The overpopulation distraction

2009 Shanghai International Auto Show. Photo by  Ridking in Commons Wikimedia.

The overpopulation concern is an informal fallacy to manipulate. By sure, several organizations and scholars could be genuinely concern about disastrous consequences for the survival of humanity in the case we overpopulate our planet. According to UN, it is likely possible to reach 9.3 billion of persons in 2050 and 10.1 billion in 2100, while some experts argue that the planet can hold 1 thousand billion persons, of course, with much objections. The certain is that the 7 billion humans we have this 2013 in Planet Earth, all could stand together in the Phnom Penh territory if we should gather all humanity for any type of global meeting.  

Shocking accident in Phnom Penh kills children

The country is now following the development of a horrific accident in the streets of Phnom Penh that kills at least two children and let ten other persons with serious injures this weekend. It is not yet satisfactory the explanations of the family of Miss Bised Marita, 22, who was driving her Camery car number ‘Phnom Penh 2R:5008′  at about 2PM of Friday. Marita is a student of medicine and it seems that she was bringing two young brothers with her. The mother said this morning to the press that her daughter has mental problems. Nine motorbikes, 4 bicycles, 3 children killed and ten persons in the hospital is the result of what first published as a woman that lost control of her car in the busy streets of the capital. A Camery coming from the Independence Monument hit first two motorbikes in front to the Thai Embassy, along the Preah Norodom Boulevard in the Chamkamom District. Other four motorbikes followed by the uncontrolled car. When she seemed to realized what was happening at the corner of the 466′s street, in front to he Ministry of Interior, witnesses say she tried to escape, then she hit other six motorbikes and then 6 child students in bicycles, two of them dying at the spot.

Event under development, wait for updates…

The huge NR3 hole at Prektong village was repaired

Kampot. The huge ‘canyon’ at the NR3, in Prektong Village, Tick Ta Commune, Prey Nub District (ភូមិព្រែកទង សង្កាតើទឺកថា) has been repaired, according to our observation at 5PM of today 3 August, less than 18 hours after we did this post. I wonder if it would be repaired at the same speed if it were in the Kampot territory.

 

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Spectacular canyon at the middle of National Headway 3

2 August 2012. The name National Headway 3 seems an ideal to reach than a fact. Evidently, it has improved along the last decade, but it is a very poor road. The contrast is the stunning hill headway built to reach the Bokor new casino.

A Modern Historical Novel

Is a Cambodia a novel inspiration country? Evidently yes, with its troublesome past as a victim of the domino theory during the Cold War. Devastation, nightmares, terror and… Pol Pot. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, Cambodia did not see an end to an even more complicated conflict, once more touched by internal and external interests, elements that molded what is Cambodia now. This political novel of William MacDonalds mixes many elements of that legacy of conflicts in a modern context. An imaginary story that touches reality in several points.

‘Guilt swarms over Cambodia. It is in the billions of dollars of aid that flow into Cambodia’s struggling economy, in the thousands of foreign aid workers that labor in its tiny capital, in the countless charity offices in its provincial towns, in the endless efforts to improve its medieval politics. Emily has come as part of the guilt,’ – After Pol Pot, a Modern Historical Novel.

Italian Ice-cream in Phnom Penh

You can find ice-cream almost everywhere in the Kingdom of Wonders. However, there is only a place in Phnom Penh with an authentic homemade ice-cream. Definitely, the ice-cream experts are in Turin (Italy), but some of them have moved to Cambodia under the mission to support education for the poor with Don Bosco.

Queen Beatrix gave medal to director of the Don Bosco schools

Amsterdam. The director of the Don Bosco schools and Children Fund in Cambodia, Dutch Fr. John Visser, 78, was honored by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands with the Medal as Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau. Fr. Visser received the honor from the hands of the Queen on August 31 for his commitment and work for education to unprivileged children and youth in Thailand and Cambodia. The founder of the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia with Italian Br. Roberto Panetto, came to Thailand in 1956 and was involved in the development of technical schools in poor provinces of that country. In 1992 he was about to go in pension, when the Order of the Salesians of Don Bosco asked him to move to Cambodia to answer the request of the government to help Cambodian youth with technical schools. Since then, Fr. John Visser has opened with the support of a network of benefactors, mostly from the Netherlands, Italy and US, technical schools in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Battambang and Poipet and several literacy centers in different provinces. The Don Bosco Children Fund, also his creation in Thailand, has attended more than 40 thousand Cambodian children since 1993, helping them to return to school. Currently, the DBFC is developing the Don Bosco Vocational Center of Kep and it accepted an invitation of the governor of Stung Treng to open a technical school in that northern province of the Kingdom.

