Blog

OUR LOCALIZATION WEEK: A journey of learning, living, and creating localization in Vietnam

Vcil Community, in collaboration with Local Futures, Learning Cities, and local communities in Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, and Vung Tau, organized the Localization Week: Our Local Treasures. The week served as an invitation to look back at the treasures surrounding us—our people, land, food, memories, culture, livelihoods, sustainable/regenerative initiatives, and community relationships. It provided a space and an opportunity for everyone to learn how to nurture a future that is more balanced, closer to nature, and fairer to humanity, starting with simple actions that anyone can take, together!

[Recap] How can individuals and teams turn conflict into material for learning and transformation?

This recap is intended to help our members grasp the fundamental concepts of conflict transformation and to document the meaningful and engaging activities that took place during the five-day "Transforming Conflict Through Awareness" program.

VCIL MEMBERS’ TALKS #11: TOURISM AS A TOOL FOR CULTURAL PRESERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS

In the upcoming Vcil Members' Talks #11, we will meet Ms. Bich Cong, Director of the Moc Cham Cooperative, to hear her story about preserving and passing on indigenous knowledge with the local community of Cu Lao Cham, and the intersection between people and nature on the island. We will also explore the community-based educational tourism model through the lens of the Moc Cham Cooperative.

NẾP MỚI #16: WHEN A CITY BECOMES A PLACE OF BELONGING

In this month’s Nếp Mới, we journey across cultures to explore two of the world’s most inspiring and pioneering models of alternative urban education: the Shibuya University Network in Japan and the Udaipur Learning City initiative in India. Through the experiences of the Learning City movements in Japan and India, we will discover how cities can become spaces of inclusion, lifelong learning, and regeneration—places where education is woven into everyday life and where people cultivate a genuine sense of belonging to the communities they inhabit.

The River That Shapes the Land: Lessons in Localization from Kim Bồng

Understanding localization through a cooperative economic model with the Kim Bồng community

VCIL MEMBERS’ TALKS #10: IN SEARCH OF AN AUTHENTIC LIFE - ‘EXISTENTIALISM’ LIES IN THE PRACTICE OF DAILY LIVING

On the evening of May 26, Vcil Members’ Talks #10: A Random Page - An Existential Conversation with Chan Dat took place, featuring guests Vy and Hiep (Chan Dat Living Room), members of the Vcil Community. They shared their journey through personal setbacks and shifts in both geography and worldview, and how these experiences gradually led them to existential philosophy, Eastern thought, and the creation of the Chan Dat Living Room space in Hoi An.

Mini Workshop in Hanoi: Tasting Cinnamon - Understanding Taste & Sensory Education

Why is our sense of taste so important?

Vcil wanders through Long Thanh: A short chronicle of our week of connection and learning in Hanoi

This was a meaningful trip, giving our team the opportunity to meet, exchange ideas, and learn from organizations and communities in the North, while also listening to their operational processes, goals, and the challenges they face.

UNSCHOOLING FOR CHILDREN - A JOURNEY OF LEARNING, UNLEARNING & PARENTAL GROWTH

Phuong shared her journey of choosing unschooling for her children, along with practical experiences from applying this philosophy and approach with her three kids. For her, this path has not only transformed how she raises her children but has also fundamentally changed her as a parent.

Nếp Mới #15: Why do we need localization in a globalized world?

Nếp Mới was the opening activity for the Localization Week "The Treasure of Our Own Locality." This is how Vcil Community and communities across Vietnam respond to World Localization Day. It is an annual event in which tens of thousands of people from more than 50 different countries take part each year—an occasion for individuals, teams, and communities to act together toward the local in many different ways: watching films, holding discussions, organizing community meals, planting forests, gardening, and more. These may be small actions, but they create moments of action that help build strong local economies.

Nếp Mới #14: A New Story of Regenerative Economy — Fantasy or Reality in the Making?

Is a Different Economy Truly Possible?

LOCALIZATION WEEK: TREASURES OF OUR LOCALITY

A gathering of local markets, workshops, experiments, film screenings, field trips, conversations, and community experiences celebrating local knowledge, food, culture, art, ecology, and local economies.

“Learning How to Eat” in the Vietnamese Four Learnings in the Modern Context

Eating is a gateway to understanding ourselves and the world around us.

A LIVELIHOOD OF “TAKING CHILDREN TO PLAY IN THE FOREST” – A DREAM OF A GENERATION GROWING UP WITH NATURE

On the evening of April 25, Vcil Members’ Talks #8: Green Careers in Nature Conservation – A Livelihood for Those Who Love the Environment took place with guest speaker Thu Thủy, a member of the Vcil Community who is currently working in the field of nature conservation at GreenViet. During the conversation, Thủy shared her journey of becoming connected to nature conservation, and how her love for nature has gradually seeped into every career choice she has made.

LOOKING BACK AT THE LEARNING CITY JOURNEY CREATED IN APRIL 2026

STORYTELLING SCHOLARSHIP FOR "LITTLE TIBET" LADAKH 2026 - FULL & PARTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS TO LADAKH WITH VCIL TRAVEL SCHOOL

We are looking for fellow travelers—photographers, writers, filmmakers, or anyone with a gift for storytelling—to join us in capturing and sharing the values of regenerative travel, responsible tourism, and a new, context-based approach to learning.

Vcil Community Member Website Login Guide

Nếp Mới #13: Building Community is Pure Joy – Stories from a Community Facilitator Who Journeyed Through 140+ Countries

Building holistic, inclusive, and self-reliant communities

Nếp mới #12: Khôi phục hệ thống thực phẩm của chúng ta - Công dân, nhà sản xuất và sức mạnh của hợp tác xã tiêu dùng

Khám phá hành trình đầy cảm hứng của Hợp tác xã Tiêu dùng Seikatsu và suy ngẫm về những bài học mà họ có thể mang lại cho Việt Nam và cộng đồng của chúng ta

Call for Media/Filmmaker (KOL/KOC) – Vcil Travel School Japan 2026

This role includes a scholarship covering the full program fee (850 USD) and visa invitation support

Butground và Hành Trình Kiến Tạo Sinh Nghiệp Thúc Đẩy Sự Thay Đổi Lối Sống và Chuỗi Thực Phẩm

Câu chuyện theo đuổi những giá trị bền vững và hành trình tái thiết lập mối quan hệ giữa con người với hệ thống thực phẩm trong đời sống hiện đại!

Hành trình đạp xe du hành quanh Đông Nam Á: Tự kiến tạo “ĐẠI HỌC KHÔNG GIẢNG ĐƯỜNG” cho chính mình

Đôi khi trở ngại lớn nhất không phải là những con đường xa xôi phía trước, mà chính là bước chân đầu tiên ra khỏi cửa nhà

[Nep Moi #11] How Not to "Fall Apart" Over Unnamed Conflicts

The question is not how to eliminate or avoid tension and conflict, but how to face them in ways that foster understanding, connection, and shared solutions.

[Vcil Members' Talks #5] Tempo Nexus, Community-Based Urban Development, and Glimpses from Ms. Chau's Journey

'As the city changes ever faster, what are we preserving, and what are we trading away?'

[Nep Moi #10] Rethinking Housing in the Real Estate Bubble Era with WeStay Housing Cooperative (South Korea)

Amid rising housing costs, urban isolation, and the erosion of community life, how can we reimagine housing — beyond the cycle of ownership and profit maximization?