October 09, 2009 is the specail day in my life. I have satisfied the requirements of the University of Cambodia of the award of the Bachelar Degree of Science in Information Science (IS) and recieved the certificate.  The commencement was addressing by His Excellency Ly Somony, Representative of His Excellency Im Sethy, Mister, Ministry of Education and Youth and Sports.

The ceremony was welcoming speech by Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Personal Advisor to the Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, Secretary of State for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and President of University of Cambodia, and Opening speech by Dr. Haruhisa Handa, Advisor to the Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, President and Foundation of International Foundation for Arts and Culture in Tokyo, Japan and the Chancellor of the University of Cambodia. The program also is the confferring of the Honoray Doctoral Degrees to Mr. Akishige Tada, Chairman of Press net Japan; President and CEO of Nishinippon Shimbun, Fukuoka, Japan, also to Dr. Achyuta Samanta, the Chacellor and Founder KIIT University, India.

A total of 111 UC students . They are 19 Masters graduated, 87 Bachelor Degree graduated, and 5 associated degree graduated . Dr. Kao Kim Hourn said that the 2009 students who have received these certificates are the new input of the UC in working to contribute to higher education and human resources development, and the quality of education and development in Cambodia. He added that these 2009 graduates are the best of the best UC’s graduates and will become the new human resources for Cambodia in future.

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This evening, when I logged in my yahoo mail, I saw an email from Rey Ong, that the message is about Orphanage ACODO based in Siem Reap Province needs help because of flood. Following is the message that sent by Rey Ong, Singapore :

Hi Mr Channa,  I am from Singapore and visited Siem Reap last month, where I found an orphanage ACODO which is currently relying only on donations from tourists visiting it for a daily Khmer dance performance put up by the children. ACODO is currently facing a lack of funds due to few tourists visiting it and they are finding it very difficult to feed their 49 children. Although the orphanage has plans to expand and move into providing other community services, its very existence is being threatened by shortage of funds. Further, during last week\’s flood in Siem Reap, the orphanage was flooded and you can see a Youtube video about it at  http://www.acodo.org/information/Template_Information.aspx?id=14

Can you please help to highlight this worthy cause on your blog so that more people can become aware of ACODO and attract more donations? You can read more about ACODO at http://www.acodo.org

Thank you for your time, and hope to hear from you soon.

Cheers,
Rey

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Last week,  I was interviewed by The Southeast Asia Weekly Newspaper about my purpose of studying Information and Technology. The Interviewing was published on Issue Number 39, Vol 3 September 27-October 3, 2009.

The following are original worlds  from the southeast asia Weekly newspaper :

Mao Chi Channa Designs Temple-Website to Promote Buddhism

BY BUTH REAKSMEY KONGKEA

One of The University of Cambodia’s scholarship students, Mao Chi Channa, 27, has provided an interview with The Southeast Asia Weekly on September 24, in which he describe his endeavors to spread knowledge about Buddhism trough internet.

Mao Chi Channa was born in 1983 in Kampong Tayorng village, Puok district, Siem Reap Province. He is the oldest in the family and he has two brothers and two sisters. His father’s name is Mao Chhan and he is a farmer, his mother is named Bun Theavy and is a housewife. They are all living in Siem Reap province.

Currently, Chi Channa is a Buddhist monk at Unnalom pagoda in Phnom Penh. He now is also in the fourth year of Information Technology (IT) at The University of Cambodia (UC) in Phnom Penh. He got a direct scholarship from the University of Cambodia via the UC’s President Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in Phnom Penh in 2005.

“I am most grateful to Excellency Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, President of The University of Cambodia for giving me a 100 percent scholarship to attend the college of Sciences and Technology with UC,” he told The Southeast Asia Weekly. “I never thought that I have a chance to study at a high level university like this. I wish the UC all the success in its pursuit of knowledge and wisdom and building the tomorrow’s leaders,” he said.

Chi Channa said he had known UC since 2004 when he was invited by UC’s staff to pray at the New Year Celebration during the Khmer New Year at the UC. Because of the good heart of Excellency Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, Chi Channa and six other Buddhist monks were allowed to study with UC free of charge.

