OneVietnam Network Mission and Goals

1MISSIONS AND GOALS • ONE VIETNAM • 2009

oneOrganizat ionMissions & Goals

Vietnamz

2 MISSIONS AND GOALS • ONE VIETNAM • 2009

specialTHANKSDaviD Teece

ivan Moss

Hoang Bao

Long s. Le

anDre nguyen

Da nang universiTy

Kea new ZeaLanD

vsvnHaas scHooL of Business

creaTive coMMons

AUTHORSJaMes H. Bao

neiL nguyen Huu

Brian Luong

uyen P. nguyen


OneVietnam connects and organizes the people and groups that seek to make Vietnam a better place to learn, work, and live.

Our goal is to create a network that makes people, organizations, and information centrally accessible. We want to enable members of the community to work together, share resources, and eliminate the duplicative work that hinders progress. By providing the platform that empowers people to take action, we hope to accelerate Vietnam’s success through the compounded efforts of the community.


Vietnam has transformed itself in the last 20 years to become one of the fast-est growing nations in Asia. Despite its growth, Vietnam still stands at the crossroad of progress and stagnation. Success relies on the compounded effort of our community to steer development in the right direction.

viet

nam

at

a gl

ance

Rank: Largest Populations

13thWorld Bank, 2008

!"

##"

##"

$%"

Uniquely Young Population

Less than 25 yrs.Between 26 and 45 yrs.Between 46 and 60 yrs.Greater than 60 yrs.

Source: Vietnam Statistics Office, 20081992 1997 2002 2007

$69

$35

$27

$10

Strong GDP Growth (USD billions)

1992 1997 2002 2007

$69

$35

$27

$10

Source: World Bank

Estimated ‘09 Inflation

11%2008-2010 IMA Asia Brief, 2008

Adult Literacy Rate

90% UNICEF State of the World’s Chil-dren, 2009

Life Expec-tancy (94th)

71yrsCIA Factbook, 2008

Rank: GDP Per Capita

116thWorld Bank, 2008

VIETNAM: THEN AND NOW

Prior to the 1990s, many people did not have access to basic amenities such as running faucets, flushing toilets, or a reliable electricity source. To the world, Vietnam was a poor and underdeveloped nation.

However, in the last 20 years, Vietnam has made extraordinary progress and is now hailed as the next Asian Tiger. Vietnam’s GDP has grown more than seven times since 1992, largely due to its shift towards an open, market-based economy. It is a young and tech-savvy nation, with the average population age of 25 and the highest internet penetration rate among its neighbors. In fact, Vietnamese are the tenth largest spender on technology in the world, as a percentage of income. According to A.T. Kearney’s 2008 report, Vietnam is the most attractive retail market in the world. With its ascension to the World Trade Organization in 2007 and its membership in the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation, Vietnam is becoming a major player in the global economy.

Why Vietnam Needs Help

Saigon & Hanoi Rural

!"#

$%#

"&#

High Cell Phone Usage

Metro Urban Rural

Source: Nielsen Omnibus 2008


$0

$15,000

$30,000

$45,000

$60,000

Vietnam Singapore Hong Kong Taiwan South Korea

$27,647$30,881

$43,811

$51,142

$2,784

Although Vietnam has made impressive progress, it is still far from becoming the fifth Asian Tiger. With the world’s 13th largest population, Vietnam’s GDP per capita ranks a mere 116th in the world. In fact, Vietnam’s GPD per capita is dwarfed next to the Asian Tigers.

Michael Porter, a professor at Harvard Business School, assesses that Vietnam’s economic reforms remain insufficient, and the country needs a long term economic strategy in order to improve its standard of living. Vietnam’s long term economic policy must focus on improving its competitiveness, which depends in part on increasing productivity of workers through health and education. Although it has one of the highest labor force participation in the world, Vietnam’s labor productivity is significantly lower than the majority of the world. Poverty also remains a large threat to Vietnamese families who are unable to meet basic nutritional needs, let alone afford adequate education.

Learn: Education Fails to Meet Job Demands

Vietnam lacks human resource development to effectively compete in the global economy. Al-though enrollment has risen sharply, the qual-ity of education remains low. Both curricula and teaching material are dated, with 62% of the textbooks still in Russian, and 55% pub-lished before 1980 (VSVN Foundation). As a result, students do not have the skills to meet the demands of global companies. This is re-flected in the fact that degrees from Vietnam-ese universities are not accepted in other parts of the world.

