Green - clean - beautiful at traditional ethnic and religious festivals

Environmental protection at traditional ethnic and religious festivals is receiving attention from agencies and functional units in the Mekong Delta region.

Raising environmental awareness at traditional festivals

Every year, in the Mekong Delta, many traditional festivals of ethnic groups and religions take place, attracting thousands of participants. In order for the festivals to take place in a safe, joyful, secure, economical atmosphere and not affect the water and air environment, in recent times, the agencies and functional units of the Mekong Delta have focused on propaganda before, during and after the festivals on environmental protection, limiting the use of disposable plastic products; at the same time, mobilizing religious dignitaries, officials, followers and people to actively participate in environmental sanitation activities to create a clean and beautiful appearance for roads, river banks, canals, and public entertainment areas.

Sharing with reporters, Mr. Le Van Son, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hau Giang province, said: In recent times, environmental protection work at festivals of ethnic minorities and religions in Hau Giang province has always been of interest to sectors, levels and organizations, especially festivals that gather large crowds and use large quantities of food and drinks. Before and during the festival, the government, the front, organizations and religious worship facilities focus on propagating and mobilizing religious dignitaries, officials, followers and people to put trash in bins properly and not to litter.

According to Mr. Le Van Son, through the propaganda and mobilization of awareness of environmental hygiene and food safety of dignitaries, officials, religious followers and people participating in festivals in recent times, there has been a clear change, contributing to making festivals of ethnic minorities and religions in Hau Giang province increasingly safe, civilized, green - clean - beautiful.

In recent days, the Association of Patriotic Monks and Monks in Soc Trang province has been actively coordinating with agencies and functional units to develop a plan to organize the Ok Om Bok festival (Moon worship ceremony) in 2023. Venerable Ly Duc, National Assembly Delegate of the 15th term, Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Soc Trang province, Vice President of the Association of Patriotic Monks and Monks in Soc Trang province, said: The Ook Om Bok festival is one of the major folk festivals of the year for the Khmer people, so it will attract a lot of participants.

In order for this year's Ok Om Bok festival to take place in a joyful, safe, economical, meaningful and environmentally friendly atmosphere, the Association of Patriotic Monks and Monks Solidarity has been promoting and mobilizing monks and members of the community to directly participate in the activities of Ngo boat racing, moon worship, lantern releasing... or those who come to cheer and visit the festival to maintain security and order, protect the environment by minimizing the use of disposable plastic products, and throwing garbage in the right place, contributing to creating a green - clean - beautiful aesthetic for the areas where activities take place within the framework of the festival.

Religious worship facilities in the Mekong Delta are implementing many solutions to protect the environment, green - clean - beautiful.

Building a green - clean - beautiful place of worship

Recently, Can Tho City organized the Military - People Tet program to celebrate the traditional Chol Chnam Thmay New Year 2023. This is the third year that the Can Tho City armed forces have coordinated with local authorities and authorities to organize this program, attracting a large audience to attend and enjoy the performances imbued with national identity.
Venerable Dr. Ly Hung, Deputy Head of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha in Can Tho City; Vice President of the Association of Patriotic Monks and Monks in Can Tho City said: To contribute to the success of the annual Army-Civilian Tet program to celebrate the traditional Chol Chnam Thmay New Year, the Association of Patriotic Monks and Monks and Monks and Monks and Monks and Monks and Monks and Monks and Monks and Monks and Monks in Can Tho City propagate and encourage monks and Buddhists to strictly follow the regulations when attending, especially to dispose of waste in the right place.

According to Venerable, Dr. Ly Hung, the Khmer people have a rich and long-standing cultural tradition, with a distinct and unique feature that most cultural activities are associated with temples and Buddhism. Almost all major and minor festivals of the year are held at the temple. Therefore, during these festivals, many Buddhists and visitors from all over the world come to the temple to worship and bring a large number of items such as plastic bags, plastic cups, foam boxes, and disposable water bottles.

“To protect the temple grounds to always be clean and beautiful, bringing a fresh feeling, closeness between people and nature, the temple has planted many trees, equipped many trash bins; at the same time, propagandized and mobilized Buddhists to throw trash in the right place, contributing to environmental protection.

In addition to propagating and mobilizing religious dignitaries, officials, followers and people to raise awareness of protecting the green - clean - beautiful environment at traditional festivals; religions in the Mekong Delta are also actively responding to the "Anti-plastic waste" movement by calling on places of worship and followers of religions to change their habits to limit the use of plastic bags, plastic bottles and other single-use plastic items; actively recycling and reusing to reduce the burden of plastic waste pollution, affecting the natural environment and public health; increasing the use of traditional items.

Venerable Ly Duc said that in order to contribute to reducing pollution from plastic waste, the temple has always encouraged monks, Buddhists and relatives to limit the use of hard-to-decompose plastic bags and replace them with environmentally friendly, easily decomposable products such as bamboo, rattan, sedge, banana leaves; at the same time, boldly recycle and reuse plastic waste to contribute to protecting the environment and human health.

In order for environmental protection activities in general and the "Anti-plastic waste" movement in particular to be increasingly effective, Mr. Le Van Son said that in the coming time, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Hau Giang province will continue to coordinate with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment and religions to promote propaganda and mobilize dignitaries, officials, followers and people to raise awareness of food safety and hygiene and environmental protection during festivals; not to litter indiscriminately into rivers, canals, and fields; organize waste classification and treatment at source; reduce the use of plastic products in daily life;...

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