Tác giả: Đào Thu Hằng

I'm from Hanoi, Viet Nam. I'm an author of Dot Chuoi Non (dotchuoinon.com/author/hangbelu/), a blog on Positive thinking, founded by Dr. Tran Dinh Hoanh, an attorney in Washington DC. I'm a co-founder of Conversations on Vietnam Development - cvdvn.net, a virtual think tank. I am a co-founder of two companies in Viet Nam working on children education services. I advise companies on STEAM education, English language education for children and students in Vietnam. I'm studying the Buddha's teaching and the teaching of Jesus. I practice mindful living including meditation. I hold a PhD on Sustainable Energy Systems from University of Lisbon and Aalto University. I graduated from Hanoi University of Technology on Environmental Engineering. I obtained a Master degree of the same major from Stanford University and Nanyang Technological University. My English-language blog at: hangbelu.wordpress/. I play table tennis as a hobby.

Nhóm ‘nhặt sạn định kiến giới trong sách giáo khoa Tiếng Việt’ đoạt giải nhất Hội thi Sáng kiến Giới

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tamviet.tienphong.vn 30/09/2023 | 20:02

TPO – Chiều 30/9, Khoa Giới và Phát triển tại Học viện Phụ nữ Việt Nam đã tổ chức trao giải mùa thứ 3 cho Hội thi Sáng kiến Giới. 

Cụ thể, chiều 30/9, Khoa Giới và Phát triển tại Học viện Phụ nữ Việt Nam, đơn vị tổ chức Dự án “Thanh niên tham gia thay đổi định kiến giới, thúc đẩy bình đẳng giới tại Việt Nam”, đã trao giải mùa thứ 3 cho Hội thi Sáng kiến Giới.

https://image.tienphong.vn/w1000/Uploaded/2023/tpuokbj/2023_09_30/screen-shot-2023-09-30-at-182854-2973.png
Tiến sĩ Nguyễn Tuấn Minh, đại diện Ban tổ chức trao giải cho sinh viên.

Buổi Lễ được dẫn dắt bởi TS. Dương Kim Anh, Phó Giám đốc Học viện Phụ nữ Việt Nam và Trưởng Khoa Giới và Phát triển, cùng ông Đào Ngọc Ninh, Phó viện trưởng Viện Tư vấn Phát triển Kinh tế Xã hội Nông thôn và Miền núi (CISDOMA). Sự kiện diễn ra trong không khí phấn khích của chuỗi hoạt động chào mừng tân sinh viên khóa K11 và kỷ niệm 8 năm thành lập Khoa Giới & Phát triển.

Tiếp tục đọc “Nhóm ‘nhặt sạn định kiến giới trong sách giáo khoa Tiếng Việt’ đoạt giải nhất Hội thi Sáng kiến Giới” →

Countries are still falling short in developing textbooks free of gender-based stereotypes

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UNESCO.org Global Education Monitoring Report

2020 Gender Report DOWNLOAD PDF

The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action called on countries to develop curricula, textbooks and teaching aids free of gender-based stereotypes for all levels of education, including teacher training

Textbooks can perpetuate stereotypes by associating certain characteristics with particular groups. Inappropriate images and descriptions can make students from non-dominant backgrounds feel misrepresented, misunderstood, frustrated and alienated.

Textbooks are powerful factors in construction of gender identities. They transmit knowledge and present social and gender norms, shaping the world view of children and young people. Gender norms and values not only shape attitudes and practices but also influence aspirations and dictate expected behaviours and attributes for males and females (Heslop, 2016). In some contexts, textbooks are the first – and sometimes only – books a young person reads, and so can have a lasting impact on their perceptions. That means that, through textbooks, discriminatory norms and values can be challenged. Strategic objective B.4 of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action called on countries to develop curricula, textbooks and teaching aids free of gender-based stereotypes for all levels of education, including teacher training, in cooperation with all concerned – publishers, teachers, public authorities and parents’ associations.

