In mid-2024, the Buddhist Guidance Committee of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha in Da Nang, and the Living Blood Volunteer Team of the Da Nang Buddhist Family, coordinated with the city’s Red Cross Society and the Da Nang Hospital to organise the 2024 voluntary blood donation campaign at the Phap Lam Pagoda in Nam Duong Ward, Hai Chau District.

During the campaign, a total of 262 units of blood were collected and 40 volunteers registered to donate organs after brain death. This meaningful and practical activity has been maintained for many years. Many members of the Living Blood Volunteer Team are always willing to donate blood to save lives at any time when requested and regularly encourage young people to participate in.

 
In Ngu Hanh Son District, the ‘Quan The Am’ Charity Association of the Avalokiteśvara Pagoda regularly carries out social welfare work with the "Pot of charity porridge" model. The model is maintained monthly at hospitals to support patients and their relatives.

Venerable Thich Hue Vinh, Abbot of the Avalokiteśvara Pagoda, said that social welfare work has long been a tradition of the pagoda. Besides the "Pot of charity porridge" model, there are models "zero-VND vegetarian restaurant" and "Free bus rides" to serve those in difficult circumstances. At the same time, the association has got involved in building houses for the poor in Dien Bien Province.

In addition, Buddhists citywide have supported tuition fees for poor students; adopted and provided home care for children who lost parents or caregivers to COVID-19 until they reach adulthood; donated food and cash to unfortunate cases; and built and repaired 20 charity and great solidarity houses.

"Monks and nuns at pagodas also work with relevant departments, agencies and organisations to present gifts to poor studious pupils on the occasion of Tet and International Children's Day, helping them to firmly step on the path of study", Venerable Thich Nu Thanh Que, Head of the Social Charity Department of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha in the city, shares.

Head of the municipal Committee for Religious Affairs Nguyen Cao Cuong said that, over the past time, religious organisations have promoted humanitarian charity activities in many forms, such as disaster and flood relief; caring for the elderly, orphans, victims of Agent Orange, and people in difficult circumstances; building houses of gratitude; supporting people with meritorious services; providing scholarships for poor studious pupils and people with HIV; donating the fund for natural disaster prevention and the fund for the poor; and opening charity kitchens.

 

Most Venerable Thich Hue Vinh, Abbot of the Avalokiteśvara Pagoda, Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the Viet Nam Buddhist Sangha in Da Nang, is a delegate of the municipal People's Council in its 10th tenure for the 2021-2026 term and a member of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Committee of the city.

Through the sessions of the municipal People's Council, Most Venerable Thich Hue Vinh has presented recommendations from Buddhist monks, nuns and followers in particular, and religions in the city in general to the authorities at all levels. In addition, he himself has many important constructive ideas to the activities of the municipal People's Council, and the construction and development of Da Nang, all recognised and highly appreciated by voters and the city government.

Mr. Nguyen Hung Long has so far worked as Head of the Front Committee of Man Lap Dong 2, Man Thai Ward, Son Tra District for more than 12 years. As a Buddhist follower, imbued with the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh "Unity is strength, unity is victory", Mr. Long and the Man Lap Dong 2 Front Committee are always deeply aware of the great significance of building solidarity and unity in the collective, considering this a top priority issue, a prerequisite task to help the unit perform well its assigned functions and tasks.

To create that solidarity and unity, the Front Committee of Man Lap Dong 2 has built the model of “Residential area with a common heart”. Under the model, the unit has mobilised people to participate in environmental protection activities and waste classification at source; as well as has raised fund for making homemade carts to collect waste resources with the determination to reduce the amount of waste released into the environment and for supporting difficult cases in the residential group.

Previously, domestic solid waste daily was collected by households and poured into specialised garbage trucks. Since the model was implemented, every Sunday afternoon, representatives of the Party Committee, the Fatherland Front Committee, departments, organisations, and the residential group’s management board push a homemade cart to collect recyclable waste in the residential area.

