Treasure hunting In Hanoi
February 9, 2007 | 12:00am
We were in a " "treasure " hunt" in " Hanoi, Vietnam, day three of a weeklong assignment. By "we" I mean Hitachi executives, journalists and 28 students (from the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and, for the first time, Vietnam) who represented their respective countries in the 8th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative (HYLI). This year’s delegates from the Philippines were Donald Ngwe and Juan Paolo Fajardo (UP), Roland Glenn Tuazon (Ateneo) and Wainwright Gregory Yu (De La Salle).
HYLI is an annual conference launched in 1996 that gathers some of Asia’s best students to provide a forum for them to discuss regional and global issues together with distinguished speakers from the region, as well as to develop recommendations. In conjunction with the company’s "Inspire The Next" tagline, the goal of the people from Hitachi is to identify and groom some of Asia’s future leaders.
According to Tadahiko Ishigaki, Hitachi senior vice president and executive officer, HYLI is a platform to promote cross-cultural understanding and Asian solidarity. "We want the students to enhance the lives of people in their own community, since community service is integral to our company Hitachi, and to take the lead in building Asia’s future." Where do redemption and renewal lie, anyway, but on the shoulders of the youth  idealistic, creative and incorruptible (as our National Hero Jose Rizal once declared)?
At that point between the grand Ba Dinh Square and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the remains of the Vietnamese leader lie, the students that comprised the "Dragon" group were preoccupied with managing the time allotted for each task and sustaining their momentum. Hitachi executives Toshihito Fujita and Yoko Ito, ICON’s Roxanne Toh accompanied the group. The students’ mission was to visit the various treasures of Hanoi: the Revolutionary Square, Ho Chi Minh’s house, the Buddha tree, the Temple of Literature, and Hoan Kiem Lake at the center of the city.
From our trusty tour guide we learned so much. Ha Noi means "capital inside a river." The city streets are ruled by pedicabs (cyclos or xhiclos, introduced by the French in the ’20s) and three million motorbikes (xe om), with two to three scooters per household. By "rule," I mean the xe om drivers look as if they would run pedestrians down. (The trick, I guess, is to cross the streets blindfolded and leave it all up to The Force like a Luke Streetwalker; the Darth Bikers will have no choice but to yield.) There are seemingly no rules for driving in Hanoi. No one wearing a crash helmet, because those "hindrances" prevent "lovers from talking." Nothing beats muttering sweet nothings as the scooter anarchically snakes its away on Hanoi streets to meet an appointment with inevitable doom. By the way, 35 people die each day in motorbike accidents in Vietnam. I was decrying to the guide how terrible the traffic conditions in Hanoi were when somebody asked me where I was from. Manila…. Oh…. I see…. Talk about the pot dissing the kettle…
Then it was off to the Temple of Literature, which was founded in 1070 and established as the country’s first university six years later, for more clues for the students. At the temple, there are statues of tortoises carrying stone tablets with the names of the graduates. To gain a long and healthy life, it is believed that a man must touch seven different turtles with his left hand; and a woman, nine with her right hand. (A digression: I had a Twilight Zone moment at the temple when a Vietnamese baby walked toward me and lovingly embraced me. What a heartwarming scene, indeed. Hmm, in his past life that kid must have been a king… And I, the favorite horse. Anyway…)
After an abbreviated history of a city with a thousand stories, the students presented their treasure-hunt findings at Koto (Know One Teach One), a non-profit restaurant that provides vocational training program for disadvantaged Vietnamese youth.
It wasn’t always Amazing Race-style treasure-hunt fun for the HYLI delegates.
The students visited the SOS Children’s Village, which cares for, educates, and gives a safe home to mostly orphans, abandoned and homeless children from Hanoi and surrounding provinces. The HYLI delegates interacted with the SOS kids, played ice-breaker games and engaged in community work by visiting places such as Lich Canal, Hoan Kiem Lake and Long Bien Wholesale Market to test water samples and present their findings, so as to teach the children the importance of taking care of valuable resources such as water.
The centerpiece of the whole HYLI summit was an intensive two-day forum where eight prominent leaders from all over Asia spoke on pressing issues, and interacted with the students during grueling but highly informative workshops.
The first keynote speaker was Vu Khoan, former Deputy Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and currently the special envoy to the Prime Minister for External Affairs. Khoan said, "One issue we must confront is how to mobilize the talented people (the country’s youths) to help form the policies of the nation."
The speakers for day one were Thailand’s Sukhumbhand Paribatra, Indonesia’s Faisal Basri and Vietnam’s Ton Nu Thi Ninh. They talked about what the economic development of China and India can bring to the Asian region.
