Breathing life into Cambodia
After years of building up competences in the Cambodian ministries, Danida is now expanding support directly to poverty reduction of the people. Mogens Laumand Christensen is the man in charge and ScandAsia caught up with the visionary Dane to learn about the challenges in re-habilitating the traumatised nation.
16.07.2004 | news Knud Brix
“We have spent a lot of energy and funds on capacity building in the ministries because it’s vital for a new democracy. But now the time is right to reach the people,” states 59-year-old Mogens Laumand Christensen. ScandAsia meets him in his offices in central Phnom Penh in the wake of the Danish fact finding trade mission in May.
Since 2002 he has been in charge of the Danish development aid to Cambodia, one of Danida’s strong holds in Asia. From here he administrates the Danish funds, and at the same time serves as a front post for The Danish Embassy in Bangkok.
Today the fragile Cambodian democracy is on its way out of the bloody shadows after 25 years of turbulence culminating with the gruesome rule of Pol Pot and The Khmer Rouge from 1975 – 1979.
The Danish aid to Cambodia started in 1997 and has from the start been focusing about building competences in the young democracy. Today Danida supports 12 individual development projects in Cambodia, but from 2005 these projects are faced out.
More specifically, existing projects concern environmental management of coastal provinces, community forestry, sustainable agriculture, capacity building within 5 technical ministries, support to commune councils and support to a number of civil society organizations.
“Our experience is that it is better to create one sector programme, instead of supporting many small projects. You save a lot of resources in management, and at the same time you have much bigger impact,” says Mogens Laumand Christensen.
180 million DKK will be allocated into the programme, and when carried out Danida will directly support over 1,500,000 people of the total population of 13 million people.
“It’s a paradigm shift where we before supported many small projects we now unite them into one programme.”
One of the current and successful projects is an agricultural programme where 30,000 farmers are trained in growing crops without the use pesticides. The programme is called Integrated Pest Management and involves seven of the poor provinces.
“Before, the farmers couldn’t afford to use pesticides, but now it’s becoming more and more popular to use them. We want to show the farmers that there are alternative ways of farming, before it turns into an environmental disaster. There is a big market for organic products in Asia, and therefore big possibilities of export for the farmers.”
In 2001 Denmark’s environmental development aid to third-world countries was reduced, as of one of the first acts of the new liberal government when it came to power. But in these reductions Cambodia came out lucky.
“We had to cut out an urban environmental project in Sihanukville, which we had been planning for one and a half year, but Cambodia wasn’t hit by the cut backs compared to some of the other nations,” says Mogens Laumand.
“I think the reason for this is that Cambodia has taken big steps towards democracy and rapprochement towards the global economy. There are still huge steps to be taken, but most of all Cambodia has shown the right spirit,” adds Mogens Laumand, referring to last year’s acknowledgement visit by Danish top-politicians from the Danish Foreign Affairs Committee, which inspected the progress and development in Cambodia, and expressed their support and sympathy to the activities.
“I have worked in many different countries for a number of years and Cambodia is the place where I have seen the best opportunities for successful development aid,” declares Laumand Christensen.
“What motivates me to work in the field is that my work is much more present than when I work with development aid in Denmark. But I’m aware that I will not be here to see the fruits of my work. You can’t create a new country in 3-4 years. You can kick-start the process, but Cambodia is still a post conflict country, and it will take many years for the wounds to heel,” he continues.
“I feel blessed that I have the chance to combine my philosophy of life with my work. Even tough it might sound banal; my fundamental rule of living is that in everything I do in life I’m trying to make the world a better place,” explains Mogens Laumand, who grew up in Copenhagen where he was educated as an Architect, before he pursued his interest in development aid with international studies on regional planning in developing countries.
Since 1975 he has worked in numerous positions within Danida and has been posted in Zambia, Kenya, Bangladesh and Malawi. From 1992 to 1994 he took a break from Danida and worked as consultant for Asia in the Danish Red Cross.
When not holding the fort of Danida, Mogens Laumand spends time with his family and wife, Norwegian scientist Caroline Rusten. In his spare time Laumand’s hobby is history and politics, especially related to the country where he is posted.
“I have always been interested in understanding some of the societal mechanisms in the country where I’m operating.”
When his contract in Cambodia runs out in 2006 it’s uncertain where the family will go, but this time Mogens Laumand won’t be the one deciding the destination.
“My wife gave up her job and followed me to Cambodia. Next time I will follow her,” he ends with a wry smile.
| “You can’t create a new country in 3-4 years. You can kick-start the process, but Cambodia is still a post conflict country, and it will take many years for the wounds to heel,” says Mogens Laumand Christensen, who has Since 2002 been in charge of the Danish development aid to Cambodia.
“My wife gave up her job and followed me to Cambodia. Next time I will follow her,” he says with a smile, referring to his Norwegian scientist wife Caroline Rusten.
<em>Photos: Kristian Djurhuus</em>
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