Pioneer in Vietnamese communications speaks out against wildlife crime
Ha Noi, Viet Nam, 25th April 2016—This month, Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), Viet Nam’s leading posts-telecommunications company, became the first State-owned enterprise to support a nationwide campaign to protect wildlife through corporate social responsibility (CSR).
A pioneer in CSR since 2009, VNPT is now also including environmental protection in its CSR practices. Under a new strategic co-operative agreement with TRAFFIC, VNPT will take a lead in spreading behaviour change messages to promote zero-tolerance of illegal wildlife consumption.
These efforts will help reduce the demand for illegal wildlife that is driving poaching around the world. Today’s poaching crisis is threatening the survival of some of the world’s most iconic species, especially African and Asian rhinos.
TRAFFIC’s innovative Chi Campaign, based on the Vietnamese concept of “chi,” or “strength from within,” seeks to change the behaviours of the primary group of rhino horn consumers in Viet Nam: wealthy urban men between the ages of 35 and 55.
Launched in September 2014, the campaign promotes the idea that success, masculinity and good fortune come from an individual’s strength of character, not from a piece of horn, and encourages businessmen to show their “chi” by becoming leaders in CSR and wildlife protection.
VNPT will encourage a commitment to zero tolerance of illegal wildlife consumption among its more than 90,000 employees by broadcasting the Chi behaviour change messages, including the Chi Campaign's social media video, and sharing information about the campaign and the illegal wildlife trade on the company's website and internal communication channels.
“TRAFFIC is proud to be working with VNPT on promoting a zero-tolerance of wildlife consumption. As one of the biggest companies in Viet Nam, both in terms of its employees and its service network, VNPT has a lot of power to spread social change throughout the country. With this capacity to influence people and institutions nationwide, VNPT can be a major force for good, bringing about positive changes for wildlife among its employees and clients, as well as acting as a role model in CSR for other Vietnamese companies,” said Madelon Willemsen, Head of Office for TRAFFIC in Viet Nam.
In addition to having a major share of the domestic market, VNPT joined the global market in 2007 when it opened its first office in the USA. Since this time, the company has opened international offices across Europe and Asia, and consistently earns high appraisals from foreign customers and partners.
“We can credit much of our success to following our slogan, ‘Real Life,’ as one of our guiding principles. ‘Real Life’ is a declaration of our commitment to bringing the best values to the lives of Vietnamese people, which means always conducting business in a socially and environmentally responsible way”, said Mr. Vo Ngoc Hung, Chairman of Committee of Propaganda and Education, VNPT.
“As the world becomes increasingly interconnected, more and more companies recognize that we have a responsibility to promote the well-being of people and animals around the globe. Fortunately, CSR is becoming a norm in the international business arena, and we hope companies in Viet Nam will follow our lead to help CSR become a norm in the Vietnamese business community.”
VNPT joins a growing community of Chi supporters and ambassadors from various sectors across Viet Nam, including civil society organizations such as the Vietnam Ecommerce Association and the Centre for Women and Development, government bodies such as the Central Committee for Propaganda and Education and the Ministry of Health, and businesses and business associations such as the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
