Youth And Sustainable Development

A survey report with young people in Vietnam - June 2011

LIVE&LEARN
FOR ENVIRONMENT AND COMMUNITY

Prepared by: Data collection, analysis and research support: Final Edit and Technical Coordination: Photo credit:

Live & Learn for Environment and Community Luong Minh Tan, Nguyen Quang Thanh, Nguyen Thuy Trang, Ha Quynh Nga, Tran Thanh Thuy Nguyen Thu Lanh, Vuong Thi Loan

Do Van Nguyet, Edward Boydell

Live & Learn and members of Green Generation Network

Special Thanks to Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung for supporting this work

A group of committed young people, who cooperate, exchange and work together for shared goal and objectives. They have high responsibility and strong organization over a certain period of time to contribute to a robust, lasting and stable development. (Female, Ha Noi, student, 21. Online questionnaire)

Sustainable Development is like building a house. If we have a good foundation, then we are confident to follow up with decoration, building more floors, carrying out repairs, and so on. And we are not concerned that the house could collapse or begin to lean as many houses have recently (Male, Da Nang, teacher/Youth Union Secretary, 32 years old. In-depth interview)

Abbreviations
SD HCMC SYSD NGO NPO
2

Sustainable development Ho Chi Minh City Survey on Youth and Sustainable Development Non-governmental organization Non-profit organization

Contents
Abbreviations .............................................................................................................................................................. 2 Figures and Tables ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................ 4 Key findings ........................................................................................................................................................... 5 Conclusion and recommendations ........................................................................................................................ 6 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 7 1.1 Why youth and sustainable development? ...................................................................................................... 8 1.2 Survey objective .............................................................................................................................................. 9 1.3 The methodology .............................................................................................................................................. 9 2. Key Findings .......................................................................................................................................................... 11 2.1 Demographic profile of survey respondents .................................................................................................. 12 2.2 Young peoples awareness of sustainable development ................................................................................ 13 2.3 Youth perceptions about roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders in sustainable development .... 16 2.4 The actions and roles of young people in sustainable development .............................................................. 18 2.5 Factors influencing youths awareness and action on sustainable development ........................................... 22 3. Conclusion and Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 26 3.1 Key conclusions ............................................................................................................................................. 26 3.2 Key recommendations ................................................................................................................................... 28 3.3 Limitations and Recommendations for Future Research ............................................................................... 31 Annex 1 Questionnaire - Sustainable Development: Awareness and Action of Young People .................................. 32 Annex 2 In-depth interview questionnaire and guide Sustainable development: Awareness and Actions of young people ................................................................................................................. 37

Figures and Tables

Figure 1. Do you think you understand about SD? ............................................................................................... 12 Figure 2. When did you begin to be interested in sustainable development? ..................................................... 14 Figure 3. How important is SD to you? ................................................................................................................ 15 Figure 4. Roles of different stakeholders ............................................................................................................. 16 Figure 5. The key responsibilities of different stakeholders ................................................................................. 16 Figure 6. Opinions about young people nowadays .............................................................................................. 18 Figure 7 What should young people nowadays be doing .................................................................................... 19 . Figure 8. Activities that young people already did and should do for SD ............................................................. 19 Figure 9. Why are you involved in youth-based activities for SD? ........................................................................ 20 Figure 10. SD information sources for young people (online, offline) .................................................................. 22 Figure 11. SD information sources for young people (age groups)....................................................................... 23 Figure 12. Sources of inspiration for learning and action in sustainable development ........................................ 23 Figure 13. How to attract youths attention to SD ................................................................................................ 24 Figure 14. What do young people need to ensure their SD activities/programs are effective? ........................... 25 Table 1. Popular expressions of the term sustainable development by young people ....................................... 13 Table 2. Ranking issues of concern (top 10) ......................................................................................................... 15 Table 3. The effectiveness of policies on SD in the world and in Vietnam ........................................................... 17 Table 4. How effective are youth-based community and volunteer activities? .................................................... 21 Table 5. Recommendations to different stakeholders for supporting young people in SD .................................. 30

Executive Summary
Introduction
The Survey on Youth and Sustainable Development (SYSD) involved over 600 young people aged between 15 and 25 in over 28 provinces across Vietnam. This survey aims to find out how young people in Vietnam perceive sustainable development and their participation in sustainable development. The survey seeks to discover the ways in which young people have built their interest, knowledge and awareness about sustainable development, their participation and actions that they are taking, and factors that influencing youths awareness and action. This report is built on the results from the survey, with qualitative and quantitative questions using both online and direct interviews. Conducted in two months, this report also reflects the outcome of a longer process, which builds on our years of experiences of being, working with and understanding the issues and perspectives of young people in Vietnam.

This survey aims to find out how young people in Vietnam perceive sustainable development and their participation in sustainable development

Key findings
Awareness of young people on sustainable development
Sustainable development remains a relatively new concern for the participating young people, with two thirds mentioning that their interest in SD started within the last three years. However, most of participants felt that SD is either the most important, or among the most important issues that they face. Youth are particularly concerned about the topics of environmental pollution, climate change and natural disasters, and the development of a green economy. Participants also shared their perceptions about the role and activity level of different stakeholders in SD, with over two thirds of them feeling that NGO/ NPOs were the most active player. This may due to the exposure of young people to NGO/NPOs and the strong mandate of NGO/NPOs in social development and environmental conservation. The government was perceived as the next most active player, but participants felt that the government holds the highest responsibilities for SD, particularly to guide and facilitate SD in Vietnam through policies and planning. In the eyes of young people, business plays a less active role, and their responsibility should be to provide financial resources and invest in SD practices. The participants show their optimism toward international and Vietnamese policies for SD over the last five years, with a majority expressing that they have resulted in outcomes somewhat better, better and much better than before. And when predicting the impact of policies and plans for sustainable development in the next 5 years, young people had even higher optimism. However, during in-depth interviews both youth and adults shared their concerns about current policies they felt many policies were abstract, unrealistic or ineffective in implementation.

Youth and their role for sustainable development

When they reflected on youth nowadays, the participants painted a positive portrait of themselves as an active, informed and dynamic generation in terms of both community/volunteer work and global integration. They feel like young people should engage more in community and volunteer activities, have new and innovative ideas, and be both culturally-sensitive and global-connected. In particular, they felt that young people should take sustainable actions in their personal lives and encourage other people to follow suit. Although participants were unsure about their participation in decision-making processes, they expressed the wish to have a more active role. The majority of respondents had already been involved in a range of activities related to SD from personal level to societal level, particularly through participation in community/volunteer activities. Their main reason for involvement is because they feel good and useful when these community/volunteer activities make meaningful contribution. They also want to gain skills and, to a slightly lesser extent, knowledge from these activities. Young people are very positive that youth-based activities are effective, and felt there should be a greater number of similar programs available. The results from this part of survey indicate that youth organizations and interventions should create a positive environment for young people to meaningfully engage with the realities of SD. This could be through participating in community/ volunteer activities and at the same time to improve their practical knowledge and skills. There is also a need to build interest and facilitate responsible citizenship by increasing the participation of young people in decision-making processes.

Factors influencing youths awareness and action on SD

Most of participants get information about SD through mass media (TV and newspapers) and the internet. While traditional education (e.g. in schools) also plays a role, peer-to-peer learning from friends, colleagues and participation in clubs is also central to building understanding, but more importantly, care about SD among young people. Participants expressed their main sources of inspiration about SD is from NGO/NPOs, teachers and friends. To support young people to build their awareness and action, young people required an environment where they can actively learn through doing, with action-oriented opportunities to practice and

engage with different issues and stakeholders. This indicates that school curriculum and training programs should have content and methods that are practical and interesting. Most of the young people expressed their wish to contribute to SD and learn about SD through participation in community and volunteer work. To do these activities effectively, participants expressed they need good knowledge and skills. It is also necessary to mobilize financial/technical resources, and strong networking and institutional support from outside organizations to ensure that youth-based activities, programs and organizations to achieve effective and sustainable outcomes.

