ivco 2010 vietnam volunteerism

8/8/2019 IVCO 2010 Vietnam Volunteerism

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Hoang Bang Giang

Vie tnam Peop le s A id Coord ina t ing Com m i t t ee

I n t e rna t i ona l Vo lun t eer Coopera t i on Organ i sa t i ons Con fe renceSingap ore, 4 October 20 10

Vie tnam s vo lun t eer i sm and pe r spect i vesfo r f o r e i gn v o lun t eer s


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Situated in Southeast Asia

Total land area: 331.211,6 km

63 provinces and centrally managedcities

86 Million people

Bordered with China, Cambodia andLaos

Hanoi as the capital city

54 Ethnic minority groups

Economic growth during 2000-2009:Average 7 per cent.


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3

Foreign aid modalities in Viet Nam

o Foreign policy: an open, independent,diversification and multilateral foreign policyfor peace, cooperation and development - to

be friend and reliable partner to all countriesfor active participation in international andregional integration.

o Multilateral and Bilateral, ODA pledge increaseover the recent years:n USD 4.45 bil (2007)n USD 5.426 bil (2008)n USD 6.014 bil (2009)n USD 8.038 bil (2010)


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Foreign aid modalities in Viet Nam

o Foreign aid by non-profit, charitable anddevelopment organisations (InternationalNGOs):

- Up to June 2010: Over 800 INGOs operate inViet Nam as humanitarian, charitable, anddevelopment-oriented organisations, includingInternational Volunteers Placement

organisations.- 350 from North America (Canada), 320 from

Europe, and 120 from Asia Pacitfic


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5

INGOsINGOs in Vietnamin Vietnam

475 491 51 4

540 56060 0

6 50700

750 780

850

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010


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6

AidAid volume disbursed by INGOsvolume disbursed by INGOs

8 48 3 85

102

17 5

140

216

253 250

273

0

5 0

10 0

15 0

20 0

25 0

30 0

2 00 0 2 00 1 2 00 2 2 00 3 2 00 4 2 00 5 2 00 6 2 00 7 2 00 8 2 00 9

(In million USD)


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A historical view of Viet Nams

volunteerism

o Hundreds of years under invasion

o The most recent wars: with French

colonists during 1854/1954, and withthe US until 1975.

o Armed conflicts against Khmer Rougein Cambodia and with China in the

1980s


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A historical view of Viet Nams

volunteerismo Years in wars and conflicts develop in

Vietnamese a long-standing tradition ofuniting, sacrifice and volunteering.

o Major peoples voluntary organisations formedduring the 1930s and war periods:

- The Viet Nam Fatherland front.

- Women Union.

- Youth Union.

- Farmers Union.

- Labourers Union.

- Veterans Associations.


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Characteristics of these organisations

o Rooted from central to local (village) levelswith active peopls participation.

q Maintain strong relations with government and

influential to businesses and the societyq Highly capable of mobilising and gatheringpeople

q Convene thousands of member organisationsand millions of members nation-wide (YouthUnion, Women Union and the Fatherland

Front).q Continue to influence development work:

Education, HIV/AIDS, community service,busniesses.


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Recent developments promoting foreign

volunteerismo The renewal and Viet Nams opening-up to

the world.o Quickly improving economic and social

conditions, and commitment toward foreignpartners.o Wave of international organisations during

the 1990s and 2000s including 800 INGOs.o 2005-2009 disbursement amount to 1 bil

USD, 10-15% are volunteers contribution.o Hundreds of foreign staff, experts work

with projects/programmes alongside VietNamese beneficiaries and partners.


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Recent developments

o Thousands of foreign volunteerstravel and stay in Viet Nam on long-term and mission basis.

o Increasing level of interaction withVietnamese organisations andcommunities.

o

Contribute to the emergence ofVietnams new non-profit, voluntarysector.


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Voluntering models adopted byinternational organisations

o Development-oriented: Volunteers areplaced to work for developmentprojects.

