ORGANIZING THE MASSES: WOMEN AND YOUTH

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 002598 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PINS SOCI VM TIP SUBJECT: ORGANIZING THE MASSES: WOMEN AND YOUTH REF: A. 01 HANOI 2402 B. HANOI 1199 ¶1. (U) SUMMARY. VIETNAMESE "MASS ORGANIZATIONS" FOR WOMEN AND YOUNG PEOPLE ARE INCREASINGLY CHANGING THEIR FOCUS AWAY FROM BEING ONE-WAY COMMUNIST PROPAGANDA TOOLS TO BECOMING MORE DYNAMIC INSTITUTIONS REPRESENTING THE INTERESTS OF UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 02598 01 OF 03 281014Z THOSE POPULATIONS AND ENGAGING IN IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTAL WORK, OFTEN WITH OUTSIDE DONOR ASSISTANCE. THEIR CONTINUED EXISTENCE DEMONSTRATES BOTH THE COMMUNIST PARTY'S COMPULSION TO MONITOR AND CONTROL THE PEOPLE OF VIETNAM AND, MORE INTERESTINGLY, INSTITUTIONAL RESILIENCE IN ADAPTING TO NEW REALITIES. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF THE VIETNAM FATHERLAND FRONT (VFF),THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM (CPV) HAS A NETWORK OF ABOUT 30 "MASS ORGANIZATIONS" THAT RUN FROM THE NATIONAL LEVEL DOWN TO VIRTUALLY EACH VILLAGE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY (REF A). VETERANS, FARMERS, SENIOR CITIZENS, LABORERS, ETC. ALL HAVE THEIR OWN ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH SERVE NOT ONLY TO CONVEY CPV POLICY DOWNWARD BUT ALSO IN PRINCIPLE TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS AND INTERESTS OF THOSE GROUPS AND GIVE THOSE POPULATIONS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANNEL THEIR CONCERNS UPWARDS. THESE ORGANIZATIONS ALSO PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE SELECTION OF CANDIDATES FOR THE 2002 NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION (REF B). BIG NUMBERS -------------- ¶3. (U) WITH WOMEN REPRESENTING 52% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION AND PEOPLE UNDER 25 ALSO MORE THAN HALF OF THE TOTAL POPULATION, THE VIETNAM WOMEN'S UNION (VWU) AND VIETNAM YOUTH FEDERATION (VYF) REPRESENT TWO "POWERHOUSE" MASS ORGANIZATIONS. ACCORDING TO VICE PRESIDENT NGUYEN PHUONG MINH, TOTAL VWU MEMBERSHIP IS 11 MILLION WOMEN. (BY CONTRAST, TOTAL CPV MEMBERSHIP IS UNDER 3 MILLION.) (NOTE: EXCLUDING GIRLS UNDER 18 --THE AGE AT WHICH WOMEN CAN JOIN - UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 02598 01 OF 03 281014Z - THIS WOULD MEAN THAT ALMOST HALF OF ALL ELIGIBLE WOMEN ARE AT LEAST NOMINAL VWU MEMBERS. END NOTE) MEMBERSHIP FEES ARE NOMINAL -- ABOUT 500 DONG (3 US CENTS) A MONTH. SUBSCRIPTION TO THE WEEKLY "VIETNAMESE WOMEN'S NEWSPAPER" IS AN ADDITIONAL 80,000 DONG (UNDER US $6) PER YEAR. THERE IS ALSO A GLOSSY "WOMEN OF VIETNAM IN REVIEW" MAGAZINE IN ENGLISH. (MS. MINH IS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF BOTH PUBLICATIONS.) ¶4. (U) WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE VYFU -- WHICH INCLUDES THE HO CHI MINH COMMUNIST YOUTH UNION, THE YOUTH PIONEERS, THE VIETNAM ASSOCIATION OF STUDENTS, AND, MOST RECENTLY, THE VIETNAMESE COUNCIL OF YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS -- ARE A TOTAL OF 9 MILLION MEMBERS, VYF VICE PRESIDENT TRAN DAC LOI TOLD POL/C. THEIR AGES RANGE FROM 9 (WHEN THEY MAY JOIN THE PIONEERS; VIRTUALLY 100 PCT OF STUDENTS DO) TO ABOUT 35, WHEN THEY MUST STEP DOWN FROM VYF POSITIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS. THE 4 MILLION MEMBER-STRONG HO CHI MINH COMMUNIST YOUTH UNION IS USUALLY SEEN AS THE TESTING GROUND FOR WOULD-BE CPV