Local school children in the Safe Steps Safe Life Music Video – a creative communication initiative implemented by Project RENEW.

Venue: Mine Action Visitor Center, Quang Tri Province
Time: 8:30 AM, Thursday, 24 July 2025
Organizer: Project RENEW, with support from the Government of Ireland

Project RENEW cordially invites media representatives and journalists to attend the launch of the music video “Safe Steps Safe Life”, a creative initiative that blends performance and education to raise awareness about unexploded ordnance (UXO) risks, especially among young people.

Though the students do not sing in the video, they perform and act in compelling visual storytelling scenes that echo the song’s message. Produced by the creative team at PID Agency, the video features secondary school students from Quang Tri Province and carries a heartfelt message: “Safety First.” With support from the Irish Embassy in Vietnam, this music video is a unique attempt to reach younger audiences through art, emotion, and movement, helping them better understand how to stay safe from UXO threats.

️ Tentative Program:

8:30–8:40 — Welcome, introduction of participants, purpose and message of the MV
️ 8:40–8:45 — Opening remarks
8:45–9:00 — Official screening of the music video “Safe Steps Safe Life”
9:00–9:15 — Q&A with the creative team and students featured in the MV
9:15–9:30 — Mini-games and quizzes on UXO safety
9:30–9:45 — Live acoustic performance of “Safe Steps Safe Life” by students and guitar
️ 9:45–10:00 — Explore interactive exhibitions and digital displays
☕ 10:00–10:30 — Networking over coffee, refreshments, photo sessions, media interviews

This event is an opportunity for media and the public to engage with innovative, youth-oriented approaches to mine risk education and help amplify the message of safety for all—especially the younger generation in UXO-contaminated areas.

For more information and to register, please contact:
Nguyen Thanh Phu
Manager, Mine Action Visitor Center /
Explosive Ordnance Risk Education Program Officer – Project RENEW
Phone: +84 935 211 281
Email: nguyenthanhphu@landmines.org.vn
Website: www.landmines.org.vn

️ About the Venue

The Mine Action Visitor Center in Quang Tri Province was officially opened in August 2011 to mark the 10th anniversary of Project RENEW. The Center offers visitors an informative and emotional look into the impact of unexploded ordnance on local communities, the suffering and resilience of affected families, and the ongoing efforts by authorities and international organizations to overcome the legacy of war. It is a place of learning and inspiration, where every visitor contributes to raising awareness and building a safer future for all.

Press Release

Dong Ha, Quang Tri, Vietnam [17 July 2024]

Project RENEW, a Vietnamese comprehensive mine action model, addresses the legacy of unexploded ordnance (UXO) left behind by the war and assists those affected by it. The organization has been awarded a significant grant of €361,502 by the Embassy of Ireland in Vietnam.

This vital funding will support Project RENEW’s “Victim Assistance/Disability Support and Mine Risk Education” project, bringing vital aid to landmine victims and promoting safety awareness in both Quang Tri and Quang Ngai provinces.

The project will provide comprehensive support to landmine victims, including those with disabilities. Additionally, crucial explosive ordnance risk education programs will be implemented within selected communities. Equipping residents with the knowledge to stay safe is critical, as tragically exemplified by the recent incident on May 13, 2024, in which a man in Quang Tri Province lost his life due to unexploded ordnance.

With a long history of serving Quang Tri, Project RENEW is well-positioned to effectively utilize this grant. The funding will allow RENEW to expand its existing efforts and reach more people in need.

“This generous grant from the Irish Embassy is a testament to Ireland’s continued commitment to supporting Vietnamese communities most affected by the war’s consequences,” said Nguyen Hieu Trung, Coordination Manager of Project RENEW. ” This funding will allow us to significantly improve the lives of landmine victims and prevent future tragedies through education.”

The grant breakdown allocates €304,502 for activities in Quang Tri, the province most heavily impacted by UXO. Quang Ngai province will receive €57,000 to address similar needs within its communities.

This initiative highlights the ongoing collaboration between Ireland and Vietnam in promoting peace, safety, and well-being for Vietnamese citizens. With this grant, Project RENEW is one step closer to a future free from the threat of unexploded ordnance in Quang Tri and Quang Ngai provinces.

