Behaviour Change in Workplace for Sustainable Development and Empowerment.

Hanoi – from August 16^th to 26^th 2008, Marylyn Mehlmann and Peter van Luttervelt from Global

Action Plan International (GAP) came to Vietnam to facilitate a two week training for local and international NGOs including its member organization Action for the City, Caritas and CRS.

GAP is a network of organizations working to empower people to work and live increasingly sustainably.GAPs offer expertise in behaviour change for sustainable development in community, business and workplace.

During the training, participants developed an action plan to create a carbon neutral office using auditing and benchmarking techniques.

Following up the training, participants will become pioneers and leaders in a year long behaviour change program for sustainable development and empowerment in their workplace.

On 1 June 2008, the photovoice exhibition Mirror? If the river could speak will open at the outdoor exhibition area of the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. After numerous showings at various schools and conferences, the exhibition has been redesigned and reprinted for display at the museum. The opening ceremony is at 4:30pm on June 1st, and the exhibition will be open through August 31st.

A Spanish trainer with FUNDESO came to Hanoi in mid-March and conducted a workshop for Action for the City and local partners, teaching on "Project Management Training as a Tool to Fight Against Urban Poverty." A few weeks later, leaders from similar NGOs in the Philippines and East Timor met with Action for the City staff to discuss and design initiatives in urban poverty issues. We are currently conducting research within communities of Hanoi to draft a proposal.