Open Development, Open Cambodia

Abstract

The world is witnessing widespread participatory movement toward transparency, democratization, and responsive governance. Pressing social need and enabling technologies have allowed innovative strategies for social change to take hold. Cambodia also is witnessing local expressions of these forces; civil society is mobilizing and applying the tools of the information age to advance transparent, responsive governance. This report describes two cases of this development model, of open development. It documents Open Cambodia 2011, an open source un-conference designed to support collaboration between civil society and technologists. It also makes strategic recommendations for Sithi.org, the award-winning human rights portal, to move closer to its goal of becoming a real-time human rights report on conditions in Cambodia.