The second keynote speaker was our very own Senator Pia Cayetano, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and Health and Demography. Cayetano talked how "information, education and communication" can help provide possible solutions to the worsening environmental conditions confronting not just Asia but the world at large.
"Environmental awareness should start by educating children and instilling in them a sense of responsibility to care for the environment," she said. "We must educate at the very source."
The Filipino senator also advocated a joint monitoring environmental commission composed of people from the government and NGOs. As a regional approach to the problem, she calls for the sharing of technical information between nations.
The speakers for day two were Singapore’s Wilson Chan, Japan’s Shigeo Fujii, and Malaysia’s Datuk Ir. Haji Keizrul Abdullah. They talked about the challenges for Asia in water management and sustainability. According to Abdullah, "We’re all stakeholders in this issue, we are part of the solution, and integrated and holistic solutions are needed. We need everybody  politicians and citizens."
And, of course, the youth.
One guy who believes in the power, the potential of the youthful mind is Shunsuke Ohtsu, Hitachi chief executive for Asia and the founder of HYLI. He said, "We are fortunate to have experts in the field to share their wisdom to the 28 students. HYLI provides opportunities to the youth to network with their peers, to interact with established leaders. So that everybody else involved can benefit  not just the students."
In day four of the conference, the HYLI students working in groups presented their recommendations based on the talks of the speakers and as a result of intense workshop sessions. For the economic sub-theme "What China and India’s Economic Development Can Bring To Asia," the students proposed the development of a "Less-Developed Countries Protection Policy," to put pressure on the more advanced economies to "encourage private business to invest via Foreign Direct Investment." For the environment sub-theme "Challenges for Asia in Water Management and Sustainability," the students saw the need for the development and sharing of technologies to recycle and desalinate water and to reduce industrial water consumption. According to the people from Hitachi, the recommendations will be distributed to respective governments, academics and related NGOs.
In answering questions from the press about how the students managed to work together, settle their differences and disagreements, and come up with unified presentations, Singapore’s Yam Yujian said, "We came here to present ideas about regional cooperation  this (the Hitachi initiative in itself) is an example of regional cooperation."
"We tried very hard to listen to each other, to keep our minds open," said Japan’s Saeko Mizuta. "There were disagreements (but they came about) because we were honest with each other." She added that it would be great if they could solve all the world’s problems in three days, but HYLI serves as an example of how open minds spell wonders.
Malaysia’s Siti Hawa Binte Anurddin agreed. "We all brought unique perspectives because we all have different backgrounds and cultures. We brought our own unique ideas and suggestions, but we had to work together because our roles and responsibilities come first. We have a huge responsibility to Hitachi, to our own country, to the whole of Asia itself. As young as we are, we have to act like the leaders we will be in the future."
In conclusion, Siti quipped, "We didn’t come here as students; we came here as leaders."
The fruit of Hitachi’s treasure hunt, right there.
For comments, suggestions, curses and invocations, e-mail iganja_ys@yahoo.com.
HYLI is an annual conference launched in 1996 that gathers some of Asia’s best students to provide a forum for them to discuss regional and global issues together with distinguished speakers from the region, as well as to develop recommendations. In conjunction with the company’s "Inspire The Next" tagline, the goal of the people from Hitachi is to identify and groom some of Asia’s future leaders.
According to Tadahiko Ishigaki, Hitachi senior vice president and executive officer, HYLI is a platform to promote cross-cultural understanding and Asian solidarity. "We want the students to enhance the lives of people in their own community, since community service is integral to our company Hitachi, and to take the lead in building Asia’s future." Where do redemption and renewal lie, anyway, but on the shoulders of the youth  idealistic, creative and incorruptible (as our National Hero Jose Rizal once declared)?
At that point between the grand Ba Dinh Square and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, where the remains of the Vietnamese leader lie, the students that comprised the "Dragon" group were preoccupied with managing the time allotted for each task and sustaining their momentum. Hitachi executives Toshihito Fujita and Yoko Ito, ICON’s Roxanne Toh accompanied the group. The students’ mission was to visit the various treasures of Hanoi: the Revolutionary Square, Ho Chi Minh’s house, the Buddha tree, the Temple of Literature, and Hoan Kiem Lake at the center of the city.