WOMEN ARE UNDER-REPRESENTED IN TEXTBOOKS

In many countries, girls and women are under-represented in textbooks, and when they are included, they are depicted in traditional roles. In Afghanistan, women were almost completely absent from grade 1 textbooks published in the 1990s. Since 2001, they have been represented more frequently, but usually in passive and domestic roles, shown as mothers, caregivers, daughters and sisters. They are mostly represented as dependent, with teaching being the only career open to them (Sarvarzade and Wotipka, 2017). A review of 95 primary and secondary compulsory education textbooks in the Islamic Republic of Iran showed that women accounted for 37% of images. About half the images showing women were related to family and education, while work environments appeared in less than 7%. There were no images of women in about 60% of Farsi and foreign language textbooks, 63% of science textbooks and 74% of social science textbooks (Paivandi, 2008).

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Tan Hoa Village, Vietnam named as Best Tourism Village 2023 by UN World Tourism Organization – Tân Hóa, Quảng Bình được Tổ chức Du lịch thế giới vinh danh “Làng du lịch tốt nhất thế giới” năm 2023.

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UNWTO.org

Tân Hoá village is known as the “seasonal flooded zone” of Quang Binh province, where during the rainy season the flood water can submerge the whole village. Tân Hoá used to be one of the poorest villages in Quang Binh province. Since 2011, when tourism activities were adopted by Tân Hoá village, many people have acquired stable jobs and, subsequently, their quality of life has improved significantly. 

The village is situated in the vicinity of Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, benefiting from unique natural conditions and a rustic charm. The village has been recognized by the provincial People’s Committee as an ecological and cave tourism area within the Tu Lan cave system. Surrounded by primary forests, limestone mountains, and the tranquil Rao Nan river, Tân Hóa village exhibits a simple and enduring beauty that leaves a lasting impression on visitors. 

Tân Hoá Tourism Village is a pioneering tourism business model that promotes collaboration between enterprises and the local community, aiming for mutual benefits. Oxalis Adventure, as its partner, has implemented a clear and comprehensive business strategy based on three fundamental principles: safety, conservation, and involvement of the local people.

The Village and Oxalis Adventure believe that involving local people in the tourism business is a strategic approach rather than just a responsibility. They have gradually trained the local people to become proficient in serving tourists and transitioned from community involvement into community ownership on services that they deliver. 

HIGHLIGHTS

 

 
 

Tiếp tục đọc “Tan Hoa Village, Vietnam named as Best Tourism Village 2023 by UN World Tourism Organization – Tân Hóa, Quảng Bình được Tổ chức Du lịch thế giới vinh danh “Làng du lịch tốt nhất thế giới” năm 2023.” →

The Countries Most in Debt to China

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statista.com INTERNATIONAL LOANS by Katharina Buchholz,Mar 29, 2023

Infographic: The Countries Most in Debt to China | Statista

DESCRIPTION This chart shows global debt levels cause by direct loans from China (as percentage of GDP) in 2021.

According to World Bank data analyzed by Statista, countries heavily in debt to China are mostly located in Africa, but can also be found in Central Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. As the new preferred lender to low-income countries, China held 37 percent of these nations’ debt in 2020. Just 24 percent of the countries’ bilateral debt comes from the rest of the world that year.

The “New Silk Road” project, which finances the construction of port, rail and land infrastructure across the globe, has created much debt to China for participating countries. At the end of 2021, of the 98 countries for whom data was available, Pakistan ($27.4 billion of external debt to China), Angola (22.0 billion), Ethiopia (7.4 billion), Kenya (7.4 billion) and Sri Lanka (7.2 billion) held the biggest debts to China. The countries with the biggest debt burdens in relative terms were Djibouti and Angola, followed by the Maldives and Laos, which opened a debt-laden railway line to China last year. The President of the World Bank, David Malpass, has called the level of debt many countries once again hold “unsustainable”.

The Paris Club used to hold the majority of low-income countries’ debt before it was restructured and largely forgiven after the turn of the millennium for qualifying, developing countries. Whether such a process will be available for Chinese debt is unclear. As of 2021, China had officially lent around $180 billion to low and middle-income countries, up from just around $40 billion in 2010.

Chinese loans have higher interest rates than those from international institutions like the International Monetary Fund or The World Bank or bilateral loans from Paris Club countries, and also have shorter repayment windows. Their setup is closer to commercial loans concerning their conditions of repayment, confidentiality as well as their objectives of funding specific infrastructure projects instead of pursuing development goals in general.

The Covid-19 pandemic has complicated the already difficult repayment of Chinese loans even more. According to the Financial Times, the country had to renegotiate loans worth $52 billion in 2020 and 2021 – more than three times the amount that met this fate in the two previous years. One such case was Sri Lanka – also among China’s biggest debtors – which in 2022 was the first Asian country in two decades to default on its debt.

