Building Bridges of Solidarity and Friendship
According to reports of the Thanh Hoa Union of Friendship Organizations, from 2018 to 2023, the Union and its member associations have held over 100 people-to-people activities. The Union has also collaborated with the Department of Foreign Affairs and provincial units to carry out a variety of cooperative solidarity activities with international organizations and foreign localities with which the province cooperates.
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| Teachers and students of Thanh Hoa Medical College participated in the Viet Nam - Japan cultural exchange festival. |
In addition to celebrating key anniversaries, the Thanh Hoa Union of Friendship Organizations has hosted conferences and seminars and invited foreign delegations to visit and learn about investment cooperation opportunities.
In particular, the Union's member friendship associations have implemented numerous activities with practical results. The Viet Nam-Laos Friendship Association of Thanh Hoa province gathered its citizens to care for and preserve landmarks, protect national borders, foster friendships along the border, and offer gifts to Lao students studying at the province's institutions and colleges. The Viet Nam-Cambodia Friendship Association of Thanh Hoa province has provided information on martyrs who passed away on the Cambodian battlefield to teams searching for martyrs' remains and coordinated the search and return of 54 martyrs who perished in Cambodia.
The Vietnam-German Friendship Association of Thanh Hoa Province has provided information to German partners about potential investment prospects in Thanh Hoa, programs to teach German in the province, and bringing provincial workers to work and study in Germany. The Association has also promoted connections and cooperation with German investors, established a business that successfully manufactures products that are Germany's strengths in Thanh Hoa, and provided opportunities for German language students in Thanh Hoa to work in Germany after completing the course.
The Thanh Hoa Union of Friendship Organizations has mobilized member associations to donate about VND 700,000 million to the province's COVID-19 pandemic prevention fund. The Union also provided a large amount of medical equipment and supplies to the COVID-19 Prevention Fund, which was then distributed to international partners to help prevent the pandemic.
Proactively mobilize non-governmental support
In addition to peaceful, solidarity, and friendship activities, the Thanh Hoa Union of Friendship Organizations' mission of mobilizing foreign NGOs is a shining spot in its activities from 2018 to 2023.
The Union has organized ten working delegations, with an average of two delegations per year working with foreign NGOs in Viet Nam, seeking advocacy, inquiry, surveying, and the development of aid initiatives for donors. Simultaneously, the organization has actively counseled the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and worked directly with some key departments and localities to remove challenges in the process of implementing foreign NGO projects in Thanh Hoa.
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| The signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between representatives of Thanh Hoa province's leaders and representatives of one of six NGO organizations on October 31, 2022, in Hanoi. (Photo: Thu Ha) |
Furthermore, the Thanh Hoa Union of Friendship Organizations has also accompanied, created trust, and implemented many projects of great value for the locality, including building 50 RO pure water supply systems for primary schools in Hoang Hoa, Thach Thanh, Thieu Hoa, Ha Trung districts, building a system of domestic water supply pipelines in Cam Thuy, Yen Dinh, Trieu Son, Nong Cong districts, developing sustainable agricultural models In Trieu Son.
There are currently around 50 international NGOs operating in the province, with a total of 60 programs and initiatives aimed at reducing poverty, reducing disasters, and responding to climate change. Thanh Hoa province generates approximately US $8-10 million in disbursements each year.
The Thanh Hoa Union of Friendship Organizations also appreciated the opportunity to collaborate with numerous national and international delegations. Through its operations, the Union has informed, provided prospective investment opportunities, and promoted images of Thanh Hoa's land, people, and culture to foreign friends.
The Union encouraged the development of member associations during the 2018-2923 period, leading to a two-fold rise in the number of member associations over the previous term. Specifically, the Union has consolidated and established four new associations of the province, including the Viet Nam-Hungary Friendship Association, the Vietnam-Czech Friendship Association, the Vietnam-South Korea Friendship Association, and the Vietnam-Japan Friendship Associations, and is currently working to establish the Vietnam-American Friendship Association.
The Union currently has about 6,500 members. In particular, some associations have a considerable number of members, namely the Viet Nam-Laos Association (3,200 members) and the Viet Nam-Cambodia Association (2,300 members).
Source: VNA
