges and
face conflicts is inhibited. Furthermore, PTSD studies on animal testing
have shown that inducing neurobiological and behavioral effects similar
to those of PTSD causes an immediate increase in neural activation in the
amygdala of the brain, which is responsible for fear and anger (Zanette
et al.,2019 ; Leanne et al., 2006) whereby, hypervigilance and fecundity
increased, decreasing innate survival skills translating to a diminish of
courageous behavior. Simply put, traumatic stressors are inhibitors in fac-
ing challenges by hindering courageous behavior to do so.

Though trauma can inhibit courage, children who go through trau-

ma develop psychological courage and resilience post-trauma. Natural
disasters, severe injuries, sexual violence, and significant childhood mal-
treatment are some of the most common causes of post-traumatic behavior
(Norbury et al., 2023). The stigmatized traumatogenic nature of trauma
comes from its association with the presence of violence and vulnerability
(Eros, 2019). Furthermore, Dr.Ho talked in her book "From Trauma to
Development: A Policy Agenda for an Equitable Future for Young
page | 97
Children of Immigrants" about how significant childhood maltreatment,
such as parental incarceration, can traumatically injure a child because
children are the most vulnerable to developing traumatic experiences (Ho,
2022). Dealing with such cases requires evaluation from several perspec-
tives. With the ongoing harsh impacts of trauma, children develop resil-
ience and courage. A book by Dr.Krause and research consultant Evelyn
Sharples, "Thriving in the Face of Severe Adversity: Understanding and
Fostering Resilience in Children Affected by War and Displacement,"
highlighted the importance of fostering resilience and courage-building
interventions for displaced children, 45% of which experience diagnostic
PTSD and varying levels of emotional and behavioral problems (Krause
and Sharple, 2020). Child Development Journal by Lee et al. has stated
that resilience is associated with "antibodies" allowing children to attack
stressors such as trauma, which can hinder healthy development (Lee et
al., 2010). Psychologist Stanley Rachman and Philosopher Aristotle be-
lieve that courage or resilience is acting despite fear (Santisi et al.,2020
; De Chiara-Quenzer , 2019). Nevertheless, studies on the resilience and
development of children in Hong Kong concluded that children (includ-
ing those growing up with adversities) with higher resilience displayed
less behavioral problems and more desired habits, leading to better de-
velopment and quality of life (Lee et al., 2010). Fostering courage and
treating children with a supportive environment allows them to develop
resilience for daily judgments.

Establishing that courage and resilience help with addressing

childhood trauma can be further mitigated with the help of comprehen-
sive support structures. Research done by the Department of Psychology
at the University of Oregon has found that societal institutions highly im-
pact the safety of individuals by providing them with a dependent source
of vital services and fulfilling their needs (Adams-Clark & Freyd, 2021).
These doctors conducted an experiment in which they found a correlation
between the trauma symptoms in undergraduate students and institutional
betrayal during the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to long-term adverse
outcomes. For childhood trauma, Doctor Ellen Elsberg recommends "ear-
ly childhood programming" with teachers providing a warm and welcom-
ing space that can influence children's outlook (Edge, 2019). Aside from
teachers, healthcare professionals and service providers also require more
page | 98
training to properly and effectively serve and interact with trauma-in-
formed care (Benton et al.; Loprest et al., 2019). Also, elements that con-
tribute towards trauma do not just include an insecure environment but
the relationship with the self as well. That being said, Audrey Smolkins,
Executive Director of the Center on Child Wellbeing & Trauma, Office
of the Child Advocate, mentions the use of "regional trauma and resil-
ience training" to educate and guide individuals towards healing, starting
with being educated and fostering literacy (Smolkin, 2020 ; Boyden et
al., 2019). Other mediators include using a "trauma-informed" approach
as an intervention, studied by Professionals of Social Work, which is a
new innovative implementation to education systems to acknowledge the
effect of children's environment, parameters, and social conditions (May-
nard et al., 2019). Lastly, solutions can also be inquiring the help of or-
ganizations, professionals, and aids from the community as well to build
community resilience on adverse childhood experiences (Larkin et al.,
2020). Despite the hopeful solutions, it is crucial to recognize that there
may be limitations and drawbacks when it comes to implementing these
solutions. The generalization of studies can be limited as the research, ex-
periments, and statistics are mainly based on a category, which can limit
our understanding of global trauma care. Along with this, comprehensive
data on children throughout their development have not been researched
thoroughly or updated, therefore impacting how the community can ap-
proach childhood trauma-informed care. Not only that, resources for
childcare support are scarce, limiting the ability to implement early care
for traumatized children. In addition, childhood services are more prom-
inent in first-world, developed countries and remain underdeveloped in
underdeveloped countries, which have higher rates of aversive childhood
experiences(Boyden et al., 2019). Lastly, there are significant underre-
ports of childhood maltreatment, whereby only two out of three children
who do experience trauma stay silent under the influence of fear or re-
jection (Nurse, 2020). Therefore, despite the solutions that can be used
in order to foster change in society regarding childhood trauma, certain
circumstances limit the efficiency of this change.

In conclusion, childhood trauma has influenced the ability to exert

courage for decision-making in adolescents. Hindering children's ability
to display courage with amplified anxiety, fear, and the risk of painful
page | 99
consequences, providing resilience, and requiring a supportive structure,
trauma holds a significant contribution to the quality of life. However,
trauma also allows individuals a chance to build courage and deal with
fears through developing resilience. Likewise, it is critical to acknowledge
that courage can solve trauma and other influences, from environmental
changes to education and awareness of the issue. Otherwise, the correla-
tion between trauma and courage mediates the issue of PTSD and fos-
ters the growth and empowerment of individuals who have gone through
trauma. Therefore, it is essential to recognize these impacts to ensure an
effort is made to collaborate to support individuals navigating through the
healing process and fostering resilience.

page | 100
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page | 105
ANALYZING MARKET STRUCTURE AND FIRM STRA-
TEGIES OF THE TABLET INDUSTRY IN THE US

Soksothearith Chea
Suntry Khou
*****
Abstract

As technological advancements are developing rapidly, many big tech

companies have stepped foot into the tablet industry and caused changes
that need to be analyzed in terms of the market structure and the strategies
carried out by each firm. Some research concluded that this industry does
not have much competition as it looked like only one firm dominates the
market in the most developed economy, the United States. To analyze this
industry, many data and professionals’ opinions have been gathered and
broken down into several factors to determine the nature and behavior
of this industry. In contrast to the claim, the tablet industry is arguably a
combination of both monopolistic competition and oligopoly because it
follows most of the characteristics of a monopolistic competitive market
with the number of companies and differentiated products. In addition, it
also showcases some key aspects that fall under an oligopoly such as only
a few companies that seem to dominate the market and have significant
market share together with market power.

page | 106
1. Introduction to the Tablet Industry

In 2010 Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled Apple’s new tablet computer:
the iPad. Its design was in a thin package that included a multitouch dis-
play, a mobile or computer operating system, and a battery which quickly
became popular and widespread among consumers. Statista (2024) says
that the industry depending in terms of revenues sees Apple in the first
position, conserving the largest share, followed by Samsung and Lenovo.
This article will provide insight into this industry by analyzing the mar-
ket structure and the firm’s strategies for profit maximization in the US
market as it is the center of the competition where big tech companies are
located.

Figure [1]

The tablet market is a combination of both monopolistic competition and

oligopoly for several factors. It has characteristics of both the market struc-
ture as it is a real-world analysis, not an assumption in economic princi-
ples textbooks. According to Boyle (2024), typically for a monopolistic
competitive market, firms sell similar but not identical products with less
barrier to entry and have many rivals which are the reasons that make the
tablet market a monopolistic competition. Firstly, this industry consists of
numerous firms and companies such as Apple Inc., Samsung Electronics
Co. LTD, Lenovo Group Limited, Amazon Inc., Microsoft, Google, and
many more which are big tech companies that produce tablets. Marketers
who engage in such, differentiation, variations of the brand, degree of
page | 107
quality, variations in types of tablets, etc. are among the factors that affect
the differences in the types of tablets in the market which is the second
reason that identifies this industry as a monopolistic competition.

