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AsiaDHRRA is supporting VNFU’s project entitled “Building Policy Advocacy Capacity for Vietnam Farmer’s Union staffs” with financing from DGD Belgium through Agricord. The project aims to, among others, equip VNFU leaders and staff with some fundamental knowledge, skills and competence in policy advocacy.
Last February 28 to March 1, VNFU in cooperation with AsiaDHRRA, organized a start-up workshop to arrived a unity of understanding on the rationale, objectives and targets of the project, develop a training needs assessment tool and finalize schedules of key activities. Representatives from AsiaDHRRA; heads of VNFU departments and representatives from Province and City Farmer’s Union participated and presided the workshop.  The workshop was held at the VNFU Headquarters in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Mr. Leu Vu Dieu, Vice-Chairman of the VNFU Central Committee, presided over the opening ceremony of the workshop. In his opening remarks,  Vice- Chairman of VNFU Mr. Leu Vu Dieu said “Nowadays, some guidelines, mechanisms, policies relating to agriculture, farmers, and countryside are insufficient. This fact requires VNFU to become socio-political organization representing legitimate and legal rights and interests of farmers members; to continue to hold firm and enhance the efficiency of participating to contribute and advocate policies for farmers’ interests. However, almost VNFU’s staffs have never been trained basic knowledge and skills in this area”.

Ms. Marlene Ramizer, General Secretary of AsiaDHRRA  pointed out that “Policy advocacy is a strategy aiming to impact on policy makers when they create laws, policies and rules that affects  resource allocation as well as give other decisions aimed at providing better services and program to uplift farmers and rural communities in general. There are various strategies that aim to bring policy issues to policy makers. But constructive engagement framework on policy advocacy has provided broader opportunities for the participation of farmers on the policies making processes but also opportunities for working together in the implementation of programs resulting from the issuance or enactment of laws and policies. These opportunities put farmers, government and other stakeholders in a trustful relationship and become more effective in agents of development.
Ms. Marides Gardiola, constructive engagement and policy advocacy expert of AsiaDHRRA, also pointed out that to enhance knowledge, skills and competence of VNFU staff and leaders in policy advocacy, it was necessary to assess training needs and classify them based on 3 criteria: Knowledge (law, agricultural policies, issues and challenges, etc), Skills (policy articulation, lobbying and negotiation, communication, etc) and Attitudes (confidence, sentiment, willingness to listen, resolution in identify needs of fields, etc). The results of the assessment will provide inputs in the development of training modules, identify subjects to focus and enhance the rate of success and efficiency of the training processes.

At the end of the workshop,  Mr. Leu Vu Dieu VNFU Vice-Chairman emphasized on the importance of the project, especially in capacity building for VNFU’s staffs in planning and enforcing policies. He required Management Board of the Project to coordinate with related parties to specify, build up plans to deploy effectively the project becoming premise to broaden the project to the next phases.