Dear CACC,
In yesterday’s DED, our friend Thu Vang in the Bay Area (northern California) sent us the information about human trafficking among the poor in Vietnam. All boils down to one thing: People are so poor. They are desperate and they will do anything, real or imagined, to get out of poverty.
For the last couple of decades probably 80 percent of our energy and talent has been used to develop the cities–Hanoi, HCMC, Nha Trang, Hue, Da Lat, Binh Duong… and the countryside, where more than 70 percent of the people live, has received little attention.
We can understand the strategy of getting the economy going in a rush, focusing on the areas where we can get foreign investments and money right away–i.e., the cities. But this strategy cannot survive in the long term, because:
1. It makes the city-country wealth gap larger every day, which brings all kinds of social political problems, human trafficking being one of them, and
2. It generates a constant stream of migration of unemployed rural workers into the cities and, therefore, puts a lot of social economic pressure on the cities.
The key point is that we have to bring INTENSIVE development out into the countryside, making the countryside more prosperous and civilized, making it a pleasant place where people want to stay and work and raise their family.
Who among you who read this message is willing to leave the city and stay in the countryside now?
If not, why?
There are many things that should be done, from infrastructure development, to attracting outside investments, to health care, to education… Too many things to think about .
In order to form an effective rural development strategy, we need one point to focus the mind on, and that point will pull everything else along.
That point is education, especially a network of local 2-year colleges throughout the countryside. These colleges will make college education more affordable to the rural students, bring college education to their backyard, and help the young rural folks be more educated and therefore more marketable…
Education will make people smarter, attracting more outside investments as well as giving them the brainpower to better their own lives and the life of their community.
Without good education, it is impossible to develop the countryside. Who wants to stay there?
Last year I wrote a series on A Rural Development Strategy on VNBIZ
(my messages on July 20th, 23rd, and 25th, 2008) and the folks at MARD read it. However it seems no one is talking seriously about colleges for the countryside. Looks like people are not very interested about the fate of the rural poor.
Who cares about the poor farmers and their poor children?
I would like to hear some brother and sister reflect something on this.
Have a great day!
Hoanh
Đọt Chuối Non 
Dear H,
Thanks for the article,
For your question, “Who cares about the poor farmers and their poor children?”, I believe that you made an inappropriate and insulting question to our country, Vietnam, the Communism heaven. When I was young, my teachers taught me that the Capital countries do not care about the poor, not the Communist. The Communism is the best “ism” on the world for the poor. Therefore, I have no answer for your question but just “leave us alone and give us dollar!”
In general, I agree with your bold letters that “That point is education”, but I think “The key is politic”. Well I must say, if “The tool is communication”, it has been kept in dominated and deadly silent for over 30 years. So, we will not consider the value of communicative solution here, I hope you know what I meant.
Education and Politic in Vietnam do have an internal relationship. For example, the Apollos University, an American University with head office in California, had submitted their attempt to open American higher education programs in Vietnam from 2006 but until now, they still not have legal authority from the Edu Dept of Vietnam because of reasons as follows:
– The Edu Dept of Vietnam offered a combination in teaching program by considering subjects such as Macxist – Leninist Philosophy, Vietnamese Communism Party History, Ho Chi Minh Ideology… into the teaching program of Apollos University and the American University “dare” to deny that offer.
– The Edu Dept required the American University to put their head office in Hanoi instead of HCMC and once again, the American University dare to deny that requirement.
Until now, after I have graduated from Appolos University, I believe that I am lucky enough to be a student of the best University in Vietnam, however, I cannot introduce it to anybody because the University is not legally accepted in Vietnam?! By this way, I give you an example of internal relationship between “politic” and “education” in Vietnam, the Communism heaven. And whether the facts and opinions sound reliable or not, I posted it with my most positive attitude.
Have a great day in heaven!
Sincerely,
Stone.
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