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Vietnam Vietnam Religious Practices in Vietnam Are Diverse Religion in Vietnam VIETNAM Religious practices in Vietnam are diverse. A large of Gautama in Lumbini Garden; and Wesak (April/May), percentage of the population is Buddhist. There are the holiest of Buddhist holy days, which celebrates many Christians in Vietnam—predominantly Roman Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death. Catholic, with some Protestants. Others are Muslim or Christians are followers of Jesus, a carpenter and a practice indigenous beliefs. Jew from the city of Nazareth in present-day Israel. In its purest form, Buddhism is a way of life. The Christians believe that Jesus is the only son of God, born Buddha was not a god but a teacher. After living of a virgin woman (Mary) in a stable in Bethlehem. His as a privileged but careless youth, Prince Gautama story is told in the New Testament of the Christian holy Siddhartha abandoned his life of luxury in a search for book, the Bible. insight through solitude and fasting. It was through Muslims are followers of Islam. Islam is an Arabic meditation that Siddhartha achieved liberation from word meaning “submission to the will of Allah (God).” all sorrow—nirvana—and became “Buddha” (one Muslims believe that Allah’s will was revealed to the completely awakened). In nirvana, it is believed that prophet Muhammad more than 14 centuries ago all passion, hatred, and delusion die out and the soul is and was captured in the Islamic holy book, the Koran released from the body. Buddha also understood the (Qur’an). Together with the Sunnah, a collection of constant motion of the universe and that everything in sayings attributed to Muhammad, these texts provide Population 90million it is subject to birth and decay. This motion is part of a firm basis for religious and social life for all Muslims, the Dharma, the laws of nature. One of these laws is of Capital City Hanoi including rules for diet, dress, hygiene, and more. cause and consequence, or karma, which implies that Official Language Vietnamese (Kinh) all actions have a corresponding effect. In essence, the Animism is the term used to categorize the plethora of force generated by a person’s actions is a determining localized indigenous religions throughout the world. Per Capita Income US$1,400/year factor in the nature of his/her next life. Buddhism Animists live in a world dominated by a complex Youth Literacy Rate 97% male/97% female emphasizes five regimens: striving not to kill, not to interplay of spiritual powers—those of the creator or Access to Safe Water 99% urban /94% rural steal, not to engage in sexual misconduct, not to speak creators (gods), the destroyers (demons), the forces of falsehoods, and not to use drugs. Buddhist holidays nature, the deceased (ancestors), and the living (healers Under 5 Mortality Rate 23/1,000 live births include Bodhi Day (December 8), which celebrates or witches). The invisible world is also populated by Source: The State of the World’s Children 2014 (UNICEF) the enlightenment of Buddha under the Bodhi tree; nature spirits of the wind, rain, forest, animals, and Buddha Day (April 8), which commemorates the birth earth. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam lies along the eastern coast of the Indochina Peninsula, bordering Laos and Cambodia to the west and China to the north. The richness of this land Additional sources include the CIA World Factbook and State Department websites. extends from its beaches to the vibrant metropolis of Ho Chi Minh City. The geography of Vietnam is divided into four distinct regions: coastal, delta, central, and mountain. The Plan International USA is part of a global organization that works side by side with communities in 50 developing countries to end the cycle of poverty for children. We develop solutions community by community to ensure long-term sustainability. Our country has a wet tropical climate with high humidity. The general weather conditions level of community engagement, long-term outlook, and constant focus on the needs and priorities of children is unique among consist of a rainy and dry season that are determined by the monsoon winds, which provide international development organizations. Our solutions are designed up-front to be owned by the community for generations to more than 70 inches of rainfall annually. The diverse culture of Vietnam represents itself come, and range from clean water and health-care programs to education projects and child-protection initiatives. through various social organizations, customs, and languages. The country is composed of Promising Futures, Plan International USA more than 50 different ethnic groups, with the largest being the Vietnamese (85 percent Community by Community 155 Plan Way • Warwick, RI 02886 of the total population). The people of Vietnam are distinct from those of other Asian 1-800-556-7918 • planusa.org countries in that their religious faith is a mixture of Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, popular Chinese beliefs, and ancient Vietnamese animism. A Brief History This program focuses on improving care of children both at home and in preschool, taking into account After nearly 1,000 years of Chinese domination, all of the conditions for them to have the best start Vietnam suffered colonization by the French, occupation in life by providing them with stimulating and child- by the Japanese, and an artificial division emerging friendly educative environments; improving the quality from Cold War tensions. Under the leadership of the and accessibility of water supplies and sanitation, and Communist Party, Vietnam’s government was founded teaching proper hygiene practice; promoting healthy in 1945 after overwhelming French colonialism. Beset behavior and awareness; and giving them access to a with war for more than 1,000 years, Vietnam has quality basic education, emphasizing child-centered evolved into a very structured, formal society that teaching and learning, as well as child and parent can be quickly mobilized to action. In the 1970s and participation in school governance. early ’80s, the toll of two wars, a Western embargo, and Vietnam’s old style “command economy” created Child-centered disaster risk desperate poverty. In December 1986, after long Diet and Nutrition Here are a few phrases that you might want to use consultations, the Vietnamese government instituted management and climate-change in your letters: a major policy change called doi moi, or renovation. adaptation Most people eat at least one bowl of rice at each meal. Chao anh (m)/Chao chi (f) The policy instituted a new approach to the West and Traditional family meals are served on a mat that is Hello To better cope with the impact of disasters and climate to Vietnamese living overseas; greater personal and spread on the floor. In the countryside meals often Bac co khoe khong? change, Plan promotes the right to protection and institutional openness; and a transition to a market consist of rice, a few vegetables spiced with fish sauce, How are you? assistance in emergencies and builds the resilience economy. The change in the last decade has been rapid, and a broth soup. Malnutrition continues to affect large of children, families, and communities. In emergency Cam on particularly in the cities. In large urban centers the signs numbers of children. Little food, poor diet, and a lack of Thank you preparedness and response—as well as in recovery of renovation are everywhere—open contact between knowledge result in malnutrition among children under phase and livelihood projects such as agricultural Vietnamese and foreigners; new hotels, restaurants, and age 5. Children often drink water from shallow ponds, productivity and food security—Plan involves Holidays shops; and taxis and motorcycles where before there which are usually polluted. communities to ensure better adaptation to climate was only the soft hum of hundreds of bicycles. In rural change and preservation and development of assets. Celebrations are very important to your sponsored child villages, however, change is much slower and more Economic Security and family. The most important ones are related to the subtle. lunar or Chinese calendar: Child protection for all Rice farming is the mainstay of life for the vast majority of people in this rural agricultural society. Children are January 1 Plan works to sensitize communities to the issue of Tet Nguyen Dan (Vietnamese New Year) Plan’s work in Vietnam covers the expected to carry firewood, cut fodder for animals, help children’s rights abuses and to mobilize children, their following areas: plant crops, and assist with the harvest. April 15-20 families, and their communities in support of child Thanh Minh (honoring of the dead) Early childhood care and development in ethnic- protection. We give particular attention to ensuring that April 30 minority areas basic social services are accessible to children of poor Language Reunification Day Child-centered disaster risk management and migrant families and children in conflict with the law. Although there are many ethnic groups, each having its May 19 climate-change adaptation We also create opportunities for disadvantaged youth own language and script, Kinh is the national language Birthday of Ho Chi Minh Child protection for all to develop marketable skills through vocational training. of Vietnam. It is a combination of Mon-Khmer, Tai, September 2 The Livelihood Advancement Business School (LABS) Early childhood care and and Chinese. Those who cannot read or write will be Day of the Nation program has provided 2,766 youth age 17 to 25 with assigned to community workers who will explain your End of September* development in ethnic-minority free vocational training, from which 87 percent have letters and help the children compose their responses. Trung Thu (celebration of autumn) secured full-time employment and a brighter future. areas *date varies.
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