Vietnam

Even though the Vietnam War ended in 1975, the war still affects our image of the country. The end of the war meant that a divided Vietnam was reunited. It also meant that all of Vietnam became a single-party Communist state. When Vietnam invaded Cambodia in 1978 and ended the brutal Pol Pot regime, the result was that Vietnam was isolated and most development assistance was withdrawn. The fall of the Soviet Union forced an opening in the economic area. In 1986 what was called “Doi Moi”, the new economic policy reforms, were introduced, as Vietnam abandoned its planned economy. Foreign investors were attracted to the country and many companies opened factories to take advantage of the low costs.

In recent years Vietnam has witnessed strong economic growth. This has been especially rapid in the large cities, which have also seen sharply rising average incomes. But in the countryside poverty is still widespread.

But a parallel development in democracy has gone slowly. In Vietnam, like China, politics are characterised by economic neo-liberalism in combination with one-party rule. The Communist Party still maintains total control over the country’s political life. However there ha been a slight opening for civil society.

Analysis

In Vietnam there are no opportunities for activities by independent political and social organisations. To contribute to local democratisation and increased participation, you have to work through established organisations, which have the support of the party and at the same time reach a broad public. The Vietnamese women’s organisation is an example of such an organisation. Another opportunity for increased participation is the Vietnamese co-operative movement, which has a relatively strong position in the country. It has been possible, especially within consumer co-operatives, to start successful commercial enterprises, at the same time strengthening member influence. In many countries the ability of a co-operative to raise issues of democracy is underestimated. But in Vietnam the co-operative has an opportunity to contribute to a democratisation of society in general, especially if popular education and labour issues can be included within the co-operative’s activities.

Development Co-operation

Work in Vietnam has so far primarily been focused on co-operatives.  From initially concentrating on development of consumer co-operatives in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), these activities have gradually grown and today there are co-operatives on the local, regional and even national level. By supporting the development of an institute for co-operative education, the ideals of the co-operative movement can be strengthened in the entire country.

The development of a democratic co-operative movement is important for the country’s poor, both to strengthen their economic situation and to strengthen the framework for democratic decision-making.

There are many women active in the co-operative movement, and our work has had a positive effect on equal opportunities for women. Another area which has contributed to increased equality are the projects between the National Federation of Social Democratic Women in Sweden and the Vietnamese women’s organisation. This has included a library to increase interest in literacy and reading. The opportunities for women for democratic influence and to support themselves have also been strengthened.