Besides being a magazine that informs young people of the education and career opportunities around them, Lift also aims to be an advocate voice for the efforts and successes of young people in the Kingdom.

In the first issue of Lift we wrote about how young people can make an impact on society by coming together in student associations or gatherings of individuals with a common mission. However, the government has made it difficult to hold peaceful demonstrations, and according to human rights experts, people are scared to participate in such events. “People have grown fearful of expressing their views and assembling peacefully to do so,” wrote Christophe Peschoux, the representative of the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Cambodia, in The Phnom Penh Post last year. However, this fear need not silence the student voice.

In our second issue we wrote about how the Internet has provided Cambodians with an opportunity to communicate about their lives, and even voice their concerns and criticisms of the society around them.

Now, in our media issue we explore how mass media can facilitate discussions about the development and improvement of our country. While many media outlets are beholden to political interests and even directly aligned with political parties, there exist a number of media outlets that are working to present an unbiased account of the news in Cambodia and give everyday people an opportunity to understand and discuss the important events of the day.

While freedom of speech is still an aspiration more than a reality in Cambodia, there are plenty of places to make your voice heard. In this issue we continue to help you find them.