By Br. Pham hong Phuoc, SDB

Provincial House, Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam, 12 October 2020 – During the annual meeting of the economers of all communities of the Vietnam province and the North delegation on 7 – 8 October 2020, Fr. John of the Golden Mouth Ngoc Truong, SDB, provincial coucillor for Youth Ministry introduced the Don Bosco Green Alliance Group of the Vietnam province (VNDBGA) to the whole convention.

Actually earlier in August he had convened some Salesians, lay mission parners, especially some students and one aspirant living in Don Bosco boarding houses in Ho Chi Minh city and together had founded this group. Fr. Ngoc Truong had also introduced this group to father provincial, his councillors and all rectors in the rectors’ meeting in September.

After the introduction of the group, Fr. Ngoc Truong presented the three-year plan of the group, in particularly the action plan of the first year. We would take some actions in 5 vocational centers and technical schools of our province.

After Fr. Ngoc Truong, it was the presentation of Ms. Diem Phuong, a professor of Department of Environment of the Ho Chi Minh city University of Natural Resources and Environment. Fortunenately she is also a Catholic, a daughter of a Don Bosco Past Pupil, and a speaker for Caritas in the Ho Chi Minh city diocese in matters related to environment and Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si. Therefore her presentation was very relevant and interesting. She presented some typical environmental problems, particularly in Vietnam, that have affected people, followed by some concrete and practical solutions that every community could apply. At the end of her presentation she showed a video clip done by Caritas in the Ho Chi Minh City diocese in 2016, summarizing what she had said in her presentation.

After a short break, it was Brother Dominic Nguyen Duc Nam SDB's turn. He presented to everyone some remarkable environmental problems and their impact on people’ health. He showed a very interesting and educational short video clip about the encyclical Laudato Si. Then he gave his attention to the Don Bosco Green Alliance (DBGA) and its actions and campaigns around the world.

Actually when he was still the director of the Andre Majcen hostel and restaurant vocational training center in Ho Chi Minh city two years ago, he made this center a member of Don Bosco Green Alliance, and this was the first Salesian setting in the Vietnam province to join this alliance. Therefore he was a very relevant person to talk about this and share woth everyone the actions and campaigns in two year as a DBGA’s member of this center.

At the end of the seminar, Mr. Kinh, a lay mission partner and the leader of the VNDBGA group asked everyone to provide some concrete actions that could be applied in every community. The secretary of the group collected all the suggetions and everyone came to agreement that they will be applied later on.

Hopefully in the near future, all the Salesian settings in the Vietnam province will apply these actions and have campaigns to raise the sense of protecting the Earth our common home, and make better places to live and to praise our Good and Beautiful Creator Lord.

• Laudato Si' animation - CAFOD

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