Disinformation surge threatens to fuel Israel-Hamas conflict

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reuters.com

By Stephanie Burnett, Stephen Farrell and Hardik Vyas October 18, 20238:39 PM GMT+7 Updated 10 hours ago

Aftermath of Israeli strikes

[1/2]A dove flies over the debris of houses destroyed in Israeli strikes, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip October 11, 2023. REUTERS/Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/File Photo Acquire Licensing Rights

Summary

  • Fake or misleading posts proliferate after Hamas attack
  • Cyber distortions deepen enmity in region and beyond
  • Acrimony online can have real world consequences

AMSTERDAM/LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) – As the Israel-Hamas war rages, regulators and analysts say a wave of online disinformation risks further inflaming passions and escalating the conflict in an electronic fog of war.

An explosion at a Gaza hospital that killed hundreds of Palestinians on Tuesday is the latest focus of the surge of activity as supporters of both sides in the battle between Israel and Hamas try to bolster their own side’s narrative and cast doubts on the other’s.

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Which Countries Receive the Most Foreign Aid from the U.S.?

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visualcapitalist.com

Source: US Agency for International Development  Get the data  Embed  Download image  Download SVG

Which Countries Receive the Most Foreign Aid From the U.S.?

The United States provided more than $50 billion in aid to over 150 countries and territories, regional funds, and NGOs in 2021.

Each year, Congress appropriates foreign assistance based on national security, commercial, and humanitarian interests.

In this map, USAFacts uses data from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to highlight the countries that received the largest portion of aid.

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Food Assistance and the War on Drugs

In 2021, the U.S. directed its aid towards nations grappling with internal conflicts and humanitarian crises.

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Ban on protests supporting Palestinians is disproportionate attack on the right to protest in France

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amnesty.org

Following the request from the Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin asking the prefects in France to ban all pro-Palestinian demonstrations, Jean-Claude Samouiller, President of Amnesty International France said:

“The ban on all demonstrations in support of the Palestinians in France constitutes a serious and disproportionate attack on the right to demonstrate.

Faced with the atrocities committed by Hamas in southern Israel, and also the blockade and very heavy bombings in the Gaza Strip, it is important that civil society actors can mobilize peacefully and publicly, in particular those calling on those engaged in the conflict to respect the rights of civilian populations. This is why there cannot be a systematic ban on the right to peacefully demonstrate support for the rights of the Palestinian populations.

Under international law, a ban on demonstrations can only be considered as a last resort. Authorities should always seek to protect and facilitate the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly in the first place.Jean-Claude Samouiller, President of Amnesty International France

A ban can only be legal if it is motivated by a specific threat and if it is demonstrated that no other less restrictive measure could guarantee public order.”

After blast kills hundreds at Gaza hospital, Hamas and Israel trade blame as rage spreads in region

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APnews.com

Wounded Palestinians wait for treatment in al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, central Gaza Strip, after arriving from al-Ahli hospital following an explosion there, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023. The Hamas-run Health Ministry says an Israeli airstrike caused the explosion that killed hundreds at al-Ahli, but the Israeli military says it was a misfired Palestinian rocket. (AP Photo/Abed Khaled)

“My people are not threatened by silence. They are completely at home in it.”

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Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann (Aboriginal activist, educator, artist and 2021 Senior Australian of the year)

*The Indigenous People of Australia have a depth of spirituality that can enrich our NonIndigenous spirits in so many ways. One of these spiritual gifts is Dadirri. Aboriginal people practice deep listening, an almost spiritual skill, based on respect. ‘Dadirri’ is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘inner deep listening and quiet still awareness and waiting‘*

My people are not threatened by silence. They are completely at home in it. They have lived for thousands of years with Nature’s quietness. My people today recognise and experience in this quietness the great Life-Giving Spirit, the Father of us all. It is easy for me to experience God’s presence. When I am out hunting, when I am in the bush, among the trees, on a hill or by a billabong; these are the times when I can simply be in God’s presence. My people have been so aware of Nature. It is natural that we will feel close to the Creator. Our Aboriginal culture has taught us to be still and to wait. We do not try to hurry things up. We let them follow their natural course – like the seasons. We watch the moon in each of its phases. We wait for the rain to fill our rivers and water the thirsty earth…

When twilight comes, we prepare for the night. At dawn we rise with the sun.

