CHANGE VIETNAM
(THE CENTER OF HANDS-ON ACTION AND NETWORKING FOR GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENT)
TRAVELLIVE: Could you please tell
us about the roles of CHANGE’s
ambassadors in this campaign?
-- The ambassadors are famous
people with extensive influence in
society. During the campaign, they
represented our organizations by
appearing in the media with partnering
TV stations as well as press and
advertising agencies. They, together
with CHANGE, produce and deliver
public service announcements (PSA)
and print ads to call for people’s
attention, especially their fans, to bring
an end to the evils of trading rhino
horns.
TRAVELLIVE: What is Vietnam’s
position on the horn trade? How has
the demand for horns reduced after the
campaign?
-- According to the Illegal Trade
In Ivory And Rhino Horn Report
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TRAVELLIVE
published by TRAFFIC in 2014,
Vietnam ranks No.1 in rhino horn
consumption! But now with state
support, several NGOs have put
forth enormous effort into various
campaigns; therefore, the number
of Vietnamese people consuming
rhino horns has decreased by 38%.
After one year, the number of people
believing in rhino horns’ benefits has
fallen by 25.4% according to a survey
conducted by the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITIES) Vietnam and Human Society
International (HSI).
1,000 people from 6 cities (Hanoi,
HCMC, Danang, Hai Phong, Nha
Trang, and Can Tho) participated
in this survey. It can obviously be
seen that the rhino horn demand in
Vietnam has dramatically decreased
since the campaign started in last
August.
TRAVELLIVE: What are CHANGE’s
next events and campaigns to protect
rhinos?
-- After next year, the last year for
the campaign, “Stop using rhino horns
in Vietnam”, CHANGE will continue
with the project by enhancing our
social media power to disseminate the
message to the public, particularly to
businessmen and Buddhists.
CHANGE has also expanded its
outreach channels, and focused
more on bulletin boards at airports
where the target audiences often
visit. We are calling for more support
from leading experts in the field of
health such as doctors. Moreover,
we will keep inviting and welcoming
international stars to work as our
ambassadors in Vietnam. We are
preparing a big event with about 2000
participants at the end of this year
to summarize the campaign’s results
after 3 years of implementation.