Social News Headlines 31/3 Funeral held for Most Venerable Thich Tri Tinh  Most Venerable Thich Tri Tinh. The Vietnam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) on March 29 held a solemn memorial service at Van Duc pagoda in Born in 1917 in the Mekong Delta He made significant contributions to gathering Buddhist followers in and out of the country to jointly build a strong Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. He was conferred with a number of noble distinctions of the Party and State, including the Ho Chi Minh Order, Independence Order (first class), and Great National Unity Order. The funeral, which will run until April 2, has received a lot of attention from mourners nationwide. Party Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, and Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung have sent floral tributes to the deceased.- Blaze rips through 3000sq.m of wood A fire broke out yesterday afternoon at a wood-producing company in Trang Bom District of Dong Nai Province, destroying nearly 3,000sq.m. No injuries were reported. The workers said they were able to escape the fire but unable to control it. More than 50 firefighters were deployed to the site and the fire was stopped after more than an hour. Damages have not been assessed. The investigation is ongoing. Around 11,000 hearing-impaired children in the northern city of The activity was co-organised by the local children's hospital and the city's Department of Education and Training. Doctor Nguyen Tuyet Xuong, head of the hospital's ear, nose and throat department, said 58 passengers saved from stranded boat Border guards in the northern port city of The ship, captained by To Quang Trung of the city's The passengers also included five French tourists. Heat wave spreads across the north The northern and north-central regions are suffering a developing heat wave before experiencing a cold spell in a couple of days, according to central weather experts. The heat wave, which is moving from west to east, caused weekend temperatures in several northern and north-central mountainous localities to increase to 35-38 degrees Celsius. On March 30, the temperature reached a high of 40 degrees Celsius in Tuong Duong (central Nghe An province), and 38.2 degrees Celsius in Huong Khe (central HaTinh province). In the capital city of However, a cold spell will strike the north on April 1, causing regional temperatures to fall considerably. Meanwhile, a heat wave has baked the southern region for the past few days, with daily temperatures ranging between 33 and 38 degrees Celsius. Bomb left over from war found in garden The Binh Phuoc Military Headquarter yesterday successfully decommissioned a 250-kilogramme bomb and a five-kilogramme cannon warhead found in a resident's garden. Tran Minh Canh, who lives in Village 6 in Loc Hoa Commune in Loc Ninh District, came across the explosives while gardening last Saturday. The bomb, which still had its detonator in tact, and the warhead were traced back to US troops who were in The bomb and the warhead have been transported to a safe location. UN expands aid to ensure social welfare in Vietnam The UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) will expand its aid to support The function, held by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs and UN Women, drew about 150 representatives of managerial agencies, international organisations, and Vietnamese and foreign experts. UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka underlined the importance of social welfare to the development of each country and the realisation of the eight Millennium Development Goals, which includes promoting gender equality and empowering women. The official, who is also a UN Under Secretary General, added that UN Women has worked with the Vietnamese Government to foster equality and raise society’s awareness of ensuring women’s rights. Meanwhile, Minister Pham Thi Hai Chuyen stated developing the social welfare system is among the top priorities of At the dialogue, participants shared opinions on gender policies and laws, the employment of women, and the building and implementation of social welfare policies, among others.- Oxfam starts poverty reduction project Oxfam International in From now until 2016, monitoring work will be carried out in 10 provinces and cities nationwide, with the implementation of policies at the local level under particular scrutiny. In-depth consideration of poverty in urban areas and among ethnic groups will also take place. NGO to build kindergartens The non-government organisation Saigon Children's Charity (SCC) will raise about $750,000 for the building of kindergartens in two poor districts in the southern A co-operation agreement to this effect was signed between SCC and the provincial Union of Friendship Organisations (UFO) in Under the programme, 10 classrooms will be built each year, equipped with full teaching equipment and outdoor toys in order to create the best conditions for young learners. More than 1,000 patients in During its stay from March 29-30, the delegation examined and distributed drugs to patients- mostly overseas Vietnamese and poor people- with diseases related to ophthalmology, reproductive health and bone & joint disorders. Koh Kong Deputy Governor Pen Bun Chhuoi hailed the Vietnamese businesses and philanthropists for their coordination with the provincial Overseas Vietnamese Association to take care of local people’s health. “Charitable activities run by Vietnamese philanthropists in Koh Kong have made practical contributions to the Cambodian Government’s poverty reduction policy which is a testament to the longstanding friendship between the two nations”, he noted. Over 200 university students across Vice Chairman of the NA Office Nguyen Sy Dung described it as an open forum where lawmakers could introduce basic information about legislature, thereby improving social and political awareness among students via discussions. Andrew Holt from the British Embassy expressed his hope that the Vietnamese NA will further encourage students to pay attention to issues regarding politics and policy. He made