NGOs play an important role in the Norwegian society. Most of them are working outside of the development field, but a number of them have a supplementary interest in development issues and a small number are dedicated to development work. They are considered as irreplaceable in helping to reach civil society in partner countries, in particular poor and vulnerable target groups, and also to strengthen local partner organisations. This is an important factor in the fight against poverty, and in the effort to promote human rights and democracy.
Several Norwegian Non Governmental Organisations (NGO) are represented in Vietnam, working in the field of community development. The NGOs pursue activities to relieve suffering, promote the interests of the poor, provide basic social services, or undertake community development. Although the NGO sector has become increasingly professionalised over the last two decades, principles of voluntarism remain prominent.
Norwegian Church Aid (Kirkens Nødhjelp)
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) is a non-governmental and ecumenical organisation that works to ensure the individual's basic rights. Anchored in the Christian faith, NCA supports the poorest of the poor, regardless of gender, political conviction, religious affiliation and ethnicity. To achieve permanent results, Norwegian Church Aid collaborate with ecumenical and other local organisations in three ways:
· Emergency response
· Long-term development work
· Influencing attitudes and decisions
For more information, please see URL: www.english.nca.no
In Vietnam, NCA has the following thematic focus:
· Participation and accountable development: the objective is that local governments involve local women and men in participatory, democratic and transparent decision-making processes in planning and implementation of development activities.
· Food security and income-generation: the objective is that all women and men have enough food and occupations, which gives sound and sustainable income.
· Education: the objective is that girls and boys finalise primary education and have equal opportunities to choose secondary education.
· HIV / AIDS: the objective is to halter the increase of HIV infected people, and improve the situation for people living with AIDS through less stigmatisation.
· Gender-based violence: the objective is that girls and women are empowered to activate their rights, responsibilities and resources to avoid being suppressed and exploited and that by both men and women recognise that they should have equal access to resources, information and decision making.
NCA channel their support through Nordic Assistance to Vietnam (NAV). NAV’s programme in Vietnam is in accordance with the priorities approved in the national Comprehensive Poverty Reduction and Growth Strategy.
The geographical focus is on: HaiPhong City and DoSon Town in the northern part, and Thua Tien Hue Province and Quang Tri Province in central parts of the country.
Norwegian Red Cross (Norges Røde Kors)
Norwegian Red Cross is part of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The International Federation is supporting programmes in more than 150 countries. These programmes assist millions of the world's most vulnerable people; victims of natural and man-made disasters, refugees and displaced people and those hit by socio-economic problems. The activities, which are funded by appeals, focus on health, disaster management and promoting humanitarian principles and values. You can read more about the International Federation on URL: www.ifrc.org and about the Norwegian Red Cross on URL: www.redcross.no.
The Vietnam Red Cross has a countrywide network of local-level branches in each of the 61 provinces and is widely represented down to district level. Norwegian Red Cross has had a close cooperation with its Vietnamese counterpart since 1995. The Norwegian Red Cross supports a Capacity Building and Poverty Alleviation project in Vietnam. The project’s goal is to improve the basic situation of the most vulnerable people in three provinces in the central part of the country: Binh Dinh, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa. The objectives of the project are:
· To support the Red Cross Chapters to carry out its humanitarian mission through human and material resource development.
· To enable the Red Cross Chapters to systematically plan and manage Red Cross core activities.
· To assist the Red Cross Chapters to develop efficient disaster preparedness plans.
· To assist the Red Cross Chapters to support communities through micro projects.
· To assist the Red Cross Chapters to generate income and raise funds locally to continue towards sustainability of the activities.
CARITAS Norway
Caritas Norway is the development and relief organisation of the Catholic Church. Caritas Norway was established in 1952 as Norsk Katolsk Flyktningehjelp (Norwegian Catholic Help for Refugees), and in 1964 changed the name to Caritas Norway
Caritas’ primary objectives are:
· to support programmes in poor countries within the areas of development cooperation, human rights, peace- and reconciliation work and emergency relief
· to motivate the Catholics in Norway towards developing solidarity with the economically poor in other countries,
· to increase awareness of unjust social structures and the causes of poverty. Domestically, the most important role is to aid the parishes in the development of welfare work for refugees, immigrants, children and the elderly.
You can find more information about Caritas Norway on URL: www.caritas.no
In Vietnam Caritas’ objective is to build sustainable livelihoods for the poorest people and communities, with care for a gender-balanced approach. The An Phu Integrated Community Development Project is designed to support efforts to create sustainable livelihoods for the people in the five poorest villages of Ha Tay province.
