The Power of Words: Illuminating the ‘Station of Hope’ for Community Champions

Speaking at the press conference, Mr. Le Quoc Minh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Vice Head of the Central Propaganda and Training Commission, President of the Vietnam Journalists Association, and Head of the Organizing Committee for the Award, said that we are living in a time of unprecedented challenges, from geopolitical factors to the unpredictability of the global economy, to the increasingly extreme manifestations of climate change.

These challenges have had a significant impact on the resources available for community-based projects. Therefore, to realize the humane policy of “leaving no one behind,” the spirit and determination to overcome difficulties and contribute to the community of organizations and individuals need to be supported, honored, encouraged, and promoted stronger than ever.

Understanding and sharing this concern with community workers, the Human Act Prize 2024, with the theme “Community Creation,” aims to be a bridge connecting resources in knowledge, people, and finance with ideas.

“Someone once said that if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. The larger the Community Creation network, the better the social security and quality of life for the people will be,” said Mr. Le Quoc Minh.

Sharing more about the award, Mr. Minh said that since the award ceremony in November 2023, community projects have continued to be implemented and initiated across the country. Not only have large enterprises taken the initiative to assume responsibility for contributing, but there have also been many volunteer groups and projects that, although small in scale, have innovative and creative ways of doing things, and have begun to inspire and suggest to many organizations and individuals to replicate their models.

“This is the spirit that the Human Act Prize wishes to encourage and promote so that the community movement can develop in both width and depth, truly creating a change in awareness and quality of life for the beneficiaries,” emphasized Mr. Le Quoc Minh.

The actual Community Action Award 2023 shows that although the ability to connect and build relationships is still new, the participating projects have had the opportunity to receive many new resources, notably a donation of VND 500 million by artist My Tam for two projects in the final round of the Human Act Prize 2023.

Mr. Vuong Vu Thang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of VCCorp, the unit coordinating the organization of the Human Act Prize and a member of the Jury of the Award, emphasized that the main objective of the award is to promote the community movement and create opportunities for cooperation to realize projects with a broad social impact.

“The Human Act Prize is also a profound statement about community activities and a beautiful message for many people to see, hear, and feel that we can do the same and that we should support in the same way. What they can do or can support will take the community movement to new heights, contributing more to the development of Vietnamese society,” added the Chairman of VCCorp.

“Ecosystem” of Human Act Prize 2024 activities

“One of the missions of the Community Action Award is to connect financial resources with creative ideas and provide opportunities for cooperation for social impact projects,” said Mr. Thang.

Moreover, according to Mr. Vuong Vu Thang, the Human Act Prize also encourages organizations and businesses to apply ESG as an opportunity rather than a responsibility, bringing more value to society and to the businesses themselves.

“The recent Typhoon Yagi has proven the long-term impact of the environment on society. As a result, we see that development today cannot be separated from sustainability anymore. We believe that many businesses have seen this for decades,” said Mr. Thang.

“That’s why the Human Act Prize has received the support and active participation of many business organizations in 2023 and will surely continue to do so in the future,” added the VCCorp leader.

Mr. Thang said that, along with the inspiring things from the business organizations wholeheartedly working for the community, they also face many difficulties. However, Mr. Thang believes that within difficulties lie opportunities.

Therefore, in addition to the main activities within the framework of the award, with the desire to boost the faith of the Human Act Prize 2024 projects and promote the implementation of social impact initiatives effectively, transparently, and with a profound impact on society, VCCorp has also organized many activities to spread inspiration and knowledge.

First is the Human Talk series of seminars on sustainable development. This is a venue for leading experts in the field of ESG, pioneering businesses and organizations to share knowledge and practical models to help attendees learn and apply to their social work models. This is also a space to connect individuals and organizations with the same vision, creating resonant activities that contribute to the sustainable development of society.

Second is the Green Vision series of workshops. This is a series of well-received workshops by the public and businesses on green products and green business. Accordingly, each workshop will be a valuable piece of the big picture of sustainable development in the community.

Third is the Human Legacies series of books – “Pioneering Legacies – Innovation in Social Impact in Vietnam.” This is the first complete handbook for community workers. The book not only provides professional knowledge but also shares lessons, criteria, successful projects, and even failed projects to inspire those working in the field of social impact to continue on their path of contribution.

Next is the Human Voice podcast series, which aims to inspire people, organizations, and individuals working for the community and to inspire companies pursuing sustainable initiatives.