He had begun to study FasTrax English Courses with the Center for English Studies in The University of Cambodia (UC) in early 2005, he started Information and Technology (IT) with UC at the end of 2005. He chooses IT as his major because he loves it and aspirers to become a future IT designer. “When I was 16 years old, and in mu first year of monkhood, an older monk gave me a keyboard. I loved it, and I practiced every day so I could type. In 1999 I moved to Siem Reap province to continue my study at Wat Rajabo Buddhist high school. I spent all my spare time studying computer skills. When I just learned how to browse the internet I tried to find website about Khmer Buddhism. But despite there being many websites dedicated to other religions, I could not find any about Khmer Buddhism,” Chi Channa said.

“I choose to study IT because I want to promote the Buddha’s teaching trough the World Wide Web. Also if I ever decide to stop being a monk I will have to have some skills that will allow me to provide for myself. When I stay a monk I will try my hardest to spread information about Khmer Buddhism trough new technologies. I would love to be a teacher at a Buddhist high school or university, so I can spread Buddha’s teachings all over the world,” he added.

Chi Channa is currently completing his Bachelor Degree at University of Cambodia in college of Sciencs and Technology in field of Information System (IS) and he is also completing his study at the Royal School of Administration (ERA). He will be receiving his Bachelor Degree in IT from UC in the end of this year.
“I am happy now, because my dream became true and I am able to promote Khmer Buddhism. In the future I want to teach so I can help others accomplish their dreams. By teaching Information Technology I believe that I can help Cambodia’s development,” he concluded.

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“We, leaders and representatives of various religious traditions from around the world gathered on the International Day of Peace, reflect in story, song and prayer about humanity’s collective responsibility in the climate crisis. [...] We call upon our leaders, those of our faiths, and all people of Earth to accept the reality of the common danger we face, the imperative and responsibility for immediate and decisive action, and the opportunity to change. There’s more than an agreement at stake.”

                                                                                              – Interfaith Call to Action

• Pre-Service Music: Ms. Satkirin Kaur Khalsa, Sikh, 3HO Organization
• Blowing of the Shofar: Mr. Nigel Savage, Hazon
• Opening Invocation: Priestess Beatriz Schulthess, Indigenous, COSTA RICA
• Welcome Statement: V. Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, Orthodox, UNITED STATES
• Reading: His Holiness Tep Vong, Buddhist, CAMBODIA
• Introduction to Climate Witnesses and Religious Responses: Rev. Kathleen Stone
• Climate Witness 1: Ms. Constance Okollet, UGANDA
• Religious Response: Ms. Mehrézia Labidi-Maiza, Muslim, FRANCE
• Climate Witness 2: Ms. Ulamila Kurai Wragg, COOK ISLANDS 
• Religious Response: Archbishop John Onaiyekan, Roman Catholic, NIGERIA
• Climate Witness 3: Wonder of the Wild (video)
• Religious Response: Swami Agnivesh, Hindu, INDIA
• Musical Interlude: Mr. Roberto Mucaro Borrero, Indigenous, PUERTO RICO
• U.N. Response to Climate Witnesses: Mr. Olav Kjørven, UN Assistant Secretary General
• Jain Shanti Mantra: Members of the International Mahavira Jain Mission
• Introduction of Call to Action: Rev. Christopher Ferguson, CANADA, Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations
• Reading of CALL TO ACTION: Members of CIDSE-Caritas
  • Bishop Theotonius Gomes, Bangladesh
  • Mr. Sarabjeet Singh Gobindpuri, USA
  • Ms. Nafisa D’Souza, India
  • Ms. Elyzabeth Peredo, Bolivia
  • Sister Delci Maria Franzen, Brazil
• Conclusion: Dr. William F. Vendley, Secretary General, Religions for Peace

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Religions for Peace, the world’s largest and most representative multi-religious coalition, is taking the lead on ensuring that the voices of the religious communities are heard before, during, and after Climate Week. Drawing on their faith traditions, religious leaders and communities around the world have been at the forefront of protecting our earth.

From 20-26 September 2009, New York was the stage for Climate Week-a massive gathering of government officials, business leaders, artists, academics and concerned citizens drawing concerted attention to one of the most pressing issues of our time: climate change. Just seventy days before the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Climate Week strongly urged world leaders and decision-makers to secure a fair, binding, and sustainable agreement in Copenhagen.