Furthermore, Vietnamese universities fail to attract international experts and retain its brightest minds. The most promising students are attracted to universities and opportunities abroad, creating a drain on the country’s intel-lectual resource. Those left behind simply can-not find the opportunities and training to put their talents to use.

Live: Stagnant Social Devel-opment and Protection

Approximately 30% of Vietnam-ese people are living on less than $2 USD per day (World Bank, 2002). The main cause of traffick-ing men, women, and children for sexual and labour exploitation is poverty.

With only 1 doctor for every 2,000 people in the country and insufficient medical equip-ment, easily preventable health problems often become deadly. The country’s most vulnerable population are often neglected because of the lack of public programs to care for the old, sick, and orphaned. Furthermore, children of the ru-ral areas are forced to skip school to work, hin-dering their ability to support themselves in the future and perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

GDP Per Capita

Source: International Monetary Funds, 2008

Work: Lack of Opportuni-ties and High Skilled Jobs Vietnam’s work force is dominated by manu-facturing and agriculture, accounting for 21.4% and 20.3% of GDP, respectively (Asian Develop-ment Bank, 2008). Many companies hesitate to invest in a white-collar work force that’s often viewed as inferior to that of India, China, and other neighboring countries. As a result, Viet-nam competes on low skilled labor, leading to low GDP per capita and wages. Vietnam has one of the lowest minimum monthly wages in the world at less than $50 per month (Global Competitiveness Report, 2008). Due to lack of job security and available opportunities, 36% of Vietnamese named job security as their number one concern.

Job Security

Economy

Life Balance

Health0 0 0 0 0

!"

#"

$$"

%&"

Primary Concerns of Vietnamese

Source: Neilsen Global Online Survey, 2009


The myriad of problems that hampers Vietnam’s progress have not gone unnoticed. Individuals and organizations, inside and outside of Vietnam, have set out to cure Vietnam’s ills. Some efforts have been highly successful, but most fail to reach the scale re-quired for permanent change. More often than not, projects fail to launch and organizations burn out or lose momentum. The lack of a community and coor-dination lead to:

• Duplicative efforts create inefficiencies and waste time and money.• Fragmented groups lack the resource and scale to address large issues.• Inability to tap the community at large impedes the ability to gain sup-port and grow.• Lack of information limits the ability to effectively identify needs, oppor-tunities, and allocate efforts.

Why a Network Makes Us More Effective.

Lack of Coordination Slows Progress


Online Network: Linking the global community

Offline Network: A launching platform

The offline network supplements the online network by providing a live forum to identify Vietnam’s needs and opportunities, find potential solutions, and initiate action. Our meetings will provide a focused environment to discuss specific aspects of Vietnam, from heath care to education and business. At each meeting, we will invite experts within the specific fields to educate and facili-tate discussions on the topic. Meanwhile, we will allow community leaders and organizations to present their solution and begin gaining momentum for their initiatives. To avoid stagnation, our goal for every meeting is to walk away with tangible results and actionable steps.

Join the cause by choosing from a database of organizations and initia-tives.

Make new contacts with individuals and groups with similar interests and goals.

Collaborate with other groups to ex-pand existing projects and eliminate overlap.

Tap the Collective. Identify needs. Share opportunities. Track efforts. Spread knowledge.

OneVietnam’s Solution

Our solution is to create a network that makes people, orga-nizations, and information centrally accessible.

With a network, we can eliminate duplicative work, reduce fragmentation, tap the community, and share information. Anyone can join or grow their own initiatives that aid in Vietnam’s development. Individuals can use the network to identify needs, brainstorm solutions, and find the necessary resources to help launch their projects. Existing organiza-tions can similarly utilize the network to collaborate, recruit, and fund raise.


There are 3 million Vietnamese expatriates around the world. Each year, they send $7 billion USD to Vietnam, amounting to nearly 10% of Vietnam’s GDP.

Among them are lawyers, doctors, NASA scientists, news anchors, world renowned inventors, award-winning chefs, and even the most feared fighter in the world (4). Imagine the possibilities if those 3 million expatriates worked together. With a strong network, the global Vietnamese community can pool together its knowledge, capital, and resources to get things done faster, cheaper, and easier.

How a Network Unlocks Value.