Lost Loves movie of Chhay Bora

Phnom Penh. The Meta House invites to the premiere of the movie Lost Loves, Cambodian Genocide Drama of Cambodian film director Chhay Bora. Lost Loves is the best-looking Cambodian film in years, according to the movie house press release. They continue stating that it is ‘almost too beautiful to look at, given its subject matter.’

Pradal serey programs this weekend

Phnom Penh. The four Cambodian channels – CTN, TV3, TV5 and Bayon – will transmit Saturday and Sunday 36 fight matches of Pradal serey. There were 11 matches yesterday, making 47 this weekend. The television broadcast of Pradal starts around 15:00, but CTN covers the night fights. Two foreign sportsmen will participate this time. Here the schedule for this weekend:

Free training opportunities for young people in Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh. The KOMISO Vocational Training Center invites people from poor communities in Phnom Penh or Cambodia to join free skill courses in modern sewing, hair salon, hair cutting and motorbike repairing in its headquarters in the Banla Saet village, Khmuonh commune, Sen Sok district in Phnom Penh. Courses last between five and six months, from Monday to Friday (7:30 – 11:30; 13:00 – 17:00). The students have also six hours of moral lessons and two hours of business ethics and planning every week. The institution supports also the transport of students living in three nearby villages, New Andong and Sen Sok mainly. A house near the school was rented as a male residence for students, while offering the three meals for KOMISO students.

Sentenced to 7 years in prison for drugs

Phnom Penh. A Taiwanese man, Kuo Dayu, 43, was sentenced this Monday by the municipal court under the charge of drug trafficking to seven years in prison. The man was arrested by the Pochengton Airport police on August 29, 2010, when the authorities found 91 grams of heroin in his luggage. He was traveling back to his country. Kuo Dayu denied the charges and he said that he did not know that the drug was there and he will appeal the sentence.

A History of Cambodia by Francois Ponchaud

The French Catholic priest, François Ponchaud, will give a serial conferences for the year 2011 in English language about the History of Cambodia, from the origins till current time. Ponchaud is an expert in Cambodia about culture and history. The author of ‘Cambodia Year Zero’ and ‘A brief History of Cambodia’, is a missionary priest living in Cambodia for about 45 years. The Conference will hold on every Wednesday at 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, from March 30th to June 29th, 2011, at Catholic Social Communications Office (CSC) # 25 street 242, Boeung Prolit, 7 Makara, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. For more information contact csccambodia (gmail), Tel: 023 22 41 20 (English)/ 092 79 22 17 (French). The following is the general schedule of the conferences: 30 March: Cambodia from Origin to 1863; 27 Apr: French protectorate (1863-1953); 4 May: Sihanouk Regime (1953-1970); 11 May: Khmer Republic (Lon Nol Regime 1970-1975); 18 May: Democratic Kampuchea (1975-1979); 25 May: Popular Republic of Kampuchea (1979-1993); 1 June: Second Kingdom of Cambodia (1993 to Today); 8 June: History of the Church in Cambodia; 15 June: The traditional religion and Brahmanism; 22 June: Buddhism and 29 June: Approaches to the Khmer mentality.

TVKNews| ASEAN Tourism Forum

The ASEAN tourism forum in Phnom Penh has been very positive. Representatives of the Association of South East Asian Nations gathered in the capital to share ideas, projects and plans to develop an industry that can open the opportunities of development to the region. Cambodia is showing with proud its project of golf development.

New bridge in Phnom Penh

Wait the English subtitles.

‘We do not know each other… but we know Don Bosco,’ said Minister Im Sothy

Phnom Penh — DBNA – The Minister of Education, Sport and Youth of Cambodia, Im Sothy, visited this morning the compound of the Don Bosco Technical School in the capital district of Phnom Penh Thmey, and underlined the role of the Don Bosco schools in the recovery of Cambodia after the wars.

Don Bosco Casket in Cambodia

Fr. John Visser, DBFC country representative talking on the occasion of the Don Bosco Casket to Cambodia.

Phnom Penh DBNA — A delegation of teachers and members of the Don Bosco Foundation of Cambodia went on Wednesday, December 1st, to wait the arrival of the Don Bosco Casket in the Poipet International Gate early morning. At the other side of the border, in Thailand, a big group of also teachers and members of the Salesian Order in that country, were traveling from Bangkok to lead the relic into the neighboring country. It supposed to enter at about 10 AM, but some problems in the checking in delayed it until the afternoon.

The relic of Don Bosco will cross the former Khmer refugee camps this Thursday

Last November 17 a curious guest arrived by plane from Seoul to Bangkok and visited all the Don Bosco schools in the Southeast Asian kingdom where the Salesian educational community has been working for underprivileged children and youth since the 1930s.

How to locate yourself in Phnom Penh

Some recommendations for Spanish visitors to Cambodia (subtitles in English.)