The project has two main components:
· Infrastructure development: two dykes, one school and two electricity lines.
· Community development: capacity building for the communes’ Women Unions, enhancement of gender awareness, cows and buffaloes for poor households, agricultural promotion programme, short-time savings and credit, raising public health awareness, micro-initiatives, medium-term credit, and community funds.
As of November 2003, infrastructure development activities are complete. The project has also implemented the first 5 programmes of the community development activity. A second phase of this project will be implemented from 2005 to 2007, and the project will be extend and reach 13 villages in An Phu.
The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (Landsorganisasjonen/LO)
The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) is decidedly the largest and most influential workers' organisation in Norway. LO has a strong position in society and has set its stamp on society's development for more than 100 years. LO works both with international trade union bodies and directly with trade union movements in other countries for increased efforts for freedom, equality and equity. Creating a sustainable development, which takes account of employment and the environment, requires binding cooperation between nations.
You can read more about LO on the following address URL: www.lo.no
The cooperation between Vietnam General Confederation of Labour (VGCL) and the LO Norway started in 1998. In the spirit of solidarity, mutual assistance and bringing into play the achieved results of cooperation, VGCL and LO Norway have strengthen the cooperation between the two organisations. The goal has been to make VGCL a stronger, more skilful and effective organisation that are more capable of meeting the challenges confronted by the implications of a market economy.
Norwegian People’s Aid (Norsk Folkehjelp)
Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) is the humanitarian organisation of the Norwegian trade union movement. In its work NPA is guided by the values of national and international solidarity, human dignity, freedom and equality. NPA is a voice for the vulnerable, the poor and the oppressed in Norway and abroad. Today, NPA is one of the largest Norwegian NGOs.
Norwegian People's Aid works in close collaboration with other Norwegian NGOs as well as international organisations, and not at least the United Nations system. Likewise, NPA receives annually substantial support from the Norwegian government, partly through a cooperation agreement with NORAD. For more information about NPA, go to URL: www.npaid.no
NPA has assessed the potential and opportunities to engage in Mine Action in Vietnam.
CARE Norway
CARE has operated in Vietnam from 1954 to 1975 and from 1989 to the present day. Current projects include the development of small-scale economic activities and reproductive health. CARE is an independent humanitarian organisation working to end world poverty. With programmes in about 70 countries, CARE touches the lives of over 45 million of the world’s poorest people.
CARE Norway priorities long-term development projects which directly benefit the poorest people. CARE fights poverty through women’s role in the society. They have experienced that women’s participation is necessary to eliminate poverty. CARE’s projects are developed in cooperation with the local people, and it is the local people who define their needs. CARE’s projects contribute to developing and sustain natural resources, the environment, local livelihoods and food production. More information about CARE is available at URL: www.care.org and www.care.no
CARE Norway has supported the Post-Fire Relief and strengthening of Fire Control Capacity in U Minh Thoung National Park. The overall objective of the project was to strengthen the fire control capacity of U Minh Thoung National Park with the aim of ensuring the long-term conservation of the Park. The project also helped provide relief to the fire-affected households in the buffer zone. At the time being, CARE Norway does not have any projects in Vietnam.
Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports
The Norwegian sports federations and the regional organisations formed The Confederation of Sports in 1861. Today the organisation is widely known as "Idrettsforbundet", formally as Norges Idrettsforbund og Olympiske Komité (The Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports) or just NIF. Voluntarism, democracy, loyalty and equality are essential values to sports in Norway. The Norwegian Olympic Committee and Confederation of Sports is the country's largest voluntary organisation, and more than one third of the population engage in sport in different ways. Football and skiing are the traditional sports. The basis is the physical activity together with a set of values that are shared by the elite sportswoman and the mass sportsman, children and youth alike, i. e. enjoyment of sport, the spirit of community, health and fair play. For more information URL: www.nif.idrett.no
Football for All in Vietnam is a project which intention is to develop football among children and youth of both sexes. In an environment with lack of experience and a targeted approach, Norwegian football contributes with expertise in specific areas:
· To contribute in development and empowerment of marginalised communities through engaging and mobilising local people in football activities.
· To contribute to building positive attitudes and behaviour based on ethical principles, corporate responsibility and democratic values using football as a method.
· Using football as a tool to contribute in the process of developing democracy, youth participation and addressing health issues such as HIV/AIDS.
