Mekong Delta 2005 report
Ms. Rie Nishimori

Before I participated in this studying tour, I studied about PAOT methodology with papers. That was very useful for me to understand the first day¡Çs lecture in Vietnam. But to conduct PAOT actually taught me so many things. I chose 3 things.
First of all, to collect good examples was very difficult and very important. Our group took about 400 pictures, but we could use only about 15 pictures of them. I think we needed more time to take pictures. Anyway, in a presentation, the photos were very useful. Actually I have never worked for a factory, so I don¡Çt know about some good improvements and principles in detail. If these pictures are good, all participants can understand them better than us, so the explanation may be short.
Second, I thought the most important thing in making presentation is not what we say, but how we attract participants, and I also learned that was very difficult. Asking questions for participants and some recreations between presentations were very useful. Actually I remember Korean dance, the rhythm of PAOT, and games ¡Ä. rather than the contents of WIPE workshop.
Third, I learned smiling was the best way to communication with foreigners. Miwa-san always said ¡ÈSmile ! Please smile!¡É I understood this meaning. I can¡Çt understand Vietnamese, but smiling can soften the atmosphere. In Japan. I don¡Çt often smile at strangers, so I don¡Çt get used to it. But I know smiling has a lot of power, so I¡Çll try to smile anytime.
This studying tour is the greatest memory in this summer for me. At first, I was very disappointed that my English was very poor. But as we spent the same time, I thought it was not so big problem. That is because we can use body language, conversation with writing, and we have many friends who help us with pleasure. I had never enjoyed the conversation in English so much before I went to Vietnam. I would like to say thank you for all participants. This was my first time to study with friends from other countries. I was very happy to share 6 different cultures. I was very surprised and moved that we became friends as soon as we met.¡¡Before I went to Vietnam, I was worried if I can speak English, I can make friends¡Ä.and so on. Honestly speaking, some task was hard for me. But the pleasure that felt through staying in Vietnam is much larger than it.

I would like to say thank you for all participants many times!!
I love all of them!!! Thank you for everything!!
I¡Çm sure we will meet again ¡ù

The­¹th international participatory action oriented training course Mekong Delata2005 was held from 23 Aug to 30 Aug in Can Tho city Viet Nam and delegate from 6 countries (Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh and Nepal) participated.
Rapidness industrialization in Mekong Delta sometimes brings to people serious environmental problems. Based on participatory oriented methodology such as WISE and WIND program, the Center for Occupational Health and Environment Can Tho developed new training program named WIPE (Work Improvement for Protection of Environment). The main aim of this training course was to conduct the first WIPE training course for employee and employers in Can Tho city.
Participants from 6 countries learned WIPE methodology the first day, and they visited some factories to collect good examples already done in small and medium sized enterprises for environment protection. For promoting better working conditions, it is necessary to collect good practices not only environmental protection but also many technical sessions such as material handlings and welfare facilities. So they made presentations about 6 technical sessions showing good illustrations and photos.
Some participants who joined the last summer seminar played a role of facilitator to new participants. Their contribution of this training course was a key to success of the first WIPE.
The Center for Occupational Health and Environment Can Tho will conduct Training of Trainers (TOT) course in October, and trainers who attend these training courses will be a key person of environmental protection in Can To city.
After WIPE training course, participants visited Son Hau farm on Sunday, and they learned many improvements from WIND (Work Improvements in Neighborhood Developments) activities. Also farmers and participants cooked traditional Vietnamese foods together and exchanged with cultural activities as well.
Thus international training course in Mekong Delta 2005 brought fruitful results to all, and I am sure that it will be great contributions for expanding participatory improvements into Asian countries.

This program was supported by TOYOTA Environmental Activities Grant Program FY 2004.

POSITIVE in Bangladesh

13-16, July the training courses of POSITIVE (Participatory Oriented Safety
Improvement by Trade union Initiative) provided by JILAF (Japan
International Labour Foundation) were held in Dhaka, the capital of
Bangladesh. JILAF has supported ICFTU-BC (International Confederation of the Free Trade Unions- Bangladesh Council), associating with 5 national centers of Bangladesh, and a lot of POSITIVE trainers have been grown. ¡ÈPOSITIVE Conference¡É and ¡ÈTool Making Workshop¡É were held in series this time.
50 POSITIVE trainers participated in the conference and presented their
achievements done in their own workplaces 13 and 14, July. The trainers prepared above 200 photographs of improvements and made the presentations showing the improvement photographs. The improvements covered wide areas of safety, health and environment such as rearrangement in good order, supply of hygiene drinking water, good lighting, emergency exit and evacuation drill etc. In the checklist exercise session, the participants visited a factory manufactures razor blades and collected local good examples of the
factory. The Tool Making Workshop was held 15 and 16, July, gathering 30 participants. In the first day, the participants were divided into small
groups, discussed in the group and provided an action checklist for workers who are working at factory¡Çs canteen. The purpose of this session was leaning flexibility of action checklists in participatory training courses.
And after that, each group was assigned a technical area of the POSIVITE 6 technical areas and asked to prepare presentation files by using personal computers and digital cameras. In the second day, they had rehearsals of the assigned technical area using the presentation files.
Impressive points of the training courses were firstly participants¡Ç good
concentration and ardor. All of them made remarks in the group discussions and Q & A sessions positively and they kept concentration during the training time. The second point was confirmation of achievements by a lot of improvement photographs. Thirdly, the participants got self-confidence and they¡Çve had an incentive to OSHE activities.
Recent years, Bangladesh is keeping economic growth. It is important that trade unions support workers¡Ç rights and promote safety and health working condition. And the POSITIVE programme proves that it can be realized by participation of each worker in each workplace.
2005/8/2
Tokyo Occupational Safety and Health Center, Naoki TOYAMA