Welcome! KEAP is an international "friends of Buddhism in Cambodia" humanitarian organization assisting with education and learning needs of Cambodian monks, nuns, and laypersons. We are devoted to harnessing the wheel of the Dharma to create a culture of peace, reconciliation, and people-centered development in Cambodia.
KEAP was founded in 1988 to address the challenges of Buddhist renewal following decades of war and social upheaval, including the near-destruction of Buddhism and all forms of religious and spiritual life in the country.
We initially worked with the Buddhist wats (temple-monasteries) in the Khmer refugee camps along the Thai-Cambodian border that were established in the early 1980s by our honorary founding patron, the late Ven. Maha Ghosananda. Among other activities, we organized "Buddhism and community development" training workshops for the displaced Khmer in preparation for their repatriation and carried this rehabiliation work to provinces in northwestern Cambodia at the time of the 1992-93 repatriation. Part of our work then included donating more than 16,000 of Dharma texts and audio-visual materials in Khmer to wats, educational organizations, and individuals in many parts of the country.
KEAP serves as a bridge between Buddhist and non-Buddhist donors abroad and selected local Buddhist educational initiatives in the country.
Please explore this website to learn more about Cambodia, its beautiful people and their Khmer-Buddhist culture -- and how you can become involved in helping with the long-term process of recovery from the Asian holocaust that occurred there!
Goals and Objectives KEAP's mission is to promote the recovery, renewal, and development of the Cambodian people and society through their own spiritual and cultural heritage. We believe that Buddhism, one of the fastest growing "religions" in the West, can provide Cambodians the basis for moral renewal -- personal, social, and political -- as it has done in past times when the country was in crisis. As a "friends of Buddhism in Cambodia" initiative, KEAP's objective is to provide assistance where needed and requested in areas of education and research. KEAP is registered in the State of Colorado (USA) as a tax-exempt 501c3 non-profit corporation to operate for the following charitable educational purposes:
(1) Promote and support community learning/development activities through Cambodian wats (temple-monasteries) in Cambodia as well as in other parts of the world where Cambodian temple communities exist;
(2) Assist Cambodian Buddhist associations, NGOs (non-profit organizations), community groups, organizations, and individuals to implement educational programs and projects based on Buddhist principles;
(3) Promote and disseminate research on Buddhism in Cambodia as a factor for social renewal and people-centered development.
These objectives are being accomplished by supporting Cambodian-owned and managed educational projects in five program areas: Education, Environment, Cultural Renewal, Health & Social Service, and Research. For details on each of these programs, see the
Programs/Projects Page .
Contact: Board of Directors (in 2012):Ven. Santidhammo, Honorary Chair
Michael Dowd, Chair and Acting Treasurer
Mark Elliott, Member
Peter Gyallay-Pap, Executive Director
Bouawat Sithi, Member
Email Us Email: keap[ at]keap-net.org, peter[ at ]keap-net.org
Phone or Fax (505) 986-9677 (USA)
Write Us KEAP
PO Box 657
Crestone, CO 81131/USA
Visit Us: in Crestone, Colorado or our volunteer field coodinator in Phnom Penh, Cambodia - call for contact information and directions.