Rio+20 discussion and contest launching The Future We Want – Messages from Vietnamese Youth to Rio+20
Through this event, Vietnamese youth have an opportunity to express ideas and visions, demonstrate creativity and act for the future of their own as well as their communities’. They also have an opportunity to send to Rio+20 representative voices of Vietnamese young together with young people worldwide. The event consists of three main parts, including a discussion on Rio+20 and a contest launch, “The future we want” contest, and contest summary and prize award ceremony.
Starting the event was a meeting among representatives of UNDP, NEU, National University of Teacher Training, C&E, experts on sustainable development and over 200 students of NEU Urban Environment Department in NEU cultural house on 25 April 2012.
NEU representative, Vice Director Pham Quang Trung, and UNDP representative, Ms. Do Thi Huyen, gave inspiring opening speeches on sustainable development towards a green, low-carbon economy and increased resilience to changes as well as the role of Vietnamese youth in the future of their own and the whole world’s.
An exciting discussion on Rio+20 followed among Associate Professor Dr. Vu Van Tuan (expert on water and climate change) and Dr. Vu Minh Duc (Ministry of Trade and Industry) and the students. The meanings and missions of Rio +20 Conference were conveyed to the students in an understandable and approachable way. The students raised questions like "How can the voice of Vietnamese youth be sent to a global conference such as Rio+20", "How have countries pledged to reduce carbon emissions? And how far have they gone in the process of cutting emissions?" Joining the youth’s enthusiasm for the hot issues in the global contexts, Dr. Vu Minh Duc shared his personal thoughts and experiences on green development, green economy and green growth. Associate Professor Dr. Vu Van Tuan expressed his strong emotion as he remembered the atmosphere of Rio 20 years ago when he helped prepare some contents for Vietnam for Rio 92 and his feelings about the process from awareness to actions. Vietnamese youth have been taking actions. They have defined their roles and missions in the development process. In addition to specific lifestyles and actions, he emphasised that NEU students as future planners should think about and research into green policies and green planning in order to exert significant impacts on policies to green the economy in the future.
Besides the discussion, the students performed songs and dances. These created an exciting atmosphere and enthusiasm among participants during the meeting.
By the end of the meeting, C&E representative officially launched the competition "The Future We Want", encouraged young people as citizens who want to exert themselves and desire to change life in a positive way to demonstrate their thoughts, opinions and dreams of the nation and the world in the future and asked them to submit their ideas to the contest through its Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/TheFutureWeWantTuongLaiChungTaMongMuon
Young people have shown concern about issues of sustainable development through their engagement in various initiatives around the world. They have been active and vocal at international conferences, and have taken leadership roles in a wide range of movements and activities as well as sought for ways of sustainable consumption and production…. The actions of concerned young people, even multiplied a million times, may seem insignificant. However, actions are powerful. They act as examples to others. They send messages to businesses and governments. Most importantly, they pave the way for adopting a healthier, happier and less consumer-based sustainable lifestyle (YXC toolkit).