Youth Using Information Communication Technology

Open Institute : A Mini Bar Camp on Youth using Information Communication Technology for Social Communication was conducted on 20 December, 2013 at Build Bright University (BBU) located at Banteay Meanchey province. The purpose of this Bar Camp was to increase youth’s knowledge on ICT

in order to use social media to become more active participation in the community development. There were 444 participants from various Universities, High Schools and NGOs of Banteay Meanchey Province, include 11 speakers from Open Institute (OI), Khmer Youth and Social Development (KYSD), People Health for Development (PHD) and The Cambodian Women's Crisis Centre (CWCC).

It was a whole day workshop. The bar Camp was divided into two sessions. In the morning was the opening and introduction, in the afternoon participants attended the session based on topic they like most. There were 11 topics discussed during the Bar Camp such as: How to use Social Media (Facebook), How to join the Dialogue on Democracy face book (D&D Facebook), Information Communication in Technology for Development Cambodia Network (ICT4D Cambodia Network), How Youth can market themselves through Technology, Creative Video and Basic Photography (Lens, Body camera, Color, Role of Photography), and Landscape Photography, The benefit of using Google web application (Search and Google doc), How to install Khmer Unicode on Android smart phone without root, How to type and how to use cloud storage, How to prepare attractive CV and Cover Letter and find a proper job, How to find the information and complete form properly to get scholarship, Personal Growth, How to find the Information related to immigration safety, How to become a skillful Communicators and a Leadership.

In his welcome remarked, Mr. Uch Vannin, Project Officer of PHD appreciated good co-operation between Open Institute with PHD and Build Bright University. He mentioned briefly about back ground of Bar Camp and its process which occurred in both foreign Countries and in Cambodia until now.

In her delivered welcome remark, Ms. Sok Sokunthea, Program Manager of Promoting Youth Engagement in Development through the use ICT of Open Institute, expressed her excited feeling to see many Youth attended the Bar Camp. It is an event to promote knowledge and new skills. Technology has been growing very quickly if we compare to 15 years ago. She continued that there were many interesting new topics will be presented by expert speakers. She hope participants would draw high attention and would participate very actively to obtain more knowledge related to ICT, leadership, personal growth and so on which were really important for their life.
In his deliver welcome remarked, Mr. Khut Virak, Director of Build Bright University of Banteay Meanchey campus, expressed his interested in this Mini Bar Camp. He said the world have developed very quickly and effect in daily life of people. Nowadays, the technology has made people very easily for communication and found new information, new knowledge and so on, but technology also has can put people in danger if people use it in a wrong way. He suggested that next youth generation should be careful in using new technology and should use it in a proper way.

In his opening speech, Mr. Vai KengLy, Sisophan town’s Deputy Governor, addressed appreciation of hard working and good co-operation between the Open Institute with PHD and Build Bright University in organizing the Mini Barcamp for sharing new ICT’s knowledge that can build up youth capacity. But he expressed also his worry about ASEAN integration which job market is very competitive while Cambodian youth nowadays have limitation awareness of ICT and capacity building so that they will be difficult to find a good job in the future. He hope all participants will pay more attention to catch up the lesson from expert speakers and will be able to use this knowledge in a useful way for personal development and for the development of the society as well. As a representative of Sisophan town, he would like to thanks all participants for spending their value time to attend this workshop and he wished all participants good health, wealthy and wise.

Mr. Hunn SamArt, Project officer, Cambodia Women’s Crisis Centre organization, shared participants how to find useful information for workers’ safety immigration, legal immigration workers. Immigration workers should aware of information related to safety immigration such as through legal firm, support documents, insurance, telephone number of contact person such as Embassy or family members in case of any violence happened.

The bar Camp attracted many young people, particularly student of universities. Miss. Sun Sonita, student of Samdech Euv High School, said that she was really happy and interested in the Bar Camp event. She was very impressed of some topics. The topics she like most were the using Google web application (Search and Google doc), and Creative Video and Basic Photography (Lens, Body camera, Color, Role of Photography). After she gets knowledge from this workshop, she will share to her friends, family and other people. She has a strong suggestion to organize more Bar Camp in Banteay Meanchey and other province as well to share ICT knowledge and build youth capacity more stronger.

Mr. Vann Rathanak, University student of Management and Economic student, said that this event was really important that could share knowledge to youth. The topics he was interested in such as: The benefit of the using Google web application (Search and Google doc), How to prepare attractive CV and Cover, and Creative Video and Basic Photography (Lens, Body camera, Color, Role of Photography). He believes that, he would apply this knowledge to improve his ability and share to his friends. But he feel regret because it is so short. He has hope the Bar Camp will continue to bring new topics and knowledge to share in Banteay Meanchey again. He was really thankful to organizers and stake holders which were work hard to make this event for Banteay Meanchey youth.

This Mini BarCamp have achieved successful and fruitfully. Participants jointed the Bar Camp were more than we expected and almost of them were very active. They could catch more understanding from the expert speakers. The event was co-organized by the Open Institute, People Health for Development (PHD) in cooperation with Build Bright University, Banteay Meanchey province. This is one among other activities of the “Promoting Youth Engagement in Development through the use of ICT”‘s project funded by the Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions-SPIDER. The event also gets funding support from The Structuring Partnerships for an Innovative Communications Environment-SPICE’s project of the Open Institute funded by the USAID.

Photos of Bar Camp in Mini-Banteay Meanchey Province

Mr. Vai Kengly, Sisophan town’s Deputy Governor delivered his Opening speech at the Mini-BarCamp in Banteay Meanchey province. Date: 20 December 2013 Photo by Open Institute	Mr. Khut Virak, Director of BBU delivered his welcome remark at the Mini-BarCamp in Banteay Meanchey province. Date: 20 December 2013 Photo by Open Institute
Ms. Sok Sokunthea, Program Manager, Open Institute gave the Barcamp T-shirt to Mr. Uch Vannin, Project officer, PHD at the Mini-Bar Camp in Banteay Meanchey province. Date: 20 December 2013 Photo by Open Institute	The whole picture of the Mini-Barcamp in Banteay Meanchey province Date: 20 December 2013 Photo by Open Institute
Participants read and selected topic they like most at the Mini-Barcamp in Banteay Meanchey province Date: 20 December 2013 Photo by Open Institute.	Participants attended one section on the use of Khmer Unicode and cloud storage at the mini-Barcamp in Banteay Meanchey province Date: 20 December 2013 Photo by Open Institute