TDM city upholds organizations’ role in building up civilized urban and cultural lifestyle

Building up a civilized urban and cultural lifestyle is a major movement with important significance in sustainable and modern urban development. In Thu Dau Mot (TDM) city, this campaign has been widely deployed and received the attention of the entire political system, the consensus of people from all strata, comprising of the active response of religious organizations.

Active response

With the goal of building TDM into one of the green - clean - beautiful, civilized, polite cities where the people are compassionate, hospitable and affectionate, the city's government and people have implemented many solutions to build and form up a civilized urban and cultural lifestyle. Since then, these activities have brought important results. The city's appearance has changed more and more clearly towards civilization and modernity with traditional cultural values preserved and upheld, people's lives improved constantly, positively contributing to the overall result, with positive contributions by the local religious organizations.

Pho Thien Hoa Pagoda’s self-management group on environmental protection and response to climate change getting involved in environmental sanitation

In early August, TDM city’s Fatherland Front Committee coordinated with the Executive Board of the city’s Buddhist Sangha to organize the program of emulation for the implementation of the criteria of "citizen with 5 exemplary performances" and build up a "city without waste" at Hoi An pagoda in Hoa Phu ward. The program has received the attention and response of religious dignitaries, monks, nuns and Buddhist flowers in the city. Through this program, TDM city has called on the local monks, nuns and Buddhists followers to join hands in implementing a plan on building up a "city without waste" and building up a "green, clean, beautiful and civilized" city by meaningful and practical deeds such as dropping litter at the prescribed time and in the right place; limiting single-use plastic products, keeping areas around monasteries clean without waste, especially after religious activities, festivals...are organized.

Earlier, Phu Cuong ward’s Fatherland Front Committee also coordinated with Pho Thien Hoa pagoda to launch a model on "Self-management group for environmental protection and climate change” for Buddhist followers. Venerable Thich Minh Vu, Deputy Head of provincial Buddhist Sangha’s Executive Board, Head of provincial Buddhist Sangha’s Dharma Propagation Commission, Head of Pho Thien Hoa pagoda said that the establishment of the self-management group was very meaningful. Based on its operational regulations, the self-management group will conduct periodic hygiene, contributing to well realizing a project on improving the quality of the campaign "Building up a civilized urban and cultural lifestyle" in the period of 2021-2025, especially effectively responding to the "city without waste" model. Members of the self-management group are responsible for propagandizing, mobilizing, and reminding Buddhist followers and households to actively participate in maintaining environmental hygiene in each family and in residential areas with such practical actions as clearing canals, cleaning up streets, alleys...

Further developing

Venerable Thich Minh Vu added that along with other religious organizations, provincial Buddhist Sangha and its branches as well as monks, nuns and Buddhist followers have always complied with the Party's guidelines, the State’s policies and laws; actively responded to campaigns launched by all-level authorities and Fatherland Front Committees, especially the movement of “All people uniting to build up cultural life in residential areas, building up a civilized urban and cultural lifestyle”. Besides preserving the fine customs and traditions of Vietnamese people, provincial Buddhist Sangha and its branches have jointly mobilized people to gradually eliminate superstitious and unnecessary cumbersome customs, especially in weddings and funerals..., aiming at joining hands in building up a better and better cultural and civilized lifestyle in residential areas.

Recently, a number of monasteries have coordinated with localities to establish self-management groups on environmental protection to build up a more prosperous, civilized, and cleaner locality. Depending on actual conditions, each group will provide appropriate contents in order to propagandize and mobilize people to participate in environmental protection in residential areas, with the following contents: strictly implementing regulations on waste collection and treatment, dropping litter trash at the prescribed time and in the right place; not letting pets roam freely, not letting them defecate, making public places unsanitary; regularly preventing epidemics and maintaining hygiene in families and quarters; equipping trash cans, planting trees, not discharging wastewater into the street...

Tran Dong Thanh, Vice-Chairman of Thu Dau Mot city’s Fatherland Front Committee said that the city has so far established 228 self-management groups on environmental protection and response to climate change, including 118 groups in residential areas and 10 groups in religious organizations. In addition to the Buddhist community, in TDM city, there are also other religious organizations participating in the task. In the spirit of volunteer and self-awareness, the city's Fatherland Front Committee as well as localities will further develop this model at a number of other cathedrals and monasteries in the city.

Along with that, the locality will organize more campaigns to mobilize the involvement of religious organizations, with focus on coordination to bring together religious organizations to participate in a program, creating solidarity and attachment between religional organizations as well as between religious organizations and all-level authorities in building up a civilized urban and cultural lifestyle.

Reported by Hong Thuan-Translated by Kim Tin