From our trusty tour guide we learned so much. Ha Noi means "capital inside a river." The city streets are ruled by pedicabs (cyclos or xhiclos, introduced by the French in the ’20s) and three million motorbikes (xe om), with two to three scooters per household. By "rule," I mean the xe om drivers look as if they would run pedestrians down. (The trick, I guess, is to cross the streets blindfolded and leave it all up to The Force like a Luke Streetwalker; the Darth Bikers will have no choice but to yield.) There are seemingly no rules for driving in Hanoi. No one wearing a crash helmet, because those "hindrances" prevent "lovers from talking." Nothing beats muttering sweet nothings as the scooter anarchically snakes its away on Hanoi streets to meet an appointment with inevitable doom. By the way, 35 people die each day in motorbike accidents in Vietnam. I was decrying to the guide how terrible the traffic conditions in Hanoi were when somebody asked me where I was from. Manila…. Oh…. I see…. Talk about the pot dissing the kettle…
Then it was off to the Temple of Literature, which was founded in 1070 and established as the country’s first university six years later, for more clues for the students. At the temple, there are statues of tortoises carrying stone tablets with the names of the graduates. To gain a long and healthy life, it is believed that a man must touch seven different turtles with his left hand; and a woman, nine with her right hand. (A digression: I had a Twilight Zone moment at the temple when a Vietnamese baby walked toward me and lovingly embraced me. What a heartwarming scene, indeed. Hmm, in his past life that kid must have been a king… And I, the favorite horse. Anyway…)
After an abbreviated history of a city with a thousand stories, the students presented their treasure-hunt findings at Koto (Know One Teach One), a non-profit restaurant that provides vocational training program for disadvantaged Vietnamese youth.
The students visited the SOS Children’s Village, which cares for, educates, and gives a safe home to mostly orphans, abandoned and homeless children from Hanoi and surrounding provinces. The HYLI delegates interacted with the SOS kids, played ice-breaker games and engaged in community work by visiting places such as Lich Canal, Hoan Kiem Lake and Long Bien Wholesale Market to test water samples and present their findings, so as to teach the children the importance of taking care of valuable resources such as water.
The centerpiece of the whole HYLI summit was an intensive two-day forum where eight prominent leaders from all over Asia spoke on pressing issues, and interacted with the students during grueling but highly informative workshops.
The first keynote speaker was Vu Khoan, former Deputy Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and currently the special envoy to the Prime Minister for External Affairs. Khoan said, "One issue we must confront is how to mobilize the talented people (the country’s youths) to help form the policies of the nation."
The speakers for day one were Thailand’s Sukhumbhand Paribatra, Indonesia’s Faisal Basri and Vietnam’s Ton Nu Thi Ninh. They talked about what the economic development of China and India can bring to the Asian region.
The second keynote speaker was our very own Senator Pia Cayetano, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and Health and Demography. Cayetano talked how "information, education and communication" can help provide possible solutions to the worsening environmental conditions confronting not just Asia but the world at large.
"Environmental awareness should start by educating children and instilling in them a sense of responsibility to care for the environment," she said. "We must educate at the very source."
The Filipino senator also advocated a joint monitoring environmental commission composed of people from the government and NGOs. As a regional approach to the problem, she calls for the sharing of technical information between nations.
The speakers for day two were Singapore’s Wilson Chan, Japan’s Shigeo Fujii, and Malaysia’s Datuk Ir. Haji Keizrul Abdullah. They talked about the challenges for Asia in water management and sustainability. According to Abdullah, "We’re all stakeholders in this issue, we are part of the solution, and integrated and holistic solutions are needed. We need everybody  politicians and citizens."
And, of course, the youth.
One guy who believes in the power, the potential of the youthful mind is Shunsuke Ohtsu, Hitachi chief executive for Asia and the founder of HYLI. He said, "We are fortunate to have experts in the field to share their wisdom to the 28 students. HYLI provides opportunities to the youth to network with their peers, to interact with established leaders. So that everybody else involved can benefit  not just the students."
In answering questions from the press about how the students managed to work together, settle their differences and disagreements, and come up with unified presentations, Singapore’s Yam Yujian said, "We came here to present ideas about regional cooperation  this (the Hitachi initiative in itself) is an example of regional cooperation."
"We tried very hard to listen to each other, to keep our minds open," said Japan’s Saeko Mizuta. "There were disagreements (but they came about) because we were honest with each other." She added that it would be great if they could solve all the world’s problems in three days, but HYLI serves as an example of how open minds spell wonders.
Malaysia’s Siti Hawa Binte Anurddin agreed. "We all brought unique perspectives because we all have different backgrounds and cultures. We brought our own unique ideas and suggestions, but we had to work together because our roles and responsibilities come first. We have a huge responsibility to Hitachi, to our own country, to the whole of Asia itself. As young as we are, we have to act like the leaders we will be in the future."
In conclusion, Siti quipped, "We didn’t come here as students; we came here as leaders."
The fruit of Hitachi’s treasure hunt, right there.
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