Seminar calls for long-term support for Agent Orange/dioxin victims. VAVA President Lt. Gen. Nguyen Huu Chinh stressed that assistance should extend beyond immediate relief to ensure victims have better access to healthcare, rehabilitation, education, vocational training and livelihood opportunities, enabling them to integrate into society. 16 giờ trước Hanoi (VNA) - The consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin have continued to affect Vietnamese families across generations, underscoring the need for sustained support for victims and stronger international cooperation in addressing the legacy of toxic chemicals. The issue was highlighted at a seminar entitled "65 Years of the Agent Orange/Dioxin Disaster in Vietnam" held in Hanoi on October 21. The event was organised by the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO), the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (VAVA), the National Action Centre for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACET), the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Addressing Post-war Consequences of Unexploded Ordnance and Toxic Chemicals in Vietnam (Office 701) and the Vietnam-USA Society. In his opening remarks, VUFO Vice President Dong Huy Cuong said the union hopes to promote people-to-people diplomacy and mobilise support from the Vietnam Fatherland Front, socio-political organisations, people's organisations, and international friends in helping the country address the consequences of Agent Orange. VAVA President Lt. Gen. Nguyen Huu Chinh stressed that assistance should extend beyond immediate relief to ensure victims have better access to healthcare, rehabilitation, education, vocational training and livelihood opportunities, enabling them to integrate into society. He acknowledged contributions from domestic and international organisations and individuals to victim care and environmental remediation, but said substantial needs remain. Addressing them requires targeted programmes, stable funding, and effective coordination, as well as the substantive engagement of victims. Bui The Giang, Vice President of the Vietnam-USA Society, called for turning goodwill into concrete humanitarian action, with adequate resources and measurable results to support victims and remediate dioxin-contaminated areas. Charles R. Bailey, former head of the Ford Foundation's Vietnam office, proposed providing resources for VAVA and NACET to update lists of households affected by war-related disabilities and identify those meeting Vietnam's criteria for Agent Orange and unexploded ordnance victims. He recommended prioritising poor households in heavily sprayed areas where people with severe disabilities require full-time family care. Direct assistance could be delivered to selected families over three years, covering housing improvements, vocational training, small-business loans, rehabilitation and social services. Such support will improve living conditions and help the families become more self-reliant, he said. Vuong Thi Quyen, a second-generation Agent Orange victim from Quang Tri province, shared the lasting impact of the toxic chemicals on her life and other families. She called for continued support from domestic and international organisations and individuals to improve victims' living conditions and help them integrate into society. "Our bodies may be damaged by Agent Orange, but our will to live and yearning for justice will never be subdued," she emphasised. Participants discussed resource mobilisation, the role of international non-governmental organisations, and people-to-people diplomacy in addressing war legacies and protecting victims' fundamental rights. The seminar also included an open discussion with participants attending in person, and international ones joining online. An estimated 4.8 million Vietnamese people were exposed to toxic chemicals, including about three million Agent Orange/dioxin victims. The effects continue to affect subsequent generations. Incomplete statistics showed that as of 2024, more than 35,000 victims belonged to the third generation and over 6,000 to the fourth. The figures underscore the urgent need for long-term assistance and sustained cooperation between domestic organisations and international partners to address the enduring consequences of war./.

Ford Foundation appoints Fatima Goss Graves to Board of Trustees. October 20, 2026 By PR Newswire NEW YORK, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Today, the Ford Foundation announced the election of Fatima Goss Graves to its board of trustees. Ms. Goss Graves is the president and chief executive officer of the National Women's Law Center and president of the National Women's Law Center Action Fund. "We are thrilled to welcome Fatima Goss Graves's perspective and expertise to the Ford Foundation Board of Trustees," said Ursula Burns, Chair of the Ford Foundation Board of Trustees. "Fatima's track record speaks for itself, her strategic vision, fearless advocacy, and proven ability to drive meaningful organizational and systemic change make her an invaluable addition to our Board of Trustees." Ms. Goss Graves is a nationally recognized expert on gender justice, law, policy, and culture change. As an attorney, she has spent her career fighting to advance opportunities for women and girls, including income security and COVID relief, equal pay, health and reproductive rights, education access, workplace justice and ending sexual harassment and violence - with a focus on women and girls of color. "Fatima Goss Graves possesses a sharp legal intellect, exceptional sector insight, and a steadfast dedication to justice," said Heather Gerken, president of the Ford Foundation. "I could not be more excited to welcome her to the Board of Trustees. Across Fatima's career, her strategic vision and formidable advocacy have broadened pathways for communities everywhere, particularly women and girls of color. Her presence and insights will be invaluable as we enter the next chapter of the Ford Foundation." "I am deeply honored to join the Board of Trustees and work alongside the Ford Foundation's extraordinary leadership," said Fatima Goss Graves. "I have dedicated my career to ensuring that all people can live with safety, dignity, and full agency over their lives and that women and their families have what they need to flourish. I am eager to bring that same commitment to Ford's vital mission in the years ahead." Ms. Goss Graves has testified on complex policy matters at the state and federal levels of government in the United States and has been legal and social commentator on CBS, MSNBC, BBC, CNN, PBS, and NPR, and numerous outlets, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post. In addition to the Ford Foundation, Ms. Goss Graves serves on a number of boards in advisory and governance capacities. Based in Washington D.C., she is a graduate of UCLA and Yale Law School. Ford Foundation trustees are elected by the board and serve six-year terms. Trustees set broad policies relating to grantmaking, geographic focus, investments, governance, and professional standards, and they oversee independent audits. The foundation's trustees come from around the world and have extensive experience in higher education, business and finance, technology, law, government, civil society, and the nonprofit sector. About the Ford Foundation The Ford Foundation is an independent organization working to address inequality and build a future grounded in justice. For 90 years, it has supported visionaries on the frontlines of social change worldwide, guided by its mission to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement. Today, with an endowment of $18 billion, the foundation has headquarters in New York and 10 regional offices across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Learn more at www.fordfoundation.org. The information provided in this article was created by Cision PR Newswire, its news partner. The author's opinions and the content shared on this page are their own and may not necessarily represent the perspectives of Thailand Business Directory.

The Ford Foundation has elected Fatima Goss Graves to its board of trustees. She is president and chief executive officer of the National Women's Law Center and president of its Action Fund. Goss Graves is an attorney and expert on gender justice, law, and policy. Her work has focused on equal pay, health and reproductive rights, education access, and ending sexual harassment, particularly for women and girls of color. "Fatima's track record speaks for itself," said board chair Ursula Burns, citing her strategic vision and advocacy. Trustees are elected by the board and serve six-year terms. The foundation, which has an endowment of $18 billion, is based in New York and has 10 regional offices.