The publication “Tam Giang – Cau Hai Lagoon: Folk Culture and Local Knowledge as a Resource for Community-Based Ecotourism” was honorably awarded the second-place prize at the 7th Thua Thien Hue Province Literature and Arts Award (2018-2023) on 18 September 2024.
This bilingual publication is part of the “Sustainable Tourism through Cultural Heritage at the Tam Giang – Cau Hai Lagoon” Project, which was implemented by CKC from 2020 to 2022. The book compiles knowledge on cultural values, heritage, and folk stories of the Tam Giang – Cau Hai lagoon, and was co-developed by Le Vu Truong Giang (Chief Editor), community researchers, and the CKC team. The work showcases the fruitful collaboration between the Center’s experts and communities in the knowledge co-creation process.
CKC hopes that this recognition will increase the publication’s visibility and promote a deeper appreciation of the culture and heritage of Tam Giang – Cau Hai lagoon. By highlighting these local values, the publication aims to support the sustainable development of community-based ecotourism and contribute to the preservation of the lagoon’s cultural identity.
For more details on the award, please visit: https://bit.ly/3BkY0xv
(Han Nguyen)
Art has long been used as a powerful tool for inspiring social change, engaging communities, and broadening perspectives. As such, integrating creative approaches provides many unique and effective solutions to social studies research and project outcomes.
CKC is proud to be the pioneer in integrating artistic approaches into our development studies and projects through multiple forms, such as drawing, illustrations, music, theatrical plays, and storytelling. Consequently, CKC have amplified connections with communities and received positive feedback for these creative approaches. CKC recognises the many ways art can support us in achieving our goals by:
- Effectively approach and support and thereby create a multi-dimensional perspective in research with special groups of participants who have difficulty expressing language, physical appearance or reading and writing ability.
- Broaden the communications of research results with a large audience regardless of geographic locations, language, disability or literacy barriers…;
- Providing a diverse range of options for engagement through music, paintings, performance, storytelling and more; and
- Serving as a collaboration and communication tool to achieve shared goals with participants through map-making and vision boards.
The possibilities for sustainable and effective outcomes in social development through art are endless, and we look forward to sharing our future art-integrated projects.
(Poppy Fowler)
Gender equity has been identified as a development strategy of Vietnam until 2023 targeting at significant improvement of women’s positions across social, economic and political sectors. Consequently, local organisations have increasing prioritized and integrated gender equity programes in their missions and approaches.
To project an overview on the landscape of practicing gender equality policies and programs at local organisations in Vietnam, CKC conducted a desk research led by Gender Expert – Ms. Poppy Folwer. In this research, the goals and programs of eleven (11) local organisations that service Vietnam across the areas of social development and research with an interest in gender development were analysed against the recommendations of five official reports for closing the gender gap in Vietnam.
Social development organisations in Vietnam are producing many effective and innovative approaches to integrating gender-sensitive development initiatives in their work, and are already addressing many of the report’s recommendations. However, there were still gaps in implementation in the following areas:
- Education: provide comprehensive SRH* education in schools, as well as programs to reduce stigma and gender discrimination in schools to support girls and women to pursue subjects and careers in STEM**.
- Gender data gap: focus initiatives on gender-disaggregated data to be able to better support gender-based program needs and effectively inform policies.
- Health and gender-based violence (GBV): develop awareness raising campaigns for GBV to support survivors. Also involve men in the conversation to help break stigma, and allow women to realise their rights to healthcare.
- Women’s leadership: championing women leaders in the community as role models to encourage greater economic, political, and educational participation by women and girls.
- Intersectionality: develop cross-cutting programs which address several intersecting issues, such as LGBTQ+, health or gender-disaggregated data on women in STEM.
Note:
*SRH: Sexual and Reproductive Health
**STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Writer & Illustrator: Poppy Fowler