What’s a web hosting recommendation doing on a site about ancient Khmer goddesses?

Simple – Hostgator gives us an easy, efficient, powerful and affordable way to get our information out to the world. We bet Hostgator can help with your business and personal websites, too.

EASY - Hostgator makes website management effortless from a single webpage that I can access from any computer in the world. My Hostgator Control Panel (bottom of page) may look like “rocket science” but it’s easy to use and makes life simple by giving me all the options in one place. And the best thing of all? Hostgator offers UNLIMITED  free tech support, 24 hours per day, from its Texas base. Free US-based tech support??? Pinch me…I must be dreaming. (-:

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AFFORDABLE - Devata is hosted on the “Baby Gator” plan…with 67 other websites(!)…for $7.95 PER MONTH. So all the reliability, free phone support, and power…for 8 bucks a month? I think Hostgator is the best hosting solution on the web.

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Try Hostgator to help yourself…and Devata.org, too. Please click on the Gator logo at the top for details.

Thank you,

Kent Davis

PS – I’ve added a screenshot of our Hostgator control panel below. Lots of buttons but they give me the ability to do anything to any of my 68 websites instantly, from anywhere in the world.

With my Hostgator control panel we can do ANYTHING to our webs instantly.

Women, children and the elderly all fell victim to the Khmer Rouge regime's brutal policies.

Banteay Srey, Cambodia – From 1975-1979 genocide swept the tiny Asian country of Cambodia like a firestorm. As the name implies, the “Khmer Rouge” perpetrators were of the same ethnic Khmer blood as their fellow citizens but communist fanaticism drove them to enslave their brothers and sisters. In four short years they killed nearly a quarter of the population through starvation, overwork and murder.

The Khmer Rouge aggressively targeted and systematically exterminated educated people, particularly those who practiced age-old traditions. An estimated 90% of the country’s dancers, musicians, artists and teachers died, leaving a cultural and spiritual vacuum in the hearts of the people. In 1979, a Vietnamese invasion wrested control from the Khmer Rouge in most of the country, but many guerillas retreated to the jungles and mountains of the north, where they dug in.

The remote Angkor region, former home to the Khmer civilization that flourished during the 8th to the 12 centuries, became a Khmer Rouge stronghold. Two decades passed. It wasn’t until 1995 that Siem Reap province was completely liberated, but by then an entire generation of people there had known only privation, fear and brutality.

A Daughter Returns to a Tortured Homeland

After Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953, King Sihanouk directed cartographer Nginn Karet to organize the Service Géographique Khmer, transferring national mapping responsibilities from the French government in Saigon to Cambodia. Through Karet’s work, Cambodia later proved ownership of the disputed border temple of Preah Vihear for the Cambodian people. Karet passed away in 1965 but left his Swiss wife and children with a profound love and respect for their shared country.

In 1994, after more than two decades of European exile, his daughter Ravynn Karet-Coxen committed herself to begin rebuilding her broken country. The family maintained many political contacts in Cambodia, including General Toan Chhay, a resistance leader who doggedly fought the communists throughout their occupation. Ravynn went to him to ask where she should begin? Where had people suffered the longest? Who had the greatest needs?

The general was quick to reply: the Banteay Srey district of Siem Reap Province had 2,500 rural families living in subhuman conditions. There were 14 villages with nearly 20,000 people trying to survive. He quickly advised Ravynn to begin elsewhere. Without realizing the extent of the crisis, Ravynn formed the Nginn-Karet Foundation (www.NKFC.org) and committed herself to begin helping the seven worst villages in the district.

“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Ravynn in a telephone interview. “But nothing could have prepared me for what I found. When we first went to the villages I was speechless. Housing, sanitation, education and health services were almost non-existent.

“These people lived in abject poverty, barely surviving from day to day. It is shocking to say but some were living like animals. There was no clean water or hygiene. Children ran wild without supervision, care, education or direction. The primary occupation was scavenging forest wood to sell for a daily bowl of rice. They ate whatever insects or animals they could catch for protein.