The collected trash is then voluntarily sorted and sold by the residents in the residential area. 30% of the money collected from the sales goes to support families in difficult circumstances. This model greatly contributes to effective implementing the campaign "All people unite to build new-style rural areas, civilised urban areas" and the “City of 4 Safe Programmes” campaign, Mr. Long shared.

Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thao, a Catholic, is also such a case. In 2006, when he was still a teacher, he was voted as leader of residential group No. 6 in Tan Chinh Ward, Thanh Khe District. Currently, nearly 60% of the people in the residential group are Catholics, so the role of the group leader is extremely important. He acts as a bridge between the Party, the government and the people.

He has done his utmost to perform well his duties and responsibilities, especially the 4 tasks specified for residential groups according to Directive No. 21-CT/TU dated October 30, 2012 of the Standing Committee of the municipal Party Committee on "Focusing on improving the quality of activities of residential groups and villages in the city", also known as Directive No. 40-CT/TU on "Continuing to lead to improve the quality of activities of residential groups and villages in the city". Thanks to that, the neighborhood relationship in the group is always close, and religious followers strictly comply with the policies and laws of the State.

More than 80% of the population of Hoa Son Commune in Hoa Vang District is Catholics. In recent years, Catholics in Hoa Son Commune have always agreed with the Party's policies and the State's laws. Notably, many families of Catholics are affected by the Hoa Lien - Tuy Loan Expressway project.

Chairman of Hoa Son Commune People's Committee Nguyen Duy Phuong said that in order to mobilise Catholics to implement the city’s resettlement and clearance policy, the communal Party Committee has directed associations and organisations to work with churches, parishes, and chapels, thereby asking them to mobilise Catholics to follow the city's policy. Thanks to that, Catholics have agreed and promptly handed over their land to the project’s investor.

According to the city’s Religious Committee, religious dignitaries and officials have actively got involved in the work of building the government and socio-political organisations, hereby promoting patriotism and arousing civic awareness.

Head of the city's Religious Affairs Committee Nguyen Cao Cuong said that up to now, there are 9 religious organisations belonging to 6 legal religions in Da Nang with 205 places of worship, religious buildings and specialised buildings; 1,111 religious dignitaries and monks; 1,301 officials; and nearly 150,000 religious followers.

Over the past years, in order to promptly, uniformly and effectively implement legal regulations and Central directives, the municipal People's Committee has issued many documents regarding strengthening State management of beliefs and religions.

All purely legal religious activities are considered and resolved satisfactorily by the city's authorities, ensuring compliance with legal regulations. Included are the Quan The Am Festival, Buddha's Birthday, An Cu Kiet Ha, Vu Lan Festival, Christmas, and Easter Day.

According to Mr. Cuong, in recent years, dignitaries, officials, monks and a large number of religious followers have joined hands with people from all walks of life and the government to build Da Nang into a worth-living city. Accordingly, religious followers have well implemented the Party's guidelines, and the State's policies and laws on religion; as well as taken part in patriotic emulation movements, and ensure “a good secular and religious life”.

In particular, they actively respond to the patriotic emulation movements, and campaigns, launched by Party committees, authorities, Fatherland Front Committees at all levels. Notable among them are "Residential areas with a good secular and religious life", and "Advanced parishes, happy and exemplary Catholic families, typical Catholics, exemplary grandparents and parents, filial children and grandchildren, peaceful and happy villages". The movements have truly entered the lives of Catholics and achieved encouraging results.

In addition, religious organisations have actively implemented the city's urban beautification policy. According to Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong, this is considered a major policy that requires the consensus of the Party, the government and all classes of people, including religious followers. Through mobilisation work, religious dignitaries and followers have showed their support to the city's policy.

Reporting by N.PHU - P.TRA - Q.CUONG - T.HUYEN
Translating by M.DUNG