International Vietnamese Youth Conference
Encyclopedia
Len Duong International Vietnamese Youth Network
organises multi-day International Vietnamese Youth Conferences every 2-3 years, drawing Vietnamese youths from around the world to gather and discuss topics relating to Vietnamese youths and to network with each other. These conferences draw anywhere from 200 to 600 attendees from more than 15 countries. The Vietnamese spelling of the conference is "Đại Hội Thanh Niên Sinh Viên Việt Nam Thế Giới," (World Vietnamese Student Youth Conference) and is therefore also abbreviated and nicknamed "DH" (conf.), followed by the conference number, such as "DH1" for the first conference, "DH2" for the second, and so on.
, where the issue of concern was the sole Communist Party of Vietnam
(CPV) holding authoritarian power over the entire country. These political groups justify their actions by claiming that human rights abuses in Vietnam
are caused by the CPV.
Len Duong, among other groups, has organised campaigns
speaking out against the detention of dissidents who call for additional political freedoms and multi-party elections (see Bloc 8406
). The formation of political parties in Vietnam are prohibited by law. These kinds of critical statements against the CPV is the reason why the website is banned in Vietnam http://www.opennet.net/studies/vietnam/, which the government considers defaming.
Like most overseas Vietnamese political groups, Len Duong does not use the official flag of Vietnam
and instead endorses the flag of South Vietnam, which is banned in Vietnam.
The initial formation of the Conference can be substantially attributed to these political activities. But while some of the conference activities are based around these political policies, others are based around the organisation's purpose to provide a platform to address issues concerning Vietnamese youth living in Vietnam and abroad, as well as to create a global social network among attendees through social mixers. Recent conferences have moved more to the left towards reconciliation, and have been attended by international students from Vietnam studying overseas.
in January, 1999 in Melbourne
, Australia
.
It is primarily through this conference that the idea of an international network and a recurring conference (every 2 years) was formally introduced and later transformed into the Lenduong organisation
as it is today.
as well as the Phan Boi Chau
Youth Network. The event started with an Opening Ceremony in Westminster, California
on July 11, 2003, was followed by the conference workshops at the University of San Diego
from July 12–13.
It then was followed by a three day camp at William Heise Park near San Diego
and concluded with a press conference in Westminster, California
on July 16. With almost 600 attendees from 16 different countries , DH3 continues to hold the record for being the largest conference in this series.
The conference them was Vietnam: The Road of Humanity - Actions from the Heart and Mind.
and was co-hosted by the Federal Vietnamese Students Association of Australia
.
About 450 youths gathered for five days at the Bankstown
Town Hall in the suburbs of Sydney from December 27, 2005 to January 1, 2006. This conference marked the first conference without a camp, although it included a one-day Amazing Race
style activity around Sydney as a break from conference workshops.
The theme of this conference was Vietnamese Youths: Eliminating Barriers, Overcoming Challenges (Tuổi Trẻ Việt Nam: Xoá Ngăn Cách - Vượt Thử Thách in Vietnamese
). In this spirit, it included some unusually reconciliatory activities, such as a debate, in the form of a fictional legal trial, concerning what punishment should be given to a communist official who accidentally killed a protester supporting the old South Vietnam
ese regime. Topics also included:
Speakers included Vietnamese pre-democracy activist Nguyen Quoc Quan
.
, Malaysia. The conference theme was Building Civil Society in Vietnam - Grassroot Efforts for Democracy. Notable speakers of the conference included Premesh Chandran, CEO of a Malaysian news media organization, who spoke about grassroots approaches to free expression in the face of internet censorship and Chee Siok Chin from the Singapore Democratic Party
. While Vietnamese film director Ham Tran
was unable to attend, he gave the permission for his boat people
drama Journey from the Fall
to be screened at the festival to attendees. . This conference also marked the first time, attendees also came from Vietnam
.
Len Duong International Vietnamese Youth Network
The Len Duong International Vietnamese Youth Network is an international non-profit network composed of Vietnamese student and youth organizations for the purpose of networking as well as philanthropic and political work related to the Vietnamese youth...
organises multi-day International Vietnamese Youth Conferences every 2-3 years, drawing Vietnamese youths from around the world to gather and discuss topics relating to Vietnamese youths and to network with each other. These conferences draw anywhere from 200 to 600 attendees from more than 15 countries. The Vietnamese spelling of the conference is "Đại Hội Thanh Niên Sinh Viên Việt Nam Thế Giới," (World Vietnamese Student Youth Conference) and is therefore also abbreviated and nicknamed "DH" (conf.), followed by the conference number, such as "DH1" for the first conference, "DH2" for the second, and so on.
