(VOVworld) - Young@Heart is an Oxfam global initiative in 16 countries aimed at empowering the youth, encouraging them to raise their voices, enabling space and favorable conditions for them to enhance their capacities, and actively tackling youth and social issues. Vietnam and Uganda have been selected for the program’s pilot implementation in 2015. VOV5 has the story….
In Vietnam, Young@Heart is being implemented by the Center for Sustainable Development Studies (CSDS) from February to December 2015 with support from Oxfam Vietnam. Nguyen Doan Huan, CSDS coordinator in charge of implementing the program, told VOV: "During its first year in Vietnam, the program is divided into 3 phases. The first phase, Exploration Lab, is aimed at facilitating young people to express their needs and aspirations via arts and debates. The second phase, Innovation Lab, supports young people to develop and experiment their innovative concepts and formats as outcomes of the first Lab. And the last phase, the Impact Lab, promotes youth engagement in activities that create a social impact through communication campaigns and policy advocacy." 

Young@Heart Vietnam: first stage completed. Photo: CSDS

Huan said the program’s first Lab, which concluded in the first weeks of May, has been a success. 5 classes on 4 types of community arts including: improvisational theater, producing propaganda posters, comic books, and animation clips, has attracted the participation of 1000 students in Hanoi 3 days after its launch. This indicated a positive response to the program, satisfying students’ demands not only to study different kinds of art, but also to express their needs and aspirations. This success is attributed to the program’s intelligent approach to youth, said Le Gia Thang, coordinator of Oxfam’s Education Governance Program. Thang said that there are currently many youth activities and programs but they are all decided upon by adults, here referred to as the government, parents, teachers, head teachers, Youth Union Secretaries, etc... The adults often think only they know what is good for young people, give the youth money and support, and tell them what to do. Young@Heart looks from a different angle, said Thang: "This program chooses to approach young people differently. We think it’s the youth who are experts on their own problems. They understand what matters most to them. And it must be they who discuss and find ways out for themselves. Of course, it’d be unwise not to listen to adults’ experience. But we think the adults should take a few steps back, just play their roles as consultants to young people. All youth programs and activities should be designed and implemented by the young themselves. They have to undergo each step of the process: from fund raising to finding donors and finalizing their projects. This is necessary practice for all of them to grow. And even if they fail, they can draw lessons of their own for the future. This is the spirit of Young@Heart."  

In the program, the youth, as active citizens, hold the power to influence decision-makers, public attitudes and beliefs and increase public involvement in young people’s rights. Thang again: "The initial results are very encouraging. Our partner, the Center for Sustainable Development Studies (CSDS) has been very professional in their job. They let the youth design their plans and be involved in every single step to implement their activities. In only 3 months since the program was launched in Vietnam in February, they have achieved a lot. Adults can relax and let young people do more for their own sake. I’m very proud of this program. The program’s selection of Vietnam to pilot the program reflects the country’s prestige in the international arena. This proves the international community’s trust in Vietnam’s abundant and effective youth initiatives over time."