Honored Guest Presenters

 Ms. Satkirin Kaur Khalsa is a minister of Sikh Dharma as well as a Kirtan Chant artist with 13 CD’s of her music. She is also the DPI representative for Healthy Happy Holy Foundation, a Yoga technology lifestyle alternative NGO. www.satkirin.com  

 Mr. Nigel Savage founded Hazon, now the largest environmental organization in the American Jewish community, in 2000.  Hazon is dedicated to creating a healthier and more sustainable Jewish community and a healthier and more sustainable world for all.

Priestess Beatriz Schulthess, Indigenous from, Costa Rica, is the President of the Indigenous Peoples Ancestral Spiritual Council and Co-President of Religions for Peace. She is a part of the Kolla Nation, an indigenous group that struggles to maintain their centuries old environmentally-sustaining way of life in Northern Argentina against developers, mining corporations, and agri-business.

V. Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, Orthodox from United States, is the Director of External Affairs of the Orthodox Church in America and Moderator of Religions for Peace. He served as President of the National Council of Churches of Christ and is currently a trustee for the Appeal of Conscience Foundation and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

His Holiness Tep Vong, Buddhist from Cambodia, is the first person in over a century to hold the title of The Great Supreme Patriarch of the Kingdom of Cambodia. He is Co-President of Religions for Peace and was recognized by the Inter-Religious and International Federation for World Peace as an “Ambassador of Peace.” 

Rev. Kathleen Stone is the Chaplain of the Church center for the United Nations.   She is appointed by the Methodist Church to be the Chaplain of the Church Center, a building owned by the United Methodist Women.

Ms. Constance Okollet is a community activist and chairperson of the Osukura United Women network which includes 40 regional groups in Uganda’s Osukura Subcounty. Besides her leadership role in confronting the adverse events of climate change, Constance is also a community volunteer, helping with health care and HIV/AIDs drug distribution.

 Ms. Mehrézia Labidi-Maiza, a Muslim from France, is the Secretary of the Association for Women Progress and Co-President of Religions for Peace. She has published several books on inter-faith dialogue and religious education in a multicultural society.

Ms. Ulamila Kurai Wragg is a veteran journalist who has worked for the past 20 years in Fiji and the Cook Islands, witnessing first-hand the diverse impacts of climate change in both island countries.  She is the interim coordinator for the not-for-profit Pacific WAVE (Women Advancing a Vision of Empowerment), a network of Pacific women media practitioners.

His Grace John O. Onaiyekan, a Roman Catholic from Nigeria, is the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Abuja, and Co-President of Religions for Peace. He is the currently President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), and in that capacity Co-Chair of the Nigerian Inter-religious Council, (NIREC).

Swami Agnivesh, a Hindu from India, is the President of the World Council of Arya Samaj, a Hindu movement stressing the unifying message of peace found in different religions. He is chairperson of the Bonded Labor Liberation Front, former chairperson of the UN Trust Fund on Contemporary forms of Slavery, and a member of the International Peace Council.

Mr. Roberto Mucaro Borrero serves as President and Chairman of the United Confederation of Taino People. He has performed at the UN, nationally and internationally at numerous cultural festivals.

Mr. Olav Kjørven of Norway is Assistant Secretary-General and a Director of the UN Development Programme. He heads UNDP’s Bureau for Development Policy, whose responsibilities include preparing the annual Human Development Report.

Rev. Christopher Ferguson of Canada is the UN Representative for the World Council of Churches. He currently serves as President of the Committee of Religious NGOs at the United Nations.

CIDSE-Caritas –

• Bishop Theotonius Gomes, Bangladesh
• Mr. Sarabjeet Singh Gobindpuri, USA
• Ms. Nafisa D’Souza, India
• Ms. Elyzabeth Peredo, Bolivia Sister Delci Maria Franzen, Brazil

 Dr. William Vendley has served as Secretary General of Religions for Peace since 1994.  He is a member of its World Council and the organization’s chief executive officer, overseeing the international secretariat headquartered at the UN Plaza in NY.

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