Social News 15/11 ASEAN law forum opens in Hanoi An ASEAN law forum on several conventions of The Hague Conference on Private International Law with relation to ASEAN took place in Hanoi on November 14. In his opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Khanh Ngoc said four ASEAN countries are currently members of The Hague Conference and participated in a total of 12 conventions. Vietnam joined The Hague 1993 Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption in 2011 and became a member of The Hague Conference in 2013. The country participated in The Hague Convention on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters in 2016. Ngoc said Vietnam is considering the possibility of joining other conventions of The Hague Conference regarding legal and judicial cooperation, including those on the abolishment of requirement of legalisation for foreign public documents, the taking of evidence, and the civil aspects of international child abduction. He added that the forum affords a chance for participating countries to intensify judicial collaboration, especially in civil and commercial matters. Participants discussed benefits and challenges in joining and implementing conventions of The Hague Conference on Private International Law, and ASEAN cooperation in the effort. Workshop focuses on migrant labour in ASEAN An international workshop on migrant labour in ASEAN was held in the central province of Thua Thien – Hue on November 14. The event was co-organised by the Hue University of Sciences and the German Rosa Luxemburg Foundation with the participation of more than 200 scientists and managers from Germany, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam . Participants talked about the movement of low-skilled workers in ASEAN, social welfares for migrant workers, healthcare for migrant women and young migrant labour, and reproduction of labour power. Amidst the global integration, such issues as the labour competition, the rights of workers, the risks and diseases for migrant workers, and the impacts of industrialisation and the life of vulnerable groups like women, the elderly, children and people with disabilities, are posing a number of challenges to ASEAN countries, including Vietnam . Participants suggested increasing the protection of migrant workers via labour contracts with specific terms, including labour hygiene and safety. They held that it is necessary to provide migrant workers with information about their rights in the host society and its regulations and customs. Countries receiving migrant workers should build a hotline to protect them, they said. Vietnam, in particular, should build an information support centre and a roadmap to reduce labour cost for Vietnamese guest workers and address their complaints. According to the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, around 250 million people in the world earn living by working abroad. In Vietnam alone, close to 500,000 labourers are working in over 40 countries and territories, the ministry said, adding that Vietnam is one of the three nations to have the biggest number of migrant workers in ASEAN besides the Philippines and Indonesia. JICA inspects ODA-funded rural development project in Dien Bien Officials from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) inspected the implementation of an ODA-funded project in the northern mountainous province of Dien Bien on November 14. The Dien Bien Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reported that with assistance from JICA, the department prepared pilot models on growing rice, corn and soybeans and signed contracts with agricultural promotion centres in 10 districts on implementing the pilot models. Under the contracts, the centres will train local farmers in applying the pilot cultivation models to their fields. The department also built a safe vegetable-growing model in Noong Luong commune in Dien Bien district and opened five training classes in five communes on irrigation. Yuichi Fukasama, head of the JICA working group, appreciated the quick implementation of the agricultural development project in Dien Bien. He urged closer cooperation and coordination between the two sides to ensure the progress and effectiveness of the project. The working team also discussed with provincial authorities several projects that Dien Bien had proposed for JICA funding. The sides selected projects eligible for Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans and agreed on capital allocation plans for the projects, which focus on agricultural encouragement, infrastructure development, health care for women and children and prevention of human trafficking.