Conclusion and recommendations

These findings give valuable inputs both for young people, as well as the many organizations and individuals that support them, in order to enhance youths role in the journey towards sustainable development. Find opportunities for young people to understand and engage with a range of specific SD issues in a comprehensive and holistic manner, a manner that encourages them to address the specific underlying causes of general, big-picture environmental issues. Promote and support youth-based community and volunteer programs/organizations that are creating opportunities for youth to engage with SD, building their institutional and networking capacity. Support youth participation in community and volunteer programs/organizations as a learning and action place for SD Gradually raise interest and engage young people to meaningfully participate in decisionmaking processes at different levels, from their own families to schools/workplaces, as well as at local, national and international level. Use interactive, participatory methods that spark the interest and passion of young people when integrating SD into programs such as school-based activities and curricula, campaigns, media and training courses. Encourage government organizations, the business community, NGO/NPOs, leaders, teachers and family members to act as responsible role-models who demonstrate good practices for young people to learn from and follow.

1. Introduction
What do young people in Vietnam know, understand and do about sustainable development?
This was the key question that guided our research with over 600 young people and volunteers aged 15-25 in Vietnam during the Survey on Youth and Sustainable Development (SYSD). This survey aims to find out how young people in Vietnam perceive sustainable development and their participation in sustainable development. SYSD seeks to discover the ways in which young people understand sustainable development, how they are taking action, and the factors that are influencing this awareness and action SYSD and this report are intended to contribute to consultation for the global youth mobilization campaign towards Rio +20, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development, to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2012. It will also inform future interventions that are designed to engage Vietnamese young people with sustainable development. This report is not only the result of a one- or two-month survey, but also reflects the outcomes of a longer process, building on the research teams years of experiences being young people, working with them, and understanding their perspectives and concerns of Vietnamese youth.

1.1 Why youth and sustainable development?

Young people between 10 and 25 account for 27 .9% of Vietnams population.1 Vietnamese youth are increasingly equipped with globally-updated information and technology, foreign languages and contemporary knowledge and awareness. However, these young people in Vietnam face numerous challenges now and in their lifetimes, including economic insecurity, HIV/ AIDS, climate change, mass immigration and rapid urbanization. While parents, schools and the wider public tend to provide young people with modern information and technology, foreign language and textbook knowledge, less attention is paid to the social knowledge, values and life skills that a young person need to live a healthy, balanced life and contribute to a sustainable society. National and global challenges are becoming worse, and these problems require innovative solutions and social change to solve. Young people can be important agents for social change, economic development and technological innovation. By raising their awareness of development issues, strengthening their capabilities and giving them opportunities to engage, young people can develop positive attributes and skills that will help to build a healthy and sustainable society. Young people have fresh and innovative ideas and are eager to bring about movement and change. It is important for adults, particularly decision makers, to see that young people are not only the leaders and decisionmakers of tomorrow; but that young people can contribute and facilitate positive change in their own communities and the environment today. In recent years, more and more Vietnamese youths, students and young workers are demonstrating their concern and care for social and environmental issues through charity, environmental action activities and in forming numerous volunteer groups and clubs. For example, there are over 50 active volunteer and student clubs that were formed out of concern for environmental issues, and now carry out a range of environmental actions. The growing number of voluntary and selforganized environmental activities is a positive sign of civil society development in Vietnam, as young citizens want to express their concerns and take leadership in building a sustainable life and future. There is a need to further explore this youth capacity in sustainable development, as well as their concerns and demands, in order to tailor intervention programs and making them more responsive to the needs of youth. This is the rationale that guided this survey, conducted by Live & Learn with the support of Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Vietnam.
1

Young people aged 10-25 account for 27 .9% of Vietnams population (GSO, Population census, 2009).

1.2 Survey objective

The overall objective of SYSD is to assess the capacity and needs of young people, particularly youths and volunteer groups from the North, Central Region and South of Vietnam to raising awareness and take action on sustainable development issues The specific objectives focus on: Young peoples awareness of sustainable development (SD) issues: When, what and how youth understand SD; what issues interest and concern them most; and the perceptions of about the role of government, NGOs, business in SD. Activities by youth on SD: types of youth actions and the impacts of these; and the role of youth in SD. Factors influencing youth awareness and action on SD issues: how did youth get involved in SD, and what enabling factors support youths role in SD Target group: SYSD was conducted with young Vietnamese people aged between15 and 25, with a particular focus on those who have participated in community and volunteer activities, which include including environmental and community service activities, participation student groups and clubs, involvement in government-sponsored programs like the Youth Union and Young Pioneers, and sustainable development and good citizenship activities. The survey was supported by in-depth interviews of 8 youth and 8 adults aged between 18 and 46, who participated to share their perspectives on SD and youth.

1.3 The methodology

Methodologies: This is a combined quantitative and qualitative survey, using questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Online questionnaires were completed by 600 young people from volunteer groups and universities in over 28 provinces in North, Central and South Vietnam. The online questionnaire was supplemented by 15 in-depth interviews for youth and adults in Ha Noi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. trialed with a small number of young people in Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City before the final version was launched online. There were 5 main parts in the questionnaire: Part 1: Demographic information of survey participants, including age, gender, place of residence, education level. Part 2: Awareness and perceptions of the participants about SD, what SD means to them, what issues most concern them, Part 3: Youth perceptions/opinions about SD policies and the roles of different actors. Part 4: Youth actors and their role in SD. Part 5: Factors influencing youth awareness and action on SD issues: how youth became involved in SD and the enabling factors that support the participation of youth in SD.

Developing the survey and recruiting participants

Designing the questionnaires Several questions from the SYSD were adapted from the first global youth survey on sustainable development, part of a youth consultation process for the Road to for Rio +20, organized by Peace Child international in the lead up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012. Researchers also reviewed several studies on youth in Vietnam and internationally. A draft questionnaire was

In the in-depth interviews, participants were asked about their insight into the roles, awareness and activities of young people in relation to young people. The qualitative results of these interviews were used to complement the richness of the questionnaire. Recruiting participants and conducting the survey The questionnaire was made available online (using the Google Docs platform) and offline (through in-person interviews with youth) over a 2 month period. Based on Live & Learns comprehensive list of volunteer and youth groups across Vietnam, survey invitations were sent to young people thorough email, popular online forums and social networks (mailing groups, facebook). Key representatives from youth groups were frequently contacted and sent detailed instructions for inviting their group members and other young people to fill in the questionnaire. Of the 600 participants, 450 completed the questionnaire online, and 150 were surveyed in person. Ha Noi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City were selected as locations for in-depth interviews as these cities are the focal points of much of the youth activities and volunteer programs in Vietnam. Several active youth were trained and coached to facilitate online and direct interviews. During their data collection field trips, the research teams also invited youth in Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh to complete the questionnaires. Participation of youth in the survey was voluntary and active youth groups or youth facilitators received some incentives to support

their active engagement. For direct interviews, a small contribution was paid to interviewees toward the cost of travel and drinks at the cafs where interviews were conducted. It is important to note that the survey was promoted through existing youth programs, clubs and networks, particularly targeting socially active Vietnamese youth... The views, opinions and perspectives that have emerged as a result of the survey findings are therefore not a representation of Vietnamese youth in its entirety, but a reflect a targeted sample of engaged youth and active citizens who have an existing connection with community and volunteer activities. Analysis of Survey Data Data from the online questionnaires were combined with the data from offline responses. All quantitative responses were analyzed with SPSS after coding and cleaning. In-depth interviews were analyzed and combined with quantitative results for further interpretation. A variety of people were involved as part of the research team in order to assist in the process of compiling, reviewing and analyzing various sections of the survey. If there were greater resources available for this study, the survey would also included different locations, in both rural and urban settings using a greater number of direct interviews. This may be something to consider as a follow-up opportunity in the future.

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2. Key Findings
Sustainable development is very vital. But it seems to me that people only care when very bad thing happened (Male, Da Nang, student, 23. In-depth interview)

A group of committed young people, who cooperate, exchange and work together for shared goal and objectives. They have high responsibility and strong organization over a certain period of time to contribute to a robust, lasting and stable development. (Female, Ha Noi, student, 21. Online questionnaire)

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2.1 Demographic profile of survey respondents

Region
The SYSD questionnaire involved a total sample of 600 participants from 28 provinces. The majority of respondents reside in the North of the Country (44.5%), with 32.8% in Central Vietnam and 22.7% from the Southern region. students accounted for 9.5%, 1.8% and 1.5% respectively. This indicates that survey participants are fairly well educated.