“But these were just physical symptoms. What frightened me most was seeing the psychological devastation. There was no eye contact. There was no laughter. There was no emotion. Just numbness. These families had no hope, no future and no concept of bettering their living conditions or livelihoods.

“It tore my heart apart. Many times I wept and didn’t know if I could continue. This is why I named the foundation for my father. With my respect for his memory and his name I knew I would never quit. Never.”

Ravynn Karet-Coxen (center) at a village hygiene class.

Ravynn’s struggle continued. During the first years progress was slow and building relationships was next to impossible. Successes were few and far between. She agonized over whether her group could even accomplish the seemingly simple goals they had set. These people had never experienced empathy or compassion before and lethargy abounded.

“The few who spoke to me said that during the years of the Khmer Rouge each breath was a breath of fear. The Communist leaders were paranoid and capricious. They never hesitated to incarcerate, beat, torture or even execute a villager for the slighted infraction — actual or imagined. Neighbors spied on neighbors. I saw scars on their minds and bodies.

“We worked for years building schools, wells and latrines. We helped villagers improve their houses and taught them cleanliness. But the question I kept asking myself was what could restore these broken human spirits? All these material things didn’t seem to be working as well as they should.”

National Geographic's recreation of Angkor Wat temple in 1,150 AD.

Is Cambodia Actually a Land of Plenty?

In ancient times, the Angkor area was known as “The Land of Gold” and Cambodia was known throughout the region for its wealth. Rich forests and plains yielded far more fruit, rice, vegetables, fish and animals than the people could use. The Khmers exported their natural bounty to China and other neighbors. Yet today modern visitors find Cambodia a wasteland filled with starving, uneducated, impoverished people. What happened?

“I was baffled to see my country, where 80% of the population was involved in agriculture, suddenly forget how to grow even the most basic crops,” said Ravynn. “For generations, my people lived simple but comfortable lives of abundance in the forests. But now they have forgotten how to plant for the seasons, to make organic compost, to harvest and preserve vegetables, and so much more. In previous generations Cambodian mothers prided themselves in maintaining tidy homes, now I saw them living in squalor with children who no longer knew how to even brush their teeth. My heart ached.

“We spent years rebuilding the most basic village systems: providing clean water, sanitation, housing. Gradually villagers began, once again, to learn personal hygiene, farming skills, child care skills. People became more self sufficient, began taking charge of their futures and started to practice healthier lifestyles. But something was still missing.

“Then, two years ago, something wonderful happened. Some older villagers approached me to ask for our help opening a small school to teach traditional Cambodian dance. Here I pause to explain how powerful, important and sacred the dance tradition is to the culture of my country.

“For Khmer people, traditional dance and music are passions that flow in our veins. In Cambodia, dance is much more than entertainment or even art: dance is our way to speak to our gods and to thank them for the gifts of this rich land that we inhabit.

“The discipline, power and purity of Cambodian dance embraces all our religious and cultural values, values that have been passed down to us since the time of Angkor. Our dance not only teaches our most ancient legends and Buddhist values, these ancient rituals purify the soul and make Cambodian people one with our land. Cambodian dance gives inner peace.”

Children at NKFC study Cambodian classical and folk dance, as well as music.

New Blessings for the Khmer People

With the formation of NKFC’s dance school everything suddenly began to change. Parents remarked to foundation workers that children attending the new classes gained confidence, energy and strength. The revival of the traditional Khmer arts of music and dance drew families closer together, inspiring emotions and vitality unseen for decades. The power that permeates the land of the Khmers seemed to return to the area through the children.

According to Ravynn:

“We accidentally rediscovered the missing key, a timeless language of nature that flows in our veins. These simple arts began unshackling broken people from painful pasts, these gentle rhythms were a balm that brought love to their numbness. The children stood with confidence and walked proudly. Parents re-embraced traditional Cambodian family values in their hearts and minds.

“I realized that our earlier efforts had gone to improving physical things — homes, crops, water supply — but even then, the eyes were still empty. But now, through the wellspring of Khmer traditions, we are reviving ancient strengths and sacred arts that heal villagers and their children from the inside. For the first time, I clearly see that we are truly nourishing the souls of our people.”