- Can Tho moves to preserve Khmer culture Authorities of the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho have requested the municipal Board for Religious Affairs and relevant agencies to roll out measures to preserve Khmer culture, which is on the verge of oblivion. Le Hung Yen, Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Home Affairs and Head of the Board for Religious Affairs, the work has been focused on upgrading pagodas and schools, and raising local people’s awareness of conserving culture and rites of the Khmer ethnic minority people. In the coming time, apart from investing in infrastructure facilities in schools, the local authorities will work with pagodas to arrange courses of Khmer language for primary pupils during three-month summer holidays. Attention will also be paid to compiling textbooks serving the teaching and studying of the language. Teachers and monks and nuns at Khmer pagodas will be assisted to improve their skills to be able to join Khmer-language classes. Can Tho is home to nearly 23,000 Khmer people, accounting for 1.9 percent of its population. They are living around 12 Khmer Nam Tong (Theravada) pagodas across the locality. Public urged for early detection of diabetes Vietnam has responded to World Diabetes Day (November 14) with a ceremony focusing on the importance of the early detection and timely treatment to prevent dangerous complications. The event was held by the Ministry of Health and the National Hospital of Endocrinology in Hanoi on the same day. Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that the diabetes incidence is rising rapidly around the world, especially in developing countries. It is predicted to increase by 54 percent in two decades (from 2010 to 2030). About 138 million adults got diabetes around the world in 2014, and this figure is estimated at 422 million at present and 642 million by 2040. The WHO warns that diabetes could lead to serious complications such as blindness, amputation, kidney failure, and cerebrovascular accident . Around 5 million people died of diabetes in 2015, much higher than the mortality from HIV/AIDS (1.5 million) and tuberculosis (1.5 million). In Vietnam, the diabetes incidence rate doubled from 2.7 percent to 5.4 percent between 2002 and 2012, which means the number of diabetes cases in the country is growing at a faster pace than the global average. Up to 63.6 percent of people with diabetes have not been diagnosed, and they tend to get the disease at younger ages. Aside from genetics and aging, major disease causes include unbalanced diet, lack of physical activities, smoking or alcohol abuse, according to a report delivered at the ceremony. At the event, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long called on all-level authorities, sectors and the society to pay attention to diabetes prevention by raising the public awareness and encouraging people to have regular medical examinations for early detection and timely treatment of the disease.- Health insurance discussed in Da Nang Public health insurance was discussed at a recent conference held by the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission and the Vietnam Social Insurance Agency (VSIA) in the central city of Da Nang. The function heard that there were 69.97 million people with health insurance in 2015, representing 76.52 percent of the population. As of June 2016, the figure increased to 72.81 million and 79 percent. Last year, four localities had less than 65 percent of their population covered by health insurance, but by June 2016, only one of these, the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu, remained on the list. Currently, treatment expenses of health insurance holders account for between 70 and 90 percent of hospitals’ revenue. The Government is targeting 90 percent of Vietnamese population obtaining health insurance. To realise that goal, improving health insurance policies, medical services and public awareness campaigns are top priorities. A representative from the VSIA said tougher punishment for those who violate the health insurance law is needed. Island schools look for mainland financial resources The Party and the State should pay more attention and direct more investment to teachers and students on islands, teachers from remote islands have said. At the conference with the Ministry of Education and Training on Sunday, teachers from remote islands argued for policies that improve the quality of teaching and studying. Nguyễn Thị Bích Thủy, teacher at Lại Sơn Primary School in southern Kiên Giang Province’s Lại Sơn Island Commune, said that she hoped to narrow the gap between island students and mainland ones. Students on islands should have access to information technology such as desktops and foreign language rooms, she added. Nguyễn Thị Hợi, teacher at Ngọc Vừng Secondary School in northern Quảng Ninh Province’s Vân Đồn Island District, agreed, saying that IT access on islands is still quite restricted. Her school was an example. The school has two sories and eight classrooms, but the number of students is equivalent to nine classrooms, forcing the school to use a boarding room as a classroom. “We hope to build more classrooms, a functional room and a lab as places of practice for students,” she said. Phan Hồng An, teacher at Phước Thể Secondary School in central Bình Thuận Province’s Tuy Phong Island District, said that island students had not yet had their school fees reduced or supported. Thus, it is difficult to persuade parents to let their children go to school instead of going fishing. Đoàn