East Villagers Non-Profit Community News » Vietnam

Agent Orange Today

Karen Ngo — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 18:51:15 +0000

Agent Orange was used as a herbicide in Operation Ranch Hand, a herbicidal warfare program, by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War (1961-1971). Its purpose was to expose the troops that were hiding in the trees. However, the herbicide was contaminated with a dioxin which caused many of the health effects whose origin had previously been unexplainable. Exposure to this chemical has caused a large number of deaths, birth defects, and ongoing health effects that have lasted for over three decades.

Distribution of Agent Orange in the Amazon Rainforest

The use of Agent Orange is still ongoing today, even with prior knowledge of both the health effects and detriments to the environment that it has caused. On July 6, around 450 acres of land in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest were cleared away by the use of Agent Orange. Though the forest is being cleared away to make room for cattle ranching or agricultural purposes, the chemicals being used to clear away the forest are being stored and distributed incorrectly. Authorities found over four tons of chemicals along the side of a trans-Amazon highway, and the chemicals were being distributed through the use of an aircraft. Spraying of the chemical by aircraft can lead to in accurate deployment of the herbicide, affecting areas that may not have initially been part of the intended target area.

Improper use of these chemicals can lead to further detriment to the environment. The chemicals can seep into the groundwater and prove harmful to the organisms in the surrounding area. In addition, there has been an increase in deforestation activities in the Amazon Rainforest due to the reformation of environmental laws as well as increased product costs.

With a shift in mentality towards an increase in productivity and cost-effectiveness, it would seem that fundamental concerns such as the maintenance of the environment or the ecosystem are being prioritized less highly. The aftereffects of dioxin use during the Vietnam War still remain a blatantly obvious reminder of the reasons why this chemical should not be used despite its effectiveness in deforestation.

Source: http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0706-agent_orange_amazon.html

Karen Ngo

Toronto, ON

Team 5: International Health

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

the “living hell” of Amerasians?

Quyen Nguyen — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:00:53 +0000

This morning I watched a video on youtube about an Amerasian (a person born during the Vietnam war and whose father was American), left at an orphanage after he was born. He grew up without any care or guidance. He never went to school. Now 36, Cuong (his name) is still homeless, unemployed and slowly dying of his chronic stomachache that hasn’t been cured because he has no money. Cuong’s stuck in the little village he was born in and wishes that he could go to the US like a lot of Amerasians did. Unfortunately he has no documents or evidence of his origins so no one can really help him receive aid from the US. He doesn’t even have an ID. The Vietnamese government, well, is too bureaucratic to take care of individual cases like him.

Ok, I felt bad for him. All war legacies are tragic to look at and like I said, I acknowledge that the government overlooks cases like him while perpetuating corrupt officials who receive bribes and do nothing to help the economy.

Yet the video was called “The Living Hell of Amerasians in Vietnam.” which I thought was a little too biased. I don’t think Vietnam is deliberately mistreating people like Cuongs. There’re thousands of homeless, impoverished people in Vietnam who are in need of help too — it’s not like Vietnam is targeting only Amerasians to neglect. The term “living hell” clearly is condemning the image of Vietnam, as if we are discriminating against Amerasians. I don’t think so. I think we are just too careless to seek them out and help them, or any poor, helpless people for that matter. The stigma against the Vietnam war and anyone involved with the enemy side is long gone, yet there’s a portion of the population who are still bitterly hung up on the past. I guess right after the war, the government, extremely anti-american back then, probably treated Amerasians with hostility but now I think it’s better. But is it? Am I wrong for defending Vietnam in this case? I don’t know. 17, I’m probably too young..

And I wonder, when will the war consequences stop? When?

© quyennguyen for East Villagers Non-Profit Community News, 2011. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: vietnam war

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

operation Smile

Quyen Nguyen — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 18:49:41 +0000

Do you smile a lot? Do you like smiles? Do you recognize how integral smiles are to our lives? A lot of you may say yes to all of these 3 questions. Some of you may say no. It’s understandable that in our crazy lives, we sometimes forget the simple joy of smiling and creating smiles. We forget that somewhere out there, a baby is born with an inability to smile.

