Students and monk are reading books at the Preah Sihamoni Raja Buddhist University's library. PHOTO SUPPLIED
The Preah Sihamoni Raja Buddhist University initiates a groundbreaking campaign titled “Reading campaign 9,000 in Peace”, aiming to enrich the collection of the Techo Santepheap Library. The campaign advocates for individuals to donate one book each, as a commitment towards creating a robust and thriving nation.
This initiative aims to inspire an appreciation for learning and wisdom among students, fostering mutual respect and encouraging contributions towards the development of the “nation, religion and the monarchy”.
The campaign holds a shared vision of a nation where knowledge and unity are at the forefront.
Chhort Bunthong, head of the culture, education and tourist relations department at the Royal Academy of Cambodia, expressed support for the reading campaign. He praised the initiative as a valuable source of knowledge for students, irrespective of the campaign’s format.
“This campaign is a great starting point because some people today are not very interested in reading books; they like to read only short content that is posted on social media,” he noted to The Post on July 2.
Bunthong explained that reading brief text messages or social media posts, though not entirely useless, often lacks depth. Readers may not understand the full context, which is abundant in books, packed with comprehensive content and knowledge.
“For me, this campaign is useful to the general reader and has a lot of knowledge that we can use to solve social problems,” he added.
Nguon Sdech Pheakdey, secretary of state at the Ministry of Cults and Religion and the campaign’s founder, could not be reached for comment on July 2. However, he reportedly stated to local media that the campaign has already started receiving substantial donations from philanthropists and continues to welcome more.
He emphasised the importance of reading as a driver of economic and social change, stressing that reading serves as a pillar of knowledge acquisition, promoting moral and ethical values, fostering national unity, and empowering people to move away from sin and ignorance.