Politics
The Len Duong organization stems from overseas Vietnamese in multiple countries, and have been involved in diaspora politicsDiaspora politics
Diaspora politics is the political behavior of transnational ethnic diasporas, their relationship with their ethnic homelands and their host states, as well as their prominent role in ethnic conflicts...
, where the issue of concern was the sole Communist Party of Vietnam
Communist Party of Vietnam
The Communist Party of Vietnam , formally established in 1930, is the governing party of the nation of Vietnam. It is today the only legal political party in that country. Describing itself as Marxist-Leninist, the CPV is the directing component of a broader group of organizations known as the...
(CPV) holding authoritarian power over the entire country. These political groups justify their actions by claiming that human rights abuses in Vietnam
Human rights in Vietnam
Human rights in Vietnam have long been a matter of much controversy between the Government of Vietnam and some international human rights organizations and Western governments, particularly that of the United States...
are caused by the CPV.
Len Duong, among other groups, has organised campaigns
Political campaign
A political campaign is an organized effort which seeks to influence the decision making process within a specific group. In democracies, political campaigns often refer to electoral campaigns, wherein representatives are chosen or referendums are decided...
speaking out against the detention of dissidents who call for additional political freedoms and multi-party elections (see Bloc 8406
Bloc 8406
Bloc 8406 is a Catholic-led unified coalition of political groups in Vietnam that advocate for democracy reforms in Vietnam. It is named after the date of the group's manifesto , 8 April, 2006, and was originally signed by 118 of dissidents calling for a multiparty...
). The formation of political parties in Vietnam are prohibited by law. These kinds of critical statements against the CPV is the reason why the website is banned in Vietnam http://www.opennet.net/studies/vietnam/, which the government considers defaming.
Like most overseas Vietnamese political groups, Len Duong does not use the official flag of Vietnam
Flag of Vietnam
The flag of Vietnam, also known as the "red flag with yellow star" , was designed in 1940 and used during an uprising against French rule in Cochinchina that year. The flag was used by the Việt Minh, a communist-led organization created in 1941 to oppose Japanese occupation...
and instead endorses the flag of South Vietnam, which is banned in Vietnam.
The initial formation of the Conference can be substantially attributed to these political activities. But while some of the conference activities are based around these political policies, others are based around the organisation's purpose to provide a platform to address issues concerning Vietnamese youth living in Vietnam and abroad, as well as to create a global social network among attendees through social mixers. Recent conferences have moved more to the left towards reconciliation, and have been attended by international students from Vietnam studying overseas.
Melbourne in 1999
The first conference was organised by Federal Vietnamese Students Association of AustraliaFederal Vietnamese Students Association of Australia
The Federal Vietnamese Students Association in Australia is an Australia-wide non-profit network composed of Vietnamese student and youth organizations for the purpose of networking as well as philanthropic and political work related to the Vietnamese youth....
in January, 1999 in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
It is primarily through this conference that the idea of an international network and a recurring conference (every 2 years) was formally introduced and later transformed into the Lenduong organisation
Len Duong International Vietnamese Youth Network
The Len Duong International Vietnamese Youth Network is an international non-profit network composed of Vietnamese student and youth organizations for the purpose of networking as well as philanthropic and political work related to the Vietnamese youth...
as it is today.
San Diego in 2003
The Third International Vietnamese Youth Conference was held in San Diego, USA. It was co-hosted by the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern CaliforniaUnion of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California
The Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of Southern California is a network of Vietnamese Student Associations at various Southern California universities and colleges...
as well as the Phan Boi Chau
Phan Boi Chau
Phan Bội Châu was a pioneer of Vietnamese 20th century nationalism. In 1903, he formed a revolutionary organization called the “Reformation Society” ....