The skill of the dance and music school students has progressed beyond everyone’s expectations. The modest facilities, open air thatched roof pavilions with three full time teachers, accepted new students as donations allowed.

NKFC students practice 6 days per week, in open air pavilions and no electricity. Music is provided by cassette players powered by car batteries.

In 2006, Ravynn met with Her Royal Highness Princess Buppha Devi to present the idea of a rural dance and music school. The Princess, already familiar with Ravynn’s record of success with village improvements offer to become the school’s official patron. Ravynn organized the school but waited more than two years before formally accepting the royal acknowledgment.

In 2009, the students performed for King Sihamoni at the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, an incredibly rare honor for any dance performance in Cambodia. Following that performance, Ravynn officially named the school the  “NKFC Conservatoire – Preah Ream Buppha Devi Chhouk Sar – Banteay Srey.”

NKFC students dance for His Majesty King Sihamoni at the Royal Palace.

H.M. King Sihamoni recognized every dancer with a personal greeting as Ravynn Karet-Coxen witnessed the blessings.

In 2010, the school has accepted 163 students to train. Children and their families pay nothing to attend so the opportunity is based on finding personal sponsors for each child. The cost is less than $5 per week per student, but even that amount is beyond the ability of the local families.

Sponsoring a young dancer or musician is easy,  quick and rewarding. You truly have the opportunity to participate in the spiritual and cultural reawakening of a deserving land.

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide

As early as the 9th century, Khmer people respected women, giving them the right to own property, the right to conduct business, and honoring female images in their temples. Devata.org is dedicated to understanding the role of ancient women in Southeast Asia, and to sharing that knowledge with the modern world to inspire equality, education and advancement for women.

A new book presents compelling evidence that  unleashing women’s full potential is the key to economic progress in the world.  “Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide” offers practical, effective ways to empower women and to improve the world we live in.

Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn are the husband-and-wife Pulitzer Prize winning team that wrote the book, and they practice what they preach. The great news is that it’s easy to do something good; there are plenty of quality organizations that maximize the influence of your contributions, no matter how modest.

Here are three ways you can help today:

1. Help girls go to school.

Srei Devata Middle School has no electricity so students learn on a battery powered computer charged by solar panels.

Girls who get an education have fewer children, earn more money, and are able to help younger siblings. American Assistance for Cambodia enables individuals and organizations to revolutionize life in a village forever by actually building a new school for as little as $13,000.

In 2005, DatAsia, the publishing firm that supports Devata.org, funded construction of  Srei Devata Middle School in Kampong Thom Province, as well as an initial operating budget, through AAfC. While Nick Kristof doesn’t flaunt the fact, he and his family also funded a school with this efficient foundation in 2008.

Another excellent program AAfC operates to help girls in Cambodia is Girls Be Ambitious, where uneducated girls are at great risk of being trafficked into brothels or exploitative labor situations in factories. For $10 a month, you can keep a girl in school and help her build a better future.

2. Support woman’s business and education.

A microloan of $50 can help a woman start a business, producing income she can use to feed her children and send them to school. Two great groups helping women around the world are Mercy Corps and BRAC.

"an illiterate woman who used compensation money after being gang-raped to build a small school in which she herself enrolled." Story & photo by Nicolas Kristof

Have you read about Mukhtar Mai’s courageous efforts to bring educational equality to girls and women in one of Pakistan’s poorest regions? Her story and other accounts from Pakistan were so shocking that we immediately donated to her cause on behalf of the students of Srei Devata School. Cambodia is slowly recovering from its time of genocidal horror, but many others still live in the agony and ignorance of human cruelty. Anyone can help with the click of a mouse and PayPal.

3. Make girls smarter.

Child receiving a Vitamin A capsule in Cambodia.

How can a few pennies per person change lives? Many pregnant women living in poverty don’t get enough iodine, so their fetuses’ brains do not develop properly. Their children routinely lose ten to 15 IQ points—particularly girls, for reasons not fully understood. The solution: Iodize salt, at the cost of a couple of pennies per person per year.