Văn Kiều, teacher at Sơn Hải Secondary School in southern Kiên Giang Province’s Kiên Lương Island District, agreed. Kiều said most of students at his school dropped school when they finished the ninth grade, as there was no high school on the island. Any students who want to continue their education must leave the island to go to the mainland, a move only the rich can afford, he said. Kiều suggested the ministry supportes finance for students who wish to continue their education. In terms of policies for teachers, most said that their wages are still low compared to travelling and living costs. Most goods on the island are more expensive than that in mainland. For instance, a kilogramme of vegetables is VNĐ 10,000 (US$0.4), while its price is VNĐ 4,000 ($0.16) on the mainland. Lê Xuân Quyết, teacher at Song Tử Tây Primary School in central Khánh Hòa Province’s Trường Sa Island District, suggested that the ministry take measures to help teachers access more information to improve their knowledge. At the conference, Minister of Education and Training Phùng Xuân Nhạ said that the ministry will focus on projects to invest in facilities for island schools and hold training courses for teachers. It will also raise funds for students who had good performance at schools but could not continue their studies. The ministry would ask school principals to free school fees for such students. For the more complicated issues, the ministry will propose measures to the Government, he said. Crack down on smuggling rings coming as Tết holiday approaches The war against smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods will be enhanced in the final months of this year, ahead of Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday. This was revealed at a dialogue held yesterday to seek measures to combat smuggling. Participants stressed that smuggling has become more complicated and expanded to all routes, including road, sea and air, posing great challenges in fighting the crime, particularly in hot spots such as border areas and remote mountainous areas. Smuggled products included essential goods and products with high-tax and big differences between domestic and international prices, such as tobacco, alcohol, medicine, electronics, drugs, petrol, minerals and food products. In the first ten months of the year, agencies uncovered 72,000 cases of smuggling, a year-on-year increase of two per cent. Nguyễn Xuân Bắc, Deputy Head of the Department of Drug and Crime Prevention and Control, said the department would assign more officials to smuggling hot sports, increase co-ordination with relevant agencies such as police, customs and market watch forces and improve the skills of officials to detect rings. Deputy Director of the General Department of Police Đồng Đại Lộc agreed that smuggling has become more complicated, particularly tobacco smuggling. Each year, police discovered about 4,000 cases of tobacco smuggling, with a total of 9 million packs of cigarettes. He stressed that smuggling was often perpetrated by criminal rings outside the country. Smugglers often brought products to Việt Nam’s border and used tough terrain to smuggle products into Việt Nam such as rivers and tracks through forests and around mountains. Many smugglers were equipped with weapons and willing to attack officials if they were caught, he said. For the rest of the year, the department will focus on key areas such as border areas and key products such as petrol and tobacco in the fight against smuggling. The department will also co-ordinate with authorised agencies to increase patrols and direct localities to urge locals not to work with smugglers. Localities should also boost socio-economic development, creating jobs for locals so they have stable incomes and don’t work with smugglers, he said. Bac from the Department of Drug and Crime Prevention and Control said it was essential to strictly punish smugglers as a warning for others and increase co-operation with authorised agencies of neighbouring countries such as China and Laos. Leaders of localities and relevant agencies should bear legal responsibility if smuggling was found in their areas, he said. Sea grapes bring huge economic benefits Sea grape cultivation model has brought economic sizeale benefits to the central province of Ninh Thuận. Thanks to sea grapes’ easy cultivation and maintenance on otherwise abandoned shrimp ponds, low initial investment and especially high value exports, many households have overcome poverty. Six households in Ninh Hải District are piloting cultivation of sea grapes on a total area of 15ha, with encouraging initial results. The most successful model among these households is of Trần Hùng, a resident of Khánh Hải Town. With just 4ha of area to cultivate sea grapes, on average, he collects some 60kg, which he can sell at markets for VNĐ50,000 (US$2.2) per kg. Annually, he can make a profit upwards of VNĐ1 billion ($44,770). According to Nguyễn Văn Thạch, from the economic and planning department of Khánh Hải Town, sea grapes can be planted right on the seabed, the pond’s bottom or in "net bags" floating in