Change - back to Rule # 1: who holds the power

Change, the core message that the political parties embedded in their campaign message during the last national election in Cambodia.

Change, the Cambodian voters made history in the history of Cambodia 2013 National election, brought in the unexpected number of votes to leverage the voice and space for the opposition party.

Change, the Beoung Kak lake activists shows to Cambodia and the outside world how women even as simple as housewives could echo their message of demand of basic rights to housing rihgt, lives and dignity as  person.

Change, the garment factory workers took to the street in demand for the living wage in the end of 2013.... Never, have Cambodia got such a high number of turn over of the protesters in its labour movement history.

Change, often the core message in the mission of many development actors, NGOs and civil society groups, youth, women movement, bloggers, social media pioneers...

Yet when the real change is making its way, there are resistance, fear, anxiety, as well as hope and motivation. Some people embraces it. Some people rejects it. For there are consequences that come along with every change that happen, be it positive or not-so-positive. Sometime, we do not know if there will be more or less positive. 

Sometime, change that occurs have multiple/ripple effects and often the first or second layer of effects get more opportunity/space and attention; but not the last on the line! For example, when an organisation is going through change process, the staff of the organisation got consulted and negotiate on the process and shape how change should go about. Their concerns are accounted for in the strategy and approach to the change. But the people to whom the organisation is working with (target group) often are not so much consulted. Yet, they are the ultimate beneficiary, the core constituency that form the basis of why this organisation is set up at the first place. 

Some people resists change for fear of consequence on themselves, their benefits, their fame, their credibility, and that of the institution they work for. But less thinking is paid to the people who will eventually benefits from or bear the brunt of ultimate consequence of such changes. Once again, power plays a role as a determinant for how change is shaped; who sits in the right place to play power, or to manipulate it if you want, influence the change take shape, be it the workers demonstration, an organisational change, or a political party decision to sit or not to sit in a government structure. 

If human being could think beyond their own self and their own benefits, if fame and being powerful and rich is not the ultimate goal in one's life, we as a member of society would sincerely like to bring about change into not only our lives but the lives of others.