HANOI -- It is an honor for me to join people who are so dedicated to making Vietnam a more inclusive society for people with disabilities. The theme of this year’s International Day could not be more important. “Removing barriers” and being more inclusive – those are goals that resonate in every country, including my own. But they mean nothing without leadership in government and in society.
The U.S. Embassy Hanoi, and Green Innovation and Development Center (GreenID) organized a conference for thirty one participants of U.S. Government sponsored exchange programs under the theme: "Cooperation for a Sustainable Future" from November 29 to December 1, 2012. Participants are government officials, NGO leaders and researchers from Lower Mekong region countries, including: Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma and Vietnam.
As supported by the United States, LMI has implemented programs through a variety of interagency partners on both sides of the Pacific. The U.S. Agency for International Development, my employer, is proud to have a prominent role in that support. Through bilateral programs in LMI countries and regional initiatives managed from offices in Bangkok, we have been particularly active in promoting cooperation on health, environment and water, and education. USAID is hardly the only agency involved, however.
Quang Nam Province today launched a U.S.-supported project to increase the resilience of disaster-prone central coastal communities to natural hazards.
The U.S. government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, has been working in the areas of people with disabilities for 20 years so far. An important part of assistance has been supporting education for children with disabilities. Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training's leadership and partnership have been critical in our efforts to address barriers in education for children with disabilities. And through this kind of partnership, they can bring about the significant cultural and attitude changes in support of children with disabilities.
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