it clear that the embassy will help more students meet and talk with NA deputies. Many students voiced wish that the legislative body launch a forum exclusively designed for students, offering young generations a chance to exchange and improve interpersonal skills. Int’l training centre of trade lawyers inaugurated A centre to train international trade lawyers, the first of its kind in The centre was established under the Prime Minister’s decision on approving a project to develop a staff of lawyers to serve the international economic integration for 2001-2020 Nguyen Thai Phuc, Director of the To prepare for its first training course by the end of this year, the centre has selected qualified and prestigious partners to assist with developing the training programme and staffing it with experienced Vietnamese and international lecturers. In addition, it will cooperate with English training centres from around the world to organize training courses as soon as practical. In the first four years, the entire funding for the centre will come from the state budget. From 2018, the centre will create funding sources from tuition, funds or projects. IFAD’s US$34 mil for The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on March 28 signed a funding agreement in its headquarter in The signatories to the agreement were Vietnamese ambassador to Italy Nguyen Hoang Long and IFAD President, Kanayo F.Nwanze. The aid will be funded under the most preferential conditions to carry out a project to develop rural areas sustainably and cope with climate change in the Mekong River Delta, especially in Ben Tre and Tra Vinh provinces. More than 30,000 households, mostly women and ethnic minority groups will benefit directy from the project which focuses on raising awareness and strengthening capacity to respond to climate change. IFAD President, Kanayo F. Nwanze praised He affirmed that his organization has pledged to continue supporting the implementation of cooperative projects with For his part, ambassador Long thanked IFAD’s support for Vietnam over the years and spoke highly of the shift of IFAD’s cooperation in helping Vietnam to cope with climate change – a difficult issue which Vietnam need to resolve. The Vietnamese diplomat said that Ho Chi Minh memorial complex in A ceremonial ground-breaking for the President Ho Chi Minh memorial complex in Nakhon Phanom province, about 800km north-eastern of The complex, located on a site where President Ho once lived near the Addressing the ceremony, Chargé d’affaires of “Together with the Nakhon Phanom Governor Adisak Thepart praised the positive contributions of Vietnamese nationals in Thepart described the Ho Chi Minh Memorial Complex as a symbol of fruitful bilateral relations which shows the good sentiments of Nakhon Phanom people towards Vietnamese friends. During his visit to Thailand in 2013, Vietnamese Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong visited the Friendship Village in Nakhon Phanom province and presented a gift package of VND30 billion to help construct it. Experts from Nguyen Trong Hoa, Director of the HCM City Development Research Institute, said in the development process, big cities in the world including “It is necessary to strengthen cooperation among cities and research institutes to solve these problems in the most effective and efficient manner,” he said. Chang Huyn Lee, Director of the He added that urban planning, environmental pollution and climate change are global issues, so a city can benefit and receive much needed support from cooperation with other cities in the world to resolve them. Delegates also proposed participating in the Megacity network which was launched by the Standard stamp required for imported condoms A senior population official has suggested stamping all condoms imported into All imported condoms that have passed rigorous quality standards should be stamped, said Duong Quoc Trong, Director of the General Office for Population and Family Planning (GOPFP), at a seminar in Trong made the recommendation after a GOPFP survey reveals that there are roughly 30 types of condoms in Japanese condoms have the highest price while those imported from Delegates heard speakers dwell on the importance of establishing quality control standards for condoms to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. They suggested the Health Ministry to publish a circular on national standards of contraceptive devices, including condoms, to ensure protection and safety for all. The event was jointly held by the General Office for Population and Family Planning and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Thanh Hoa mobilises int’l aid from NGOs The central Speaking at the event, Vice President, Nguyen Dinh Xung, said that during the 2005-2013 period, the province had received substantial support from NGOs. It was reported that in 2013, 64 NGO-funded programs and projects were implemented in Thanh Hoa with total funding reaching US$9 billion. They focused on such fields as agriculture, rural development, health, education, natural disaster mitigation, and climate change adaptation, helping improve local livelihoods, reduce poverty and protect the environment. Some effective models which have been replicated include a microfinance fund for women sponsored by Save the Children US, a mangrove forest plantation and management by CARE, and a livelihood programme for children by World Vision. Nguyen Song Hoan, director of the provincial Foreign Affairs Department, said that Thanh Hoa attaches importance to expanding cooperation with NGOs, considering this an important task. The province will continue to strengthen the mobilization of support from NGOs, oversee the use of aid, and facilitate NGO operation in the locality. Hoang Van Hoang, President of the Thanh Hoa provincial Union of Friendship Organizations, called on NGOs and international development partners to further assist vulnerable groups in society to escape poverty. Photo exhibition in support of endangered species A week-long photography exhibition is underway in central Danang city to raise public awareness of the importance of conserving