Potential of the Network

No other Southeast Asian country relies on the resources and relationships with its expatriate population like Vietnam. Between 2003 and 2007, Vietnamese living overseas sent a total of $20 billion USD to Vietnam in the form of remittances or gifts to family members. Remittances from the Vietnamese expatriate community amount to 7 to 8 percent of Vietnam’s GDP every year.

In 2008, Vietnam is estimated to receive $7.2 billion USD in remittances, making it the fourth largest recipient of remittances in the world. Imagine what just a fraction of that $7.2 billion USD could do for Vietnam if it could be organized and put toward a collective effort.

Instead of having a few hundred dollars to spend, Vietnamese families can to-gether help build the infrastructure that will ensure the prosperity of generations to come.

Combine Massive Resources

6.00%

7.00%

8.00%

9.00%

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007$2,000

$3,000

$4,000

$5,000

$6,000

Remittances as % of GDP

Remittances in $ millions 480,000

80 Yrs.

New schools and libraries.

Supply of clean wa-ter for the entire population of VN.

Millions of lap-tops for educa-tion.

14

6,900

Kilometers of new highway

road.

What we can do with

$7.2 Billion

1

Remittances to Vietnam

Source: World Bank, 2008


Imagine if the only thing that stands in the way of your idea and reality is a few clicks of a button.

Need help? Tap the network of existing organizations to collaborate or partner up with. Need volunteers? Recruit from a pool of indi-viduals already interested in causes like yours. Need contacts, records, guides? Search from a com-mon knowledge base; open and free.

The network eliminates the barriers that deter people from taking action. By empowering everyone in the community to do their part, we pave the way for their small efforts to compound into major results. One person sending 30 books to Vietnam a year can stock one class room. 300,000 people sending 30 books to Vietnam will build a library to rival the largest library in the world (United States Library of Con-gress) in less than 5 years.

The Vietnamese community is uniquely global. There are commu-nities of at least 10,000 spread over 30+ countries; from France (250,000) to Poland (50,000) and even 13,000 Kiwis in New Zealand!

With a strong cultural emphasis on education, Vietnamese people have risen to the highest levels of their fields. From successful entre-preneurs to respected politicians and scientists, the world wide Viet-namese com-munity proves to be an ex-tremely valu-able network that can pro-vide diverse perspect ives and experi-ences in an increas ing ly global econo-my.

Leverage a Global CommunityMake Big Impact

“Strength is derived from unity. The range of our collective vision is far greater when individual insights be-come one.” - Andrew Carnegie

2 3

Vietnamese Around the World Our unique network is world wide. Whether you’re at a beer garden in Germany or in the outback of Australia, we’re there!

United States 1,600,000

France 250,000

Australia 160,000

Canada 150,000

Germany 100,000


Dr. Eugene H. Trinh (3)

NASA Director & Astronaut Dr. Trinh is the first Vietnamese in outer space. He hold a Bachelor’s Degree from Columbia University and a doctorate in applied physics from Yale University. He is currently the Director of the Physical Sciences Research Division at NASA.

Betty Nguyen (2) CNN Anchor Ms. Nguyen made her mark in American journalism by winning countless awards: Associated Press Award, Legacy of Women Award, Great Women of Texas Honoree, and a regional Emmy award. By 2004, she was anchoring at one of the most watched news channel, CNN, and covering top breaking news.

Cung Le (4)

Kick boxing World Champion Arguably the most prominent Vietnamese athlete, Mr. Le is the current Strikeforce Middleweight Champion. Mr. Le’s impressive record includes an undefeated kick boxing career (22-0), three time world champion in martial arts, and four time US national champion.

Viet D. Dinh (1) U.S. Assistant Attorney General Mr. Dinh served as the U.S. Assistant Attorney General from 2001 to 2003. Mr. Dinh graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University in 1990. He later returned to Harvard Law School, where he was a Class Marshal, Olin Research Fellow in Law and Economics, bluebook editor of the Harvard Review, and graduated magna cum laude in 1993. Post law school, Mr. Dinh served as a law clerk for the U. S. Court of Appeals and the U. S. Supreme Court.

Hung Huynh (6)

Top Chef Winner Born in Vietnam and raised in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Chef Huynh received his first culinary training as a young boy at his family’s Vietnamese restaurant. He later became the winner of Bravo cable television’s Top Chef.