We watch the bush foods and wait for them to ripen before we gather them. We wait for our young people as they grow, stage by stage, through their initiation ceremonies. When a relation dies, we wait a long time with the sorrow. We own our grief and allow it to heal slowly.

We wait for the right time for our ceremonies and our meetings. The right people must be present. Everything must be done in the proper way. Careful preparations must be made. We don’t mind waiting, because we want things to be done with care.

We don’t like to hurry. There is nothing more important than what we are attending to. There is nothing more urgent that we must hurry away for.

We wait on God, too. His time is the right time. We wait for him to make his word clear to us. We don’t worry. We know that in time and in the spirit of dadirri (that deep listening and quiet stillness) his way will be clear.

We are river people. We cannot hurry the river. We have to move with its current and understand its ways.

We hope that the people of Australia will wait. Not so much waiting for us – to catch up – but waiting with us, as we find our pace in this world.

If you stay closely united, you are like a tree, standing in the middle of a bushfire sweeping through the timber. The leaves are scorched and the tough bark is scarred and burnt; but inside the tree the sap is still flowing, and under the ground the roots are still strong. Like that tree, you have endured the flames, and you still have the power to be reborn.

Our culture is different. We are asking our fellow Australians to take time to know us; to be still and to listen to us.–

Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr-Baumann (Aboriginal activist, educator, artist and 2021 Senior Australian of the year)

Full text of the reflection: https://www.dadirri.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Dadirri-Inner-Deep-Listening-M-R-Ungunmerr-Bauman-Refl1.pdf?fbclid=IwAR277ZxWsZsLFMb2i8sSmYaSLzrMbBfcrwtDxZPp9eBEWCCADQM1_1yQifI

Learn more about Miriam Rose Foundation: https://www.miriamrosefoundation.org.au/about-miriam-rose-foundation/

From Nazism to the Creation of Israel vs Palestine 1920: The Other Side of the Palestinian Story. Then what is Hamas?

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In 1948, the State of Israel was created. For Jews around the world, it is the end of 2000 years of exile. For the 700,000 Palestinians present on these lands, this is the beginning of injustice.

Documentary

Palestine 1920: The Other Side of the Palestinian Story

“A land without a people, and a people without a land” is how the relationship between Palestine and the Jewish people was described by Christian writers in the 1800s. And the 20th-century history of the Middle East has largely been written through these eyes.

But this film from Al Jazeera Arabic looks at Palestine from a different angle. It hears from historians and witness accounts, and features archive documents that show Palestine as a thriving province of Greater Syria and the Ottoman Empire at the dawn of the 20th century. The evidence suggests that its cities had a developing trade and commercial sector, growing infrastructure, and embryonic culture that would enable it to meet the challenges of the decades ahead. However, the political ramifications of the Balfour Declaration, San Remo Conference and British Mandate set in motion a series of events that profoundly affected this vibrant, fledgeling society and led to the events of 1948 and beyond.

This film is the other side of the Palestinian story.

What is the armed Palestinian group Hamas?

Israel has declared war on the Palestinian armed group, Hamas. But where did the group come from, who supports it and what is it fighting for? Here’s what you need to know:

84,000 pregnant women at risk in Gaza with aid stalled at Rafah crossing, World Health Organization says

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From CNN’s Kareem Khadder

A boy carries items salvaged from the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israeli airstrikes in Gaza's Rafah refugee camp, on October 16.
A boy carries items salvaged from the rubble of buildings destroyed during Israeli airstrikes in Gaza’s Rafah refugee camp, on October 16. Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images

Gaza needs international assistance urgently as it faces an “unparalleled humanitarian crisis,” according to the head of the Hamas-controlled government media office.

“The magnitude of casualties, injuries, the destruction of residential units, infrastructure, public facilities, and economic losses has given rise to an unparalleled humanitarian crisis in Gaza, unlike anything seen in previous aggressions,” Salama Marouf said in a statement Tuesday.

As the humanitarian situation worsens, “there is a noticeable decline in [the] international response,” Salama said.

Decisive action was “urgently required” from the international community to halt what he called a campaign of “ethnic cleansing perpetrated by the occupation against the Palestinian people.”  