Awful right? Inherent deformities like cleft palates, cleft lips, etc. in children are extremely unfortunate and heartbreaking to look at. These kids can’t eat properly; they can’t enunciate simple words; and of course they don’t know how to express happiness by smiling.

Operation Smiles give volunteer doctors and medical students a chance to change these unlucky children’s lives. Surgeries are given at low costs or none at all, depending on the family’s financial conditions.

I volunteered with Operation Smile last summer and it was an eye-opening experience. Seeing the transformation of a child’s face from its deformed state to its post-surgery look was an unforgettable experience.

Operation Smile has missions all around the world, and if you want to get involved in a local or international mission, just go to their website to find more information.

This is Angel before and after surgery:

Angel -- before surgery

Angel -- after surgery -- SMILE!

(Photo courtesy of operationsmile.org)

It’s almost Valentine’s Day. Would you want to give some love to these adorable children who need your help? I think you would.

Quyen Nguyen

Team EVSS 5 – Int’l Health

Latin School of Chicago ’12

Feb 2011

© quyennguyen for East Villagers Non-Profit Community News, 2011. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: operation smile

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

For the EVSS Conference

Karen Ngo — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 22:59:39 +0000

We were asked to answer a series of questions about our background and motive for service in preparation for the EVSS Conference and so here are my answers.

“What I’ve experienced is that I can’t know the future. I can’t know if anything that I do will change what happens tomorrow. I can’t know with certainty, but what I do know is if I do nothing, nothing will change.” – Dr. James Orbinski, former president of Médicins Sans Frontières

Hey there! My name is Karen Ngo, and I hail from the city of Hamilton, Ontario, in Canada. I’m in the process of completing my fourth year in the Bachelor of Health Sciences program at McMaster University, but nowhere near to completing my education. I’m also completing a minor in music, an interest I have maintained since I was a confused child, tinkering away at the piano. I also like to stargaze, paint, and go swimming in my spare time.

I started out volunteering with Scouts Canada. On Christmas Eve about fifteen years ago, my group took part in a Christmas Wish Present delivery drive. The moment that stayed with me was seeing how the children laughed and smiled were when we delivered the presents to them. You could say that this was the first official volunteering experience I had with a particular organization because volunteering can be anything, even a six year old child wandering into my kitchen and asking her mother if she wanted help with making dinner. My parents introduced me to more organizations in my community, including one called the Huong Viet Music Group – a group which organized charity concerts to raise money to build houses, schools, and washrooms in Vietnam. Though at first their intent was to have me keep in touch with my roots, as I grew older, I realized that motivation for continued involvement in these groups came from reasons a bit deeper than that.

It is slightly difficult to explain the reasons for the pride and love I feel for my culture and home country, as after all, I was not born in Vietnam. I was born in Canada and all that I know about Vietnam is simply what I read on the internet, what my parents have told me, and whatever I have picked up from attending Vietnamese school. However, it is through these stories that I have developed a special place in my heart for my heritage and culture, despite having no real understanding or experience of the scorching heat during July, nor the difficulty of the backbreaking labour of those working in the rice paddies in the countryside. It comes from this – the fall of Saigon on April 30^th,1975, which marked the end of the Vietnam War. Countless Vietnamese people fled from the country. After thirty five years, it is amazing to see how much the Vietnamese community has been rebuilt around the world by the displaced Vietnamese citizens.

Somewhere in Alajuela, Costa Rica

From the start of my internship with East Villagers in September, I have learned about the activity of various non-profit organizations around the world. My group members have provided insightful opinions and perspectives on their volunteering experiences. Most importantly, I have learned about the other side of a lot of the global issues I have been most concerned with. The only perspective that I have received is from those living outside Vietnam and so to be able to learn about the other side has provided me with a better understanding of the issue.

