The workshop held in 2 days, 11 – 12 August in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR.

Dear friends

Recently, Art Division, Ministry of Culture and Information organized an exhibit introducing traditional costumes of 54 Vietnamese ethnics at Van Ho Exhibit Center. This is considered the most sufficient ethnical costume collection ever since.

Founded on 1st December 1945 and attached with the post Second World War struggle of women in the world for peace, national independence and women’s rights, the Women’s International Democratic Federation (WIDF) will celebrate its 60th Birthday at the end of 2005.

My week with the Vietnam Women’s Union confirmed what I already had experienced and heard from others – that the VWU is the most effective and hard working mass organization in Vietnam.

The .United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) plans to provide Viet Nam with 1.76 million USD for child protection activities this year, a UNICEF official said.

As a researcher, writer, and humanitarian aid activist, Ms Lady Bortons has been living and working in Vietnam since 1978.

On the visit to Vietnam of the President of Indonesia and First Lady Ani Bambang Yadhoyono paid a visit to the Vietnam Women’s Museum and was warmly welcomed by the staff and director of the museum, Mme. Nguyen Thi Tuyet

Under the cooperation framework of the Vietnam Women’s Union, the German Savings Banks Foundation and the Agriculture and Rural Development Bank of Philippine (CARD Bank), (which is funded by the Federal German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development), a delegation of the Vietnam Women’s Union, led by Mme. Nguyen Thanh Hoa, Vice President of the Vietnam Women’s Union made a working visit to Germany from 20 June to 1 July, 2005.

In the afternoon of 11 July, 2005, a Ceremony to confer the” Friendship Medal of the State of Vietnam” on Mr. Marcus Leroy, Minister-Counselor in charge of Development Cooperation of the Kingdom of Belgium Embassy was held at the Headquarter of the Vietnam Women’s Union (VWU).