Community & Local Governance Integration

Engaging Communities

The Community and Local Governance Integration Project works with communities and sub-national mechanisms, providing workshops and trainings on human rights in the communes where the Family Support Project families reside, aimed at raising awareness and increasing the capacity of these groups to address human rights issues together, effectively and sustainably.

This project aims to address the social issues arising from the high rates of community imprisonment by bridging the community to sub-national mechanisms, strengthening civil society at a local level and encouraging a greater awareness of human rights and justice based issues that are relevant to each community.

Human rights workshops and trainings encourage participation in the human rights movement, not only educating community members and sub-national committees on human rights issues, but also building their capacities to work effectively together to address these issues at a higher level. It aims to result in community members having a better understanding of the roles and responsibilities of sub-national mechanisms, and how they can use these mechanisms to address human rights issues and issues concerning juvenile justice. The project builds the capacity of these sub-national mechanisms by advising and advocating for effective ways of dealing with issues of shame, social stigma, and discrimination that arise from imprisonment.

This Life Beyond Bars is developing research from these activities to report on education issues and other factors for children affected by the legal justice system.

The program expects to achieve the following outcomes:

• Documentation of the problems faced by children and families when a parent is in conflict with the law
• Community defined solutions to the problems identified
• Communities engaged in community development
• Increased community awareness of legal, human and child rights
• Decreased discrimination and stigma against families of prisoners

Working Together

TLC works closely with governments, authorities and other organisations currently working within the Cambodian justice system to affect positive change for children and their educational rights. Working together ensures the best outcome for children in Siem Reap and Oddar Meanchey provinces. This Life Beyond Bars particularly appreciates the working relationship we have with Siem Reap prison and the Department of Social Affairs, Labour, Vocational Training and Youth Rehabilitation and well as with individuals, families, and communities.