the ocean, which is economically efficient, especially in areas that do not witness frequent storms or strong winds. Some households even cultivate this seaweed in cement pools filled with seawater. Depending on the pond’s area, lining materials, water source, lighting directions, etc., initial investment for an average pond (3000 square metres) stands at some VNĐ50-70 million ($2,200-3130). Ninh Thuận Province possesses ideal conditions to grow sea grapes, Phạm Ngọc Thượng, chairman of Khánh Hải Town People’s Committee, asserted. With its economic benefits and easy care, sea grapes can be a good direction to expand, he said. In addition, sea grapes can improve aquaculture environment quality since they develop quickly, have strong anabolism and high nutrition uptake. They can be grown simultaneously while cultivating shrimps and fish – this intercropping allows two to three times higher income compared with shrimp or fish cultivation alone. Sea grapes are a highly nutritious plant that can be used as a substitute for green vegetables. Sea grapes contain high quantities of protein and minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, as well as iodine, iron and vitamin A, which help prevent malnutrition and anemia. Sea grapes are especially in high demand in markets such as Japan, South Korea, China and Malaysia, making it a promising export. With these advantages, Khánh Hải Town authorities are planning to provide farmers with guidance, consulting and training sessions on cultivation techniques and food safety regulations. Another priority is to find purchase partners to ensure farmers’ output and to develop sea grapes sustainable for people’s livelihoods. Thousand dance for kindness Nearly one thousand youngsters participated in the Dance for Kindness flash mob on Hà Nội’s pedestrian streets on Sunday to celebrate and promote World Kindness Day. The event also calls on people to overcome every circumstance and territorial, cultural and religious border to create a world of trust, belief and love. “Dance for Kindness is held more widely this year. Creating an opportunity for young people to join a flash mob like this is a good way to connect the young and spread the message of kindness,” Đỗ Đức Duẩn, head of the organising team, said. Thousand volunteers joined the flash mob in their orange uniform. The event also drew MC Phan Anh and Miss Việt Nam 2010 Ngọc Hân. “By participating at this event, I want to convey the message that this is what the world needs. It must be a world of kind people and kind acts,” MC Phan Anh said.           Besides dancing, an exhibition named "Kindness" was also held, featuring paintings of kids. The proceeds from the sale of the paintings will be donated to the “Warm winter in mountainous areas” fund.     Besides Hà Nội, the 2016 Dance for Kindness was also held in central Vinh City, Đà Nẵng and HCM City with the participation of about two thousand volunteers. Dance for Kindness Việt Nam was established in 2014 and run by the youth with the aim of contributing to the community. The flash mob dance is the third of its kind to be held in Việt Nam. Seminar highlights impact of nutrition on early brain development Vinamilk in collaboration with the Vietnam Paediatric Association organized a seminar in Ho Chi Minh City on November 14 to discuss aprogram aimed at improving the brain function and memory of young children. seminar highlights impact of nutrition on early brain development hinh 0 At the seminar, Professor Nguyen Gia Khanh, chair of the Vietnam Paediatric Association underscored the importance of nutrition in children’s brain growth, especially during their first 1,000 days. Dr Thai Thanh Thuy, head of Paediatric Hospital No. 2 Psychiatric Ward, in turn emphasized the importance of paediatric doctors in providing consultancy to mothers with methods to stimulate children’s memory, especially during first 1,000 days. Dr Femke Hannes, a representative from Royal DSM of Switzerland highlighted the role of nutrition, especially DHA, ARA and choline in developing child’s brain. The seminar attracted the participation of more than 300 doctors and nutrition experts both domestic and foreign. Pullman Hotel Hanoi to host France’s Beaujolais Nouveau festival The French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Vietnam will host the second “Beaujolais Nouveau” red wine festival at the Pullman Hotel in Hanoi on November 17, which is expected to attract more than 400 visitors, reports the Vietnam News Agency. The annual event takes place in France on the third Thursday of November to mark the end of annual grape harvest and the start of red wine production. French Ambassador to Vietnam Bertrand Lortholary said the festival is aimed at introducing French culture and lifestyle, and promoting the friendship between the two countries. Visitors will have a chance to taste special dishes prepared by seven renowned French restaurants in Hanoi, and the unique Beaujolais Nouveau red wine imported from France. Canada introduces culinary specialties to Vietnamese consumers The Canada Embassy in Vietnam last week held a “Savor Canadian