Participation in youth-based social activities or being members of youth/ volunteer groups

The majority of the young people who participated in this have been involved in at least one youthbased community and volunteer activities (over 83%). Around 64% of the survey participants identified themselves as current members of clubs/youth groups, compared to the 37% of nonmembers. As this survey was mainly promoted through youth and volunteer network and online questionnaires, the sample of youth are particularly more knowledgeable, dynamic and open-minded. This generation of youth is growing up with better technology, communication and information and has more access to rights and privileges than some of their other peers. With the rise of youth-led organizations and initiatives, there are more opportunities for young people to engage in different levels of socio-economic development and to be exposed to a breadth of information, nationally and globally.

Age
Of the 600 young people aged between 15 and 25 who participated in the research with the age range of 14-25, the majority (46.3%) youth in the age range of 20 21, with 18 19 year olds coming in second (23.3%), followed by those aged 22 years and above (20.8%). This is due to the fact that the survey was heavily promoted among online forums, groups and networks specifically for 2nd- 4th year university students. Youth aged 17 and under accounted for a small part (9.5%) of the survey.

Gender
The gender distribution of the youth participants in the research is 42% male and 52% female. This is likely to reflect the greater participation of females than males in community and volunteer activities.

Education level
Almost two-thirds of the youth who participated in the research are attending university (72.2%), with those in high schools and below accounting for 15%. College, vocational school and post-graduate

7.80%

9.20%

No, I do not Yes, but limited understanding

44.30%

38.70%

Yes, I do Yes, very clearly

Figure 1. Do you think you understand about SD?

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2.2 Young peoples awareness of sustainable development

This part of the survey explored young peoples exposure, experiences and concern in relation to the term SD. Participants were asked about their understanding of SD, how they became interested, and about their opinions of the roles of different stakeholders responsible for SD like government organizations, businesses and NGOs. Their responses to these questions is very useful to understand the existing perceptions and motivations of young people, an essential first step for any program or organization that aims to involve youth in social change and encourage them to be change agents.

What do you think when you hear the term sustainable development?
I immediately think of the (well-rounded) development of the economy and society with no exploitation to natural resources, no pollution, using clean energy and creating a lot of social and community values. I really hope Vietnamese enterprises and people understand that issues of environmental pollution and climate change are caused by our human activities. So we need to do something, starting from small actions to ensure the development in the future (Female, Ha Noi, student, 19. Online questionnaire)

Do you know what is meant by sustainable development?

More than half of the participants feel that they already have a good knowledge or understanding about what sustainable development is (52.1%), including 7 .8% who think that they have very clear and comprehensive understanding. The rest considered themselves to have limited understanding of SD (38.7%), or do not understand what it is (9.2%). These numbers are fairly consistent across age groups. Regionally, however, a greater majority of survey participants are confident about their understanding of SD in the south (66.9%), while both the north and central have smaller number of participants who feel that they understand SD (48.3% and 47 .2% respectively).

Sustainable Development is like building a house. If we have a good foundation, then we are confident to follow up with decoration, building more floors, carrying out repairs, and so on. And we are not concerned that the house could collapse or begin to lean as many houses have recently (male, Da Nang, teacher/Youth Union Secretary, 32 years old. In-depth interview) Table 1 summarizes the most frequent way that participants expressed their understanding and thinking related to SD. Most participants understanding is linked closely to the harmony

Table 1. Popular expressions of the term sustainable development by young people

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Development that is stable, sustained, comprehensive, well-rounded, long-term, concerned with the future and is sufficient Environment, ecosystems, climate change, low carbon emissions Developing society, reducing poverty, enhancing quality of life; taking action for the benefits of community conserving traditional values, cultures, lifestyles Green economy, good economic growth, technology/innovation, sustainable extraction of resources/ production of goods, globalization Human development, building awareness, capacity, knowledge Vision, political systems, good institutions, pathways of development, long-term strategies, planning Specific and concrete actions, youths role in sustainable development

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between society-economy-environment and the popular Brundtland definition: "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs". So at the top in the list are thoughts of young people about long-term, stable, lasting, comprehensive, future-focused and caring development. Next in the list are expressions of a cleaner, greener environment; a better society with improved lifestyles and quality of living; and then concerns for community, and finally the economy. Frequent expressions included terms such as green economy recycling sustainable resource , , extraction clean technology low-carbon , , growth This demonstrates that young people are . becoming up-to-date with these new concepts. The next most popular expressions of understanding include human development, knowledge and capacity development and vision, planning, systems, politics, institutions Several youths . also mentioned about the importance of concrete action for SD, as well as the participation of youth in SD, and even took the chance to ask questions how to promote SD in their expressions. In-depth interviews revealed similar results interviewees had various definitions, but shared common understanding of SD in association with the holistic development of society, environment and economy.

9.50%

Not interested yet In the recent one year In the last 2-3 years

16.20%

32.50%

41.80%

More than 3 years ago

Figure 2. When did you begin to be interested in sustainable development?

compared to 91% (125/137) for those who have not (Figure 2). Many of youth interviewees mentioned they began to be interested in SD when participating in social activities or studying some subjects related to SD in their university programs. They were concerned that many young people are yet to pay attention to SD. One youth who participated in an in-depth interview explained that SD is such a big and abstract issue, and as a student, she is more concerned with studying.

How important is sustainable development to you? What SD themes are you concerned with?
Sustainable development starts with very small and specific actions Humans are mainly concerned with short-term benefits, not the long-term. So only when something bad happens like climate change, tsunamis, earthquakes, and so on, do they start to become concerned (Male, Da Nang, student, 23. In-depth interview) In this part, the survey explored youths perceptions about the importance of SD to them, and their concern for the different issues related to SD, ranging from unemployment to HIV (Figure 3). Approximately 60% of the youth participants considered SD to be the most important issue to them, and about 21.5% think of SD as among top important issues. The percentage of those who considered SD as not important or somewhat important is a small fraction of the total participants,

When did you begin to be concerned about sustainable development?

It seems that sustainable development remains a new concern for the participating young people, with 67 .5% reporting that their interest in SD started within the last three years. 41.8% of participants became interested within the last year. Only 9.5% have had longer exposure. The high response rate to the Not interested yet field, 32.5% participants, included those genuinely not interested and those who gave no response to this question There was an interesting correlation between interest in sustainable development and participation in social volunteer and community activities and clubs. The percentage of young people responding Not interested yet is only 15% (70/463) among youth who have already participated in such activities,

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1.20%

2.50%

Not important at all Somewhat important It is important, but just as important as other issues It is more important than other issues It is the most important issue

15%

59.80%

21.50%

Figure 3. How important is SD to you?

around 3.7%. These participants all came from the Northern and Central part of Vietnam, and approximately 60% of these participants are not active members of groups/clubs or participants in community and volunteer activities (12/22). From the many SD issues, environmental pollution, climate change and natural disasters, and green economy emerged as the top three issues of concern to young people (Table 2). The concerns are consistent across gender groups, except for the slight difference that males were more likely to put climate change as their top issue while females were more likely to select environmental pollution. Next on the list of concerning issues were: globalization, poverty, corruption and unemployment.

The in-depth interviews also show that young people seem to pay more attention to big-picture, global environment-related issues, and that the older they are, the more likely they are to care about social-political issues such as corruption, policies, culture and transportation. Also specific themes in sustainable development received less attention, even environmental issues like energy and biodiversity. This finding about the relative awareness and priority of different issues challenges organizations and programs to cover more diverse and specific themes, using methods that allow young people to develop diverse, multi-dimensional and holistic understanding of sustainable development.