Figure [2]

For the operating systems, Apple’s iPads utilize iPadOS which is very
tightly integrated with the Apple ecosystem encompassing other oper-
ating systems such as iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS that
seamlessly together with little effort. In addition to the OS, Apple pro-
vides services such as Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple TV, and Apple
Fitness are major walls that get many consumers trapped in the Apple
ecosystem, making it hard to transition to other alternatives according to
Hoffmann (2012). If we take a look at the AndroidOS side, the operating
system is used in many tablets made by various companies like Samsung,
Oppo, and Oneplus while also implementing their customized software
on top of Android to innovate their OS such as OneUI by Samsung and
OxygenOS by Oneplus. As for Windows tablets, it is similar to a desktop
system but built optimized for tablets, notably, Microsoft, Asus, and Le-
novo, which includes multi-touch controls and full support for Microsoft
Windows services such as Microsoft Office and games.

page | 108
 Figure [3] Figure [4] Figure [5]

As for the hardware, each company has its design language and materials.
Apple, their design is dedicated to simplicity with high-quality materials
integrated with their high-performance Apple Silicon chips, making iPads
faster and more efficient than other tablets in the market. For the Android
side like Google, Samsung, Oneplus, and Microsoft, their products are
more uniquely designed than Apple’s iPads. For instance, Microsoft’s
Surface tablets come with a kickstand and Samsung’s Galaxy Tabs have
an S-pen stylus. Differentiating the goods like this provides market power
to each company because each firm offers a distinct product. However,
this market power is constrained by the availability of close substitutes;
if a company raises its prices excessively, consumers are likely to switch
to competing products. In addition to product differentiation, there are no
barriers to entering this market as there is no single firm that dominates
the market. Instead, companies can enter and vie for market share.

Equally important, companies in this industry have the market power to

be price makers and set prices for their products and services because the
products they produce do not have any perfect substitutes. For example,
Apple prices their iPads from the cheapest price of 329$ for the base iPads
to up to 1299$ for the iPad Pro. On the other hand, Android and Win-
dows offer more tablets at a lower price than iPads with prices that can be
as cheap as 100$ to 300$ to as expensive as 2000$. Even when Apple’s
competitors have diverse tablet line-ups, there are no close substitutes to
the iPads. According to Makhynia (2022), many reasons include the eco-
system barrier, the user experience, the luxuriousness of iPads, and the
support for professional applications.

page | 109
Along with all the factors above, some key features indicate that this mar-
ket is more of an oligopoly such as the market power, the possible barrier
to entry, and the market share. This is due to the reason that the tablet
industry has many characteristics of a luxury brand which helps compa-
nies gain massive market power, mainly Apple. The company’s usual high
price is so iconic that mostly the rich can afford and some consumers buy
their products just to show off their wealth. Products like the Airpods are
not just extremely popular but have become a fashion trend. Due to this,
the most famous and iconic brands like Apple which is known for its lux-
urious products tend to have more market power than all other companies
which allows Apple to charge high prices that consumers are willing to
pay for. Consequently, it makes new entries in the tablet market such as
Google, Oneplus, and Samsung have less influence in the market which
can create a huge barrier for more companies who are trying to enter the
tablet market. With all this market power falling under Apple, it’s better to
say that the market structure of the tablet industry is a combination of an
oligopolistic and a monopolistic competitive market.

Figure [6]

3. Firm Behavior and Strategies

In the short term, their differentiated products can help tech companies
earn positive profits. In contrast, in the long term, the companies’ profits
will be affected when new competitors enter the market, leading to a sit-
uation where companies typically earn normal profits or zero economic
page | 110
profits, which are just sufficient to cover their fixed costs and variable
costs. This is the basic principle of a monopolistic competitive market be-
cause consumers want to buy the latest design and the fastest performance
as the products have just been released, therefore, the consumer’s willing-
ness to pay is high. The zero economic profit is a principle, however, it is
unlikely that big tech companies will earn zero profit.

To indicate the superiority of their products over those of competitors,

companies often undertake the creation and implementation of special
marketing strategies, as the average consumer usually does not know how
to identify or distinguish relative quality, or what would be considered a
fair price for the respective products. For tech companies, the strategy that
is more widely used than any other one is to promote their tablets using
a variety of methods including video advertisements as well as product
launch events. Events for releasing new products have been a huge asset
in gaining worldwide attention for consumer awareness. These events in-
clude Apple’s events (March event, WWDC, September event, and Oc-
tober event), Samsung’s Galaxy
Unpacked events, and many
more throughout the year to in-
troduce the media to their new
devices. This is aimed at both
differentiating and advertising
to establish a degree of market
power, giving them a competi-
tive advantage to charge higher
prices and consumers are more Figure [7]
likely to pay for it (Technavio,
2024). Tech reviewers are also
main advertisers because they
receive the product from the
companies for free to review
them in a good way which can
lead to much missing informa-
tion about the product based on
Michael (2024). While this can
Figure [7]
be a problem, most companies
page | 111
give the rights to tech reviewers to express their honest opinions, critiques,
and recommendations to viewers of their content. Some of the most rec-
ognized reviewers are MKBHD, Mrwhosetheboss, Dave2D, and many
more have reviewed countless products with great critique and good rec-
ommendations.

Along with the behavior and strategies above, tech companies also invest-
ed in research and development on technological advancements as well as
regulatory and environmental factors. For technological advancements,
many companies that are manufacturers of tablet technology have been
competing to improve their products for years. Key aspects such as pro-
cessor power are very important as they can affect the longevity of the
product, so companies tried to make processor chips that are efficient for
their products. In addition, manufacturers do not just think about their
designs but further their sustainability and environmental friendliness
by using recycled elements free of harmful substances. This is a huge
goal that almost every company tries to achieve to make an impact on the
environment. Based on an article by Sharma (2022), succeeding in this
goal will help tech companies boost global sustainability by making it
greener. Consequently, it also promotes innovation, efficiency, and sales
because more people tend to appreciate products that have a green impact
on the environment. According to Apple (2023), the tech giant has always
focused on the importance of its environmental approach through many
aspects such as using recycled parts and rare earth elements for the devic-
es, the reduction of plastic usage in the packaging by switching to paper
wraps instead, and the Apple Trade-in service which all are part of Apple’s
vision of becoming a carbon neutral company by 2030. Moreover, accord-
ing to Apple, they have made sure that all of its suppliers use 100 percent
renewable energy which they achieved back in 2018, and their headquar-
ters in Cupertino also is powered by 100 percent renewable energy from
its rooftop solar panels. Samsung later followed in the same footsteps
as they are planning to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050 which is
a long way behind Apple. As the environment is becoming increasingly
aware, Google and Microsoft also developed plans toward becoming car-
bon-neutral companies. These tech companies also align themselves with
the US’s carbon credit scheme to achieve their zero carbon emission plan
according to Bleach (2024).
page | 112
 Figure [9]

4. Economic Performance

The market value of the tablet industry is worth about $6 billion in 2020
with over 1.28 billion people using tablets worldwide in 2021. As of 2024,
the tablet industry in the USA has been predicted to generate a revenue of
9.7 billion USD by the end of the year by experiencing an annual growth
rate of 0.37% which is the highest globally.