- Selected and sent based on local needsand country priorities such as theMDGs, education and healthdevelopment priorities.

- Many volunteers work with INGOs.


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Main voluntering models

o Capacity building: Volunteers are placedto work with Vietnamese organisations

and institution, NGOs to improve theirorganisationsal capacity and theirservice delivery, including research,teaching for foreign languages and

trainings.o Often they are graduates, mid-career,

experienced and professional volunteers.


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o Humanitarian missions: short-term,trip-based volunteers to do social

work, summer activities, charitablemedical missions, or communityservices.

o Often, they are graduates, internsand retired volunteers.


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o Diaspora volunteering: Young andretired Vietnamese living overseas

return and contribute their time,expertise, donate money and assets toassist poor and vulnerable groups.

(With over 3.2 milln Vietnamese living overseasdiaspora voluntering is becoming more

trendy)


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Whats seemingly absent fromvolunterism in Vietnam

o A long-term strategy for cooperation with foreignvolunteers, resulting in weak faciliative conditions,clear-cut policies, insufficient responsibility local

host agencies, clearly defined needs for volunteringresources by sectors, areas and plan ofdevelopment.

o Less attraction to high skilled business andmanagement foreign volunteers.

o

Good coordination of host agencies at central andlocal levels to support volunteers.

o Few long-term development projects designedtowards foreign volunteers for more visible impactsof voluntering.


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Local volunteer coordination by needs

o Min i st r y o f educat i on and t ra i n i ng: hostvolunteers working at colleges, universities andtraining institutions.

o Min i st r y o f Hea lt h : hosts volunteers working at

hospitals, medical colleges/universities and traininginstitutionso Min is t r y o f Soc ia l a f fa i rs: hosts/coordinates

volunteers in HIV/AIDS, vocational training and socialprotection.

o W om en Un ion , You th Un ion , community social

organisations host/coordinate volunteers incommunity work, women empowerment and networkdevelopment projects, teaching of foreign languages,and implement development projects in health,education, and disaster relief and relief of warproblems.

o Loca l gove rnm en ts : faciliate community

development projects and voluntary humanitarian


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Major challenges to foreign volunteers

o Fragmented (rather diversifying) structures for bothdomestic and foreign volunteerism (beingcomplemented by a Vietnam Volunteer Resource

Centre a joit project between VN Youth Union andUNV).

o Volunteers frustration encountering extremecircumstances such as people with disabilities, victimsof agent/oranges, and danger of landmines, bombscontaminated areas.

o Dangerous traffic, big city pollution andbureaucratisation.

o Limited resources of the local host agencies


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What attracts foreign volunteers

to Viet Nam


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Attractions to volunteers

o Peaceful country with natural beauties andhospitality.

o Young, dynamic population (40% of peopleborn after the war).

o Volunteerism as a channel for people-to-people relations for Vietnam.

o International voluntering is highly recognised

by the government and people (e.g throughthe promotion of INGOs, including intlvolunteers organisations).


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o On-track country with promising developmentopportunities (competitive business, jobs,resonable and good living conditions).

o Issues and much needed volunteering toaddress:

n Poverty: 12 per cent of population.

n Heavy war consequences: People withdisabilities, Agent orange/Dioxin, unexplodedordnance and land toxic chemicalcontamination.

n Extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, andimpacts of climate change.

nHIV/AIDS and epidemics


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What Viet Nam believes ininternational volunteerism?


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o Build and promote understanding andexpand people-to-people relations.

o Enhance peace, solidarity andfriendship.

o Effective mobilisation of ordinary people,civil servants, military, politicians andcommunities in social development

processes.


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o Educate young generations of theirsocial responsibility.

o Raise business ethics of Vietnamese inform of a growing public-business-private partnership.

o Contribute to the development ofVietnams newly emerging non-profit,

voluntary sector (with thousands ofVietnamese social, development orgs,NGOs establised in the recent time.


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Some pictures


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Thank you!

ivco 2010 vietnam volunteerism

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