Delights” event at the Sheraton Hanoi Hotel as part of a Canadian food branding series to Vietnamese consumers. Canadian products featured at the event included Canadian fresh fish and seafood from both Atlantic and Pacific coasts (lobster, oyster, black cod, snow crab, salmon); beef, pork and canola oil from Alberta; fresh and dried fruits from British Columbia; and wine and beverage from Ontario. For the first time in Vietnam, wild-caught salmon from Canada’s Pacific coast and craft beer were introduced among other fine Canadian products. “From seafood and meat to fruits and beverage, Canada is well positioned to supply quality and healthy food ingredients to Vietnamese consumers,” said Canadian Ambassador to Vietnam Ping Kitnikone in a statement. Agri-food and seafood is an increasingly important component of bilateral trade relations. Canadian export of agri-food and seafood to Vietnam alone totaled C$357 million last year, up by nearly 50%. On the occasion a number of high-end restaurants are highlighting Canadian ingredients in their menu. Sheraton Hanoi Hotel is carrying Canadian lobster and a range of other Canadian seafood in its a la carte menu from November 7 to 18. Le Meridien Saigon Hotel is offering Canadian lobster and craft beer in a buffet dinner menu every Friday and Saturday from November 4 to December 17. Canadian beef can also be found in Yakiniku Buffet package at Golden Gate’s SumoBBQ restaurants in Hanoi and HCMC from December to end-January. Seafood farming needs technological reform Vietnam’s seafood farming sector needs technological reform to achieve faster and more sustainable development, heard a workshop on seafood farming with the participation of representatives from ministries and 28 coastal provinces and cities. Dr. Nguyen Quang Huy, from the Research Institute for Aquaculture I, said seafood farming needs to apply biotechnology and high technology to improve productivity, quality and use technology to improve cages, varieties and farming. Truong Dinh Hoe, Secretary General of the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), said aquaculture, which accounts for about 70 percent of Vietnam’s seafood exports, must ensure quality, especially in hygiene. According to the General Fisheries Department, Vietnam has 244,000 hectares suitable for aquaculture. Since 2010, seafood farming has developed both in terms of area and output. The farming area currently stands at 40,000 hectares with output of 308,000 tonnes, double the output in 2010. Sea fish with an output of over 30,000 tonnes, molluscs at 269,000 tonnes and crustaceans with 8,900 tonnes, are key species in seafood farms in Vietnam. Health insurance discussed in Da Nang Public health insurance was discussed at a recent conference held by the Party Central Committee's Economic Commission and the Vietnam Social Insurance Agency (VSIA) in the central city of Da Nang. The function heard that there were 69.97 million people with health insurance in 2015, representing 76.52 percent of the population. As of June 2016, the figure increased to 72.81 million and 79 percent. Last year, four localities had less than 65 percent of their population covered by health insurance, but by June 2016, only one of these, the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu, remained on the list. Currently, treatment expenses of health insurance holders account for between 70 and 90 percent of hospitals’ revenue. The Government is targeting 90 percent of Vietnamese population obtaining health insurance. To realise that goal, improving health insurance policies, medical services and public awareness campaigns are top priorities. A representative from the VSIA said tougher punishment for those who violate the health insurance law is needed. Downtown Hanoi goes blue in response to World Diabetes Day The Sword Lake (Ho Guom) and Ly Thai To Park in the centre of Hanoi capital city were lit up blue on November 13 night in response to the World Diabetes Day, sharing global efforts to enhance public awareness about the disease. The event was jointly held by the Health Ministry, the Hanoi People’s Committee and the Danish Embassy in Vietnam. Statistics show around 3.5 million Vietnamese had diabetes in 2015 and the number is forecast to grow to 6.1 million in 2040, putting a heavy strain on the public health care system and patients’ life quality. A survey of the Health Ministry in 2015 revealed that only 28.9 percent of diabetic patients received treatment at hospitals while 68.9 percent of diabetes sufferers did not know about their conditions. Vo Truong Toan Award honors 20 outstanding teachers in Danang Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper, Danang’s Education and Training Department and Prudential Life Insurance Company co-organized a solemn award ceremony of the first Vo Truong Toan Award in Danang city this morning. In this morning award ceremony, the organizers honored 20 outstanding teachers from Danang city’s kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools, high schools, vocational schools and colleges who have had innovative teaching methods and great contributions for the education sector. Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Chairman of the Danang People’s Committee Tran Van Mien expressed his pleasure as the Vo Truong Toan Award was launched for the first time in Danang city. Deputy Editor-in-Chief of SGGP Newspaper Pham Van Truong congratulated the award-winning teachers; He sent good health wishes to all teachers on Vietnamese Teachers Day (November 20). Mr. Sanjay Chakrabarty, General Director of Prudential Vietnam Life Insurance Company shared that the company has actively contributed in social activities focusing on sustainable development in the education, health and community donation. On behalf of the city's leaders and the organizers, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Danang city Huynh Duc Tho certificated for the outstanding individuals. The award ceremony took place at the Danang Radio and Television (DRT) and was broadcasted live on the local channel. The annual Vo Truong Toan Award is co-organized by Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper and Prudential Vietnam Company to honor outstanding contributions of teachers for Vietnam's education sector. Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival 2016 opens in Kien Giang The 10th Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival of the Khmer ethnic people was opened in Kien Giang province on November 14. The 10th Khmer Culture, Sports and Tourism Festival is one of main events of the 2016 Phu Quoc- Mekong Delta National Tourism Year. The festival comprises many excited activities such as trade fair, exhibitions for Vietnamese best quality products, folk games, football and basketball competitions, photo and exhibits display related to the Khmer ethnic people’s life and others. The Ngo boat race is one of the most attractive activities with the participation of 47 boat race teams. The annual event has been held on October 14th- 15th of the Lunar Calendar, contributing to conserve and prove the national cultural value, meet belief demand of the Khmer ethnic people, and tighten further solidarity between ethnic groups. Ok-Om-Bok was recognized as the National Intangible Heritage by Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism that is a pride of the Khmer ethnic people in the southern region in general and in Kien Giang in particular. Festival encourages avant-garde experiments on theatre stage The third International Experimental Theatre Festival opened in Hanoi on November 13, featuring 23 plays put on by Vietnamese and international artists. The plays, selected from some 60 submissions by performers from over 20 countries, will be staged by eight Vietnamese troupes and eight foreign troupes from China, Japan, Singapore, Hungary, Germany, France, Greece and the Philippines. There will be two to three performances a day at the Hanoi Opera House, the Cong Nhan (Workers) and Tuoi Tre (Youth) Theatres, and Dai Nam and Hong Ha Cinemas. Gold and silver medals will be presented to the best plays while the best performers will be honoured at the closing ceremony scheduled for November 19. According to People’s Artist Le Tien Tho, Chairman of the Vietnam Stage Artists Association, the festival offers an opportunity for Vietnamese artists to make exchanges and learn from the experiences of their international colleagues, thus enhancing their knowledge and qualifications. It also aims to encourage avant-garde experiments on the theatre stage while providing theatre goers with high-quality shows, contributing to boosting the development of stage arts among the public. The opening ceremony featured a 90-minute play entitled ‘Duoi Nuoc La Cat’ (Under Sand is Water) by the Army Drama Theatre. Scripted by Nguyen Quang Vinh and directed by People’s Artist Le Hung, the piece tells the story of Nay – a boatwoman - and her daughter Gio, who silently nurture revenge against Lui, who fired her from the storehouse and caused the death of her husband. Co-organised by the Vietnam Stage Artists Association and the Department of Performing Arts under Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, the first and second editions of the festival were successfully held in Vietnam in 2002 and 2006. After a long time of being put on hiatus, the event will be held every three years starting from 2016 under a project approved by the Government. Tale of Kieu stage adaptation makes public debut Vietnamese poet Nguyen Du’s most famous work, The Tale of Kieu, has been adapted into a stage play and performed by actors of the National Drama Theatre. The play was adapted by Nguyen Hieu and directed by the theatre’s deputy director Pham Anh Tu. Although not covering Kieu’s entire life, as the original work is 3,254 verses, the play still retains the legend’s value in portraying a cruel, chaotic and unjust society under dynastic rule some 200 years ago. It was a society where money was in command and the common people, especially women, were brutally suppressed. Nguyen Du’s work is also a beautiful song of love, filial piety, altruism, fidelity and heroism. The adapted play lasts for about two hours with the ending scene