MEMBERS; 67,926 YOUTH UNION MEMBERS JOINED THE CPV IN 2001, COMPARED TO ONLY 46,000 IN 1996, ACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL MEDIA. MEMBERSHIP IN THE HCM YOUTH UNION IS BY WRITTEN APPLICATION ONLY, ALONG WITH RECOMMENDATION BY A CURRENT MEMBER. WOMEN BRANCHING OUT -------------- ¶5. (U) BEFORE THE "DOI MOI" ERA BEGAN IN 1986, THE VWU WAS PRIMARILY A MOUTHPIECE TO EXPLAIN CPV DECISIONS AND PROPAGANDA LINES TO WOMEN, MS. MINH ADMITTED. SINCE THEN, UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 02598 01 OF 03 281014Z HOWEVER, VWU HAS ALSO MOVED TO UNDERTAKE A VARIETY OF MORE ACTIVIST PROGRAMS, SHE CLAIMED. FOR EXAMPLE, BEGINNING IN 1997, THE VWU HAS JOINED WITH THE GVN IN ADDRESSING TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS. UNDER THE GVN'S ACTION PLAN FOR TRAFFICKING PREVENTION, THE VWU HAS USED ITS WIDESPREAD COMMUNITY PRESENCE TO RAISE AWARENESS OF TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS AND TO HELP IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS TO REDUCE THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF VULNERABLE GROUPS TO TRAFFICKING, AS WELL AS TO COOPERATE WITH GVN AGENCIES IN ASSISTING VICTIMS AND IN INVESTIGATING AND PROSECUTING TRAFFICKERS. MS. MINH NOTED VWU RECEIVES SOME FOREIGN NGO FUNDING; ONE PROJECT IN QUANG NINH PROVINCE PROVIDES HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT FOR WOMEN WHO HAVE RETURNED AFTER HAVING BEEN TRAFFICKED AND/OR TRICKED INTO FAKE MARRIAGES IN NEIGHBORING CHINA. (THE USG, WORKING THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MIGRATION AND THE ASIA FOUNDATION, WILL ALSO BE PROVIDING FUNDING FOR TRAFFICKING PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED BY PROVINCIAL AND LOCAL WOMEN'S UNIONS.) ¶6. (U) POVERTY REDUCTION IS ANOTHER KEY TARGET FOR VWU, GIVEN THE HIGH PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN WHO LIVE IN POVERTY, ACCORDING TO MS. MINH. VWU -- THROUGH ITS LOCAL CHAPTERS -- OFFERS MODEST CAPITAL FUNDS AS WELL AS SAVINGS PROGRAMS TO ENCOURAGE RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP, SHE EXPLAINED. HEALTH IS ANOTHER PRIORITY; VWU COOPERATES WITH THE MINISTRY OF PUBLIC UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ9034 PAGE 01 HANOI 02598 02 OF 03 281014Z ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 ED-01 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 HHS-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 CAEX-01 PA-00 PER-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 IRM-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 ECA-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /009W -------------- FF1EBC 281014Z /38 R 280957Z OCT 02 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7938 INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE UNCLAS SECTION 02 OF 03 HANOI 002598 SIPDIS HEALTH IN ORGANIZING CAMPAIGNS PRIMARILY ABOUT FAMILY HEALTH (I.E., INOCULATIONS) AS WELL AS FAMILY PLANNING. MS. MINH SAID THAT VWU "MOTIVATORS" SPREAD THE WORD -- AS WELL AS WRITTEN MATERIALS -- ABOUT THE LATTER, AND CLAIMED THAT "IN URBAN AREAS, THIS IS NO LONGER A PROBLEM." SHE ADMITTED THAT CONSIDERABLE CHALLENGES REMAINED IN THE COUNTRYSIDE TO UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 02598 02 OF 03 281014Z CONVINCE FARMERS TO LIMIT THEIR FAMILY SIZE TO TWO CHILDREN. AS A SPECIAL "INCENTIVE," SHE ADDED, VWU HAS A NETWORK OF "CLUBS" FOR FAMILIES WHO HAVE LESS THAN THREE CHILDREN. AN EVEN NEWER INTEREST FOR VWU IS PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT, MS. MINH DESCRIBED, BUT ADMITTED THAT ITS ACTIVITIES IN THIS AREA WERE STILL NASCENT. ¶7. (U) THE VWU IS ALSO EXPANDING INTERNATIONALLY, WITH RELATIONS WITH 880 ORGANIZATIONS IN 66 COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, MS. MINH BOASTED. THE VWU ASSISTS IN RECEIVING "HUNDREDS" OF WOMEN'S DELEGATIONS EACH YEAR, SHE ADDED. WITH MODEST FUNDING (ABOUT USD 8,000 EACH) FROM THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT, VWU RUNS INCOME GENERATION PROJECTS IN HAI DUONG PROVINCE (POTTERY) AND HUNG YEN PROVINCE (MUSHROOM CULTIVATION). SWEDEN'S SIDA HAS GIVEN VWU USD 450,000 FOR A PROJECT ON "ENHANCING GENDER EQUALITY AND ECONOMIC POWER FOR WOMEN," INCLUDING A FOCUS ON IMPROVING VWU'S ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL. PROMOTING YOUNG TALENT -- AND GETTING INTO BUSINESS -------------- -------------- ¶8. (U) VYF'S LOI DESCRIBED ITS MAIN OBJECTIVES AS PROMOTING THE INTERESTS OF THE YOUTH OF VIETNAM, EDUCATING THEM ON "POSITIVE, PRO-ACTIVE CITIZENSHIP," MOBILIZING YOUTH IN POLITICAL, SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND DEVELOPMENTAL ACTIVITIES, AND CONTRIBUTING TO THE "DEFENSE OF THE HOMELAND." LOI NOTED THAT THE VYF -- WHICH, LIKE THE VWU, OPERATES AT THE NATIONAL, PROVINCIAL, DISTRICT, AND VILLAGE LEVEL -- ENCOURAGES EDUCATION BOTH IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL, AND PROVIDES SOME SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ESPECIALLY POOR YOUNG PEOPLE. UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 03 HANOI 02598 02 OF 03 281014Z THE VYF ATTEMPTS TO RECOGNIZE "YOUNG TALENT" BY OFFERING AWARDS AND ASSISTANCE IN FINDING JOBS, HE EXPLAINED. AS A COMPLEMENT TO REGULAR CLASSROOM EDUCATION, VYF ACTIVITIES INCLUDE LITERACY PROGRAMS, LIFE-LONG LEARNING MODELS, AND VOCATIONAL SKILLS TRAINING, HE ADDED. ¶9. (U) A GROWING PRIORITY FOR VYF OVER THE PAST DECADE HAS BEEN PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR SELF-EMPLOYMENT BY SCHOOL LEAVERS, INCLUDING SMALL-SCALE CAPITAL LOANS AND KNOWLEDGE TRANSFERS. (NOTE: THIS IS A CLEAR RECOGNITION THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR WILL NEED TO CREATE VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE NEW JOBS NECESSARY FOR THE GROWING WORKFORCE OVER THE COMING DECADE AS WELL. END NOTE) THE FOUNDING OF THE COUNCIL OF YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS -- NOW WITH 1,650 MEMBERS -- UNDER THE VYF IN 2002 WAS A SIGNAL OF THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF THIS SECTOR. IT NOW OPERATES IN 30 CITIES AND PROVINCES; LOI CLAIMED THAT THE "COLLECTIVE VALUE" OF THE PRODUCTS OF THESE ENTERPRISES WAS USD 4 BILLION. VICE CHAIRMAN PHUONG HUU VIET OF THE COUNCIL, WHO IS ALSO A NEW DELEGATE TO THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, SEPARATELY TOLD POL/C THAT THESE ENTERPRISES RUN THE GAMUT FROM BICYCLE REPAIR BOOTHS TO BEER HALLS TO INVESTMENT BROKERAGES (LIKE HIS OWN). ¶10. (U) APART FROM ENCOURAGING THESE ENTREPRENEURS, THE VYF ALSO RUNS A YOUTH VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, LOI ADDED. MORE THAN 3 MILLION YOUTHS TOOK PART IN ACTIVITIES UNDER THIS PROGRAM DURING THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS IN 2002, HE CLAIMED, INCLUDING EFFORTS AIMED AT POVERTY ALLEVIATION, ILLITERACY ERADICATION, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, BLOOD DONATIONS, AND HELP FOR NATURAL DISASTER VICTIMS. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THIS PROGRAM ALSO HIRES YOUNGSTERS TO TAKE PART IN RE-BUILDING OF UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 04 HANOI 02598 02 OF 03 281014Z "MONKEY BRIDGES" IN THE MEKONG RIVER DELTA AND IN ENGAGING IN NATIONAL ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE NEW NATIONAL HO CHI MINH HIGHWAY. HE STRESSED THAT THE LATTER ACTIVITIES WERE INDEED PAID LABOR, NOT VOLUNTARY OR INVOLUNTARY SERVICE. ¶11. (U) VYF IS ALSO ENGAGED IN A VARIETY OF HEALTH PROJECTS, RANGING FROM COMBATING DRUG ABUSE, EDUCATING ABOUT HIV/AIDS, FAMILY PLANNING, AND ENCOURAGING PHYSICAL FITNESS, ACCORDING TO LOI. THE VYF RUNS A NETWORK OF "YOUTH PALACES" (MANY OF WHICH SEEM TO HAVE BEEN LEASED OUT TO DISCOS AND KARAOKES),AS WELL AS TWO PUBLISHING HOUSES, "THANH NIEN" (YOUTH) NEWSPAPER, YOUTH RADIO, YOUTH TV PROGRAMS, AND YOUTH INSTITUTES (FOR RESEARCH AND TRAINING) IN HANOI AND HO CHI MINH CITY. THEIR REVENUES HELP SUSTAIN THE VYF, ALTHOUGH LOI ADMITTED THAT THE BIGGEST CHUNK OF ITS BUDGET COMES FROM THE STATE. COMMENT: A CHANGING ROLE IN CHANGING TIMES -------------- ¶12. (U) VIRTUALLY EVERY CITIZEN OF VIETNAM IS ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP IN ONE OR ANOTHER OF THE MANY MASS ORGANIZATIONS UNDER THE VFF. IN EARLIER TIMES, PARTICIPATION AND ATTENDANCE WAS MORE-OR-LESS COMPULSORY, AS THE CPV CHANNELED UNCLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED PTQ9035 PAGE 01 HANOI 02598 03 OF 03 281014Z ACTION EAP-00 INFO LOG-00 NP-00 AID-00 ACQ-00 CIAE-00 DINT-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 SRPP-00 DS-00 ED-01 FBIE-00 UTED-00 VC-00 HHS-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-00 VCE-00 AC-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OMB-01 OPIC-01 CAEX-01 PA-00 PER-00 PM-00 PRS-00 ACE-00 P-00 SP-00 IRM-00 TEST-00 TRSE-00 USIE-00 ECA-00 PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRM-00 DRL-02 G-00 NFAT-00 SAS-00 /009W -------------- FF1EBF 281014Z /38 R 280957Z OCT 02 FM AMEMBASSY HANOI TO SECSTATE WASHDC 7939 INFO AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY AMEMBASSY PHNOM PENH AMEMBASSY VIENTIANE UNCLAS SECTION 03 OF 03 HANOI 002598 SIPDIS ITS MESSAGE AND PRIORITIES THROUGH THE LEADERSHIP OF THESE ORGANS AT THE FOUR MAJOR LEVELS DOWN TO THE COUNTRYSIDE. IN TODAY'S FREER SOCIETY, WITH MORE CHOICES ABOUT LEISURE ACTIVITIES AND MORE IMPERATIVES TO WORK FOR A LIVING RATHER THAN DEPEND ON EMPLOYMENT IN THE STATE SECTOR, FEWER PEOPLE ARE LIKELY INTERESTED IN OR ABLE TO SUSTAIN ACTIVE UNCLASSIFIED PAGE 02 HANOI 02598 03 OF 03 281014Z MEMBERSHIP. BUT THE ORGANIZATIONS LIVE ON, IN PART AS A LEGACY OF THE CPV'S OVERSIGHT OF THE "MASSES," AS WELL AS OCCASIONALLY STILL VOICING THE CPV'S PROPAGANDA LINE, SUCH AS IN THE NUMEROUS RALLIES AGAINST THE DRAFT VIETNAM HUMAN RIGHTS ACT IN THE US CONGRESS IN 2001, OR MORE RECENTLY, PROTESTS AGAINST POSSIBLE US MILITARY ACTIONS AGAINST IRAQ. (THE VWU'S MINH EXPLAINED THE LATTER AS SOMETHING HAVING DIRECT IMPACT ON WOMEN, HENCE THE VWU'S "NEED" TO PROTEST.) MORE INTERESTINGLY, HOWEVER, THESE ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ADAPTED TO THE CHANGING REALITIES OF POST-"DOI MOI" VIETNAM, INCREASINGLY FOCUSING ON HANDS-ON DEVELOPMENTAL EFFORTS AND RAISING THEIR OWN FUNDING FROM INTERNATIONAL DONORS AND/OR THEIR OWN ENTERPRISES. THE INSTITUTIONAL RESILIENCE OF THESE ORGANS, PLUS THEIR LONG-STANDING NETWORK OF NATIONWIDE OFFICES, GUARANTEE A CONTINUED IF CHANGING ROLE BOTH FOR THE VWU AND THE VYF IN THE COMING DECADE. BURGHARDT UNCLASSIFIED