For the tablet market share in the USA in 2022, Apple is the leading com-
pany with the largest market share with almost 53.57 %. On the other
hand, Apple’s biggest competitor, Samsung is trailing behind with a mar-
ket share of 20.38%, second to Apple. Follow up, Amazon is securing
the third spot after Samsung with 11.57% market share. These three big
companies make up almost the entire market of this industry, leaving only
very little spot for all the other brands. According to YCHARTS (2024),
Apple generated a revenue of $9.396 billion in the final quarter of 2022
but fluctuated gradually to only $7.023 billion by the end of 2023. As for
Samsung, it generated only $227 million in 2023 for its Android tablets
according to Shahid (2023). The graph below shows that only three com-
panies (Apple, Samsung, and Amazon) make up almost 80% of the entire
market share. This paints a clear picture that this industry is more likely an
oligopolistic market rather than a monopolistic competition.

page | 113
 Figure [10]

With these data on the market share and revenue, we can presume that Ap-
ple is likely the most powerful company in this monopolistic competitive/
oligopolistic market. This is because most tablet consumers in the US use
iPads as they are really into Apple’s ecosystem, mostly speaking the iMes-
sage and Facetime. Additionally, people who buy iPads are most likely to
own an iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods, or Mac, so buying an additional
Apple product like an iPad would be better for them as all the products
within the ecosystem work seamlessly with each other. Furthermore, iP-
ads are extremely popular among students and professionals as it is the
ultimate productivity device. Most creative apps for professionals keen to
optimize their pro-apps to fully support the iPad’s hardware and software
better than the competition with examples including Adobe, Procreate,
Logic Pro, and Final Cut Pro. For this reason, Apple has ranked at the top
of American Consumer Satisfaction according to Owen (2022), and they
always update their iPad line-up to further satisfy consumer needs. In con-
trast, Apple’s rivals lack support for professional applications due to it be-
ing difficult to optimize very diverse tablets in the market. As a result, they
prioritized the iPads instead which attracted more creative professionals
to seek iPads for their workflow. While Android and Windows tablets can
offer superior hardware such as OLED displays and better software cus-
tomization options, they still fail to match Apple’s iPad experience. Sam-
sung came close to challenging Apple’s dominance over the industry in
page | 114
the meantime, however, it needs more marketing strategies to get consum-
ers to switch to their Galaxy Tabs.

5. Regulations and Policies

It is considered harmful to society when a firm has too much market pow-
er over a good or service that can prevent competition in a monopolis-
tic competitive market or an oligopoly, which can result in a monopoly.
While firms can achieve high profits, they often result in higher prices,
lower quality, inefficiencies, lack of innovation, and deadweight loss. If
every company in the industry had always intended to become a monop-
oly, the US economy would surely lead to many economic problems. To
avoid recession, the US government proposed antitrust policies that aim
to make sure that businesses operate efficiently, protect the competition
for the benefit of consumers, keep prices low, and keep quality up by pre-
venting unreasonable restraints on trade, exclusion conduct by dominant
firms, and mergers and acquisitions that may substantially lessen compe-
tition or tend to create a monopoly (Federal Trade Commission, n.d.).

While preventing tech companies from becoming monopolies, antitrust

laws also play a significant role in promoting competition and protect-
ing consumers which was published by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
(n.d.). Many industries like Apple, Samsung, Oppo, Google, etc., have
been competing with each other and sharing the market power because
the government proposed the antitrust policy based on Sykes (2023). This
regulation has kept all these companies from merging or becoming mo-
nopolies which is what the government wanted to achieve. Even though
the policy provides many positive outcomes, there are also many conse-
quences caused by the policy that affect the industries and the nation’s
economy like increased compliance costs which firm need to comply with
antitrust laws, such as legal fees, consulting expenses, as well as adjust-
ments to business practices as stated by Rodriguez et al (1994). There-
fore, the tablet industry is better off being a combination of monopolistic
competition and an oligopoly at the same time rather than having a giant
tech company like Apple being a monopoly for the sake of consumer’s
well-being.

page | 115
6. Conclusion

In conclusion, the tablet industry should considered to be a combination

of both monopolistic competition and oligopoly. This is so given the many
competitors that exist like Apple, Samsung, Google, Microsoft, Amazon,
etc who all produce and sell differentiated tablets at no barrier to entry and
have some control over the price. However, if comparing the market share
and market power of each company in the industry, this market is also an
oligopoly. This is because there are only a few tech companies that have
a big influence with Apple having more of both market share and power,
earning more revenue from their tablets than any other company. In addi-
tion, more consumers are satisfied and willing to pay more of their money
on iPads than Android or Windows tablet.

page | 116
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page | 119
 ECONOMICS AND DEVELOPMENT OF CAMBODIA
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION

Kimchhe Chea
*****
Abstract

The economics and development of Cambodia from generation

to generation are based on the economy of Cambodia from generation to
generation that started from the Pre-Angkor Period until the Kingdom of
Cambodia II. It shows us how the economy of Cambodia was doing, how
it improved, and what happened during that time. It also shows us how the
banking system started and how people used currency to do transactions
at each period. After you have read this article, you will be able to know
more about the history of Cambodia and the economy of Cambodia in
each period.

Introduction
Before we go through the whole topic, and what the main purpose of the
topic is all about, We have to define the definition of “Economics” and the
definition of “Development”. According to Investopedia, “Economics is a
social science that focuses on the production, distribution, and consump-
tion of goods and services. The study of economics is primarily concerned
with analyzing the choices that individuals, businesses, governments, and
nations make to allocate limited resources. Economics has ramifications
on a wide range of other fields, including politics, psychology, business,
and law”. And according to dictionary.cambridge.org, “Development is
the process in which someone or something grows or changes and be-
comes advanced”. Therefore, Economics and Development is all about
the growth of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and ser-
vices. These are the information we need to know before moving on to the
main topic of this article.

page | 120
 The Pre-Angkor Period

Back in the day, where it all started with the Funan Kingdom
which arose in the 1st century and ended with the Chenla Kingdom in
the 8th century (1st century AD to 800 AD). The Funan Kingdom and the
Chenla Kingdom also known as the Pre-Angkor Period relied on tradi-
tional agriculture and most full trading. Many Khmer citizens back in the
day used to plant vegetables, mine gold, irons, slivers, and bronzes, and
they used these valuable things to make jewelry. They also found pearls,
rhino horns, and ivories and collected wood and fruits from the forest.
They also did some crafting such as jewelry, knitting, and making fabric
out of cotton and furs, earrings, rings, bracelets, carving sculptures, and
many more. Back in the day, they made coins for currency for Khmer
citizens to use for trading such as “Kas Preah Ah tit Reas” and “Golden
Coin of Isanvarman”. According to the SOSORO museum, some foreign
currencies have been found in Cambodia over the past year. This means
that during that time Cambodia was known to the world as a commercial
country because we had so many natural resources back in time.

Preah Srey Içanavarman Museum - Sosoro. (2020, February 28)

With these goods and commodities, they exported them overseas through
two international ports that they had in the 2nd century. There was Oh
Keo Port which is now in Khmer Krom and the other one is Ou Tong Port.
With these two international ports, they could do business with foreigners
page | 121
such as Chinese, Romans, Indians, and Europeans. However, we can say
that the economic growth did not last for too long. Due to the Oh Keo Port
being 6 months the sea rise and 6 months the sea drain, they decided to
rely on traditional agriculture, animal husbandry, hunting, and collecting
fruits. They were no longer trading or exporting overseas.

The map of the Funan, (2020, September 13)

Khmer Empire/The Angkor Period

Moving on to the Khmer Empire also known as the Angkor Period

began in 802 AD and ended in 1432 AD. Many citizens at the time used
the barter system as their currency as you can see on the wall sculpture of
Prasat Bayon temple. The Bart system means that most people at that time
used foods to exchange for foods, gold to exchange for foods, wheat/rice
to exchange for foods, or any valuable things.

page | 122
 Wall Craving of Prasat Bayon Temple, (2020, May 11).

During the Khmer Empire, the economy relied on trading, tradi-

tional agriculture, fishing, minting gold, slivers, and more, crafting things
such as (jewelry, weapons, and valuable things), animal husbandry, carv-
ing sculptures, building construction such as Angkor Wat temple and many
other temples and collect fruits, woods and plants from the forest. After
the harvest season, people liked to climb palm trees just to collect palm
fruits, used their leaves to make huts, and also made wine out of it which
they called “Terk Tnort Ju”. With these goods, citizens began to use them
for selling and trading with each other. On the other hand, the economy of
the Khmer Empire during that time also relied on taxes that were collected
from the citizens. Moreover, they also did some trading with foreigners
such as Roman, Chinese, Greek, and European. With these goods, the
economy of the Khmer Empire was one of the best commercial countries
in Southeast Asia.

