“The involvement in outdoor activities like this trip is very interesting and shows different sides of Vietnam,” Liam Jones, Australian team leader said after visiting Peace Village, Tam Thanh mural village and a lantern maker’s in Hoi An ancient town on November 7.
It also helps boost friendship among VOF delegates, added he.
Of the places he visited, Peace Village, which is caring for 112 disabled children, orphans and homeless old people in the province, impressed him the most.
Opening ceremony of APEC Voices of the Future
“The people living in the village are being taken good care,” he said, voicing his hope that he will have a chance to come back there.
Sharing the same feeling, Jieun Joy Park, a delegate from the Republic of Korea, said that “one of the duties of the youth in the region is taking care of vulnerable groups.”
The youth should make more efforts to fulfill the task, she said.
Many of them were also excited when visiting the Tam Thanh mural art village, a joint initiative by the Korean Community Art Exchange Program and the People’s Committee of Quang Nam province to bring art to the people.
For Diana Gorbulina, head of the Russian delegation, the village is a combination of natural beauty and art. It helps show how the villagers treasure the beauty of nature, she added.
At a lantern maker’s in Hoi An ancient town, the delegates learned from artisans how to cover the lanterns’ frames with silk to finish a product.
“Making a lantern and keep it as a souvenir will be an unforgettable experience for me,” said Miyuki Tsuru from Japan.
Taking place from November 6-10, the APEC Voices of the Future 2017 (VOF 2017) has drawn 180 delegates from 17 APEC member economies.
The participants focus discussions on the contribution of the youth to APEC Vision beyond 2020 and the future; economic, financial and social integration, human resources development in the digital age; and policies to support start-up, renovation and small- and medium-sized enterprises.
Source: VNA