Cambodian Leadership Conference To Be Held in May

PHNOM PENH - Cambodian-American organizers are planning a large conference on leadership, hoping to improve the capabilities of local communities to improve the lives of its residents.

Cambodian communities in the United States face myriad challenges, decades after they grew in the wake of civil war and strife in their homeland.

This has created a need for new, young leaders in education, business, culture and civic engagement, Hang Sopha, one of the conference organizers, told VOA Khmer.

Cambodians in the US need to be stronger when it comes to determining their futures, she said. Currently, many believe they are fated for their future, or that they are unfortunate and cannot change the course of their lives, she said.

“We must captain our own ship and master our own soul,” she said.

The Cambodia Leadership Conference will be held in Tacoma, Wash., on May 18. Many participants, including students, will come from states in the West, including California, Oregon and Washington.