Table 2. Ranking issues of concern (top 10)

Ranking 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Issues of concern Environmental pollution Climate change & Natural disasters Green Economy Inflation Globalisation Human rights Poverty Cultural identities preservation Corruption Energy

Everyone 46.33% 44.33% 26.17% 20.67% 17 .83% 15.33% 15.00% 14.33% 14.00% 13.83%

Young male 32.64% 38.19% 20.83% 20.49% 19.44% 13.89% 12.50% 10.07% 11.81% 14.24%

Young female 58.97% 50.00% 31.09% 20.83% 16.35% 16.67% 17 .31% 18.27% 16.03% 13.46%

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2.3 Youth perceptions about roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders in sustainable development
As well as exploring how youths attention and awareness about SD, the survey also studied how young people perceive the relative roles of government, NGOs/NPOs, businesses and individuals in SD and their expectations of these individuals and stakeholders. And then find out about how youth perceived young peoples roles in SD. These findings start to touch the understanding and concern of young people about governance.
Initiating sustainable models and pratices Issuing policies to facilitate SD Making development plans Finance and investing in sustainable development Implementing/Coordinating activities Mobilising people to participate in community, volunteer activities Other
0.0%

Gov NGO/NPO Businesses

10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%

Figure 5. The key responsibilities of different stakeholders

The roles and responsibilities of government, non-governmental organizations, businesses and individuals in sustainable development
For the multiple-choice question In your opinion, who are currently having many activities related to sustainable development the majority of , participants thought that NGOs/NPOs (72%) as well as the government (63%) are the most active players. In the eyes of young people, businesses (35%) and individual/citizens (24%) played less active roles in promoting and having SD activities. Some of the youth also mentioned specifically that the youth are one of the most active stakeholders, carrying out many initiatives (e.g. running youth-led clubs/groups). Of all the youth participants, only 18 answered that they do not know whom or which organizations are most active in the field of sustainable development (Figure 4). In regard to the relative responsibility different development players who should hold the highest responsibility in promoting SD the , majority of all participants think that the government should hold the highest responsibility in achieving

SD, followed by individuals (18.2%), business enterprises (9.5%) and NGOs/NPOs (7 .7%). In others option, participants considered that achieving SD should be the highest responsibility of every stakeholder. Similarly, many in-depth interviewees thought that the government has the power, makes policies and decisions influencing people in many years, invest for the long term. Particularly, the responsibilities start from the leaders. When broken-down into age groups, it seems that younger participants feel greater responsibility should lie with individuals, with 31.6% of participants under the age of 17 feeling that individuals play a key role. It will be interesting to find out why this age group did not see any clear role for businesses in SD (only 1.8%). The survey also explored the different responsibilities of each key stakeholder in greater depth. Figure 5 shows that 51% of the participants considered the governments role should be to guide and facilitate SD in Vietnam through policies and plans. For the private sector, approximately 44.2% of participants think that businesses key role in SD is to provide financial resources and invest in SD practices. For NGO/NPOs, the opinions of the youth participants are very diverse, with three priorities considered equally important: initiating SD models and practices (20.3%), implementing/ coordinating activities (19.7%) and Mobilising/ Engaging people to participate in social activities (19.4%). The finding shows a fairly relevant and interesting understanding and expectations of young people about different stakeholders roles and responsibilities.

0.00% NGOs/NPOs Government Businesses Individual Others I dont know

20.00%

40.00%

60.00%

80.00%

Who is most active Who should have highest responsibility

Figure 4. Roles of different stakeholders

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The government has highest and forefront responsibilities, and has to take first steps to enable other organizations to operate. Local citizens only follow the government programs, but the programs must be suitable and relevant (Female, Hanoi, student, 20. In. depth interview)

60% think that the world and Vietnam respectively is on the right track have been on the right direction to achieve sustainability (somewhat better, better and much better). However, the youth opinions about Vietnam are less optimistic than what they think at a global scale, since there are nearly twice as many youth who think that at a global level there is almost no change (21.7%), or that policies have got worse (5.8%) in the last five years (Table 3). Youth are very optimistic about the effectiveness of Vietnams SD policies in the future, with more than 73% participants feeling that the next 5 years will be somewhat better, better and much better with over 12% opting for much better and 27% for better In both cases, there are a number of . youths showed their uncertainty about past and future policies effectiveness, with approximately 17% of the youth participants felt that I do not know . During in-depth interviews, both youth and adults during in-depth interviews shared their concerns for current policies they felt many policies were abstract and neither realistic nor effective yet. Many interviewees shared that the implementation often different from the approved plans. However, they also shared positive views when talking about the future, and feeling that with more practical, relevant and stable work to be done. And they consider being positive will bring good solutions . I hope we will have better development, a cleaner environment, and good policies to create jobs for students after graduation, and to improve infrastructure for rural schools (Female, Hanoi, student, 20. In-depth interview)

Responsibility [for Sustainable Development] belongs to everyone, as we are all parts of the whole. However, those with higher positions have greater responsibilities (Female, Da . Nang, business, 35. In-depth interview)

Perceptions of policies and plans for sustainable development in the world and Vietnam
Exploring youths perspectives and feelings in relation to the effectiveness of SD policies and plans is an indicator of how optimistic or pessimistic and cynical young people are about the development and implementation government policy for Sustainable Development, not about whether a policy is right or wrong. The road to SD will requires trust, commitment and energy from young people. In addition, questions about SD policies and plans encourage young people to think about their roles as active citizens, who contribute to the process of strategies, policies and plans from formulation to implementation and evaluation in order to shape a sustainable future. Overall, youth participants show their optimism toward International and Vietnamese policies on SD over the last five years, with more than 70% and

Table 3. The effectiveness of policies on SD in the world and in Vietnam

Values

Over the last 5 years In the world (%) In Vietnam (%) 2.8 18.3 39.3 12.0 21.7 5.8 100

In the next 5 years In Vietnam (%) 12.0 27 .7 33.5 17 .0 9.0 0.8 100 17

Much better Better Somewhat better Do not know Almost unchanged Less sustainable Total

6.8 26.0 40.7 12.3 11.3 2.8 100

2.4 The actions and roles of young people in sustainable development

There is a strong and widespread rise of youth club, student and volunteer organizations. It is still uncertain to know if these organizations or groups work effectively, however they are good places for young people to share, learn and express their opinions as well as to contribute their youthful energy and capacity (Female, . HCMC, student, 20. In-depth interview) Youth also reflected on their roles and responsibilities for sustainable development. To explore the roles of young people in SD, SYSD encouraged young people to start by looking at themselves, and reflecting who they are and what they should become. It then asked you to share how they participated in SD, and the values and impacts of community and volunteer activities for those involved. Figure 6 paints a portrait about how youth see themselves. A clear majority of the participants considered themselves to be active, core forces in community/volunteer activities (81.1% agree or strongly agree), innovative (79.1%) and active in international activities (67 .9%). They largely disagreed with the statement that they are passive and mainly focused on studying/working (60.8% disagree or strongly disagree) or that they only play around and follow trends (72.5%). This is a very positive self-portrait from young people, even more so when compared with their responses to other questions in this survey. In regards to whether the youth are actively participating in the decision-making processes the opinions were more diverse, with a considerable number of participants (41.2%) neither agreeing nor disagreeing with the statement, with more than 17% think that youth not participating actively in the decision-making processes. Adults also shared diverse but positive views about youth during in-depth interviews, representing young people as an active, dynamic generation and energetic force in any development process. Young people had good chances to possess good and modern knowledge and also have great potential for out-reach and replication of activities. However,

What is the portrait of young people nowadays?

The survey understood youths perception of themselves by getting their level of agreement to a number of statements, such as youth are active , youth are passive and youth are just playing around and following trends .

0.00%

10.00% 20.00% 30.00% 40.00% 50.00% 60.00%

Youth are active Youth are innovative Youth participate in decision-making processes Youth actively participate in international activities Youth are passive Youth are only playing around and following trends Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree or disagree Agree Strongly agree

Figure 6. Opinions about young people nowadays

18

Focus on studying/working

0.00%

20.00%

40.00%

60.00%

80.00%

Actively participate in decision/policy-making processes Be interested in tradition and culture Keep up-to-date with international and national trends Have new & innovative ideas Participate in community and volunteer activities
Figure 7 What should young people nowadays be doing .

both youth and adults felt that there was a lack of opportunities for young people to make their voices heard, and make meaningful engagement in workplaces or in rural areas. In urban areas, youth activities received more attention, but their voices were still weak.

What should young people be doing?

