Cambodia: The Return

[Anne Elizabeth Moore]

Friends,

As many of you know, for almost two years I've been working to support young women in Cambodia through informal education, independent media making, public lectures, art exhibitions, journalism, blogging, and straight-up policy advocacy. As I approach the biannual anniversary of my immersion into these issues, two competing forces vie for the future of the country. On one hand, the economic crisis of the US has led to factory closures in the garment industry and few employment options save sex work, which is growing rapidly as a result; on the other hand, the dormitory for future women leaders where I worked over the winter of 2007/2008 will open a new building in January, and take in 48 new future women leaders of the country. (You can read more about this in a piece I wrote for Truthout, Women Are Diamonds.)

I recently spent two weeks on the road lecturing on and interviewing about the potential for small media in contributing to a more positive future for the country, and have launched a fundraising campaign to return to the region during this time of upheaval. While there, I hope to meet the new students and prepare my former students for the world they will face after graduation in June, despite the bleak employment possibilities. I'll be blogging at Camb(l)o(g)dia, writing and recording for news sites and programs, and teaching more self-publishing workshops. Perhaps most importantly, I'll be investigating what resources are currently in place for young women entering the desolate job market. (Check out this interview with Outside the Loop Radio or this roundtable on Global Feminism for the Chicago Women's Media Group, or read this Time Out Chicago piece for more on my last visit.)

I could use your help.

What can you do?

- Donate if you can. Read the full funding proposal here, and chip in a few bucks. My soft-launch of this fundraising campaign has already gotten me 6% of the way toward my goal—all from small, individual donations. Hooray! I haven't even received responses to a grant proposal yet!

- Pre-order a copy of Cambodian Grrrl: Self-Publishing in Phnom Penh, buy a copy of the letterpressed collaboration New Girl Law or a New Girl Law Single letter-pressed rule. All funds raised go back into the project, of course!

- Forward this note to your friends and contacts and ask them to donate, or add a ChipIn widget to your blog or website. Know funders that might be interested? Do send them my way!

- Collaborate. Work on similar issues or want to work on these? Have space or resources to provide or a skill to offer? Let's talk.

Thanks—as always,

Anne Elizabeth Moore

P.S. That's right, I'm finish a new book-lette based on Camb(l)o(g)dia available at my online store. You may also be interested in checking out Annalemma, a literary magazine that recently published my Reimagining the National Border Patrol Museum (and Gift Shop) or my feature on Palestinian conceptual artist Emily Jacir in the most recent Progressive (now celebrating it's 100th year!)