The post-Angkor period of Cambodia/ The Middle period

Moving forward to the post-Angkor period of Cambodia also
called the Middle period refers to the historical era from the early 15th
century to 1863, the beginning of the French protectorate of Cambodia.
The post-Angkor period relied on agriculture the most because during that
time citizens were living with threads and war. So Khmer citizens had to
prepare enough food for the battles. Other things that they did were craft-
ing weapons and also sheet metals. In that period Chaktomuk City was
turned into a port for exportation overseas. This was the reason why they
could communicate and do some trading with Chinese, Japanese, and
page | 123
Java.

French colonial period (1863-1953)

When Cambodia was being colonized for almost a century by the

French, Cambodian people were living under pressure because of how
France ruled the country. They began to change the regulation and change
the whole system. They started collecting taxes in every form. They also
published the currency called Piastre from 1875 to 1939 by the Institute
d’Émission, located in Cambodia for Indochine countries (Cambodia,
Laos, and Vietnam). And published the second time from 1939 to 1945.

100 Riels, (issued in 1954)

They also built infrastructure such as roads, railways, airports,

hospitals, etc. Many Khmer citizens at that time were working in tradi-
tional ways such as climbed palm trees, farming, fishing, etc. They needed
to make sure that they had enough money to pay off taxes during that time.
One day received full independence from France which was led by King
Norodom Sihanouk on the 9th of November 1953.

Popular Socialist Community (1953-1970)

During the Popular Socialist Community Cambodia’s economy

was well development. After the French colonial period, there were in-
frastructure and human resources were that taught by France and used
to work for France left behind. With these Human resources, Cambodi-
ans began to do their production such as building factories for producing
wheels, products, and other stuff that was made by Khmer. They also re-
lied on the garment sector and industry. After the Institute d’Émission, the
page | 124
National Bank of Cambodia was established on 23 December 1954. The
National Bank of Cambodia also published and issued currency called
“Riel” on 11 January 1955. Even the agriculture in the Popular Socialist
Community was doing well and it was successful in doing great on their
harvest. Everything was going great for 15 years in the Popular Socialist
Community even the economy, society, and country.

100 Riels and 500 Riel, (n.d) Independence and establishment,

(1954-1964)

National Bank of Cambodia Logo

page | 125
 The Khmer Republic (1970-1975)

The Coup of 18 March 1970 was when General Lon Nol deposed
King Norodom Sihanouk. Moreover, the whole management power in the
country was changed from neutral politics to a liberal regime. In this pe-
riod, they relied mostly on the commercial sector, industry sector, agri-
culture sector, garment sector, and especially the donations they got from
the US. Everything was doing great until the country was filled with cor-
ruption and crimes. Many citizens started not to believe in this regime
and started to depose General Lon Nol from the position. Because the
situation in this period was getting worse and there was inflation in the
economy, many people were living under pressure so they finally wanted
some changes.

Democratic Kampuchea/ Khmer Rouge (1975-1979)

We already know what happened during this period. After the

coup of General Lon Nol on 17 April 1975, everyone thought the regime
that was ruled by the Khmer Rouge was going to be great and had some
changes. Until the night after the celebration, the Khmer Rouge started
to gather citizens and spread false information that America was going to
bomb Phnom Penh city. So that was the reason why they could trick peo-
ple and gather people all around the city until there was no one left. They
also said it was going to be for three days, but who could have known?
What was going to happen next? Well! What was happening next was that
they started to kill human resources and made people work for them. They
started to classify people from youngest to oldest people work for them. It
was a tragic event that happened in that period and everyone got to work
under pressure over without any break even if they were sick there was
no medicine to cure and they didn’t even let them eat enough food to fill
their stomach. Khmer Rouge’s goals were to eliminate enemies that were
accused of them and make the whole country’s system rely on traditional
agriculture, so there would be no connection and communication between
other countries. Even the infrastructure, buildings, schools, pagodas, and
most importantly National Bank of Cambodia were destroyed by the
Khmer Rouge. This tragic event lasted for 3 years, 6 months and 20 days.

page | 126
 Khmer Rouge, (1975-1979) Democratic Kampuchea, (1975-1979)

The People’s Republic of Kampuchea (1979-1989)

After Khmer Rouge was deposed and coup by the National Sal-
vation Front on 7 January 1979. Many people were released and they
started over their life. Some of them also lost their family members or
even became disabled. Everyone started to move on and move back to
their hometown and started a new life until everything was back to nor-
mal. Even the National Bank of Cambodia started to rebuild on 10 Octo-
ber 1979. National Bank of Cambodia also reissued and republished the
currency called “Riel” on 20 March 1980 for everyone to do transactions
easily. In this period people also used the barter system to do their trans-
actions.

5 Riels, (reissued in 1980, March 20th) 10 Riels, (issued in 1980)

Rebuilding the National Bank of Cambodia

page | 127
 However, because citizens did not believe in and used our curren-
cy, that is the reason why there was dollarization until nowadays. UNTAC
came in 1990 to Cambodia to hold the first national election. During that
time, a large amount of dollars (almost 2 billion dollars) was used for pay-
ments in the Cambodian economy and also used to boost the Cambodian
economy. Many people began to use dollars and believe in dollars because
of how dollars have more liquidity. However, they still used it with our
currency “Riel” which was to maintain our economy. Furthermore, our
country started to develop during this period. Hence there were industry
sector, garment sector, agriculture sector, tourism, education sector, bank-
ing sector, infrastructure, and many more sectors were developing.

Kingdom of Cambodia II (1993-now)

In conclusion, to this day, our economy is doing so well and de-

veloping. Not only the industry sector, garment sector, agriculture sector,
commercial sector, banking sector, tourism and education sector. But the
technology sector is also involved with us nowadays. It acts as an im-
portant role for our country in every way to help us work. Such as for the
banking sector is also involved with technology. For example, Fintech,
Bakong, KHQR, Camtech, etc. In the industry sector, it helps to make a
lot of production and spend less labor and wages/salaries. It also helps
us a lot in the education sector, for marketing, etc. In addition, economic
development needs to involve something new especially technology. And
nowadays you will have a lot of opportunities to get a scholarship and also
look for a job through social media and others. With mean it also involves
the employment rate and human resources. Not only that, According to
www.worldeconomics.com the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) over the
last year in 2023 was 150.96 billion dollars and now it has grown over 10
billion dollars which is 160.01 billion dollars. Even the National Bank of
Cambodia until these days has 21 branches in the provinces and 1 head-
quarters in Phnom Penh. This information from the above proves that
our economy from the past years to years is doing great. The economy
is involving us and everyone. The inflow and the outflow of cash that we
spend are just like the recycling that we use to help the economy. And if
we compare our economics from generation to generation, we know that
nowadays we are improving for the greatest.
page | 128
 National Bank of Cambodia building The economy of Cambodia today

Banking System, (1993-now)

National Bank of Cambodia future building

Bakong

page | 129
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ry/03.jpg
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gov.kh/images/history/01.jpg
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trieved October 9, 2024, from: https://www.nbc.gov.kh/images/
history/05.jpg
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20th). Retrieved October 6, 2024, from: https://www.nbc.gov.kh/
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page | 132
 THE RISE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS
NOTICEABLE NOWADAYS. WILL IT HAVE A
POSITIVE IMPACT ON PRODUCTIVITY AND
ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE FUTURE?

Montha Khatema
Chhayheang Mao
*****

The picture above is best for illustrating what Artificial Intelligence looks like. Figure [1]

Abstract

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has generated sig-

nificant interest due to its profound impact on productivity and efficiency,
with implications extending to economic growth. The ability of AI to au-
tomate complicated processes, optimize resource usage, and simplify jobs
begs important concerns regarding its place in the workplace of the future
and its potential to promote long-term productivity gains. This research
investigates the fundamental ideas of artificial intelligence (AI), including
its definitions and primary purposes, and looks at how these capabilities
boost productivity in a range of industries. AI not only revolutionizes in-
dividual workplaces but also supports overall economic growth by

page | 133
increasing productivity. By offering a framework for comprehending AI's
revolutionary potential in the economy, this research seeks to shed light on
the technology's long-term effects on productivity and economic growth.

