International Volunteer Cooperation Organisations Conference

Singapore, 4 October 2010

Vietnam’s volunteerism and perspectives

for foreign volunteers

Hoang Bang Giang

Vietnam People’s Aid Coordinating Committee
§Situated in Southeast Asia
§Total land area: 331.211,6 km²
§63 provinces and centrally managed
cities
§86 Million people
§Bordered with China, Cambodia and
Laos
§Hanoi as the capital city
§54 Ethnic minority groups
§Economic growth during 2000-2009:
Average 7 per cent.
 Foreign aid modalities in Viet Nam

o Foreign policy: an open, independent,

diversification and multilateral foreign policy
for peace, cooperation and development - to
be friend and reliable partner to all countries
for active participation in international and
regional integration.

o Multilateral and Bilateral, ODA pledge increase

over 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)
3
Foreign aid modalities in Viet Nam

o Foreign aid by non-profit, charitable and

development organisations (International
NGOs):
- Up to June 2010: Over 800 INGOs operate in
Viet Nam as humanitarian, charitable, and
development-oriented organisations, including
International Volunteers Placement
organisations.
- 350 from North America (Canada), 320 from
Europe, and 120 from Asia Pacitfic
 INGOs in Vietnam
900 850
750 780
800 700
650
700 600
600 540 560
514
475 491
500
400
300
200
100
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
5
 Aid volume disbursed by INGOs

(In million USD)

300
273
253 250
250
216
200
175
150 140
102
100 83 84 85

50

0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

6
 A historical view of Viet Nam’s
volunteerism

o Hundreds of years under invasion

o The most recent wars: with French
colonists during 1854/1954, and with
the US until 1975.
o Armed conflicts against Khmer Rouge
in Cambodia and with China in the
1980s
 A historical view of Viet Nam’s
volunteerism
o Years in wars and conflicts develop in
Vietnamese a long-standing tradition of
uniting, sacrifice and volunteering.
o Major people’s voluntary organisations formed
during the 1930s and war periods:
- The Viet Nam Fatherland front.
- Women Union.
- Youth Union.
- Farmers Union.
- Labourers Union.
- Veterans Associations.
Characteristics of these organisations

o Rooted from central to local (village) levels

with active peopl’s participation.
q Maintain strong relations with government and
influential to businesses and the society
q Highly capable of mobilising and gathering
people
q Convene thousands of member organisations
and millions of members nation-wide (Youth
Union, Women Union and the Fatherland
Front).
q Continue to influence development work:
Education, HIV/AIDS, community service,
busniesses.
Recent developments promoting foreign
volunteerism
o The renewal and Viet Nam’s opening-up to
the world.
o Quickly improving economic and social
conditions, and commitment toward foreign
partners.
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 Viet
Namese beneficiaries and partners.
Recent developments…

o Thousands of foreign volunteers

travel and stay in Viet Nam on long-
term and mission basis.
o Increasing level of interaction with
Vietnamese organisations and
communities.
o Contribute to the emergence of
Vietnam’s new non-profit, voluntary
sector.
Voluntering models adopted by
international organisations

o Development-oriented: Volunteers are

placed to work for development
projects.
- Selected and sent based on local needs
and country priorities such as the
MDGs, education and health
development priorities.
- Many volunteers work with INGOs.
Main voluntering models …

o Capacity building: Volunteers are placed

to work with Vietnamese organisations
and institution, NGOs to improve their
organisationsal capacity and their
service delivery, including research,
teaching for foreign languages and
trainings.
o Often they are graduates, mid-career,
experienced and professional volunteers.
Main voluntering models …

o Humanitarian missions: short-term,

trip-based volunteers to do social
work, summer activities, charitable
medical missions, or community
services.
o Often, they are graduates, interns
and retired volunteers.
Main voluntering models …

o Diaspora volunteering: Young and

retired Vietnamese living overseas
return and contribute their time,
expertise, donate money and assets to
assist poor and vulnerable groups.

(With over 3.2 milln Vietnamese living overseas

diaspora voluntering is becoming more
trendy)
What’s seemingly absent from
volunterism in Vietnam

o A long-term strategy for cooperation with foreign

volunteers, resulting in weak faciliative conditions,
clear-cut policies, insufficient responsibility local
host agencies, clearly defined needs for voluntering
resources by sectors, areas and plan of
development.
o Less attraction to high skilled business and
management foreign volunteers.
o Good coordination of host agencies at central and
local levels to support volunteers.
o Few long-term development projects designed
towards foreign volunteers for more visible impacts
of voluntering.
Local volunteer coordination by needs

o Ministry of education and training: host

volunteers working at colleges, universities and
training institutions.
o Ministry of Health: hosts volunteers working at
hospitals, medical colleges/universities and training
institutions
o Ministry of Social affairs: hosts/coordinates
volunteers in HIV/AIDS, vocational training and social
protection.
o Women Union, Youth Union, community social
organisations host/coordinate volunteers in
community work, women empowerment and network
development projects, teaching of foreign languages,
and implement development projects in health,
education, and disaster relief and relief of war
problems.
o Local governments: faciliate community
development projects and voluntary humanitarian
missions.
Major challenges to foreign volunteers

o Fragmented (rather diversifying) structures for both

domestic and foreign volunteerism (being
complemented by a Vietnam Volunteer Resource
Centre – a joit project between VN Youth Union and
UNV).
o Volunteers frustration encountering extreme
circumstances such as people with disabilities, victims
of agent/oranges, and danger of landmines, bombs
contaminated areas.
o Dangerous traffic, big city pollution and
bureaucratisation.
o Limited resources of the local host agencies
What attracts foreign volunteers
to Viet Nam
Attractions to volunteers

o Peaceful country with natural beauties and

hospitality.
o Young, dynamic population (40% of people
born 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 through
the promotion of INGOs, including int’l
volunteers organisations).
o On-track country with promising development
opportunities (competitive business, jobs,
resonable and good living conditions).
o Issues and much needed volunteering to
address:
n Poverty: 12 per cent of population.
n Heavy war consequences: People with
disabilities, Agent orange/Dioxin, unexploded
ordnance and land toxic chemical
contamination.
n Extremely vulnerable to natural disasters, and
impacts of climate change.
n HIV/AIDS and epidemics
What Viet Nam believes in
international volunteerism?
o Build and promote understanding and
expand people-to-people relations.
o Enhance peace, solidarity and
friendship.
o Effective mobilisation of ordinary people,
civil servants, military, politicians and
communities in social development
processes.
o Educate young generations of their
social responsibility.
o Raise business ethics of Vietnamese in
form of a growing public-business-
private partnership.
o Contribute to the development of
Vietnam’s newly emerging non-profit,
voluntary sector (with thousands of
Vietnamese social, development orgs,
NGOs establised in the recent time.
Some pictures
Thank you!