Tam Chuc Pagoda in the northern province of Ha Nam, the venue of the UN Day of Vesak 2019 Celebration (Photo: VNA)
Ha Nam (VNA) – The United Nations Day of Vesak 2019 Celebration is set to bﷺegin in Tam Chuc Pagoda in the northern province of Ha Nam on May 12.
According to the organisers, more than 1,600 international delegates of over 110 countries and territories have arrived to attend the event, including Government and State leaders, the UN Deputy Secretary-General, representatives of ministries, agencies and localities, and monks, nuns and Buddhist followers.
Themed “Buddhist approach to global leadership and shared responsibilities for sustainable cities,” the Vesak 2019 celebration will take place from May 12-14.
It will comprise of five workshops which will bring up issues like responsible leadership for sustainable peace, Buddhist approaches to family issues, healthcare, education, morality, responsible consumption and the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Buddhism.
Nearly 400 speeches in English by foreign scholars and 110 others in Vietnamese will be presented at forums in the framework of the Festival. Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, who is also Chairman of the Rajya Sabha - the upper house of the Parliament of India, will be the main speaker of the celebration.
Along with workshops and forums, the festival will feature Buddhist rituals, a floral lantern release, and an exhibition, among others.
A social network for Buddhists at //butta.vn and a postage stamp to celebrate the UN Day of Vesak 2019 were launched on May 11.
It will be the third time the UN’s commemoration of Vesak is held in Vietnam. Previously, it took place in Hanoi in 2008 and the northern province of Ninh Binh in 2014
"Vesak", the Day of the Full Moon in the month of May, is the year’s most sacred day to the millions of Buddhists around the world. It was on the Day of Vesak two and a half millennia ago that the Buddha was born. It was also on the Day of Vesak that the Buddha attained enlightenment, and it was on the Day of Vesak that the Buddha passed away.
The UN General Assembly internationally recognised the Day of Vesak in 1999 to ackno🐬wledge the contributions Buddhism, one of the oldest religions in the world, has made to humanity.
The National Vietnam Buddhist Sangha will host the 16th United Nations Day of Vesak (UNDV) celebrations and international Buddhist conference in Ha Nam Province from May 12 to May 14.
In order to ensure security for the United Nations Day of Vesak 2019, the Ninh Binh Provincial Police Department has intensified measures to maintain public order throughout the celebration.
Vietnamese scholars, Buddhist dignitaries and followers highlighted the use of Buddhist philosophy as an approach to ethics education across the globe at a forum held in Ha Nam province on May 11.
A postage stamp was launched by the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha on May 11 to celebrate the UN Day of Vesak 2019.
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Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
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The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
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A hub for sharing best practices, the event aims to forge solutions for financial sustainability, public media contracts, audience engagement, content innovation, and newsroom restructuring. It is also a moment for Vietnam’s media to accelerate its progress and figure out what the “revolutionary press” means in a new era.
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Tam Chuc Pagoda in the northern province of Ha Nam, the venue of the UN Day of Vesak 2019 Celebration (Photo: VNA) 