Youth Network. The event started with an Opening Ceremony in Westminster, California
Westminster, California
-Government:In the state legislature Westminster is located in the 34th, Senate District, represented by Democrat Lou Correa and Republican Tom Harman respectively, and in the 67th and 68th Assembly District, represented by Republicans Jim Silva and Van Tran respectively...
on July 11, 2003, was followed by the conference workshops at the University of San Diego
University of San Diego
The University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic university in San Diego, California. USD offers more than sixty bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral programs...
from July 12–13.
It then was followed by a three day camp at William Heise Park near San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
and concluded with a press conference in Westminster, California
Westminster, California
-Government:In the state legislature Westminster is located in the 34th, Senate District, represented by Democrat Lou Correa and Republican Tom Harman respectively, and in the 67th and 68th Assembly District, represented by Republicans Jim Silva and Van Tran respectively...
on July 16. With almost 600 attendees from 16 different countries , DH3 continues to hold the record for being the largest conference in this series.
The conference them was Vietnam: The Road of Humanity - Actions from the Heart and Mind.
Sydney in 2005
With DH4, the fourth conference returned to its original country AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and was co-hosted by the Federal Vietnamese Students Association of Australia
Federal Vietnamese Students Association of Australia
The Federal Vietnamese Students Association in Australia is an Australia-wide non-profit network composed of Vietnamese student and youth organizations for the purpose of networking as well as philanthropic and political work related to the Vietnamese youth....
.
About 450 youths gathered for five days at the Bankstown
Bankstown, New South Wales
Bankstown is a suburb of south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Bankstown is located 20 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the local government area of the City of Bankstown.-History:Prior to European...
Town Hall in the suburbs of Sydney from December 27, 2005 to January 1, 2006. This conference marked the first conference without a camp, although it included a one-day Amazing Race
The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams...
style activity around Sydney as a break from conference workshops.
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
). In this spirit, it included some unusually reconciliatory activities, such as a debate, in the form of a fictional legal trial, concerning what punishment should be given to a communist official who accidentally killed a protester supporting the old South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
ese regime. Topics also included:
- Lives and hopes of today’s youths
- Teamwork in the community
- Vietnamese History - 100 years since the Đong Du Movement
- Vietnamese History - Philosophies of Phan Bội Châu vs. Phan Chu Trinh
- The Education System and work force, from Vietnam to the West
- What is Human Right? Is there or is there not Human Rights in Vietnam?
- Social activities in Vietnam - Problems and Solutions
- Vietnam - Why must we be concerned?
Speakers included Vietnamese pre-democracy activist Nguyen Quoc Quan
Nguyen Quoc Quan
Nguyen Quoc Quan is a mathematics researcher from the United States and member of the leadership committee of the organization Viet Tan who was arrested in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam on November 17, 2007 for preparing pro-democracy flyers...
.
Kuala Lumpur in 2008
The Fifth International Vietnamese Youth Conference took place from January 4, 2008 to January 6, 2008 in Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Malaysia. The conference theme was Building Civil Society in Vietnam - Grassroot Efforts for Democracy. Notable speakers of the conference included Premesh Chandran, CEO of a Malaysian news media organization, who spoke about grassroots approaches to free expression in the face of internet censorship and Chee Siok Chin from the Singapore Democratic Party
Singapore Democratic Party
The Singapore Democratic Party is an opposition political party in Singapore.The party was founded in 1980 by Chiam See Tong, who as Secretary-General became the party's first Member of Parliament in 1984 when he was elected as MP for Potong Pasir...
. While Vietnamese film director Ham Tran
Ham Tran
Ham Tran is a Vietnamese American film writer/editor/director, of Hoa ancestry. He earned an MFA in film directing from the UCLA Film School and is most famous for his thesis film "The Anniversary", which was shortlisted for an Academy Award for Live Action Short Film...
was unable to attend, he gave the permission for his boat people
Boat people
Boat people is a term that usually refers to refugees, illegal immigrants or asylum seekers who emigrate in numbers in boats that are sometimes old and crudely made...
drama Journey from the Fall
Journey from the Fall
Journey from the Fall is a 2006 independent film by writer/director/editor Ham Tran, about the Vietnamese reeducation camp and boat people experience following the Fall of Saigon on April 30, 1975. This drama was released on March 23, 2007, by ImaginAsian to sold-out screenings...
to be screened at the festival to attendees. . This conference also marked the first time, attendees also came from Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
.