Duy-Loan Le (5)

TI Executive & Inventor Ms. Le was the first woman and the first Asian to be elected as Texas Instruments Senior Fellow in history. Only four others hold the distinction in the world. Ms. Le has accumulated 24 patents and received countless recognition (e.g. Women in Technology Hall of Fame, Asian American Engineer of the Year, and Congressional Special Recognition). She is also an avid philanthropist.

a valuable network

Truong Dinh TranBillionaire & Philanthropist Mr. Tran began his hotel business after immigrating to New York and has owned and operated major hotels in Manhattan. After the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, Mr. Tran donated $2 million USD to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. He also has a reputation for providing generous assistance to countless Vietnamese American community events.

Vietnamese people have made important contribu-tions to society in business, politics, media, sports and culture. Here are a few re-knowned faces from our im-pressive community.

Timothy Linh BuiHollywood Director Mr. Bui has directed, produced, and written multiple award winning films, including Three Seasons and Green Dragon. His most recent movie, Blue Powder, stars Jessica Beil, Forest Whitaker, and Patrick Swayze.

Profile Sources: 1) US Supreme Court Website 2) CNN News Network 3) NASA 4) K Superstar 5) Mark Eveslage 6) Bravo Network

1

2

3

4

5

6


“

A Globally Competitive Work ForceWe envision the day when Vietnamese students no longer have to look abroad for a quality education. Investments in textbooks, research equipment, and training for teachers can modernize the Vietnamese educational system. With the right education and training, Vietnamese students no longer have to defer to low-skilled jobs. Rather, they can be on an even playing field to compete for intellectually stimulating and high paying careers.

Being globally competitive also means Vietnam can retain its brightest minds and reverse the effects of the “brain drain” that have been strip-ping away the nation’s intellectual resource. These bright minds will en-sure the continual development of Vietnam for generations to come.

learnThe Pearl of the Orient can shine again.

By fostering trust and collaboration among new and old generations of Vietnamese across the globe, we can reinvigorate inter-est in Vietnam and provide opportunities for talented professionals abroad to invest in their homeland.

Vietnam can become a country where citi-zens enjoy prosperity and high standard of living paralleling other economic power-houses of Asia. Vietnamese people all over the world can take pride in our own culture and nation.

Together, we can make Vietnam a bet-ter place to learn, work, and live.O

ur V

isio

n


“

Happy LivingWith quality jobs, high productivity, and job security, Vietnamese citi-zens can focus on long-term projects to eliminate many major prob-lems such as poverty, human trafficking, and labor exploitation.

Our combined resources can provide the health care and nutrition re-quired for the safety and health of the less fortunate. By ensuring that their basic necessities are met, Vietnamese families can be free to pur-sue an education, explore their passions, and live a prosperous life.

liveworkProsperous Careers

By refocusing attention on Vietnam and encouraging investments in the country, we envision an active job market that provides Vietnamese workers with careers, not just jobs.

We encourage the development of an entrepreneurial culture where em-ployees can take ownership in an intellectually challenging and stimulat-ing work environment. We support the innovation and productivity that ultimately lead to higher job satisfaction. High skilled careers improve the competitiveness of the Vietnamese labor force, enabling them to compete for and earn higher income. The result will yield high job secu-rity and peace of mind for Vietnam’s young work force.


“

“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.

- Mohandas Gandhi

“

15MISSIONS AND GOALS • ONE VIETNAM • 2009“The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world’s problems.

- Mohandas Gandhi

““Here is the high emprise, the fine endeavor, the splendid pos-sibility of achievement, to which I summon you and bid you wel-come.” - Justice Benjamin Cardozoco

ntac

t us.

(415) [email protected]

Interested? Help us!

Donate. If you believe in our cause, please contribute any-thing you can. Your contributions will be recognized on our web site.

Transparency is our guiding principle. Anyone who makes a donation can request our annual financial statement to see where and how their money is being spent.

Donations of any size is welcome. Trust us, we need it! Please visit our web site at www.onevietnam.org for a quick and easy way to donate, or contact us at [email protected].

Advisors and Mentors. The task at hand is large and we’re al-ways in need of a guiding hand. We welcome any level of help, from constructive remarks to joining out board of advisors. Please contact us at [email protected].

Team Members. We are very much in the start-up phase and are actively looking for new members to join our exciting team! Our needs include marketing, community coordinator, programmers, college liaisons, and general operations. Please contact us at [email protected] for more information.

Invest in our cause. Be a Volunteer.


zoneVietnam

MISSIONS AND GOALS • ONE VIETNAM • © 2009

Documents

OneVietnam Network Mission and Goals