The different strategies are: training of instructors, establish football clubs and building football pitches.
The Norwegian Mission Alliance (Den Norske Misjonsallianse)
The Norwegian Mission Alliance (NMA) was founded in 1901 and is registered with the Company State register in Norway. It is an independent Christian diaconal non-governmental organisation based within the Church of Norway. The organisation is engaged in work in Latin America and Asia. Our assistance is given regardless of belief, nationality or race and is transparent in all kind of matters. The work shall be carried out in a spirit of respect for our partner’s culture, distinctive character, size and resources. NMA is supported through voluntary gifts from individuals and groups, primarily in Norway, and through financial support from the Norwegian Government as well as dividend from various investment funds.
NMAs development assistance is based on mutual understanding and close cooperation with local authorities, partners and beneficiaries focusing on poor and marginalised groups of people. The main objective is to contribute to a lasting improvement of the target group’s quality of life. In Vietnam, the project activities are focused on integrated community development with components of inclusive education, micro credit, health (including HIV/AIDS), community infrastructure, water and sanitation.
NMA is committed to working in close cooperation with local Vietnamese partners and focuses on capacity building. NMA-Vs Vietnamese partners include local governments and peoples committees at the commune, district, and provincial level. More information about the Norwegian Mission Alliance is available at URL: www.misjonsalliansen.no
Plan Norway
Plan Norway is part of Plan’s global network. Plan International has offices in 60 countries. Plan’s vision is a world in which all children realise their full potential in societies which respect people's rights and dignity. Plan is working with children, their families and the wider community, to help them achieve positive change in their own lives. Plan believes that long-term improvements and change can only be sustained if children are 'development actors': they participate, voice their opinions, are listened to and taken seriously because their opinions count. Children are often involved directly in planning, implementing and monitoring projects, which benefit themselves, their families and their communities. You can get more information about Plan on URL: www.plan-international.org. Plan Norway has specialised in projects addressing issues of children affected by HIV/AIDS, access to basic services in health and education, provision and management of water, food security, empowerment and participation of the poor, in particular children.
In Vietnam, Plan has facilitated child-focussed development programmes in seven provinces in the northern and central regions of Vietnam, including Hanoi. Plan currently reaches 65 communities. The main partners of Plan Vietnam are these communities and local authorities, district authorities, people’s committees and provincial representative of People’s Aid Coordination Committee.
SOS Barnebyer Norway
SOS Barnebyer Norway is part of the international organisation SOS-Kinderdorf International. The organisation is politically and religiously neutral, and is giving long-term help to children, independent of nationality, culture or religion. SOS Children's Villages revolve around the effort to give children who have lost their parents or who are no longer able to live with them in a permanent home and a stable environment. The SOS Children's Village family-like structure is formed by four basic principles: mother, brothers and sisters, house and village. You can read more about SOS Children’s Villages on URL: www.sos-childrensvillages.org and about SOS Barnebyer Norway: URL: www.sos-barnebyer.no
SOS Barnebyar Norway’s in involved in a project called SOS Vocational Training School, Viet Tri. The project is a component of the bigger SOS Village programme implemented in Phu Tho Province. The project’s goal is to reduce poverty through vocational training to youths. The school provides education to students from the SOS Villages and other youths in the province.
Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO)
The Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) is the largest interest organisation for enterprises in Norway: Approx. 16000 craft, industrial and service enterprises are members of NHO. The majority of them are small and medium-sized enterprises. These enterprises consist of approx. 450 000 work places. Collectively the business sectors represented in NHO contribute 40% of the economic value creation of the Norwegian private sector.
The Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) shall work towards ensuring its members working conditions and opportunities for development which strengthen the competitiveness and profitability of the private sector, thus creating a foundation for a good standard of life and living in an economically sound and viable society. More information about NHO is available at URL: www.nho.no
NHO has entered into an agreement on strengthening the capability of Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) on labour relations and industrial democracy in Vietnam. The cooperation has already included a fact-finding mission from NHO to VCCI and a study mission from VCCI to NHO. In addition, on behalf of the Norwegian Agency for International Development (Norad), NHO has carried through a study on private sector development in Vietnam. The purpose of this study is to single out particular industry and trade sectors where Norwegian and Vietnamese companies may cooperate commercially to contribute to private sector development in Vietnam. The sectors which have been given priority are: oil & gas, maritime (fisheries included), trade and production in Vietnam and import to Norway - and energy.