Press Contact:

• Hien Xuan Ngo (Communications and Development Manager) | ngoxuanhien@landmines.org.vn | +84915352565

Quang Tri, Vietnam, 26 May, 2021 – Eight senior national staff members from NPA’s projects in Quang Binh, Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue began an intensive course on International Mine Action Standards Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Level 3 this week. The course is facilitated by NPA Vietnam in Quang Tri province. Successful graduates will become some of the highest-trained EOD technicians in NPA Vietnam.

“This course is an affirmation of NPA Vietnam’s commitment with the provincial authorities to improve the qualification of selected program staff,” said course instructor Paul Eldred, NPA Vietnam Technical Field Manager (EOD) at Project RENEW in Quang Tri province. “One of the key objectives of NPA is to ensure that Vietnam has qualified personnel capable of dealing with residual explosive ordnance in the long term.”

To help achieve this objective, Eldred has designed a course that includes five days of theoretical training followed by 13 days of practical training and assessment. Live demolitions will be carried out during the course, designed to replicate challenging scenarios that the technicians may encounter in their work in central Vietnam – including explosive ordnance in populated areas, or near important infrastructure like power stations and fuel stations. This will ensure the technicians have the skills required to continue supporting people and communities across central Vietnam for many years to come.

Eldred’s course facilitation is supported by his 25+ years of operational and technical experience. He served in the British Army Royal Engineers for more than 23 years, predominantly in the EOD, search and mine-warfare fields. Having worked with United Nations and different international humanitarian mine action organisations since 2003, Eldred holds a wealth of operational knowledge of mine action including survey, manual demining, clearance, EOD, explosive detection dogs, the use of mechanical assets, and remote bomb cutting.

The eight trainees who were selected to take part in the course have held different positions in NPA Vietnam for many years, including team leaders, supervisors and operations managers. The most senior trainee has worked for the organisation since 2007. Prior to course admission, all trainees have passed a rigorous assessment, and will be observed, mentored and assessed for an additional six months following the completion of the course before receiving their certification.

###

Campaign Led by Ronald Haeberle, My Lai Massacre Photographer and Chuck Searcy, Co-Founder of Project RENEW

For Immediate Release

Thursday, 14 January 2021

For More Information Contact
Ngo Xuan Hien
Project RENEW
Phone +8491 535-2565
Or
Nguyen Hoang Hiep
Quang Ngai Red Cross
Phone +8490 519-1933

More than 110 Americans have so far donated more than $28,000 USD in a charity campaign organized by Ron Haeberle, whose photographs of the My Lai Massacre turned American public opinion against the war. He was assisted by Chuck Searcy who co-founded Project RENEW with Hoang Nam in 2001. They were aided by Ron Carver the curator of the exhibit Waging Peace in Vietnam: U.S. Soldiers and Veterans Who Opposed the War, now on exhibit at Vietnam’s War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City.

The funds will be distributed in Quang Tri Province by the staff of Project RENEW and in Quang Ngai Province by the Quang Ngai Red Cross.

“We were moved by the images of mud slides, and water trapping villagers on the roofs of their houses and water roaring through village streets carrying away trees, furniture, animals and villagers themselves,” Haeberle said, explaining the motivation to begin the campaign. “I have been committed to doing all I can to help the people of Vietnam ever since I personally witnessed American war crimes at My Lai.”

“I was horrified to learn that central Vietnam was battered by six typhoons in three weeks,” stated Ron Carver. “When I received photos and videos from the War Remnants Museum, I knew I had to share these with the American people and seek donations to help with the recovery.”

“The Project RENEW staff have firsthand knowledge of victims of these typhoons and are in contact with these families,” Chuck Searcy stated. “People already struggling with the legacies of Agent Orange and injuries from wartime explosive accidents – years after war ended – had a particularly hard time coping with the flood damage. We are fortunate that Project RENEW is in a position to help.” Aid to those in Quang Tri province will be distributed beginning on 25 January. Representatives of Project RENEW will deliver a check to the Quang Ngai Red Cross on 15 January at 08:00 o’clock at the office of the Red Cross located at 431 Quang Trung Street, Quang Ngai City, Quang Ngai Province.