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More than 130 participants from 36 Vietnamese American Non-Governmental Organizations (VA NGOs) throughout the United States convened at the Second VA NGO Conference from November 18-20, 2005 in Sonoma County, California. The theme for this year's conference is "Collaboration and Community Advocacy."
The goal is to formalize the founding of the VA NGO Network so that VA NGOs can speak as one voice in communicating with funders, the US and Vietnamese governments on issues relating to their development and humanitarian programs in Vietnam.
Twenty-four organizations and groups present at the Conference committed to be Founding Members of the VA NGO Network and will work together to determine the detailed structure of the network within the next six months. The Resolution also called for Founding Members to initiate a multi-faceted collaborative program at a selected site in Vietnam in 2006. "We are pleased to see such overwhelming response from VA NGO groups. This proves that VA NGOs are ready to grow to the next level," said Diep Vuong, Chair of the VA NGO Network Planning Committee, the body of eight organizations charged by the 2004 First VA NGO Conference to plan for the formation of the Network. "This is indeed a monumental milestone as it is the first time that VA NGOs formally come together with clear determination to build a stronger voice," added Ms. Vuong.
Founding Members also appointed the Pacific Links Foundation (PALS), the non-profit organization which has been spearheading the efforts to bring Vietnamese American groups together, to continue to represent the VA NGO Network in advocating to funders and US and Vietnamese government agencies. In addition, PALS is to lead the efforts and convene necessary meetings that will culminate in a detailed draft for the structure of the new network. "The challenges ahead are quite exciting. PALS is committed to working with other Founding Members to achieve more recognition for VA NGOs through the formalization of the VA NGO Network," said Ms. Anh Tran, President of PALS and also Conference Chair.
Conference participants voted Communication, Capacity Building, and Advocacy to be the top three priorities for the Network. Dr. Charles Bailey, Representative for Ford Foundation in Vietnam and Thailand, was enthusiastically supportive of the efforts to build stronger VA NGOs. "This Conference [is] a real turning point . in the way the Vietnamese Diaspora can multiply the impact of its contributions to the future of Vietnam, and at the same time, receive greater recognition for what [they] are doing," said Dr. Bailey.
Sherry Hirota, CEO of Asian Health Services, addressed the topic of Community Advocacy, Network and Leadership as keynote speaker. Other speakers include representatives from Ford Foundation, The Asia Foundation, USAID, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy and the Vietnamese American Cancer Foundation. The Conference also honored Prof. Le Xuan Khoa and Mr. Huu Dinh Nguyen for their lifetime dedication to building a brighter future for all Vietnamese.
In order to promote transparency and accountability from local counterparts in Vietnam, Mr. Nguyen Van Kien, Director of PACCOM, and Mr. Tran Quang Hoan, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Overseas Vietnamese, were invited to the Conference to provide information and answer questions about regulations involving NGOs working in Vietnam.
Funding for the Conference came from Ford Foundation, The Asia Foundation, Alexander Wallace Gerbode Foundation, Le Viet Canh & Vuong Ngoc Quyen Foundation, the Tran Family, East Meets West Foundation, Children of Peace International, International Children Assistance Network, and Pacific Links Foundation.
** VA NGOs are groups based in the Vietnamese American community that work in Vietnam in all encompassing areas including humanitarian relief, community development and assistance for the poor and disadvantaged. Many of the organizations also provide services to help their local communities in the United States.
Website: www.va-ngo.com
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