Stories

There are about 1 million deaf people in Vietnam. They have a hard time accessing information, health, education, transportation and other social services. Sign language – the language of the deaf and of deaf culture – is still largely unknown in Vietnam. There are currently ten sign language interpreters in the whole country. It is very difficult for the deaf to raise their voice in their families, at work and in society.

For the DVV International blog, Timothy Ireland gives an insight into the Mid-Term Review of CONFINTEA VI, which took place in Suwon, South Korea, from 25-27 October 2017.

Tarek is 24 years old and comes from Syria. He has been living in Germany for about a year-and-a-half and speaks basic German without an accent. When I met him at the language institute, he showed a shy smile but was confident in answering my questions. Before moving to Europe from Turkey, where lived with his parents for two years, he confessed he didn’t know anything about Germany, not even how to say “Hello”. Yet he has made great strides in the language, taking the language test for the B1 level after 900 course hours.

Maria Khan, Secretary General of the Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE), a partner organisation of DVV International, talks about successes and challenges of the new global education agenda.