Introduction

Artificial intelligence has become one of the most widely used technol-
ogies nowadays. AI has developed into one of the most sophisticated
technologies, but it also uses people to drive economic and technological
growth. Moreover, the impact of AI also benefits the economy and devel-
opment in that beyond the term financial gains, resource management in
the water, energy, and agriculture sectors is optimized by AI and machine
learning, supporting sustainability initiatives. When it comes to solving
urgent global issues like shortages of resources or climate change, these
technologies are essential. Not only this, it can also help the economy and
development in the long run.

One view of economic progress over the last decades years is that auto-
mation has played a significant role. Steam and later electricity were used
to automate numerous production operations throughout the Industrial
Revolution. This trend was continued by transistors, relays, and semicon-
ductors. Artificial intelligence might be the next step in this process rather
than a single break. It might be a natural progression from MRI machines,
computer-controlled car engines, and autopilots to self-driving cars and
artificial intelligence radiological reports. While up until recently, au-
tomation only affected regular or low-skilled operations, it appears that
artificial intelligence may progressively automate non-routine, cognitive
occupations performed by highly qualified individuals. This point of view
has the advantage of allowing us to learn from the past about the possible
future effects of artificial intelligence. (Aghion, jones, and jones, 2017)

The article proceeds in four sections. First and foremost, we will discuss
the definition of “Artificial Intelligence” thoroughly. We will explain in
detail its definition since the concept of AI itself is very broad. Second, we
will discuss how AI will improve productivity in a business environment
by providing examples of some AI tools and how it is convenient for hu-
mans. Lastly, we will express our thoughts and observations toward this
page | 134
subject.

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?

Figure [2]

Artificial intelligence is generally understood to be the capacity of tech-

nology, especially computer systems, to mimic the functions of human in-
tellect. Natural language processing, speech recognition, machine vision,
and expert systems are some of the uses for Artificial Intelligence. As the
excitement around AI has increased, vendors have hurried to emphasize
how it is integrated into their products and services. Often, what they refer
to as "AI" is a well-known technology, such as machine learning but we
don’t know the real meaning behind it since there are many definitions cir-
culating around. According to the European Parliamentary Research
Service (EPRS) defines artificial intelligence (AI) as "machines that per-
form human-like cognitive processes such as learning, understanding, rea-
soning, and interacting. Meanwhile, Trifan and Buzatu (2020) believed
that artificial intelligence is machine learning, or an unbiased network that
has been trained on a collection of data and Al progress usually get influ-
enced by computational theory, data resources, and drive resources. Nev-
ertheless, AI is made to help people make the best choices possible. Thus,
artificial intelligence has been integrated into operational systems with the
aim of developing systems that can support people or even make decisions
entirely based on AI (Gomes et al., 2020). Another opinion from Peres et
al. (2020), artificial intelligence (AI) is a branch of computer science that
focuses on creating data processing systems and performing tasks
page | 135
like learning, reasoning, and self-improvement that are comparable to
those of humans. Overall, artificial intelligence seeks to create machines
that are able to carry out activities that normally call for human intelli-
gence. Although AI is a multifaceted, interdisciplinary discipline, devel-
opments in machine learning and deep learning in particular are revolu-
tionizing almost every sector.

How can AI increase productivity within an organization?

AI might boost business productivity in two ways. Firstly, robots can

automate tasks. By automating tedious and time-consuming tasks, busi-
nesses may free up the time of their employees. AI technology may also
automate and replace some jobs. For example, employing chatbots and
live chat can assist employees meet deadlines for client interactions. In
order to help users with a range of everyday tasks, such as accessing in-
formation or setting reminders, virtual AI assistants like Google Assistant,
Alexa, and Siri have also been developed. This might save time in both
daily life and at work. It assists in answering frequently asked questions
and providing consumers with individualized services. Therefore, using
AI technology to automate certain tasks may help businesses save a lot of
time and money while reducing the likelihood of human mistakes.

Figure [3]

In facilitating well-informed decision-making, AI-powered data analysis

especially predictive analytics significantly increases corporate efficiency.
Predictive analytics forecasts future patterns in areas like pricing, staffing,
page | 136
and inventory management using both historical and present data. For ex-
ample, uses predictive analytics to effectively manage inventory, cutting
down on excess stock and stockouts. In order to maximize worker levels
and guarantee service quality without going over budget, Marriott esti-
mates hotel occupancy. In order to maximize profits, airlines and busi-
nesses such as Uber instantly modify their prices in response to market
conditions and demand. Predictive analytics is used by healthcare pro-
viders to foresee patient surges and better allocate assets, and by Ama-
zon to optimize its supply chain and guarantee on-time product delivery.
All things considered, predictive analytics gives businesses the ability to
make strategic choices that increase productivity and keep a competitive
edge in a market that is changing quickly. These tools are going to be-
come more and more important as companies depend more and more on
data-driven insights.

Our observations on Artificial Intelligence

Figure [4]

Among this technology of AI are also transfer technologies that are help-
ful for the user and helpful for the user to make an easy decision.

As can be seen, such technology is one of the biggest effects of AI's ca-
pacity to enhance research, particularly decision-making, which ben-
efits students, employees, and company owners by assisting them with
time-consuming data analysis and decision-making processes that also re-
duce human mistake. However, as long as we have an internet connection,
page | 137
AI can assist the user in finding information rapidly. With this data-driven
approach, the company may be informed about our choice, reducing risks
and improving the outcomes that AI may provide for the user. By using au-
tomated technology that can focus on strategic and creative activities, the
user may quickly generate a variety of ideas that will aid in their work. By
simplifying data collection, gap analysis, and the prototype process, artifi-
cial intelligence (AI) greatly improves product development. AI speedily
analyses data to discover insightful information from rival performance,
industry trends, and customer input. This helps organizations understand
customer preferences and spot new opportunities. Algorithms for artificial
intelligence are utilized in gap analysis to recognize missing needs as well
as contrast goods to those of competitors, directing teams to concentrate
on distinctive features that close gaps in the market. AI speeds up the
production of models and modifications to designs during development,
enabling rapid idea testing and visualization. Predictive analytics aids in
prioritizing ideas according to possible market reaction, and continuous
feedback systems allow for rapid changes based on data that is current.

In conclusion, by automating processes, improving decision-making, and

mimicking human cognitive capacities, AI is leading the way in revolu-
tionizing company efficiency. It helps businesses maximize their resourc-
es and keep a competitive advantage through applications like machine
learning and predictive analytics. Despite the varied interpretations of
AI’s true nature, it is clear that its potential to simulate human intelligence
is reshaping industries worldwide. As AI technology continues to evolve,
it will become an even more integral part of business strategy, driving
both efficiency and innovation across diverse sectors. Hence, businesses
that hope to prosper in a world that is becoming more and more data-driv-
en will need to adopt these developments.

page | 138
References

[1] Impact: Artificial intelligence. MISTI. (n.d.). https://misti.mit.edu/

misti-impact/impact-artificial-intelligence
[2] Vazquez, C. Q., & Goodwin, M. (2024, August 28). What is Artificial
Intelligence (AI) in business?. IBM. https://www.ibm.com/topics/
artificial-intelligence-business
[3] Neuromation. (2018a, December 7). Ai in Predictive analytics. Me-
dium. https://medium.com/neuromation-blog/ai-in-predictive-an-
alytics-38768b48cfe0
[4] Purdy, M., & Williams, A. M. (2023, October 26). How AI can help
leaders make better decisions under pressure. Harvard Business
Review. https://hbr.org/2023/10/how-ai-can-help-leaders-make-
better-decisions-under-pressure

