On a lazy Saturday afternoon, you swim up to the edge of the infinity pool and look out over a garden of fresh vegetables at a farmer washing his buffalo in the Mekong River. A wine bottle pops, you take a glass, and then a sip, and somehow, from somewhere, a rare breeze of country air blows the heat off you.
Water comes from the pipes. It may t seem an overly simplified and misinformed take on our most precious liquid. But that is exactly the thought of at least one primary school student studying at the foot of Phnom Kulen, the source of some of Cambodia’s purest mineral water.
All through the countryside you’ve seen them: weather-beaten farmers bouncing down the road on bicycles, with bamboo cylinders hanging from ropes tied to their handlebars. They climb palm trees, sometimes with a machete in their mouth, and cut the ends off the palm flowers, fix the bamboo cylinders over them, then climb down and wait.
Yours sincerely,April 22nd is Earth Day, and for the nearly fifty years since its inception people the world over pledge to take actions to protect our planet. And in Cambodia, there is much to protect; from award-winning rice to globally coveted Kampot pepper, the natural abundance of the Kingdom is awe-inspiring.
The responsibility falls on us all to contribute to the well-being of those in our communities and the surrounding environment. This is a core value of Thalias.
And it is our distinct pleasure to be participating in this year’s CSR Contest presented by EuroCham. This programme recognizes and rewards companies that play an active role in maintaining Cambodia’s rich ecosystem and protecting its human capital. By doing so we hope to promote positive role models for CSR and encourage innovative sustainability projects country-wide.
In consideration for the well-being of those in Cambodia's working class, I strongly oppose the EU's proposed withdrawal of its preferential trade partner status under its Everything But Arms initiative. Sanctions are counter-productive to human and labour rights development; therefore I strongly urge the EU to conduct a human rights impact assessment before taking an action. Withdrawal can hurt those most vulnerable to slipping back into poverty; especially workers in sectors which have benefited greatly from a surging economy backed by tariff-free trade to Europe. Read my letter to the Phnom Penh Post below.