Following the self-portrait question, the survey continued to find out youths expectations of what young people nowadays should do (Figure 7). The majority of participants expressed that young people should participate more in community and volunteer activities (80.7%). They also expressed their expectations for young people to have new and innovative ideas (75.5%), to learn more about tradition & culture and to be able to get up-to-date with the rapidly changing world (both 68.2%). Only half thought that young people need to participate in the decision making processes, and only about a third think that they should focus even more on studying/working. Participants also expect young people to have love for their community and the nation, improve and develop skills and knowledge, and to be more dynamic, sharing, realistic, and so on. These findings show young people demand to have chances to have a more practical involvement in SD, through participation in community and volunteer activities, trying out new ideas, being both more culturally-sensitive and globallyupdated. This challenges organizations and youth programs to ensure a good enabling environment

for young people to build and pursue their interests and passion for participating in practical volunteer and community action. However, this must be complemented by programs that foster connections between this form of citizenship and a more active engagement in political and decisionmaking processes, and also make connections between different ideas and activities.

What types of activities for sustainable development did you do and should do?
The majority of survey participants were already involved in several types of activities related to SD, such as taking actions at individual level (turn off the lights, reduce plastic bags, etc) (80%), encouraging other people to have sustainable actions (64.2%) and studying information about SD (61.5%). Only 37 .7% of survey respondents thought that they already did participating in decision-making processes (Figure 8). Youths also shared some other activities like: organizing

Take actions at individual level Encourage other people about SD Study information about SD Participate in decision-making processes Other
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

you already did

youth should do for SD

Figure 8. Activities that young people already did and should do for SD

19

environment campaigns, sharing good information and practices to friends, and so on. Following from these questions about what young people should be doing and already did for SD, SYSD also explored further about what young people should do to contribute to sustainable development (Figure 8). There are very consistent results when participants opted mainly for take personal sustainable actions (over 80%), encouraged other people to have sustainable actions (73%) and study information about SD (69%). And on the top of their wish list, most of participants thought that young people should Participate in community and volunteer activities (78%). To solve any problem, young people should be aware of their roots. They should know and be concerned about national challenges . (Female, HCMC, student, 19 years old. Indepth interview) From the different questions exploring about participants interests and involvement with decision-making processes, SYSD found that although young people seem uncertain about their current roles and involvement in decision-making processes, there is a desire to increase their engagement. Only one third of the participants felt like they currently participate, but almost half felt that they should participate in the future. Ways to engage with decision-making processes such as , voting and getting involved in policy or regulation development may not clear to young people, and it

will be useful for youth programs and interventions to explore this area further and encouraging young people to be active and responsible citizens at different levels and scopes of decision-making.

How are you involved in youth-based activities for sustainable development?

Youth-led activities are often carried out at small-scales, with little finance or a lack of good professional expertise, and yet to bring deep or lasting effects. However, they promote a good source of energy and inspiration for those who participate and for beneficiaries who feel attentive. Although these benefits are still not obvious, it does appear that they helped young people to realize and improve themselves. For this reason, [the activities are] already a success (Male, Da Nang, . teacher/Youth Union Secretary, 32. In-depth interview) In this part, the survey also asked young people their opinions about youth-based community and volunteer activities/programs. Such as: How they know about these activities and what do they think about the effects and impacts of these activities. For participants who are involved in these activities, SYSD also explored their rationale for participating. Only 17% survey participants have not participated in any youth-based community and volunteer activities. Among those who have been involved in community or volunteer activities, the majority

These activities are very meaningful I want to improve some skills I want to have more knowledge I want to meet people Other These activities are very fun My friends ask me to come along

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

Figure 9. Why are you involved in youth-based activities for SD?

20

of respondents (57 .5%) considered they were normal participants, and 25.7% were involved in coordination. They got information about youthbased activities mainly through direct participation (63.7%), and partly from the media (24%). It is very useful to discover why young people participate in community and volunteer activities (Figure 9). The main reason (64.3%) for youth involvement is because participants felt These activities are very meaningful This . indicates that their first thoughts are with bringing benefits to their communities, society and the environment. Personal learning objectives (such as improving skills and knowledge) followed much further behind, with less than 18% of participants selecting these reasons. Also, very few young people (less than 5%) got involved simply in order to meet people or to have fun. Youth programs and organization must pay attention to these diverse reasons for participation. In order to ensure participation must make sure their activities are meaningful to the young people they wish to mobilize allowing young people to contribute to their environment and community. Attention should also be paid to opportunities for learning, with a particular focus on skill development.

When sharing their opinions about the implementation of these community and volunteer activities, very few participants thought these activities are not effective (1.8%). Over 80% of participants, both those already involved and not, gave a positive evaluation that they are effective (Table 4). Among them, over 35% of participants thought that there are many effective activities and a similar number mentioned that They are effective but there are not many other similar activities . However, there is a clear difference between those who get involved and those not, as over 50% of youth not involved selected there are not many similar activities This finding showed that young . people who not involved also felt positive with community and volunteer programs. During indepth interviews, both youth and adults during indepth interviews also shared positive feedback on these activities and volunteer clubs/organization, considering them to be a good place for young people to apply theory in practice, learn about the real-life issues and improve their knowledge, skills and living values.

Table 4. How effective are youth-based community and volunteer activities?

Everyone Not effective They are somewhat effective They are effective but there are not many similar activities There are many effective activities Most of the activities are very effective Total (%) 1.8% 13.8% 42.0% 35.5% 6.8% 100

Youth involved 2.0% 13.5% 39.3% 38.3% 6.9% 100

Youth not involved 1.0% 15.4% 54.8% 22.1% 6.7% 100

21

2.5 Factors influencing youths awareness and action on sustainable development

"Very few people know about SD, there are even fewer people who have good understanding about SD. We need to promote, share and communicate further and deeper for many citizens to understand and develop sustainably." (Male, HCMC, student, 18 years old. In-depth interview) Previous parts already showed youths perceptions about SD, different stakeholder in SD and particularly actions and the roles of young people. In this part, SYSD investigated different factors supporting young people to understand, raise awareness and actions in SD. These are valuable findings for any youth-related programs. Among diverse sources of SD information for young people, family plays a modest role. Other sources of information about SD included workshops & training courses, posters & leaflets, competitions and youth forum/meetings. Across age groups, the results are fairly similar, particularly in terms of the most and least popular information sources (Figure 11). However, the schools/universities seem to be more popular sources to young people with the age of 17 and older, around 60% of participants selecting compared to around 30% of younger participants. Breaking down into online and offline questionnaires, the ranking of popular sources of information are similar, with TV/media and internet are most popular and family as the least popular. However, offline respondents have fewer options for access to SD information, in which for every choices, there are much smaller percentage of respondents. Such as 74% of online respondents using internet for understanding SD, while only 43% of offline respondents using. During in-depth interviews, both young people and adults also shared that their key sources of information were internet and mass media. Internet is easy to access and has very up-to-date information. For young people, they get information

Where do young people get information about SD from?

The mass media (TV, newspapers and radio) and the internet are the most common source of information about SD for the youth participants, accounting for approximately 77 .5% and 66.5%, respectively. A significant number of participants also listed schools/universities (60%), their clubs/ groups (45%) and their friends (44%) as their SD sources (Figure 10).

