On the 23rd of April 2014, LIN shared a coffee with 15 representatives of nonprofit organizations to talk about "Governance", a fairly new topic in the development of Vietnamese nonprofit organizations. Ms. Elizabeth Pham, Director of Consulting at LIN started the event by introducing the concept. After the brief introduction, each member shared the different ways they think about and apply governance to their own organizations.
It became clear that local nonprofits organizations remain challenged by the establishment and management of a true governing Board/Council. Many organizations do not yet see the importance of having a governing board or how it can help to direct the mission and strategy of their organization.
"After this meeting, we understand more about the practical experience as well as current governance practices of our nonprofit partners," noted Mr. Son Pham, LIN's Deputy Director. He added, "LIN is about to introduce our next Toolkit, which focuses on Governance and Law for small nonprofits which should help these organizations better understand the importance of governance and how to apply it to their organizations."
NPO Leadership Circle
On the 25th of April 2014, 15 nonprofit organizational leaders took part in a sharing session on the subject "How to work with difficult staff" presented by Mrs. Hông Vân Nguyên, Associate Director of Nam Viêt Thuan Company.
Mrs. Hông Vân used the theory of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) to explain relationships within a organization, which highlights the importance of understanding differences in individuals. One of our NPO leaders decided to play the role of the non-cooperative participant. Although LIN and the speaker were not made aware of this individual's plan, Mrs. Hông Vân managed the situation well and provided a good example of how to react in such a situation. "It was an interesting sharing session; it fully enlightened me of new knowledge and perspective," said Mr. Hung Trân, Tinh Than Programe. He added, "I think LIN should invite Mrs. Hông Vân to possibly make a training session related to NLP one day so that participants can be educated on this theory. The sharing session helped me understand the role of the leader in an organization."
NPOs in Hanoi and HCMC meet to discuss the Law on Associations and the Law on Access to Information
On 9 May, the LIN Community Center made it possible for five HCMC based nonprofits to join, via teleconference, the People's Participation Working Group Meeting (in Hanoi), which was organized to assemble nonprofit organizations and individuals interested to learn about how they can contribute to an upcoming National Assembly review of the Law on Associations and the Law on the Access to Information.
At the end of the seminar, two working groups were established, one to focus on each law. Both groups confirmed that the key goal of this process is to mobilize people's input on the draft revisions revisions to both laws and ensure that this input is included in the legislative program from 2015 to 2016. NPOs from HCMC agreed to support the working group that is focusing on the Law on Associations. The seminar formed the foundation for an open forum for individuals and organizations that are interested in the two laws to provide their input.
Introducing the new and improved LIN website
After one year, long hours, late nights, brainstorms, debates and discussions, we are thrilled to announce the launch of a new and improved version of the LIN website.
When you visit the new website, we hope you may take a few minutes to complete our new website survey to share your feedback, positive and/or constructive. Change is not always easy, particularly for LIN's friends and partners who used the old LIN website. So, please do not hesitate to let us know if you cannot find something or if you think we should add something to the new site. It is our goal for the website to be as user friendly and informative as possible. We hope you like it!