Sarker IH (2022) Ai-based modeling: techniques, applications and re-

search issues towards automation, intelligent and smart systems.
SN Comput Sci 3(2):158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-022-
01043-x
Artificial Intelligence and economic growth. (n.d.-a). https://www.nber.
org/system/files/working_papers/w23928/w23928.pdf
Report - PWC AI analysis - sizing the prize. (n.d.-c). https://www.pwc.
com/gx/en/news-room/docs/report-pwc-ai-analysis-sizing-the-
prize.pdf
Artificial Intelligence for good. ITU. (n.d.). https://www.itu.int/en/medi-
acentre/backgrounders/Pages/artificial-intelligence-for-good.aspx
EPRS - European parliament - europa.eu. (n.d.-b). https://www.eu-
roparl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2019/637954/EPRS_
STU(2019)637954_EN.pdf
What is predictive analytics? 5 examples: HBS Online. Business Insights
Blog. (2021, October 26). https://online.hbs.edu/blog/post/predic-
tive-analytics
Trifan, B., & Buzatu, A. (2020). Sustainable business enhanced through
digital transformation and artificial intelligence in the context of
Industry 4.0. Conference: BASIQ. At: Italy.

page | 139
Gomes, M. G., da Silva, V. H. C., Pinto, L. F. R., Centoamore, P., Digiesi,
S., Facchini, F., & Neto, G. C. de O. (2020, April 29). Economic,
environmental and social gains of the implementation of artifi-
cial intelligence at dam operations toward industry 4.0 principles.
MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/9/3604

page | 140
 Fictions
and Fantasy

page | 141
 CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY:
"THE LUCKIEST BOY IN THE WORLD"
Xinling Fan
*****
Let’s talk about your soon-to-be favorite
film, Charlie and the Chocolate Facto-
ry! Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is
that one kid-friendly film that is worth
watching regardless of your age, seri-
ously though.

Initially, I did not believe in the potential

of this film. This film will resemble one
of the popular films that teachers would
play for students to watch for “educa-
tional purposes”. Owing to the fact that
I have the attention span of a fly I find
it hard to appreciate great films such
as this one. Nonetheless, if asked for a
movie I would recommend, it would be
Theatrical Release Picture [1] this one with no hesitations!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is a musical film released in 2005 star-
ring Freddie Highmore as Charlie Buckets and Johnny Depp as Willy
Wonka. The debut of this film earned $56,178,450 in its opening weekend
in the United States which later on went on to become the 58th-high-
est-grossing film of all time when released. [1]

The story follows the adventure of Charlie Buckets; an average obedient

and honest young boy. Charlie’s family lives in one of the most horrible
living conditions you could imagine. Willy Wonka on the other hand was
a genius in chocolate making and an insanely successful one. So insane
that people would do the unthinkable to get a tour of his chocolate factory.

page | 142
One day he announced that he would hide five golden tickets in his “Won-
ka” chocolate bars where the finders of these tickets get a tour around his
factory. Among these five winners, one of them will also be lucky enough
to receive a special prize. Luckily, Charlie was able to secure a ticket for
himself too. Trust me when I say it is expected because what would even
be the point of this film if Charlie didn’t receive one? After this, a very
interesting story starts to unfold.

Despite playing a huge role in our

film, Charlie was almost like an in-
visible character. He doesn’t grow or
progress throughout the story or have
a great deal of dialogue either. This
was made quite obvious; the four
children were all unique: Augustus a
boy who loved eating, Veruca Salt a
spoiled little girl, Violet Beauragarde
a genius in martial arts, and Mike Scene from the film where Charlie found a
Golden Ticket [3]
Teavee a technology genius. Where-
as Charlie’s character apart from coming from a very struggling family
doesn’t have more depth added to his character. This type of character is
also called a ‘passive character’; a character that reacts to events instead
of taking action, and often the more capable side characters handle the
action. Surprisingly this was done on purpose.

Charlie Bucket is a character

whose audience can use their
imagination and creativity
to portray themselves as the
main protagonist. This way
you could see how the story
unfolds from the main protag-
onist’s point of view.

Just like how every child's sto-

A picture of all the children from the film [9]
rybook has a moral story, this
film is no different. Also known as an ‘allegorical film’, from the
page | 143
beginning to the end, viewers can accurately predict what happens next.
For instance, Charlie receiving a golden ticket was a surprise to no one.
The only reason he received it last was to buy some to introduce the other
children. Another predictable plot comes from the part where Charlie is
the last standing among all the five children making him win the grand
prize. Actually, this was hinted at the beginning of the film when they
give character introductions. All of the four children had some horrible
qualities to begin with a spoiled brat, a glutton, a competitive narcissist,
and a disrespectful one. It comes as no shock that each of these children
gets themselves in trouble one by one.

Though most of the moral lesson comes from these children, the most
important moral story behind this film was a lesson that changed Willy
Wonka’s life. Willy Wonka’s lived a horrible childhood; the film hinted at
it a few times at the beginning before showing his childhood memories.
One of them is a scene where he welcomes the children into his Choco-
late factory. Wonka wasn’t able to say the word “parent” while making
his self-introduction. As the story progresses on, it is shown that Wonka
doesn’t have a great relationship with his dad. Wonka loved chocolates
however his father is a Dentist which forced Wonka to rebel. Nothing like
a father-son argument that could fuel Willy Wonka to fulfill his dream of
opening his chocolate factory.

Wonka and Charlie looking through a TV

screen [4]

It would not be Charlie and the Chocolate Factory if Willy Wonka did not
get to his ‘special lesson’. Charlie later offers to help Wonka reconcile
with his father and that is how Charlie and Willy Wonka became great
friends.
page | 144
“You can't run a chocolate factory
with a family hanging over you like
an old, dead goose. No offense.” -Wil-
ly Wonka [5]

Now what makes a film with such pre-

dictable plots, a cinematic gold?

Johnny Depp was perfect for the role of

Willy Wonka and there are no alterna-
tives! To start, Willy Wonka thought an
adult physically from the way he talked,
his costume, his hair, his humor, and his
fondness for candies were exactly like a
child. Wonka loved making fun of kids,
for instance, take a look at one of my
favorite dialogues of his: Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka [10]

“You’re all quite short aren’t you? . . . Well, that is no excuse, I was
never as short as you!” “You were once” “Was not!” -A conversation
between Mike Teavee and Willy Wonka [4]

Who doesn’t want to see a full-grown adult acting like a child and arguing
with children? I have to admit this was a huge reason why I started this
film.

With how perfect Johnny Depp is for this role, you would think he was the
first choice for it. He wasn’t, actors such as Jim Carrey, Brad Pitt, Dwayne
Johnson, Will Smith, and so on; what’s more Michael Jackson, the king
of pop himself, longed for the role of Willy Wonka too [2]. Quite a shame
Michael Jackson didn’t get a part; he would have made a great Grandpa
Joe!

As for our main protagonist, no matter how dull Charlie may be, he seems
to share quite a similarity to Willy Wonka. Take a look at one of his dia-
logues:

page | 145
“Candy doesn't have to have a point. That's why it's candy.” -Willy
Wonka [3]

Who would ever expect two pairs of candy lovers would make such an
unforgettable movie?

The film does have a dark and weirdly creepy element in my opinion.
Even so, heaven knows how much I love this film; the music, the visuals
of each set, the storyline, and the moral stories are phenomenal! Take a
look at how dreamy these sets look.

Loomaland [8] Nut-sorting Room [5]

Inventing Room [2] The Bucket Family’s House [6]

Each scene from Willy Wonka’s factory feels like you traveled to a whole
new place. Some places have bright colors just like Loompaland. The for-
est scene was magical, it was like children’s heaven, and even more, ev-
erything there was editable. Subsequently, the film would later transition
to a more creepy scene, the “Inventing Room”. This was Wonka’s favorite
room among all the rooms, quite the geek he is. Other scenes such as the
page | 146
nut sorting room with all those squirrels look normal at first glance till you
see the horrible things those squirrels could do.