0.0% TV&media Internet School Clubs/Groups Friends Family Other

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

online respondents offline respondents every respondent

Figure 10. SD information sources for young people (online, offline)

22

0.9 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 Below 17 18-19 20 21 Above 21 Average 0.123 0.333 0.18 0.192 0.17 0.544 0.702 0.795 0.764 0.643 0.6 0.475 0.393 0.705 0.622 0.776 0.656 0.608 0.472 0.775 0.665 0.587 0.442 Family Friends Youth group/club School Media 0.15 Internet Others

Figure 11. SD information sources for young people (age groups)

from their study at schools/universities, sharing in youth organizations and voluntary clubs, as well as from their friends. For adults, they often get additional information from exchanges with business partners and colleagues. Both groups demonstrated that peer-to-peer sharing is an important way of creating awareness and building knowledge of sustainable development. I often watch TV news and use internet. But my knowledge is still limited as I havent attended any training course or event on SD (Female, Ha Noi, student, 20. In-depth interview)

Sources of inspiration for learning and actions of young people in SD

It is very important to identify from whom youth get inspiration to learn and take action in SD (Figure 12). Among the sources of inspiration, three most popular ones are from Non-governmental/non-profit organizations (NGOs/NPOs), their teachers and their friends (more than 50% participants selected). Governmental leaders and businesses also play as a good source to stimulate youth interests in the issue. When listing other sources of inspiration, youth mentioned their self-motivation, curiosity, and concerns about future generations and their youth group/club. Again, it seems that families play a modest role in motivating youths involvement in

NGO/NPOs Teachers Friends Governmental leaders Businesses Family members Colleagues Other sources Celebrities and well known people 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 %
Everyone Non-members of youth groups/clubs Current members of youth groups/clubs

50.0

60.0

70.0

Figure 12. Sources of inspiration for learning and action in sustainable development

23

0.0% Organise community and volunteer activities Establish SD forum/fora Organise SD training courses Integrate SD into school curriculum Other:
Figure 13. How to attract youths attention to SD

20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0%

SD in comparison to organizations and individuals outside the family. There were significant differences in the sources of inspiration between youth who are current members of youth clubs/groups and those that are not. For non-club members, they got most inspiration from teachers, and then friends and NGOs/NPOs. For members of youth clubs/groups, they selected NGOs/NPOs first. This may be due to the higher exposure of the youth/clubs members to community and development activities outside schools, which are often facilitated by NGO/NPOs. On the other hand, celebrities and famous people were not popular sources of inspiration to young people. This requires further explorations to find good and positive role-models for influencing the public or a generation or changing the promotion images that companies often involved famous celebrities in their community programs.

and volunteer activities and 73.8% selecting SD forum/exchange for young people (Figure 13). Youth seems to be attracted to these learning by doing learning by sharing methods rather than more formal studying. Having said that, more than 60% of participants felt that training courses and school curriculum on SD are also necessary. Similarly, during in-depth interviews adults and youth interviewees also recommended active learning-by-doing environments for young people. They suggested democratic, learner-centered and action-oriented opportunities for youth to explore to the realities of SD and understand it in practice, and engage with different issues and stakeholders. In terms of school programs, training courses and other forms of communication (competition, events, etc), they recommended the content and methods should be practical and interesting for youth engagement. Some also suggested that students should receive general SD information and particular information related to his or her study of subject. The best way is to involve young people directly in community and volunteer activities, such as environment protection. That help them to recognize benefits of these activities and their roles, and they will have active engagement. (Male, Ha Noi, student, 26. In-depth interview)

How to promote the awareness and actions of young people in SD?

There are many different ways to build the interest of young people in SD, including integrating SD into school curriculum, running training courses, and organizing youth-based activities and programs. The majority of survey participants preferred interactive methods which enable direct participation and youth leadership, with 87% selecting community
24

With the rise of youth participation in community and volunteer work, SYSD was also intended to explore how to support these youth-based activities and organizations better and more effectively (Figure 14). Participants listed their top enabling conditions to be knowledge and skills (86%), financial support (76%), networks and coaching/mentoring (72%), institutional support (70%). These are the common difficulties that young people face during the development and implementation of any activity or program. This finding demonstrates that young people have a strong demand to improve their knowledge and skills in organizing programs. Although young people have enthusiasm and time, they also need good support in terms of both financial provision and technical expertise. In particular, indepth interviews also showed the importance of institutional support to ensure good organization of any youth-based activities, including obtaining permission for operation from relevant authorities.

A combination of these enabling factors is required to help the small, but effective programs that are run by young people to have long-term impact and sustainability. These factors become more crucial as most young people prefer to learn and contribute to SD through community and volunteer work. Use fun and art-based activities (drama, music). Apply any type of activities that is realistic and friendly to young people and avoid traditional methods or propaganda. (Male, Da Nang, Cultural House officer, 30 years old. In-depth interview)

Organize many activities to engage young people, such as environment protection, support for the poor households, taking care of patients suffering from cancers or children as victims of Agent Orange, etc. (Female, Ha Noi, student, 20 years old. In-depth interview)

0.0% Knowledge and skills Financial support Networks, coaching and mentoring Institutional support Opportunities to learn from friends and other people Other:

20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%

Figure 14. What do young people need to ensure their SD activities/programs are effective?

25

3. Conclusion and Recommendations

3.1 Key conclusions
Participants expressed their main sources of inspiration about SD comes from Non Government Organizations (NGOs) and Not for Profit Organisations (NPOs), teachers and friends.
For public awareness activities, there are creative youth-based programs with encouraging results. For in-depth activities, such as contribution in workshops, conferences, and in community mobilization, young people also participate but with not very clear role. (Male, Ha Noi, student, 26. In-depth interview) There are a lot of things young people can do: Take small actions to protect the environment. Use products made in Vietnam. Live economically. Equip himself or herself with a lot of knowledge. (Male, Da Nang, student, 23 years old. In-depth interview) Young people have a lot of information sources to understand about SD. I think they could discuss with government officers and be more proactive to explore about SD issues. (Female, HCMC, Business, 47 In-depth interview) .

26

For youth who participated in the survey, sustainable development is a relatively new issue, but has become close to the most important issue that they face. They are most concerned about big picture issues of environmental pollution, natural disasters and climate change, and building a green economy. However, they also associate SD with a wide range of other issues that are part of the environmental, social, and economic and governance dimensions of sustainable development. Most of the participants get information about SD through mass media (TV and newspapers) and the internet. While traditional education (e.g. in schools) also plays a role, peer-to-peer learning from friends and participation in clubs and volunteer activities is also central to building not only understanding but care and concern about SD among young people. Care is closely linked to the inspiration to get involved with SD. Participants expressed their main sources of inspiration about SD comes from Non Government Organizations (NGOs) and Not for Profit Organisations (NPOs), teachers and friends. Youth consider NGOs and NPOs as the most active stakeholder in SD, by initiating SD practices, implementing activities and mobilizing communities to engage in social development activities. Youth, particularly those who have been involved in community and volunteer activity, clearly see NGOs and NPOs as a source of information, and inspiration to be aware and take action to advance sustainable development. In the eyes of young people, business plays a less active role, and their responsibility should be to provide financial resources and invest in SD practices. Youth also see government organizations as an important and active stakeholder, with a role in guiding SD through policy, law and practice. They show their optimism toward international and Vietnamese policies for SD over the last five years, with a majority expressing that they have resulted in outcomes somewhat better, better and much better than before. And when predicting the impact of policies and plans for sustainable development in the next 5 years, young people had even higher optimism. However, during in-depth interviews both youth and adults shared their concerns about current policies they felt many policies were abstract, unrealistic or ineffective in implementation.

Young people perceive themselves as active, informed and dynamic citizens in terms of both community/volunteer work and national and global awareness. The majority of respondents had already been involved in a range of activities related to SD from personal level to societal level, particularly through participation in community/ volunteer activities. They felt like more youth should be involved in such activities, as well as having new and innovative ideas, and being both culturallysensitive and global-connected. In particular, they felt that young people should take sustainable actions in their personal lives and encourage other people to follow suit. Although participants were unsure about their participation in decision-making processes, they expressed the wish to have a more active role. The survey also reveals some key findings about youths engagement in sustainable development activities. Youth become involved in community and volunteer activities related to SD is because they feel good and useful when these community/ volunteer activities make a meaningful contribution. They also want to gain skills and, to a slightly lesser extent, knowledge from their involvement. Young people are very positive that youth-based activities are effectively contributing to SD, and felt there should be a greater number of similar programs available to youth. To do these activities effectively, participants expressed they need good knowledge and skills. It is also necessary to mobilize financial/technical resources, and strong networking and institutional support from outside organizations to ensure that youth-based activities, programs and organizations to achieve effective and sustainable outcomes. In order to be engaged in other settings, young people require an environment where they can actively learn through doing, with action-oriented opportunities to practice and engage with different issues and stakeholders.

27

3.2 Key recommendations

The findings from SYSD show a clear picture of a group of young Vietnamese people, who became concerned about SD only in recent years, but have since become enthusiastic learning and contributing to SD. The young people involved in this survey are not representative of all young people in Vietnam, with the majority having better access to education - information - technology and also youth-based community/volunteer work. But their perceptions, thoughts and wishes give valuable inputs both for young people on their own SD journey, as well as the many organizations and individuals that support them, in order to enhance youths role in working towards sustainable development.

