On the afternoon of November 21st, the opening ceremony of the exhibition “I Live Green” took place at the Vietnamese Women’s Museum. This exhibition is one of the activities within the framework of a project called “Neighborhood Empowerment in Hanoi”, by Action for the City in cooperation with the Vietnamese Women’s Museum. The Ambassador of Ireland to Vietnam, Sir Damien Cole, and representatives of the Hanoi People’s Committee, the Cultural Heritage Department, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and especially the members of the Green Living clubs attended this event.

The exhibition introduced over 70 photographs and objects that were used in the cooperation between an Irish and a Vietnamese NGO, with the goal of supporting urban citizens to adopt a greener lifestyle. It was funded by the Irish Aid project “Neighborhood Empowerment in Hanoi”. The photos were taken by Paul Zetter, a British photographer and filmmaker, and Joe St Leger, an Irish photographer. Each photograph records activities of the daily life of the members of Green Living teams in Hanoi and Hoi An. All of these activities contribute significantly to saving resources, reducing garbage and raising awareness of their neighbors. With more than 5000 participating households in Hanoi, Danang, Hoi An and over 2000 households in Ballymun, Dublin, Ireland, the Green Living movement is connecting individuals and communities in these two countries in their shared efforts to build sustainable urban communities.

A special item of this exhibition is a greenhouse made of recycled bottles – a joint effort between Action for the City, architects Hoang Thuc Hao, Vu Xuan Son, Nguyen Van Au, and student volunteers of the University of Civil Engineering. The greenhouse was adapted from a design by the Ballymun community. All of the recycled bottles were collected by students and Green Living groups in Hanoi.

   Some pictures of the opening ceremony