Development Aid

This introductory reflection examines Cambodia’s historically externally shaped civil society landscape at a moment of profound transition. Against the backdrop of shrinking development cooperation and changing geopolitical realities, it argues for a broader rethinking of dependency, resilience, and development pathways — while exploring how this shift may also open space for more locally rooted, collaborative, and adaptive forms of civic organization.

This think piece is not a roadmap but a provocation—a call to rethink, reimagine, and reorient Cambodian civil society in a moment of deep crisis. There is no golden bullet, but a chance to build something new and enduring.