Programme proposal
A life to live
Listen to those who have gone through it, to understand better who I will be
- Expected time
- morning of 19 or 20 December 2026
- Expected venue
- TBD
- Expected scale
- 100-200 attending
The idea of the programme
The programme connects the generations around one shared unease: “Who am I? What am I here for, and what worth can I contribute to the community?”
To seek an answer to that question, the programme opens up a range of viewpoints: from the memory of the person who went through the firestorm, to the mettle of those who grew up alongside the traces of war, through to the aspirations of the young shoots carrying the future.
Before becoming the people who have gone through history, the veterans too were once young. They too had dreams, choices, fears and things not yet known about the future. The people affected by the consequences of war and their families also had a youth, even when life laid on their shoulders trials no one chooses.
Today, they go on living, working, creating, caring for their families and contributing to the community in different ways.
Through meetings, stories, keepsakes, images and exchanges between the generations, A LIFE TO LIVE opens a pause for those attending to listen, to look back at themselves and to reflect on how each person can go on living and giving.
This is not a programme that asks young people to become great. It is an invitation for each person to see that the worth of a life is made not only of great things, but also of the way we choose to live and to contribute within our own circumstances.
Who will attend
Veterans
Those who went through the war directly, who witnessed the country's turn from wartime to peacetime, and who are today citizens with many different contributions to society.
Victims of Agent Orange
Those who bear the heaviest effects of the war, who though they did not take part directly still go on living, giving and spreading worth to the community.
Young people (school and university students)
The generation born and grown up in peacetime, enjoying a settled life thanks to the sacrifice of the generation before, and now seeking the road of giving that suits them.
Guests from organisations, businesses and individuals
Working in the fields of culture, history and society.
Theme: a journey of giving
Sharing one unease about giving, but born and grown up in different eras, in different circumstances, each person chooses a way of their own…
The veterans
Having gone through the rain of bombs and the storm of shells to bring independence home to the country, today they go on giving through simple acts: one beginning the journey of raising the future generation through teaching, one travelling the roads to find again the remains of comrades, one making his way on charity buses at the border where he once fought. They gave away both their youth and the years of the present to have a part in shaping the country.
The association of Agent Orange victims (the band in particular)
Carrying on themselves the traces left by time from a period of battle, they still choose to raise their voices in song, in singing, to warm people's hearts.
Guests from organisations, businesses and individuals
Enduring hearts bound to the worth of history and culture, quietly lending strength to community activities. They give resources and commitment to contribute to the lasting of that heritage.
The young people
Born and grown up in peace, carrying great aspirations but not without the unease: “What can I contribute to this age?”. They come to listen, to feel with others and to find the answer for their own journey.
Outline of the programme
Opening activities
- Screening of the video ‘A journey of giving’ of the veterans, of “Lắng. . .”, of those affected by Agent Orange. The video will also be shown throughout the event to create inspiration for the guests attending.
- Words from the project and from representatives of those taking part; opening performances given by the participants; other outward-facing and ceremonial activities (presenting gifts, addresses, and so on)
Exhibition and sharing from those taking part
- The veterans' group — Youth through the rain of bombs and the storm of shells: those who sent their youth into the journey of fighting for independence, going through the rain of bombs and the storm of shells to have a part in bringing the country to the day of peace. Today they go on handing down the worth of a time lived through, in memory, in love of home and in enduring contributions in present life. On display: keepsakes and images from the war years, some commendations and medals of the veterans, and images of their activities in peacetime.
- The group of those affected by Agent Orange and their families — Holding what no one would wish for: people and families carrying within them the long aftershocks of war, a part of history they did not choose but that has become a part of the journey of their lives. Through love, resolve and endurance, they learn to take on the trials, to keep their dignity, to nurture hope and to go on giving warmth to the community.
- Guest organisations and businesses — Carrying on the pride of Vietnam: organisations, businesses and individuals who choose to walk alongside the worth of culture, history and community. Through each initiative, each resource and each concrete act, they have a part in keeping what has been handed down, enriching the worth of the present and opening up what may follow for the future.
A space for visitors to share
- A stand of reflective activity for the guests, taking in self-reflection for oneself; sending a message to those taking part, to the organisers, or to anyone else they want to share with what they drew from attending the event.
Activity held in common, binding participants and visitors
- This might be visitors sharing openly with those taking part, it might be a song everyone attending the event sings together, or any other binding activity that comes up and can be carried out during the event.