Support youth participation in community and volunteer programs/ organizations as a learning and action place for SD
More and more young people participate in, and even set up or coordinate, youth-based organizations and programs. They find these a good place for them to contribute to SD and gain practical knowledge and skills. Therefore, families, schools/universities and youth-based programs/ organizations should explore the demands and aspirations of and with young people, and work with them to develop tailor-made and meaningful activities for youth to contribute to sustainable development.

Find opportunities for young people to understand and engage with a range of specific SD issues in a comprehensive and holistic manner, a manner that encourages them to address the specific underlying causes of general, big-picture environmental, social and economic issues.
Youth are becoming interested in sustainable development, but yet to be confident in their understanding of the underlying causes, linkages and systems involved. Their areas of study or work, whether in technology or agriculture, are an integral part of sustainable development process. Youth need to be aware of not only global/national or general issues, but also local, specific issues, causes and effects, including those connected to their own lives and careers. This will support young people to confident to realize challenges, opportunities and make responsible decisions and actions whether at home, schools/workplaces, or in public. For example, business students can explore the issues of fair trade right in their commerce class and practice in their own choices and future work, rather than waiting until joining social work or studying a specific subject about development.

Promote and support youth-based community and volunteer programs/ organizations that create opportunities for youth to engage with SD, building their institutional and networking capacity.
As the majority of young people in SYSD thought that these programs/organizations are effective and would like to see a greater number of similar opportunities in the future, they should be promoted either in individual schools or university departments or at local community level (district, province, etc) with meaningful objectives and missions related to SD. Relevant examples include volunteer clubs on energy saving, youth groups using games with disabled children, or a training course run by youth for local children. Different stakeholders need to take opportunities for cooperation, sharing and networking with these programs and organizations to implement their local and national SD agendas effectively. Youth-based and -led organizations are good examples of responsible citizen groups, and a model that can be replicated in many situations.

28

Gradually raising interest and engaging young people to meaningfully participate in decisionmaking processes at different levels, from their own families to schools/ workplaces, as well as at local, national and international level.
Although young people are more eager to take individual action and engage in youth-based community/volunteer programs/organizations, they feel unclear about their roles in decisionmaking processes. This means youth-based programs/organization should help young people to understand linkages, connections, systems behind specific issues. For example, volunteer work on supporting lunch coupons for poor patients in one hospital could gradually help a participant to explore issues like health insurance policy for the poor. Decision-making takes place in different forms and ways. The values, attitudes and approaches that youth learn through community/volunteer activities should be regularly applied and integrate into their daily life, with their families and study/ workplace. Being aware of important issues and being involved in the planning and implementing actions to address them are positive attributes of active citizens. Young people should be mentored to recognize their participation into local and national development process as engaged citizens.

methods, difficult issues like integrity or ethnic minorities can easily engage many young people. Furthermore, youth should be encouraged to take the active role in organizing or even coordinating any community/volunteer activity to make meaningful participation. Campaigns like 350.org and Earth Hour are good examples of how youth have mobilized civic actions with little resources, and how young people learn best when they actually do.

Encourage government organizations, the business community, NGO/NPOs, leaders, teachers and family members to act as responsible role-models who demonstrate good practices for young people to learn from and follow.
The results of this survey also inspire recommendations relevant to specific audiences. These are outlined in Table 15.

Use interactive, participatory methods that spark the interest and passion of young people when integrating SD into programs such as school-based activities and curricula, campaigns, media and training courses.
Given the fact that young people prefer learningby-doing through action-oriented activities that target specific issues or audiences, SD should be integrated in school curriculum, campaigns and workshops, with participatory and learnercentered methods. Whether it is a lesson or a training event, SD should be explored by young people in interesting, experiential ways, through actively participating in group work, case studies, simulations, quizzes and research, etc. to find out causes and solutions. With such interactive

29

Table 5. Recommendations to different stakeholders for supporting young people in SD

Group
Young People

Recommendations
Explore local, national and international SD issues, find opportunities to understand connections, linkages, causes and solutions Participate in, or even set up or coordinate, youth-based organizations and programs that address specific and diverse SD issues. Think about SD not only in your club or volunteer activities, but also think about how it is linked to all aspects of your life, including studies and future career. Be a positive role model for other young people and adults by thinking about SD in your every day life and actions. Think and act as responsible citizens Young people should be encouraged to start up their own SD initiatives, groups and programs, and, where possible, to trial them in the school or local community. SD should be integrated in school curriculum, campaigns and workshops, with participatory and learner-centered methods. Find opportunities for young people to understand and engage with a range of specific SD issues in a comprehensive and holistic manner, a manner that encourages them to address the specific underlying causes of general, big-picture environmental, social and economic issues. Teachers should be role models for sustainable development, reflecting the values and lessons they teach in their own practices and lives. Cooperate with other organizations to support youth engagement in community and social work Encourage and support children to participate actively in community and volunteer activities. Provide opportunities for children to contribute to activities related to sustainable development in the home (like asking them to identify ways to save power, thinking about where their food comes from, etc.) Mentor and share with youth about SD issues Facilitate and promote youth-based programs and organizations related to SD Create an enabling environment to educate and involve young people in decision-making process from local to national level. Identify opportunities for young people to understand local and national sustainable development challenges and mobilize their innovation and energy to identify appropriate solutions Encourage leaders to be role models for young people Cooperate, advocate and partner with other stakeholders to ensure good engagement of young people in community/volunteer activities as an integral part of decision-making processes at different levels. Share good practices and learning methodologies with other organizations to engage youths. Cover more diverse and specific themes, using methods that allow young people to develop diverse, multi-dimensional and holistic understanding of sustainable development. Promote and advocate for opportunities to involve youth in research, campaigns etc. in a meaningful manner

Schools

Parents and Family

Government Organizations

For NGO/ NPOs:

Others

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3.3 Limitations and Recommendations for Future Research

Conducting the questionnaire online was a useful tool for collecting a large number of responses from young people around the country. However, the use of technology will limit the number and diversity of respondents, particularly with young people who have limit access to internet. It is also difficult to check if all survey participants understand clearly all questions, and there were some errors when putting 1-2 questions from paperbased questionnaire to online one. Therefore some results were not analyzed in the final report, but to draw useful lessons on how to use technology for social researches and to build youths leadership in the survey. This survey also targeted a large number of youth who are already involved in sustainable development issues. Beyond age, gender and location, the survey did not collect any other demographic information about participants, such as ethnicity. Further research conducted in the future should include a larger and more representative sample of youth, with a greater number of in-person interviews, in order to obtain statistically significant results. Research could also seek to include voices of minority groups, such as ethnic minorities, who are likely to have different issues and concerns related to sustainable development. Such research should include a mix of in-person and online interviews as appropriate.

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Annex 1
Questionnaire - Sustainable Development: Awareness and Action of Young People

32

No.

Question

Answers

General Information
1 2 3 4 Name Year of birth Gender Education level 1. 2. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 . Male Female Primary school Secondary school High School Vocational school College Under-graduate Post-graduate

5 6 7

Place of birth Current address Have you ever participated in any youth-based community/volunteer activities? Are you currently participating in any groups/clubs? 1. 2. 1. 2. Yes. No. Yes. Clubs/Groups name: No.

A. Awareness about Sustainable Development

A1 Do you know what is meant by sustainable development? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. A2 From where and whom do you learn/know about sustainable development? (You can circle more than one answer) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 . 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 . 8. 9. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. I never heard about the term before (if you choose this answer, please go straight to question No. A 14). I know about the term but I do not know what it means. I have a vague idea of what it means. I think I have a fairly good idea of what the term means. Yes, I understand the term very well. Through discussions in my family Through sharing knowledge among friends. Through discussions with clubs/groups members. Learn from school and teachers. Through TV, newspapers and radio Through the Internet. Other:.. My family members My friends in schools My colleagues My teachers Non-governmental/Non-profit organisations. Celebrities/Well-known people Businesses Governmental leaders. Other Not important at all Somewhat important It is important, but just as important as other issues It is more important than other issues It is the most important issue

A3

Who/Which organisations encourage you to learn about sustainable development and to have more sustainable practices? (You can circle more than one answer).

