Nearly 4,000 young people gathered at the Thong Nhat Park in Hanoi on February 28 to begin the “Youth Month” that will have environmental protection as its major theme.
The event is being organized by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, in coordination with the Hanoi Youth Union.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan applauded the committee for choosing environmental protection as a major theme and hoped young people nationwide would continue to record new achievements, contributing to making 2010 the nation’s Youth Year.
He said this would a signficiant contribution to the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi that is being celebrated this year.
On the occasion, the youth union committee presented gifts worth VND1 billion to soldiers living on Vietnam’s islands.
Nationally, the “Youth act for the environment” theme will be backed with the planting of one million trees of various kind, regreening 100 hectares of forests, implementing 79 projects to ensure a clean environment in areas surrounding Cau, Nhue, Dong Nai and other polluted rivers, organizing 10 job faris, and providing loans worth VND400 billion to young people to start their own businesses.
Responding to the program, the HCMC Youth Cultural House launched the Youth Month 2010 on the same day with the participation of more than 2,000 youth.
This year’s Youth Month is divided into two stages. During the first stage, from February 28th to March 14th, young people will take part in including four green Sundays, the Earth Hour campaign, contests on environmental knowledge and other fun activities.
The second stage, from March 15th till the end of the month, will conclude with a number of significant functions including the “Light up Vietnam Youth’s dreams” program, the 2010 Ho Hao Hon award ceremony and career counseling for youth.
The city’s youth expect to implement 100 projects to protect the environment, introduce jobs to 5,000 young people, and build 70 friendship houses and other projects.
Right after the opening ceremony of the Youth Month, the municipal youth joined the forum “Youth act for the environment” and a parade of 300 bicycles to disseminate the message of environmental protection.
They also registered a Vietnam record for the biggest painting highlighting environmental protection created by children.
Over 2,000 youth in Can Tho City joined the program on the same day with plans to build 20 bridges in rural areas and present 1,000 computers to youth union units.
The An Giang Province Youth Union issued 30,000 leaflets calling upon the youth and other people to sign a message petition to protect the Mekong River that will be submitted to the governments of Laos, Thailand and Cambodia.
Thousands of youth from Da Nang, Thua Thien-Hue, Quang Ninh, Lam Dong and Kon Tum provinces have also launched the month with various activities designed to promote environmental awareness and protection.