depicting Kieu taking her own life by jumping into a river after fifteen years of pain and suffering since selling herself into prostitution in order to get money to bail out her father. The play is a bold experiment of the National Dram Theatre incorporating a combination of songs and dances. Instead of using platforms and stands as used in conventional theatre, director Anh Tu only used lotus flowers as scenery to represent the life of a human from budding to flourishing and withering, and a set of drums to express Kieu’s resentment. In addition, more than 20 songs written by Giang Son bearing consonance with folk music made the play even more captivating. Actress Diem Huong, who plays the role of Kieu, was successful in depicting a Kieu who not only refused to give in to her fate but took up a fierce struggle for her right to live. Da Nang hosts “Dance for Kindness” event An event titled “Dance for Kindness” was held by the Young Connection Club under the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee in the central city of Da Nang on November 13 in response to the World Kindness Week 2016. The event, featuring freezmob and flasmob dances and other activities such as signing “kindness to environment” commitments, aimed to encourage people to build a world of kindness, trust, hope and love. Dance for Kindness was part of the global Kind for Kindness events founded in 2012 by Life Vest Inside (LVI), a non-profit organisation based in New York, the US. LVI’s programmes focus on inspiring people to lead lives of kindness. During the annual “Dance for Kindness”, groups from across the globe join together to perform freezemob and flashmob dances. Last year’s event took place in 50 countries around the world with over 12,000 participants. Vietnamese library opens in Vientiane The General Association of Vietnamese in Laos (GAVL) inaugurated a library with nearly 1,000 books in Vientiane on November 12. Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, GAVL Chairman Nguyen Duy Trung said the association has urged individuals and organisations to present books to the library, which will help young generations improve their Vietnamese language skills. Most of books in the library feature Vietnam-Laos ties, and the culture and history of the two nations. The library is open from Monday to Saturday. Currently, nearly 40,000 Vietnamese are living and working in Laos. Belgium funds local governance project The Kingdom of Belgium has committed EUR3 million in non-refundable aid to support local governance in the provinces of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Kon Tum. According to the Belgian Embassy in Vietnam, the governments of Vietnam and Belgium have recently signed three agreements on projects to provide support for Responsive, Accountable Local Governance (RALG) in Nghe An, Kon Tum and Ha Tinh provinces.   Signatories to the agreements were Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen The Phuong and Belgian Ambassador to Vietnam Jehanne Roccas. These projects aim to enhance citizen-government engagement as a means of promoting more transparent, accountable and responsive local governance. Exemplary farmers, cooperatives honored The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development yesterday in Hanoi held a ceremony to honor outstanding cooperatives and exemplary farmers who have initiatives. 51 outstanding cooperatives selected by departments of agriculture and rural development in provinces were given credit for playing roles as bridges between farmers and enterprises. Moreover, these cooperatives applied advanced technologies in business to get effectiveness, greatly contributed to the government’s rural plan and activities to benefit the community. At the same time, the Ministry also praised 17 farmers who have initiatives to improve equipment and employee technologies in production for high efficiency. Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Nguyen Thien Nhan awarded certificates of merit and logo to representatives from cooperatives and farmers . On the same day, in the Presidency Palace, President Tran Dai Quang lauded 68 exemplary farmers and cooperatives that contributed in improving agricultural produce competitiveness. The President stressed that farmers play important role in the country’s sustainable growth and industrialization. Ooc- Om- Bok Festival 2016 opens in Soc Trang The 2016 Ooc- Om- Bok Festival- Ngo boat race with the participant of 49 teams from Mekong Delta provinces was opened in Soc Trang on November 13. The activity is considered as one of annual traditional cultural activities of the Khmer ethnic people and  celebrated on October 14th- 15th on the lunar calendar aiming to raise the cultural and spiritual life of the Vietnamese people in general and the Khmer ethnic people in particular. Besides, it is as a favorable opportunity to advertise the Mekong's image, habits and customs, colorful culture, economic and social achievements to domestic and foreign travelers. Earlier, the 2016 Culture and Sport Week was also opened in the province with attractive activities such as floating