Events

III.The 7th All India People’s Technology Congress will be held at Science City, Kolkata during 6th and 7th February 2009.The Congress will be deliberating on the development of technology with the objective of achieving self-reliance in science and technology. The Congress places special emphasis on extending the fruits of science and technology for the benefit of the common people.Experts and scientists from different States participate in the Congress.

The Congress is organized by the Forum of Scientists, Engineers & Technologists(FOSET) who can be reached by e-mail:foset@rediffmail.com.

 

II. On 2nd September, 2007, a colourful function to celebrate the Indo-Vietnam friendship was held at Netaji Indoor Stadium at Kolkata. As many as 45 delegates from Vietnam joined this function. The legendary leader Madam Binh, who fought a heroic struggle against the American insurgency in Vietnam was also present in the function. The celebration was organised by All India Peace and committee. We take this opportunity to remind our readers the exemplary life of Madam Binh.

Life of Madam Binh

Now nearly 80 years old, Nguyen Thi Binh (internationally known as Madam Binh), is the chairwoman of three very important organisations of her country. These are: the Vietnam Peace and Development Fund, the Sponsoring Fund for Vietnamese Children and the Honorary Chairwoman of the Vietnam Agent Orange/Dioxin Victims’ Association. Madam Binh, former Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, was born in a patriotic family in central province. She began her patriotic activities in 1945, when she finished high-school, working in social assistance for victims of the 1945 great famine; getting involved in the movement to seize power in Saigon; and transporting weapons to the military base. In 1948, she was admitted to the Communist Party. Within three years she was arrested and imprisoned. After her release in 1954, she took part in the peace movement to ask for the implementation of the Geneva Accord. In 1960, she was appointed as a member of the Central South Liberation National Front Committee, undertaking foreign affairs. In 1968 she became the Foreign Minister of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, and Head of the negotiation group of the South Vietnam Liberation National Front at the Paris Conference on Vietnam. In 1973, the Paris Agreement was signed. In 1976, just as Vietnam fell into serious social-economic crisis, Madam Binh became the Education Minister. Under that difficult time, she conducted the third set of education reforms in the north, establishing an education management system from the central to the grassroots level. In spite of maintaining a busy and dedicated life, Madam Binh never neglected her duties towards her family. For her, happiness means the creation of harmony between family and vocation. Madam Binh was the eldest among her five sisters and brothers. Her mother died when she was only 16. Even at that young age, when her father went to a military base in the north, she remained in Saigon to care for her younger sisters and brothers and participate in patriotic students’ and women’s campaigns. In 1944, she met her true love, Colonel Dinh Khang for the first time. Eleven years later, in 1954, they married but remained separated, because of their participation in the war. They have two children, a son and a daughter. In 1980, Mr Khang retired on a pension and cared for his children, and passed away nine years later. Madam Binh’s children have married and have their own lives. Madam Binh has led a full and happy life. She is an accomplished politician with beautiful personal dignity – all with the happiness of her family.

I. A National Symposium on GLOBAL WARMING is going to be held from 16th to 18th September, 2007, at EZCC, Salt Lake, Kolkata. The symposium is organized by Paschimbanga Vigyan Mancha in association with All India People's Science Network. The topics to be covered in symposium are:

•Understanding Global Warming
•Understanding Climate change
•Clean Development mechanism and Carbon trading
•Impact of global warming on Agriculture. Biodiversity & Food sovereignty
•Disaster management in perspective of global warming
•Present energy scenario in India and Future action plans.

The website is www.pbvm.org.in
For information contact:
satyajit_1@sancharnet.in
tsaha@vsnl.net