Program


Confirmed speakers



Director
Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia (IRASEC), Bangkok.



Honorary Fellow of the School of Historical and Philosophical Studies,
University of Melbourne.

Being a chaplain to Australian YCW parish groups in the Vietnam years

This talk will cover my personal YCW experience re the Vietnam War as a priest in St Albans, Frankston and Ringwood, mixing with and learning from young workers, and how that fed into my peace activism. Also included will be a short overview of Australian YCW responses to the war including the Vietnamese YCW political prisoners campaign.



Honorary Postdoctoral Research Associate
University of Divinity
Secretary, Australian Cardijn Institute

From World Wars to the Vietnam War: Cardijn's evolving attitude to the peace movement

Cardijn’s early attitude to war and peace was coloured by his experiences in Belgium during World Wars I and II. During the Cold War, however, the imprisonment of a young YCW leader, Jean Van Lierde, over his conscientious objection to military service challenged Cardijn’s thinking. Subsequently, in 1966, he publicly backed an anti-Vietnam War protest that led to the cancellation of a planned trip to South Vietnam.


Callum Dawson
Ph.D. candidate, Australian Catholic University

Exploring the Development of a Pastoral Position on the Subjects of ‘War’ and ‘Peace’ in Gaudium et Spes.

At the end of the Second Vatican Council, Nguyen Dinh Dau, a former leader within the Vietnamese branch of the Young Christian Workers (YCW), characterized the position of the YCW on the Vietnam War as being in line with the principles of Vatican II.  The official position of the Council Fathers on the subjects of ‘war’ and ‘peace’ was developed within the ground-breaking pastoral constitution on the church in the modern world, Gaudium et Spes (promulgated in 1965).  This paper is meant as a condensed historical and textual exploration of the Council’s position on these important themes, with a particular focus on the development of the pastoral constitutions fifth chapter, entitled: “Fostering of Peace and Establishment of a Community of Nations.”




My Chi Tran
CEO, Youth Promotion Co. Ltd, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Creating a Vietnamese Solidarity and Development Project

Youth Promotion Company Ltd was founded in 2005 with the objective of providing employment for young women, particularly those with a disability, within a normal working environment. It continues today trading under the brand name, Q-art, and employing 50 women in two workshops, providing high quality garments for local and export markets.



The  Next Generation: Experiences of YCW members with Vietnamese origins

Julianne Nguyen and a  Melbourne YCW Panel


Julianne Nguyen
Melbourne YCW leader