Sharing about this meaningful journey, Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung - Director of the Center for Communication on Natural Resources and Environment (Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) affirmed: This is the first time in the world that there is such a cooperation model!
Reporter: Sir, the rapid development of the economy has caused many consequences to the environment. Together with climate change, this can be considered a “double” threat to people’s lives. So how are people in Vietnam’s religions affected by these issues and how are they responding?
Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung:
Environment and climate change (CC) are global issues. In each country, ethnicity, religion, due to the characteristics of geographical location, natural conditions, culture and economic development level, the impacts from environment and CC will be different and the response will also be different.
However, within the individual there is also common ground. They share common concerns, such as environmental pollution, climate change leading to saltwater intrusion, rising sea levels. They share common impacts on agricultural cultivation and forms of economic development. For example, people used to grow rice, but due to climate change, they have to switch to shrimp farming or combine rice and shrimp farming...
That is the common ground in practice. More deeply, there are similarities between religions in the philosophy of environmental protection and climate change response. I have found that religions today have a very modern approach to environmental protection and climate change response: an approach based on human ecology. Religions place humans in the natural ecosystem, not outside the ecosystem. When humans are placed in the ecosystem, it means that humans are an inseparable part of nature, benefit from the natural ecosystem and have the responsibility to protect nature. Thus, humans and nature have a mutual relationship, dependent on each other for survival and development.
PV: From the humanistic ecological approach, how have religions been expressed in life, sir?
Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung:
I think that the participation of religions in environmental protection and climate change response through specific activities is the most vivid evidence for this issue. For example, in Buddhism, people raise the issue of how to release animals appropriately. Recently, many temples have instructed Buddhists to release native animals, not exotic animals. In places of worship, people are being educated not to use nylon bags and disposable plastics, not to burn votive paper, etc.
In order to form habits and change awareness about environmental protection and climate change response in religions in Vietnam, I think that religions have done a very good job of integrating these contents into religious activities. Therefore, in each religious community, environmental protection and climate change adaptation have been perceived and implemented in a very natural way. That is the fastest way to help people live better, more beautifully and in more harmony with nature.
PV: A testament to that spirit of living beautifully and harmoniously is perhaps the fact that 14 religions have signed a commitment with the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to the Program of coordination in environmental protection and response to climate change (2015-2020). How has this program been implemented and what results have it achieved?
Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung:
I must emphasize that the coordination regulation on environmental protection and climate change response between 14 religions and the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is one of the first programs in the world with such a combined model. This is a source of pride, showing the voluntary consensus of the government and religions joining hands for the country's green environment.
Looking back at the 5 years of implementing the coordination regulations, I believe that the best result achieved is the awareness of religions and community groups participating in environmental protection and climate change response. Through that coordination program, the policies of the Party and State on climate change response, rational use of natural resources and environmentally friendly lifestyles have reached the people very effectively. Since then, many very practical activities have been regularly implemented in religions. Thus, the results of the Program over the past 5 years have exceeded our expectations.
After 5 years of implementation, religions have
Built more than 2,000 models suitable for the specific conditions of each locality.
each religion, bringing practical results, contributing to creating a change
strong change in awareness and change in attitudes, behaviors and habits of many
dignitaries, officials, monks, religious people and people in the community.
PV: Following the achievements of the Program for coordination in environmental protection and climate change response (2015-2020 period), at the end of 2022, the Standing Committee of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front coordinated with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to organize a Conference to sign the Program for coordination in promoting the role of religions in environmental protection and climate change adaptation for the period 2022-2026. Could you please tell us more about this Program?
Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung:
The Phase 2 program is built on the basis of summarizing and drawing experiences from the previous phase. We have included the contents that we need to continue to do, such as models that have been effectively implemented and need to be disseminated. In particular, the contents that need to be focused on in the coming time include: bringing the Law on Environmental Protection 2020 into life, through activities such as waste classification at source, mobilizing more strongly socialization, the participation of many components in society in environmental protection activities, building a circular economic model, implementing the commitment to bring net emissions to "0" by 2050...
PV: To implement the above contents, communication and propaganda work plays an important role. So what is special about communication on environmental protection and climate change response to religions in Vietnam and how should it be implemented?
Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung:
In order for communication activities and raising community awareness to be truly effective, in my opinion, there are two factors that need to be noted. Firstly, it is necessary to mobilize the broad participation of the community, that is, how can communication programs be linked to real life, linked to livelihoods, to the problems that community groups and people are facing so that they will voluntarily participate. Secondly, those programs must bring benefits to the community.
PV: How will the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, in its role as State manager, work with religions to promote green activities and create a green transformation in the whole society, sir?
Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung:
The first thing that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment will do is to complete the legal corridor on green transformation in a systematic and comprehensive manner, including policy tools to encourage organizations and individuals to actively participate in environmental protection and climate change response.
Along with that, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has been and will continue to work closely with the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and religions to effectively implement the Program of coordination to promote the role of religions in environmental protection and climate change adaptation for the period 2022 - 2026.
Through this program, there will be a strong change in the awareness and actions of members, members of the union who are followers of religions and the people responding to environmental issues and adapting to climate change such as: Hygienic, green, clean, beautiful lifestyle, habits of reducing littering, eating hygienically and ensuring health; responding to green movements: "Green Sunday", planting trees, planting forests, green fields, clean alleys, clean houses, not abusing pesticides, not using banned substances in cultivation, animal husbandry, agricultural processing, not abusing burning straw, burning votive paper, spreading votive paper money, incense causing pollution; mobilizing people to respond to cremation, burial in the right place, limiting plastic waste; increasing the use and exploitation of clean energy sources, renewable energy such as: Wind power, rooftop solar power, applying energy saving measures, using energy efficiently...
PV: Thank you very much!
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