If anything, I’d say that it is impossible to live your life in a closed black box. Volunteering in different communities provides the opportunity to meet different people and broaden your horizons and perspectives on how you view the world. Everyone has so much to offer. There are only so many lessons you can learn individually or from a textbook, but there is so much more that life has to offer if you learn to live it outside of the box in the service of others.

Karen Ngo

Toronto, ON

4th Year, BHSc, McMaster University

Team 5: International Health

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Just Sing

Karen Ngo — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 21:20:09 +0000

The Huong Viet Music Group is a youth group that organized charity concerts to raise money to build schools, washrooms, and buy school supplies for children in Vietnam. In 1998, the group started out as a small group of family friends who organized a small classical/traditional music recital to raise money for Khuong To’s surgery.

Four-year-old Khuong had a rare cancer in his eye, which if left untreated would have led to either blindness or death. The only treatment that was available in Vietnam at the time was removal of both of his eyes. However, doctors at The Hospital for Sick Children in Canada were able to perform a surgery which saved his eyesight and rid him of the tumour thanks to the funds raised by the Vietnamese Association of Toronto – with the help of several Vietnamese organizations in the community.

The sign for one of Huong Viet's concerts

In December 2000, the group organized their first charity concert. It was a thirty-something-act performance, lasted three and a half hours, and was held at the Stone Church in Toronto. The significance of this performance was that it was organized mainly by teenagers and children. The leader of the group had been a teenager at the time, and although she had the help of her parents, she took care of the majority of the organizational details, including obtaining sponsors, booking the hall, coordinating practices, etc. In the beginning, the group didn’t have professional spaces to practice in. The practices were held at different group members’ houses – children were dancing in basements, sitting cross-legged in circles, singing on the floor, accompanied by a lone guitar, and practicing skits in the kitchen.

The performances were mostly cultural, including traditional dances, songs, and skits, and were put on by the children. It was quite the learning experience for them, as they were able to keep in touch with their roots and learn about their culture and language. Some were unable to read and understand the lyrics to the songs, but were taught how by those teaching the songs. It was important for the children to be in an environment with people who were experiencing similar situations as them – growing up in a strong community with no real knowledge or understanding of the significance of the Vietnamese traditions or culture. The group continued to be active and organized concerts for a decade. One of the members of the group travelled to Vietnam with the money, donated it, and returned back with letters and pictures.

The opening song of every concert was one that was called “Bên Em Đang Có Ta”, which translates to “beside you is us”. At the time, the song represented the barrier between the tired children, break time, and food, as there was always the dreaded, “Okay, let’s practice this song one more time! It’s almost perfect! Let’s try the chorus again, shall we? From the top!” However, looking back, and remembering how the audience sang along to this song at every concert, this song represented hope – that if enough people cared, then something could be done.

It’s been years since I have been actively involved with this group and I forget what speech my co-emcee and I made at the beginning of every concert, explaining to the audience the theme and significance of the concert. However, I do remember the excitement of watching our parents tally up the money from the donations box, sponsors, and ticket sales, and reading through an endless financial report booklet at the end of every concert. I understand that we made have not made the biggest difference, but it’s just knowing that we tried our best. What’s really stuck the most, I guess, after all these years, is the picture of the children laughing and holding their school supplies.

One of our performances: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiXzbA0JMXE&feature=related

Ben Em Dang Co Ta: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZvRX_N66Jc

References:

Khuong To: http://www.sickkids.ca/AboutSickKids/Newsroom/Past-News/2001/Four-year-old-boy-returns-Vietnam-after-successful-treatment-SickKids-rare-cancer-eye.html

Karen Ngo

Toronto, Canada

4th Year, BHSc, McMaster University

Team 5: International Health

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Far from freedom

Karen Ngo — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 06:17:31 +0000

In George Orwell’s 1984, Big Brother was constantly watching every move, every word, every thought that the citizens had. Though freedom of speech is a right that is protected under the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, not every country upholds these rights in the same manner. It’s been said that freedom can be measured in a number of ways – whether it be by what we don’t have to do, or by what we can do.

