About the Cambodia Community Paralegal Network
Welcome to the Cambodia Community Paralegal Network platform
(cambodiaparalegals.org), a dedicated digital toolkit and educational library
managed by the Community Legal Education Center (CLEC). (Please note: As
established in our previous strategic planning, this specific digital domain
functions as our bilingual educational hub; the following organizational data
regarding our history and impact is drawn directly from our official sources).
Our network stands on the frontlines to protect the fundamental rights of
marginalized populations in Cambodia, providing critical legal intervention and
peaceful dispute resolution for those facing threats to their land and
livelihoods.
Our Core Vision and Mission
Our work is guided by CLEC's overarching vision: that the
Cambodian people live in a society under the rule of law, in peace, and in
social harmony. To make this a reality, our primary mission is to build robust
legal empowerment for vulnerable communities, youths, women, and human rights
defenders working on and affected by Land and Natural Resources (LNR) issues.
We strive to ensure these brave individuals secure access to justice, paving
the way for truly inclusive development across the nation.
The Power of Our Grassroots Network
Because we understand that lasting change must come from
within the community, we heavily rely on an extensive network of
community-based paralegals who serve as vital local legal resource persons.
Currently, our active network consists of 254 paralegals, proudly including 69
highly trained women, who operate across 18 provinces and the capital. We
carefully select these individuals from among community representatives,
activists, and well-respected local figures. Operating right in their own
neighborhoods, our paralegals provide crucial legal training, consultation,
local dispute resolution, mediation, and community advocacy actions.
Our Roots: The Community Legal Education Center (CLEC)
This platform is built upon decades of legal expertise from
CLEC, which was established in 1996 as a legal resource center originally
operating as an arm of the University of San Francisco School of Law with
foundational funding provided by USAID. In our early years, we proudly provided
legal education to over five thousand Cambodians through a comprehensive
“certificate in law” program and authored foundational legal textbooks that
remain among the few Cambodian legal texts available across various subjects
today. In December 2001, CLEC officially transitioned to become a fully
independent, locally registered Cambodian NGO. Today, we employ a comprehensive
strategy that seamlessly combines strategic litigation, legal empowerment
initiatives, community-based paralegal services, and effective civic engagement
to foster good governance.
How We Drive Peaceful Change: The "Peace Tables"
When conflicts arise between communities, private companies,
and authorities over land and natural resources, our paralegals and legal
experts champion the use of multilateral dialogues, commonly known as “peace
tables”. By acting as neutral facilitators in these mobile mediation sessions,
we ensure a fair and voluntary process where all parties can engage equally.
This cooperative and peaceful approach, which originated as a legacy of a
UNDP-supported project, has successfully resolved over 30 complex LNR cases
without the need for destructive court battles.
Championing Environmental Justice
Beyond local dispute resolution, our network is deeply
committed to environmental justice, believing that everyone has the right to
live in a healthy and sustainable environment. We proudly lead the campaign for
the Draft ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Rights (ADER), a proposed
declaration designed to advance the fundamental right to a safe, clean,
healthy, and sustainable environment for every person across Southeast Asia.
Through this platform, our paralegals educate communities on the "Three
Pillars of Environmental Justice": Access to Environmental Information,
Public Participation in Environmental Decision-Making, and Access to Justice
and Effective Remedies.
Through foundational legal education, peaceful mediation,
and unwavering solidarity, the Cambodia Community Paralegal Network empowers
communities to confidently defend their rights, secure their livelihoods, and
build a brighter future.