multi- colorful paper lantern, Khmer clothes performance, trade and economy fair and other. The festival lasts until November 14. Ministry boosts central tourism development The General Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism (MoCST) has issued a plan to restore tourism activities in the four central provinces. The General Department will convene a tourism promotion conference on November 17 in Ha Noi and another on November 18 in HCMC with a view to introducing and connecting travel agents of the two biggest cities and central ones. A program on North Central and Vietnamese tourism will be held from November 22-26 in Bangkok and Udon Thani (Thailand) to lure more visitors to the region. In addition, the General Department will send a team to develop tourism products in the North Central Coast and organize a seminar on tourism development in Thua Thien-Hue from November 28 to December 4. Statistics showed that the four provinces suffered heavily from the environmental maritime incident with thousand of billion of VND loss. Its recovery process is expected to take a long long time. Earlier, the MoCST on June 28 issued Decision 2301/QD-BVHTTDL to support North Central provinces to recover from the environmental maritime incident. SCG grants scholarship to 44 outstanding students SCG has continued to support the educational journey of “SCG Sharing the dream” alumni students, with the second scholarship worth 7 million and gifts each for 44 students who have successfully passed the university entrance exam 2016. The awarding ceremony takes place on November 8 and 10 in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City respectively. This year also marks the 10th anniversary of Sharing The Dream Scholarship, with the milestone of almost 4000 scholarships presented to excellent and grateful students in 7 South Eastern provinces and Ha Noi. Mr. PraweenWirotpan, General Director of SCG Vietnam said: “As a conglomerate business in ASEAN focusing on sustainable development, SCG’s principle is to contribute to better environment and community where we operate. We also believe in the value of individual and the education opportunity that can contribute to country development. Therefore, we choose to support Vietnamese young individuals with good potentials by giving them better education opportunities”. Follow this principle, SCG has coordinated with Tuoi Tre newspaper to organize “SCG Sharing The Dream” program, aiming to fly educational dreams of grateful and excellent high school students nationwide. During the past decade, SCG has awarded almost 4,000 scholarships, in addition to organizing the annual summer camp for students who receive scholarships with many useful lessons to help students broaden their knowledge, skills and motivation to pursue their education. Moreover, in order to motivate the spirit and support talented students, SCG offers the second scholarship for “SCG Sharing the dream” alumni who pass the University exam with major in Engineering, Economics, Accounting and Marketing. The scholarship package includes 7 million dong and meaningful gifts such as a set of essential stationary and a book series with valuable lessons for the students to identify their strengths and weaknesses, as well as to boost leadership potentials to fly their dreams further. In 2016, many students from SCG Sharing The Dream program have been enrolled in the prestigious local as well as international universities including University of Staffordshire – United Kingdom, University of Economic HCMC, Foreign Trade University, HCMC National University, National Economics University Hanoi, just to name a few. Pham Dinh Hai (Dinh Quan Commune, Dong Nai Province), student of Petroleum Geology Engineering Faculty, HCMC University of Technology said: “Under difficult circumstances, I had to work long hours after school to help my mother cover the cost of living. Even so, I still did not give up my dream, still tried hard and won many academic achievements as a high school student. “SCG Sharing the dream” scholarship has given me motivation and belief to pursue my dream and my education.” Another outstanding student is Tran Ngoc Phuong Linh (Ho Chi Minh City) – an alumnus that has received support for years from the program, has just won the scholarship at University Staffordshire (United Kingdom) majored in Marketing. Linh shares: “SCG Sharing the dream really helped me a lot to gain the success as today. Although this is not the final destination, I’ve been always trying to pursue the dreams of mine and my family’s.” From the success of Sharing The Dream in Vietnam, this meaningful program has flown thousands of dreams in ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Laos and Thailand. Annually, the program awards more than 5000 scholarships for high school and university students in the region. Besides “SCG Sharing the dream”, SCG also initiates many other meaningful CSR activities such as “SCG Sharing The Dream” playground at Hoang Van Thu Park, “SCG International Internship”, “SCG Young Leaders” and many more to come. VNA/VNS/VOV/SGT/SGGP/TT/TN/Dantri/VNE