Despite all the dramatic things that happened in the factory, Willy Wonka
became a part of Charlie’s family, you can see by how soul-stirring this
very scene was. It was totally unexpected to see Willy Wonka living a
“normal life” however

"The best kind of prize is a surprise!". -Willy Wonka [6]

Wonka enjoying dinner with Charlie’s family [7]

“In the end, Charlie Bucket won a chocolate factory, but Willy Wonka
got something even better- a family. And one thing was absolutely cer-
tain - life had never been sweeter.” [7]

page | 147
References

Film Title: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

[1] Wikipedia.org. (20 October, 2024). Box office. Retrieved From https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_and_the_Chocolate_Factory_
(film)#Box_office

[2] Wikipedia.org. (20 October, 2024). Casting. Retrieved from https://

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_and_the_Chocolate_Factory_
(film)#Casting

[3] imdb.com. (n.d). Quotes. Retrieved From

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367594/
quotes/?item=qt0357329&ref_=ext_shr_lnk

[4] imdb.com. (n.d). Quotes. Retrieved From https://www.imdb.com/title/

tt0367594/quotes/?item=qt0357320&ref_=ext_shr_lnk

[5] imbd.com. (n.d). Quotes. Retrieved From https://www.imdb.com/title/

tt0367594/quotes/?item=qt0357316&ref_=ext_shr_lnk

[6] imdb.com. (n.d). Quotes. Retrieved From https://www.imdb.com/title/

tt0367594/quotes/?item=qt0357358&ref_=ext_shr_lnk

[7] imdb.com. (n.d). Quotes. Retrieved From https://www.imdb.com/title/

tt0367594/quotes/?item=qt0357326&ref_=ext_shr_lnk

page | 148
Picture References

[1] encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com. (n.d). Image. Retrieved from https://en-

crypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRcJ3x6s7vtJ-
fLMSFZdWQCMoju0lwWZwL0nTtCLlQQQaGzQ1BkQ
[2] metaflix.com. (March 3, 2021). Crazy Facts About the Production of
‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. Retrieved From https://www.
metaflix.com/crazy-facts-about-the-production-of-charlie-and-
the-chocolate-factory/
[3] pinterest.com. (n.d). Charlie and the chocolate factory. Retrieved
From https://www.pinterest.com/pin/33847434694527626/
[4] pinterest.com. (n.d). Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Retrieved
From https://www.pinterest.com/pin/33847434694527625/
[5] pinterest.com. (n.d). How ‘Wonka’’s Design Compares to Its Wacky
Predecessors. Retrieved From https://www.pinterest.com/
pin/787848528597547680/
[6] pinterest.com. (n.d). Image. Retrieved From https://www.pinterest.
com/pin/20407004542606373/
[7] pinterest.com. (n.d). Image. Retrieved From https://www.pinterest.
com/pin/14144186319561186/

[8] pinterest.com. (n.d). URBAN LIST: GOOD LIFE. GOOD

COMPANY. Retrieved From https://www.pinterest.com/
pin/834854849697508295/
[9] pinterest.com. (n.d). What Tim Burton's Chocolate Factory cast
look like now. Retrieved From https://www.pinterest.com/
pin/688698968054944183/
[10] pinterest.com. (n.d). Willy Wonka. Retrieved From https://www.pin-
terest.com/pin/16607092370055318/

page | 149
 CATS, CATS, CATS!

Sovary Kiv
*****

Sovary Kiv. (2023). Cats at Catera Café having lunch

Our society is ruled by cats.

Introduction

The Felidae family has been around for approximately 25 million

years—one of the family members that we know best is domestic cats.
Despite being called “domestic cats”, they have not been domesticated
like dogs. Thus, to put it in accurate terms, domestic cats are tamed cats.
The co-existence of cats and humans began after humans abandoned their
nomadic lifestyle and began settling down permanently for agricultural
purposes. This new lifestyle attracted rodents, a new food source for
domestic cats’ ancestors, so they began preying on the invasive species
and decided to stick around. This relationship started just because wild
cats wanted to fill their stomachs. However, as time passes, they have
influenced some of human cultures, therefore, in this article, we’re going
page | 150
to explore some of those influences.

Cats in Different Countries

In ancient Egypt, the goddess Bastet was believed to have the pow-
er to transform into a cat and was the goddess of domesticity, healing,
joy, and pleasure. Moreover, she was also associated with the afterlife and
protected the deceased. The Egyptians still worship her and have been
celebrating Bastet’s festival along the Nile in April and May. Japanese
people's love for cats is evident in various sectors. Similarly to the ancient
Egyptians, cats are believed to bring good luck. The famous “Waving
Cat (Maneki Neko)” also originated in Japan, dating back to the 17th
century.

Furthermore, there is an island dedicated to being home to many

cats in Japan called Aoshima Island, aka Cat Island. On this particular
island, there are more friend-shaped felines than humans. Additionally,
Japanese literature also displays cats. One of the most famous Japanese
writers is Haruki Murakami. Murakami’s work is incomplete unless
there is a cat present in his novel, and the perfect example would be
“Kafka on the Shore”. The novel shows Nakata, an old man who can
speak to cats, and is caught in a dangerous situation when Johnnie Walker
shows up to kill cats to make a mystical flute.

Before becoming a Buddhist country, Cambodia used to practice

Hinduism and also believed in other beliefs, hence why there are nu-
merous ceremonies in the country. Cambodians believe that three colored
cats bring happiness and cast away evil spirits, so on the coronation day,
the cat has to go on the parade with the king. As for the housewarm-
ing ceremony, the homeowner has to carry the three-colored cat to walk
around the newly built house. Another ceremony that includes cats is the
Rain Request Ceremony, called “Robam Trot Neang Mev”. The villag-
ers carry the cats around to get splashed at, so the cats would get annoyed
and complain to Indra to ask for rain.

Furthermore, the traditional dance that showcases cats is called

“Robam Chma (Cat Dance)”, in which the dancers dress up in cat
page | 151
costumes and perform. Besides the old folktales, in 2023, author Huot
Socheata has also written a novel called “Soriya” about an orange cat’s
journey from Cambodia to France.

Black Cats

On the other hand, there are also some bad beliefs about black cats.
In many cultures, black cats are considered to be unlucky. Medieval
folklore states that black cats are associated with black magic and witch-
craft. As for Chinese culture, they believe that if a black cat jumps over a
deceased body, they will become an evil spirit. On the contrary, the Irish
and Japanese consider seeing a black cat as a good omen.

Cats in Modern Day

In modern-day, cats are still beloved by many people. Looking at

the fashion world as an example, in 1910, models started to catwalk since
the Walk shows designers’ clothes in motion while making the models
look chic. In addition, the popularity of cat cafes has also increased. Some
cafe owners buy expensive cat breeds to keep at their cafes, and some
rescue stray cats to help find them their forever home.

Similarly to the Bastet’s festival, International Cat Day is cele-

brated every year on August 8th to raise awareness and learn about ways
to help cats. Last but definitely not least are the cat memes. Young people
have started referring to “cats” as “cars”. Although it might have started
because of a typo, it does make sense to call them cars since their growl-
ing sounds like a car revving its engine.

Conclusion

From being community mates to ancient humans to being ancient

Egyptian gods to modern-day internet memes, cats have captivated hu-
mans’ hearts for millions of years. Their presence has deeply influenced
humans’ imagination, whether as divine beings, fear of bad omens, or
simply cherished pets.

page | 152
References

Chab, C.,& Omsameng, I. (2013). វប្បធម៍ទូទៅ.

Franny Syufy. (2024, August 14). Myths and Superstitions About
Black Cats. The Spruce Pets. https://www.thesprucepets.com/
black-cat-superstitions-554444
iCatCare. (2018, October 5). The Origins of Cats | International Cat Care.
https://icatcare.org/advice/the-origins-of-cats/
MasterClass. (2022, December 14). What Is a Catwalk? The Basics of
Catwalk Modeling.https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-
a-catwalk
Rebecca Saunders. (2021, May 4). The fascinating history behind the pop-
ular ‘waving lucky cat.’.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/the-fascinating-his-
tory-behind-the-po pular-waving-lucky-cat
Rosie Lesso. (2023, October 27). Egyptian Cat Goddess: Who Is Bastet?
TheCollector. https://www.thecollector.com/who-is-bastet-egyp-
tian-cat-goddess/

page | 153
 AUTHORS

Mr. Yousthoninsakd Rith

yousthoninsakdrith@gmail.com

Article: Is Cambodia going to have Wind Turbines?