endangered species and their habitats. The event, which opened on March 27, is part of a bio-diversity conservation project launched by the The exhibition showcases 100 photos, with four of them portraying the beautiful red-shanked douc langur (leaf eating monkey). Posters and slogans calling for public support for the preservation of this rare Indochinese species are also displayed at the exhibition. Son Tra peninsular is the habitat for around 300 red-shanked douc langurs, which are listed in Vietnam Red Book as endangered species, urgently in need of protection. Denmark increases support in food safety, clean technologies The Danish embassy on March 28 pledged to increase financial support to underwrite small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in The support will be provided under the auspices of the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) Business Partnerships programme which has provided over US$74 million in aid for 300 pilot projects and over 150 long-term partners in Danish ambassador to Vietnam John Nielsen expressed hope the DANIDA Business Partnerships (DBP) programme, along with DANIDA’s business tools, will contribute to reducing poverty and maintaining sustainable development in In the context of Doctor awarded French Legion of Honour Order French Ambassador to Vietnam Jean - Noël Poirier on March 27 presented Associate Professor Hoi was former deputy head of the HCM City Pasteur Institute, and vice president of the Vietnam Red Cross. Currently, she is Vice President of the HCM City-based Vietnam-France Friendship Association. The 81-year-old woman has spared no effort to develop the medical sector in She has lobbied government and non-governmental organisations of Hoi is the fifth Vietnamese woman receiving the French honour. Other recipients were former Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly‘s External Relations Committee Ton Nu Thi Ninh (1997 & 2013), former headmaster of the Marie Curie High School (2004), Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien (2009), and former war correspondent Nguyen Thi Xuan Phuong (2011). Bird flu awareness campaign unveiled A communication campaign against the spread of AH5N1 and AH7N9 strains of bird flu to humans was opened by the Ministry of Health in the Mekong Delta city of The campaign aims to raise awareness among government agencies and people to prevent the disease from spreading to humans. It encourages people to ensure food safety, detect and inform about bird flu outbreaks to health and agricultural authorities, co-operate with market watch officials to keep out smuggled poultry and poultry products, and ensure personal hygiene and hygiene in poultry farming and slaughter. It urges government to strengthen oversight of measures to prevent the flu from spreading to humans. According to figures from the Ministry of Health, since the beginning of last year After a period when the disease seemed to be in retreat, it reared up sharply early this year in The H7N9 strain has also been reported in As of March 25, some 400 cases have been reported from around H7N9 bird flu has been reported in 15 Chinese provinces and cities, including in Guangxi and In This has come in for great appreciation from the World Health Organisation and the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. The H5N1 strain is also under control and the disease has not occurred for a long time. The campaign, organised by the ministry with support from the Unilever Viet Nam Foundation and Lifebuoy, will see the ministry and other agencies further boost activities to prevent the disease. On the same day Can Tho City leaders and representatives of the ministry and 20 southern provinces and cities oversaw measures to combat the disease in Tan Thoi commune in Can Tho. UN official calls for preventing violence against women, children An official from the United Nations (UN) has called for people to work together to prevent violence against children and women. UN Under Secretary-General and Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka made the appeal while working with the Ministry of Education and Training in Hanoi on March 29. She warned that 1.2 billion women worldwide are suffering from violence and inequality. Hence, the community should take responsibility to prevent this situation, Phumzile said. The UN organisations are also actively carrying out a number of programmes enhancing public awareness of the issue, she added. Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Nghia highlighted the role of women and said The ministry has also integrated gender equality and domestic violence prevention programmes into the teaching curriculum at schools nationwide, which has received support from many international organisations and already sparked success, Nghia noted. She said such a move should be spread wider in the capital and the country in the coming time. Handbook helps nurses better support hearing impaired A handbook providing tips for nurses to better communicate with people unable to hear and help them integrate into the community made its debut on March 29 in The booklet, along with a Vietnamese-subtitled DVD on life skills and sign language, was issued by the Centre for Research and Education of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (CED), the only social organisation for the deaf in It shapes part of a project enriching teaching and learning documents for people who have problems with hearing, sponsored by the non-governmental Education for Development (EFD). The brochure provides information on ways of communication used by hearing-impaired people and a number of steps to assist them in studying and protecting their ears. Additional documents should be made available for the hearing impaired to support their future social integration and independent life-leading, said Director of the centre Duong Phuong Hanh, who is also Secretary General of International Federation of Hard of Hearing People (IFHOH) and President of the Asia-Pacific Federation of the Hard of Hearing and Deafened (APFHD). VNA/VOV/VNS |
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