I was born in Canada and so I never understood what it was like to be restricted in terms of my values and beliefs. I can voice my opinion and make comments to others about the various political figures if I don’t agree with their policies or their political views and I can advocate for my own beliefs without being in constant fear. I never fully appreciated this freedom until I heard stories from those who stayed in Vietnam after the end of the war. Those who expressed remote interest or preliminary plans of leaving the country found themselves in a difficult situation if their plans fell through. They were essentially blacklisted and found it a daunting task to obtain a new job after quitting their previous one to enable themselves to leave the country.

Vietnam has been under a communist government since April 30, 1975 and the fall of Saigon (South Vietnam). Though the government and country have undergone major transformation in the past thirty five years, censorship and lack of freedom of expression still persists.

The trial of Father Van Ly - arrested for promoting democracy

In January 2010, four Vietnamese citizens, Nguyen Tien Trung, Le Cong Dinh, Tran Huynh Duy Thuc, and Le Thang Long were arrested under the guise of infringement of Article 79 of the Vietnam’s criminal code. This article bans the “carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the people’s administration”. These men had been accused of such a crime because they joined the Democratic Party of Vietnam and discussed issues with other Vietnamese groups outside of the country. They will be facing up to sixteen years in prison just because they were attempting to advocate for their belief in democracy.

The men who openly admitted to attempting to overthrow the government were given a lighter sentence. However, two of the men were forced to sign confessions that indicated their guilt. The trial was made relatively inaudible to those observing at some points and audience members were not allowed to record the trial in any manner.

The ability to express one’s opinion freely is one thing, but the ability to express one’s opinion freely and for others to have the ability to listen is another. Personally, the use of Facebook is a vehicle in my journey to accomplishing operation procrastination. However, for others, it can be a tool for networking and circulation of information and resources. In Vietnam, this is one of the many networking sites that is censored and blocked on the grounds of protecting citizens from accessing offensive sexual content. Additional websites and forums discussing political issues occurring within the country are also blocked. One can only imagine how difficult it would be to advocate for values, beliefs, and various issues, if one does not even have access to legitimate information, nor the means to safely discuss these with others.

Sources:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/20/vietnam-lawyer-western-ideas

Karen Ngo

4^th year, BHSc

Hamilton, ON

Team 5: International Health

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

If everyone cared

Quyen Nguyen — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 18:14:30 +0000

I just wanted to share a quick link of a portfolio of photos that Catherine Karnow, an American photojournalist took of Agent Orange victims on her trip to Vietnam. They are very real photos of real people with real defects. Please click here to check them out.

On the families affected by Agent Orange/dioxin, Karnow said:

“I was aware there were people still afflicted, but I had no idea the disease is still being passed down genetically and that babies are born every day with the disease (…) As an American, I feel a responsibility to expose this horrifying problem, and to help bring about real change. Through photography and the voices of the victims and their families, I know that we can bring much more support than now exists. In a more immediate way, I can see the way that my photographs bring a sense of affirmation to these individuals who are suffering in illness and isolation.”

(One of Karnow’s pictures)

It makes me happy to know that there are Americans like Karnow who care about those that are suffering in a small corner of the world, isolated and hardly empathized with. There are many ways that you, yeah you, could help, just like Karnow. These include writing a blog entry, taking a trip, shooting a photo, or maybe just putting it on your Facebook status. Let less unfortunate people know that you acknowledge and care about them, even just a little. And I’m not just talking about supporting Agent Orange victims, though it’s great if you do; We all should care about something or someone, a cause or a person who needs our advocacy. Stand up for what you believe in, whether it be supporting gay marriage or helping an orphanage. Remember what Thoreau said, “what is once well done is done forever.“

I’m going to end this entry with a pretty socially motivating song — not my favorite, not a recent major hit, but it definitely speaks something to what I’m writing about.