Knowing your passion is a terrific deal, but not for me.

Still, I enjoyed many things like Math (not so much),
Sci-fi stuff, and maybe reading. The only goal I have
right now is trying to figure out how to fix my life.

Ms. Sathya Chan Meta

lengsathy@gmail.com

Article: Climate Change

Hi, I’m Meta. I am a student in King Glory Interna-

tional school studying in seventh grade currently, I
would draw random, silly things in my free time and
write along with my imagination. I also love criminology, psychology,
science, history, and anything related to Art ( boring or not).

Mr. Ensophea Toch

ensophea.t@gmail.com

Article: From Waste to Wonder: Exploring the Role of

Circular Economy in Cambodia

Ensophea Toch, a Computer Science and Engineering

major, is passionate about AI, data science, and sus-
tainability. He aspires to lead in data science, driving innovation and
creating impactful solutions in finance, education, energy, and environ-
mental sustainability.
 Ms. Roathsarakunth Muong
msarakunth@gmail.com

Article : The Climate Crisis

I'm Muong Roathsarakunth a high school student in grade

11 at preah sisowath high school. I'm a kdrama lover and
my other passions are listening to music and exploring new
things such as volunteering in society.

Mr. Leekieth Sun

leekiethsun@gmail.com

Article : The Dyatlov Pass Incident

Hallo! My name is Leekieth SUN, but call me Luke. I'm

an IR student but I'm curious of everything around me and
I hope to use that knowledge to help people as well. Other
passions is gymnastics, reading, and film study.

Mr. Soksothearith Chea

Ssrith.chea@gmail.com

Article 1 : Analyzing Market Structure and Firm Strat-

egies of the Tablet Industry in the US
Article 2 : The Politics, Society, and Economics of
Cambodia During the Cold War

Greetings! My name's Soksothearith Chea. I am an architecture stu-

dent at Paragon International University. I'm also a tech enthusiast, arts
and craft lover, and a manga collector. I love to design and be innova-
tive in the field of architecture.
 Mr. Suntry Khou
suntrykhou@gmail.com

Article 1 : Analyzing Market Structure and Firm Strat-

egies of the Tablet Industry in the US
Article 2 : The Politics, Society, and Economics of
Cambodia During the Cold War

Hi! My name is Suntry, I’m an architecture student at Paragon Univer-

sity. I spent a lot of time working with computers. I also enjoy drawing
and sketching because as an architect we sketch a lot.

Ms. Navy Keo

keonavy23@gmail.com

Article : Unpredictable Future of Association of

Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

I view writing as a bridge between thought and action,

illuminating complex socio-economic and sustainabil-
ity issues with clarity and heart. As a business student passionate about
regional development, I aim to transform analysis into thought-provok-
ing narratives that inspire solutions for sustainable growth and mean-
ingful change.

Ms. Kansokunthean Orm

kuntheanormkanso@gmail.com

Article : How can environmental activism make an

impact in international relations?

Hi, I’m Kunthean, currently a high school student, I

enjoy reading literature and watching old films. In the
future, I aspire to major in IR and become a diplomat, hoping to use my
strengths to help the world and contribute to global peace.
 Ms. Dalyna Tan
dalynatan@gmail.com

Article : What is going on inside people's head?

I’m a student, major in Banking and finance at para-

gon university. I’m interested in psychology and I re-
ally enjoy reading it. Psychology is not such a boring
subject. Instead, it’s really fun and it helps us to understand more about
ourselves and also teach us how to take care of our mental health in
proper way.

Ms. Sou Chhy Tan

t.souchhy23@gmail.com

Article : The art of letting go

Involving with creativities got me excite the most. It’s

when my inner-self has it owns freedom to explore. To
me, art is a universal language without actual letters or
sounds, but can be understand by heart.

Ms. Maline Muleka Khuntheng

muleka212008@gmail.com

Article : Is Emotional Intelligence a crucial element?

Hi, I’m Muleka, a 16-year-old high school student

who’s always curious about the world around me.
I love diving into topics that make me think and see
things differently. Psychology is one of my favorites because it helps
me understand why people do what they do.
 Ms. Amararat Sourng
sourngamrararat@gmail.com

Article : Are high academic achievers deemed to be

successful in their career?

Hello! My name is Amararat Sourng. As a lazy high

schooler, I am always trying to find ways out of the
school system. I am always curious about why children are always en-
couraged to work hard and follow the system so I decided to give it a
bit of research.

Ms. Leaksmie Penn

leaksmie3689@gmail.com

Article : Buddhism as Defense Mechanism in Cam-

bodian Society

Hi! I am Leaksmie Penn, but people tend to call me

“Smie”. Honestly, I’m a pretty boring person since all
of my hobbies are very common and far from niche. But I do love
learning about people’s thoughts and feelings, hence why I would love
to major in Psychology at university.

Ms. Kiming Lim

limkiming@gmail.com

Article : What is the impact of childhood trauma

on the development of courage in decision-making
among adolescents?

Hello, I’m Kiming from CIA First International

School. Guided by the phrase, “If there’s a will, there’s a way,” I am
passionate about promoting mental health literacy in Cambodia. I hope
to inspire future leaders to strive for a better tomorrow.
 Mr. Kimchhe Chea
kimchhe898@gmail.com

Article : Economics and Development of Cambodia

from generation to generation

Hello! I'm Chea Kimchhe, a freshman majoring in

Banking and Finance at the Center for Banking Stud-
ies. I'm interested in writing this article to highlight Cambodia's eco-
nomic evolution over the past decades, a topic I've been studying close-
ly.
Ms. Montha Khatema
montha.khatema@gmail.com

Article : The rise of Artificial Intelligence is noticeable

nowadays. Will it have a positive impact on productiv-
ity and economic growth in the future?

I am currently a student of CamEd Business School,

majoring in accounting and finance. I am a creative writer, thus, I spend
lots of times to write. I also enjoy reading many types of books as well.
Last, I love to try new things and get to know new people via events or
voluntary works.
Ms. Chhayheang Mao
chhayheangm@gmail.com

Article : The rise of Artificial Intelligence is noticeable

nowadays. Will it have a positive impact on productiv-
ity and economic growth in the future?

Greeting b! My name is Mao Chhayheang, a senior

student at CamEd Business School majoring in accounting and finance.
I’m interesting in writing because I want to explore new things, not just
study and understand accounting and finance only, and also can express
more ideas than studying.
 Ms. Xinling Fan
xinlingfan963@gmail.com

Article : Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: "The

Luckiest Boy in the World"

Hello! My name is Xinling Fan; a highschool student

who likes to try out new things. I love figurative draw-
ings inspired by ancient Greek sculptures, films and calligraphy writ-
ings. Almost anything art related is in my field of interest-except danc-
ing. I hope to be able to contribute to society and put smiles on people's
faces!

Ms. Sovary Kiv

sovarykiv04@gmail.com

Article : CATS, CATS, CATS!

I'm a law major at the Royal University of Law and

Economics (RULE). In addition to my interest in law,
I enjoy reading literature, writing, and, obviously, cats!
I hope to contribute to the Cat Distribution System so that every fe-
line-friend can find their forever home.
 ISSUE

MAGAZINE
Generation Z Magazine is Cambodia’s
student-run magazine, calling for research
articles from university and high school
students across the country. The magazine
will be circulated nationwide through its
website and a limited number of printed
copies. We provide an opportunity for
both students and sponsors to showcase
their work and products, respectively, to a
larger audience of Cambodians who have
at least a basic proficiency in English.

Authors - Leekieth Sun|Dalyna Tan|Soksothearith Chea|Suntry Khou|Sou Chhy Tan|Bonika

Sou|Roathsarakunth Muong|Sathya Chan Meta| Kimchhe Chea|Navy Keo|Kansokunthean
Orm|Ensophea Toch|Maline Muleka Khuntheng|Xinling Fan|Amararat Sourng|Sovary
Kiv|Yousthoninsakd Rith|Montha Khatema|Chhayheang Mao|Leaksmie Penn|Kiming Lim