Singapore University of Social Sciences

The objective of OEL337 is to provide students with the conceptual tools and learning experiences to develop a deeper understanding of community empowerment practices vis-a-vis United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals in Cambodia. This objective will be achieved through a combination of experiential learning, e-learning, classroom activities, and participation in an overseas trip to Cambodia. Cambodia is one of Asia’s fastest growing economies with an average 7% growth in GDP over the last decade, and in 2016 graduated from one of the world’s Least Developed Countries to a Lower Income Country. Since Cambodia’s endorsement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, it has reported good progress with many targets in its Voluntary National Review. The review also emphasised the importance of socioeconomic inclusion and environmental sustainability. This presents a good learning opportunity for students to observe how developmental strategies interact with local circumstances to engender unique social policies and community practices. This course will expose students to the complexities in trying to actualise SDGs in Cambodia. Through working on a community empowerment project, students will learn about the challenges faced by locals and the country in negotiating with international bodies in the practices of ethical interventions. Through reflecting on the relationships between community empowerment practices in the local context and sustainable development ideals, students will develop an appreciation of how particular ethical conduct are shaped by global and often Eurocentric conceptions of “sustainable development”.