“If everyone cared and nobody cried
If everyone loved and nobody lied
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride
Then we’d see the day when nobody died”

“If Everyone Cared” by Nickelback

___________________

Quyen Nguyen

Latin School of Chicago, Class of ’12

East Villagers Service Scholar – Team 5 (International Health)

November 2011

© quyennguyen for East Villagers Non-Profit Community News, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: agent orange, nickelback, thoreau

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

what are you care about the most these days?-Typhoons-the pain of the people.

Thu Hien Tran — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:11:23 +0000

As you may know, Vietnam is a small country in the South East Asia. It near China, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. Beside rich and quite large plain, it also has a long sea border. But the sea border seems to be the advantages and disadvantages for Vietnam

Noone can deny the benefit that the sea bring to Vietnamese people such as jobs for fisher, service is bloomed,… The sea change the people´s life in that areas. But somehow, we can see how the sea negatively affects the fisherman and their family.

There are about 10 typhoons approach Vietnam each year. And after the typhoons a lot of villages were disappeared. In July 2010, the Conson typhoon struck northern Vietnam which made 200.000 people fled their homes. Before approaching Vietnam, it struck Hainan island and killed about 62 people. In August 2010, Tropical Storm Mindulle churned its way across the South China Sea toward the country’s east coast with maximum sustained winds of 111 kilometers per hour and leaving 137 fishermen missing. That means, hundreds of families have been living in worry.

Recently, a typhoon which struck middle Vietnam is such a big loss for the country. The weather now is still very complicated and the rain is still remain in the middle. Every year the middle of Vietnam (one of the poorest area of the country) has to suffer at least 8 typhoons. Their loss is uncountable. It is very simple if the lost only stop at the money or the wealth but more than that because they also lost their family members. There are a lot of painful story after the typhoons every year. Thousand of children are continue living without parents or their relatives, thousand of old people are stil on the edge of live or death. Thousand of wives are looking for their husbands to come back from the sea. The poorest area of the country always need to face up with the same problem every year.

Are typhoons or hurricanes the anger of the Mother nature toward human? This price is too high. What if we can develop a poor nation become rich and its citizens have to suffer from the pain. It does not mean that we need to stop developing but we need to developing in the right ways. It also need the cooperation from the nation all over the world. Cooperate for a united global and ease the pain for the typhoon victims are the big concern and question for us-the young generation in this-what we called our `House´-The Earth

© tranthuhien for East Villagers Non-Profit Community News, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Bauxite Mining in Vietnam

Karen Ngo — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 06:00:46 +0000

Bauxite is a source of aluminum oxide, which is transformed into aluminum through a number of different steps. It is necessary to utilize around four to five tonnes of bauxite in order to make one tonne of aluminum. The process by which bauxite is extracted from the ground and aluminum is produced results in massive amounts of toxic waste, known more commonly as “red sludge”. It is usually contained in a body of water, but can easily leak into the water table and affect all growth and vegetation in the area. The red sludge waste to alumina produced ratio is three tonnes to one.

Bauxite Mining

The region of Tay Nguyen (central highlands) in Vietnam is an area where the majority of Vietnam’s cash crops – coffee, tea, and cashew, are produced. The region also draws in many tourists due to its exquisite beauty. Generations of families populate this region, and have been making their living through farming. This region is also situated in a higher altitude, making it easier for the toxic waste to flow from higher regions to areas in lower altitudes, leading to contamination of these water sources during heavy rainfall. Other countries that have carried out bauxite extraction, such as Australia, have allocated remote regions with dry climates to mining in order to reduce the detrimental effects to the environment. However, with a population of 85,344,100, a population density of 259 people per square kilometre, and a constant wet climate, this is not possible for Vietnam. It doesn’t make sense to mine bauxite from this region.