Earlier on Tuesday, Margaret Harris, spokesperson for the World Health Organization, told CNN’s John Vause that the humanitarian corridor into Gaza remains unsafe due to Israeli bombing, with more than 44 Gaza hospitals targeted and 84,000 pregnant women in need of assistance. 

Israel has vowed to wipe out Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, in response to the October 7 terrorist attacks that killed 1,400 people. It has laid siege to the enclave and told more than 1 million people to move to southern Gaza from the north.

Lead and Cadmium Could Be in Your Dark Chocolate – How Lead and Cadmium Get Into Dark Chocolate

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consumerreport.org

Consumer Reports found dangerous heavy metals in chocolate from Hershey’s, Theo, Trader Joe’s, and other popular brands. Here are the ones that had the most, and some that are safer.

Lead and Cadmium element symbols on pieces of dark chocolate.

December 15, 2022 By Kevin Loria Data visualizations by Andy Bergmann

For many of us, chocolate is more than just a tasty treat. It’s a mood lifter, an energy booster, a reward after a tough day, a favorite holiday gift. 

People also choose dark chocolate in particular for its potential health benefits, thanks to studies that suggest its rich supply of antioxidants may improve heart health and other conditions, and for its relatively low levels of sugar. In fact, more than half of people in a recent survey from the National Confectioners Association described dark chocolate as a “better for you” candy.

But there’s a dark side to this “healthier” chocolate. Research has found that some dark chocolate bars contain cadmium and lead—two heavy metals linked to a host of health problems in children and adults. 

The chocolate industry has been grappling with ways to lower those levels. To see how much of a risk these favorite treats pose, Consumer Reports scientists recently measured the amount of heavy metals in 28 dark chocolate bars. They detected cadmium and lead in all of them.

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Rare Earth Prices Skyrocket Following Burmese Mining Suspension

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OILPRICE.COM By Metal Miner – Oct 08, 2023, 10:00 AM CDT

  • Myanmar’s Kachin State, supplying 38% of China’s rare earth imports, halted mining, causing an immediate spike in global prices.
  • The long-term effects of this suspension might lead to scarcity, illicit mining, and environmental issues in the region.
  • China’s economic slowdown combined with geopolitical risks highlights the need for diversified sourcing in the rare earth market.

The Rare Earths MMI (Monthly Metals Index) witnessed yet another steep increase month-over-month. Indeed, supply disruptions remain a massive concern in the rare earths industry, so rare earth magnets and other materials witnessed renewed bullish strength across the board over recent months.

https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.595.0_en.html#goog_2062367381

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Lớp khiêu vũ cho người khiếm thị, người khuyết tật tại TPHCM

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laodong.vn 06-10-2023 – 19:45

(NLĐO) – Đối tượng tham gia lớp học khiêu vũ không chỉ riêng người khiếm thị mà tất cả những người khuyết tật đều có thể tham gia và hoàn toàn miễn học phí

Lớp khiêu vũthể thao cho người khiếm thị được tổ chức bởi Hiệp hội Paralympic Việt Nam, Liên đoàn Thể dục Việt Nam và Sở Văn hóa và Thể thao TP HCM cùng sự đồng hành của dự án phi lợi nhuận Solar Dance Clup khiêu vũ dành cho người khiếm thị.

Lớp học hiện đang diễn ra tại Trung tâm Huấn luyện và thi đấu thể dục thể thao TP HCM trong khung giờ 8 đến 11 giờ 30 và 14 đến 17 giờ 30 từ ngày 6 đến 8-10. Đối tượng tham gia lớp học này không chỉ riêng người khiếm thị mà tất cả những người khuyết tật đều có thể tham gia và hoàn toàn miễn học phí.

Lớp khiêu vũ đặc biệt tại TP HCM - Ảnh 2.

Bà Trần Mai Thúy Hồng, Phó trưởng Phòng Quản lý Thể dục thể thao Sở Văn hóa và Thể thao TP HCM, chia sẻ: “Nhằm tạo thêm sân chơi qua những môn thể thao mới, phù hợp với nhiều đối tượng người khuyết tật để họ rèn luyện sức khỏe và có cơ hội tham gia các giải thể thao quốc tế”.

Tiếp tục đọc “Lớp khiêu vũ cho người khiếm thị, người khuyết tật tại TPHCM” →