A4

In your opinion, is sustainable development important?

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A5

In your opinion, who are currently having many activities related to sustainable development? (You can circle more than one answer)

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 .

Government NGO/NPOs Businesses Citizens/individuals Other I dont know Government NGO/NPOs Businesses Citizens/individuals Other Initiating sustainable models and practices Issuing policies to facilitate sustainable development. Making development plans. Allocating financial resources and investing in sustainable development practices. Implementing/Coordinating social work activities Mobilising/Engaging people to participate in community/ social work activities. Other Initiating sustainable models and practices Issuing policies to facilitate sustainable development. Making development plans. Allocating financial resources and investing in sustainable development practices. Implementing/Coordinating social work activities Mobilising/Engaging people to participate in community/ social work activities. Other Initiating sustainable models and practices Issuing policies to facilitate sustainable development. Making development plans. Allocating financial resources and investing in sustainable development practices. Implementing/Coordinating social work activities Mobilising/Engaging people to participate in community/ social work activities. Other Worse Almost unchanged. Somewhat better. Better Much better I do not know. Worse Almost unchanged. Somewhat better. Better Much better I do not know.

A6

In your opinion, who should hold highest responsibility in achieving sustainable development?

A8

In your opinion, what is the most important role of the government in achieving sustainable development?

A9

In your opinion, what is the most important role of non-governmental/ non-profit organisations in achieving sustainable development?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 .

A10

In your opinion, what is the most important role of businesses in achieving sustainable development?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 .

A11

How do you judging the effectiveness of the worlds policies in aiming towards achieving sustainable development in the last five years?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

A12

How do you judging the effectiveness of Vietnams policies in aiming towards achieving sustainable development in the last five years?

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A13

How does the effectiveness of current Vietnams sustainable development policies compare to that of five years ago?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Worse Almost unchanged. Somewhat better. Better Much better I do not know.

A14

When you heard the term sustainable development, what do you think of it? (Please list three words that comes to your minds when you heard about the term) Since when have you interested in Sustainable Development? 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. I am not interested yet In the last one year In the last 2-3 years More than three years Active and is the core forces in community/volunteer activities Very creative and often have new ideas Actively participating in decision-making processes (e.g. in the making of laws, regulations and policies etc.) Actively participating in international activities. Not very active, only focus on study/works Only playing around and following trends.

A15

What level of agreement/ disagreement do you have with the following viewpoints on youth nowadays? Level 1. Strongly disagree 2. Disagree 3. Neither agree or disagree 4. Agree 5. Strongly agree What do you expected most from youth nowadays? (please choose three expectations).

A16

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 .

Be interested in tradition and culture. Focus on studying/working. Participate more in social activities Actively participate in decision/policy-making processes. Get up-to-date with international and national trends. Having new & innovative ideas. Inflation Green Economy/low carbon emissions Unemployment Corruption Globalisation Cultural identities preservation. Respect, protect and conserve the identities of the minorities (such as the ethnic minorities and homosexual groups) Rural and remote areas issues. Religions Cultural/Natural Heritage Human rights Poverty Gender equity HIV/AIDS Health care for the poor Environment pollution Climate change & Natural Disasters Biodiversity Energy Information Technology Politics (Election, Diplomacy etc.) Other 35

A18

Among those themes which related to sustainable on the next column, which themes do you most interested in? (Please choose three themes)

8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17 . 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.

B. Actions
B1 What kind of sustainable practices do you have? 1. 2. 3. 4. B2 Have you ever participate in any youth social/volunteer activities? How do you know about youth social activities? 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 . 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Learning about sustainable development Take actions at individual level (turn off the lights, recycling, be vegetarian, reduce plastic bags consumption etc.) Encourage other people to have sustainable practices Participate in decision making processes. Participated as a member of organization board. Participated as a participant. Never (Please go straight to question B5) Directly involve in the activities Heard from friends Know from the media (TV, newspapers and radio) Other These activities are very meaningful These activities are very fun I want to have more knowledge I want to sharpen some of the skills I want to meet people. My friends ask me to come along Other Not effective It is somewhat effective It is effective but there are not many similar activities There are many effective activities Most of the activities are very effective Knowledge and skills Networks, coaching and professional consultancy Opportunities to learn from friends and other people Financial support Institutional support Other Learning about sustainable development Participate in community and volunteer activities Encourage other people to do sustainable practices. Take personal sustainable actions Participate in the decision-making processes Other: Integrate SD into school curriculum Organise SD training courses for youth. Establish sustainable development forum for youth Organise community and volunteer activities to mobilize youth participation. Other:

B3

B4

What is the main reason for your participation in such activities?

B5

What do you think about youths role in sustainable development?

B7

In your opinion, what youth need to have good sustainable actions? (You can choose more than one answer).

B8

In your opinion, what can young people do to contribute to sustainable development in Vietnam? (Please choose three most important actions)

B9

In your opinion, what can be done to make the youth more interested in sustainable development? (You can choose more than one answer)

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Annex 2
In-depth interview questionnaire and guide Sustainable development: Awareness and Actions of young people

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Introduction
This research is implemented by Live&Learn for Environment & Community Vietnam, with supports from Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung in Vietnam. Objectives of the research: To get a better understanding of youths awareness and actions towards sustainability in Vietnam. To provide appropriate recommendations for the promotion of youths awareness and actions towards sustainability in Vietnam. Thank you very much for your time and your cooperation in this research!

Selection criteria
Number of interviewees: At least four interviewees for each city (Ha Noi, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City). Age groups: 2 youth from 15 30 years old. 2 adults from 30 60 years old. Gender: 1 male and 1 female for each age group. For the youth interviewees, one should have participated in social/voluntary activities or currently a member of a youth clubs/volunteer group, the other one should has never been participated in any community/ voluntary activities or youth group/club. Notes: You can choose to interviews those who have adequate knowledge about the community/issue

Guidance on taking notes

Use mobiphone/recorder to record the interview. Use pen and notebook to note the main points of the answers and interviewee reaction during the interview.

Follow the steps below to conduct the interview

1. Say hello, introduce yourself and introduce about the research.

2. Confirm the interviewees agreement to participate in this interview once again and reaffirm that all the information will remain confidential. 3. Asking for permission to record the interview (if possible) 4. Conduct the interview. 5. Fill in necessary information and kindly asked the interviewee to sign in the confirmation form. 6. Hand over the gift/compensation (if any) to the interviewee 7 . Say good bye.

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Things need to pay attention to during the interview

Do not insist the interviewee to answer the question if they do not want to. Do not conduct the interview if the interviewee shows signs of drunk or sickness. Avoid asking unrelated questions during the interview. If the interviewee does not know how to write, one can asked for the signature of the interviewees representative.

Interview questions
1. Have you ever heard about the term Sustainable Development?

2. Do you interested in sustainability issues? Since when have you started getting interested in the issues? And on which context(s)? 3. What do you think about sustainable development? (How important does it? and how should it be like in practice) 4. From which sources of information (and/or from whom) do you get to learn/know about sustainable development? Among them, which is the most important to you? 5. Which sustainable development topic(s) do you most interested in? Why? (Possible Prompts: Inflation, Corruption, Globalisation, Climate Change/Disaster etc.) 6. Who (and/or which bodies) do you think held the highest responsibility for sustainable development? Why? 7 . Which sustainable development issues are the priorities for the Government, different organisations and business? (Inflation, Corruption, Globalisation, Climate Change/Disaster etc.)

8. What is your opinion about Vietnams sustainable development policies in the recent five years? What are their impacts to sustainable development in Vietnam? Why do you think as such? 9. In your opinion, how effective will the Vietnams sustainable development policies in the next five years? Why? 10. In your opinion, what youth should do for the sustainable development of Vietnam? 11. In your opinion, what (and how) can we do to get the youths in Vietnam more interested in sustainable development? 12. Do you think we need to provide more information about sustainable development for youths? If yes, which kind of information should be disseminated? And how? 13. What are the youths roles in society? 14. What do you expected the most from youth nowadays? Why? 15. From your perspective, do current youths voluntary/social activities effective? If yes, which aspects do you think they are effective? 16. What are the difficulties for youth when implementing a social/voluntary activity? (Possible prompts: Skills, funding, or institutional settings etc.)

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