Background

The Peace Institute of Cambodia (PIC) has its foundations in an action research project called “Initiating a Way to Address Legacy of Memory” conducted by Mr. Long Khet, founder of Youth for Peace (YFP). This initiative was the foundation for ten years of YFP’s peacebuilding and reconciliation work with young people in Cambodia, which reinforced a belief in the need for a peace institution that could work for peace and democracy through education, research and advocacy.

In November 2010, a PIC strategic planning workshop was held with peace practitioners and other relevant stakeholders including all YFP staff, board of directors, technical advisors, and interns. An internal consultation was enormously supportive of the dream for a peace institute in Cambodia that would embody a strong vision for sustainable peace in Cambodia and in the region.

Registered with the Ministry of Interior on 21 October 2011, PIC formally launched its program on 09 December 2011 at the Youth for Peace 10 Year Anniversary celebration. Since then, PIC has been working closely with university youth, peace practitioners and civil society workers in Cambodia and abroad, while also continuing to refine its institutional framework, including program development, capacity building, and fostering of professional partnerships.

PIC’s staff has extensive experience in peace and conflict resolution and continues to further their academic skills through conflict transformation studies from the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies (CPCS) in Phnom Penh.