To promote and protect human rights, including fundamental freedoms, democracy and dignity, we hereby announce the establishment of the Network of Vietnamese Bloggers. Human rights promotion and protection will remain our aim as long as there are widespread human rights violations in Vietnam.
Our core values are transparency, community spirit, democracy, pluralism, and inclusiveness. The network is and will remain non-partisan and non-profit.
The Network of Vietnamese Bloggers believes that the promotion of fundamental freedom is the prerequisite for the promotion of human rights. Every Vietnamese person must have the right to decide how to live his or her life and contribute to the development of our nation. Everyone must have the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers. Therefore, the Network of Vietnamese Bloggers, with all our capacity, shall commit itself to protecting people’s rights and freedoms from restrictions and censorship.
The Network of Vietnamese Bloggers believes that human rights are for the benefit of every person, as well as a prerequisite for progress of our society and a shared desire of all peoples. Human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent; they must be for all. Consequently, the Network of Vietnamese Bloggers commits itself to protecting and promoting human rights in Vietnam and contributing to improving the respect for rights in our region and in the world.
The Network of Vietnamese Bloggers believes that every Vietnamese person must be treated with respect and must be considered equal in their pursuit of happiness. Thus, the creation of a liberal democracy, where difference and diversity are not only respected but also encouraged as an impetus for social development, is what all of us should aim for and is what has become an urgent need in this era.
The Network of Vietnamese Bloggers believes that human rights protection is the duty of everyone, not just a group of people, an organization or a government. We believe that it is the right and an obligation of every Vietnamese person to contribute to protecting the human rights, including fundamental freedoms and democracy and dignity of our country’s over ninety million people. The Network of Vietnamese Bloggers is an assembly of bloggers seeking to unite in our effort to fulfil this obligation.
If you agree to the goals, core values and beliefs of the Network of Vietnamese Bloggers, you could consider yourself a member of the Network. You are welcome to come together with other members in talking about human rights inside and outside the country, raising public awareness about human rights, defending victims of human rights violations, empowering bloggers' capacities, and monitoring the human rights performance of the authorities.
Let us join forces to overcome fear and raise the hope of change for a new Vietnam now and for generations to come; let us strive to promote and protect human rights, including fundamental freedoms, equality, and dignity for all Vietnamese people in order to help create a new future for Vietnam.
December 10, 2013
