The role of Theraveda Buddhism after conflict and the need to reconnect to nature in Cambodia

• In Event: Highlighted session: Education for sustainability and recovery of our spiritual and child-like Self: the promise of contemplative methods and pedagogies

Proposal

Theravada Buddhism is the dominant religion in Cambodia as well as the official state religion. Theravada translates as the "way of the elders" and this has significant given that the elder generation, who were the primary conveyers of traditional wisdom, perished during the Khmer Rouge. In addition to the revered human elders who were lost during this horrific time and the surrounding periods of conflict, was the destruction of 95% of revered Buddhist texts (Harris, 2005).

This paper wishes to focus on the positive and renewing efforts being made in Cambodia with the resurgence of Buddhist traditions that support non-violent environmental activism. The groups featured in this study will be the NGOs, Buddhism for Development and Mlup Baitong. These two groups appear to work in tandem with the Royal Cambodian Government. In juxtaposition, the work of activist monks will also be included as they are making impacts to influence public opinions on Buddhism and the environment in Cambodia. The monks highlighted will be Bun Saluth, Loun Sovath, Prim Houn and But Buntenh. Unlike the work of the NGOs, these monks are exerting bravery by working in spite of threats to their life and status to speak up for both environmental and human rights issues they feel are one and inseparable.

The Buddhism for Development Group was founded by refugee monks in 1990 and has worked on multiple projects for over 25 years. Their stated mission includes using Buddhism to support, "...peace, restoration, economic and social development, human rights recovery and democratic building, and aiming to sustain the balance of individual, society and nature" (Buddhism for Development Website, 2018). Mlup Baitong was established in reaction to massive deforestation. By 2016, Mlup Baitong established 93 community forests and community protected areas and have ongoing eco-clubs in schools among other environmental achievements rooted in Buddhist teaching.

Simultaneously, there has been a reemergence of monks socially engaging in Cambodia to support environmental protection since the 1990s (Maza, 2017) which is continuing presently. Bun Saluth is a Cambodian Buddhist monk who succeeded in legally protecting an area of land in 2002 now known as the "Monks Community Forest" in the Oddar Meachey province. Bun Saluth grew up on a farm and describes that he first learned of climate change, "...When I was studying the teachings of Buddha. He teaches us that nothing is permanent" (Groeneveld, n.d.) Loun Sovath and Prim Houn are vocal activists speaking out against land exploitation and land grabbing (Chandran, 2017). But Buntenh is using social media to connect with wider audiences on matters of advocacy and activism. He is the founder on the Independent Monk Network for Social Justice in Cambodia and known for anti-deforestation efforts (Titthara, 2016).

Through an exploration of both Buddhist based NGO and individual monk based activism, we can see what patterns emerge in approach to environmental preservation. Through observing these patterns, we may find a better understanding of how the path towards ecological pedagogy can integrate Cambodian context as a Theraveda Buddhist country for longer lasting sustainability outcomes.

Author

• Annie Rappeport, University of Maryland