Helen Keller International provides technical assistance to establish nutrition and eye health programs in partnership with host countries throughout the world. Did you know that 80% of blindness worldwide is preventable? Neither did I.

For details go to Helen Keller International.

There you have it. Three ways and multiple efficient foundations that enable you to improve the lives of women now. Do you have $10? $100? Pick one and see how it feels.

Article by Kent Davis

Scholars of the French colonial period created many profound studies of the Khmer Empire and the rich Khmer cultural legacy that still resonates throughout Southeast Asia.

Angkor Wat Devata - West Gopura

Few of these French works have been translated into English. Many books and papers have vanished or drifted into obscurity.

As Cambodia progresses towards a brighter future it is experiencing a renaissance of self awareness. Cambodians and people around the world are becoming more interested in learning about Khmer heritage.

Devata.org is is focusing on works related to the role of women in Khmer history and the art of Cambodian dance.

We have a number of antique French texts in progress that will offer modern readers new perspectives and knowledge about the Khmers. Basic translation is complete for some of these but we are seeking expert translators to assist in refining the works for final publication in book form.

Even more Cambodian citizens could enjoy these works if they can be translated into Khmer and we are also seeking funding and support on that front.

Publication costs for the French-English works are privately subsidized as there seems to be little commercial value for these works. Limited compensation for translation assistance  is possible, however the primary motivation should be a passion for this topic, a publication credit and making a significant contribution to the field of Cambodian woman’s studies. All participants will receive copies of the completed book(s) and inclusion in all press releases and online media.

If you are interested in helping as a credited translator in either French-English or English-Khmer translations please contact me directly.

kentdavis@gmail.com

Angkor Wat Devata - West Gopura, west wall

A growing body of evidence indicates that:

1. The women depicted at Angkor Wat may be one of the primary reasons for the temple’s existence.

2. One of the temple’s primary functions, perhaps the primary function, was to honor these women and the feminine forces they represent.

3. These women and their importance were probably key aspects of the social-political-religious ideology of the Khmer society.

4. These female portraits, therefore, would represent important, intelligent and powerful women who were a vital force in the expansion and administration of the Khmer Empire.

I, for one, am absolutely certain that they these women are not “decorations for bare limestone walls” or “a harem to serve the king in heaven.”

Bold words, apparently, because no scholar in 150 years has published anything resembling these statements (with the brilliant exception of Trudy Jacobsen in her new book “Lost Goddesses.” I apologize if I’ve missed other papers – please contact me with information about them so I can publish or promote them on this site).

So how is it that the sacred women of Angkor Wat have been ignored and trivialized for so long?

It starts with not saying anything. I think the time has come to say something.

I invite readers to begin promoting the visibility and significance of Khmer women in Khmer history.Posting information on blogs, writing articles and updating Wikipedia entries are all worthwhile endeavors.

The time has come to suggest that the woman at Angkor Wat are important and represent something other than “decorations”. And there are quite a few related Wiki topics that lack this information.

Case in point…our male-centric world is “linga crazy.” (-:

My understanding is that the “linga” is meaningless and powerless without the “yoni.” Our world thrives through balancing male and female forces. Personally, I think this philosophy is what led to the ascendancy of the Khmer civilization.

But looking at the listings for linga and yoni on Wikipedia we find articles that are clearly out of balance.

Isn’t every linga paired with a yoni?  So how is it even possible, to write a long, in depth  article about the male half of this pair, without mentioning the female counterpart?

The story of the women of Angkor Wat must also out of balance.

Imagine archaeologists 1,000 years in the future discovering the National Portrait Gallery in London…and ignoring the paintings as “decorations to decorate the bare walls.”

Is the situation at Angkor Wat any less absurd? In the very near future, my goal is to make it impossible to write about Angkor Wat without articulating the dominance, and potential significance, of the women honored there.

The “wallpaper days” will be over, with your help.

There are may new ideas in the field of Khmer research that acknowledge women. But if a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?

Please consider spreading the word on Wikipedia, in articles, blogs, comments, etc.  I am happy to assist with ideas, citations, references, photos, quotes or whatever I can contribute.

kentdavis@gmail.com