The Prime Minister of Vietnam, Nguyen Tan Dung, has allowed for bauxite mining to occur in the region of Tay Nguyen (the central highlands) of Vietnam. Around fifteen billion USD is being invested in this mining project. There is always an economic standpoint to consider. It could be thought that the introduction of bauxite mining into this region will increase job opportunities, and improve the economy. However, this is not the case. This mining contract is being made between the Vietnamese government and the Chinese government. The Aluminum Corporation of China Ltd. and the Vietnam Coal and Mining Industry Group made an agreement in which thousands of Chinese workers would be permanently located in the Tay Nguyen region, and would carry out the majority of the mining. There would be limited job opportunities for the citizens in this region. Also, they would also be relocated from their homes in this region in order to clear the perimeter for mining.

There are a number of reasons why this mining project should not be carried out, ranging from the long-lasting detrimental effects to the environment to the mass eviction of citizens from their homes. The mobilization of a number of scientists and bloggers within the country through publishing articles and writing blog entries has shed light on some of these detrimental effects. It may not be enough to stop the government in its tracks, but it’s a start.

Youtube Video for more information: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WH2TV-0kp_M&feature=fvst

References:

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KC17Ae01.html

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/reference/encyclopaedia/countryfacts/vietnam.html

http://www.world-aluminium.org/?pg=76

Karen Ngo

Toronto, Canada

4^th Year, BHSc

Team 5: International Health

© karenngo for East Villagers Non-Profit Community News, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bauxite mining

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh

Keep the spotlight burning

Quyen Nguyen — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 15:14:59 +0000

A few months ago, I came across an article on Huffingpost about George Clooney’s speech on humanitarian actions. He was awarded the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award for his charity work and social impact. His speech when he went up to receive the award brought up a very important point on how humanitarian work should be carried out: “keep the spotlight burning“.

“It’s important to remember how much good can get done, because we live in such strange times where bad behavior sucks up all the attention and press. And the people who really need the spotlight: the Haitians, the Sudanese, people in the Gulf Coast.. Pakistan, they can’t get any.

I thought maybe there was a way to combine the two. I have offered to go to the south Sudan and have a wardrobe malfunction, but it was pointed out to me that I’m 49 and the consensus was that it would just be upsetting and kind of sad.

When the disaster happens, everybody wants to help, everybody in this room wants to help, everybody at home wants to help. The hard part is seven months later, five years later, when we’re on to a new story. Honestly, we fail at that, most of the time. That’s the facts.

I fail at that.

So here’s hoping that some very bright person right here in the room or at home watching can help find a way to keep the spotlight burning on these heartbreaking situations that continue to be heartbreaking long after the cameras go away. That would be an impressive accomplishment. Thank you.”

Reading this makes me think a lot about the support we give to Agent Orange victims in Vietnam. Every once in a while, when it’s an awareness month or some humanitarian campaign, many people would feel obliged to jump on the bandwagon to help the Agent Orange victims by donating money, going to charity auctions, writing articles to encourage the inclusion of the unfortunate children, etc. Of course there is nothing wrong with that. In fact it’s great when the hearts of all Vietnamese are beating to the same rhythm of reaching out to the less fortunate. The problem is that, after the campaign dies down or after the awareness month ends, people go back to their normal languid mode and forget about these desperate war victims.

That is why we need to “keep the spotlight burning“, twenty-four-seven, three hundred and sixty five days a year. It truly is demanding to ask for constant focus on the Agent Orange victims but we cannot help them by mere sporadic campaignism. When the cameras are turned away, it’s easy for us to turn away too, but think about how our constant help and care would alleviate much of the pains and difficulties these children and their families are having to face everyday. We need to fuel the spotlight to continue burning.

Quyen Nguyen

Chicago, IL

EVSS – Team 5 (International Health)

© quyennguyen for East Villagers Non-Profit Community News, 2010. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: agent orange, george clooney

Feed enhanced by Better Feed from Ozh