President: Youth volunteers are shining symbols of the young generation

The President believes that the former Youth Volunteers will be "the ones who give revolutionary strength to the older generation of youth, and at the same time be responsible for guiding the future generation of youth."

President To Lam met with delegates. (Photo: Nhan Sang/VNA)

On the occasion of the 74th anniversary of the Traditional Day of the Vietnam Youth Volunteer Force (July 15, 1950 - July 15, 2024), on the afternoon of July 15, at the Presidential Palace, President To Lam had a friendly meeting with the delegation attending the National Conference of Cadres of the Vietnam Youth Volunteer Veterans Association.

The meeting expressed the deep gratitude, concern and respect of the Party and State leaders towards the people and soldiers in the cause of national liberation and national construction and protection, the historical witnesses who had gone through life and death, and devoted their youth to serving the frontline during the difficult period of the glorious and proud resistance wars of the Vietnamese people.

The report of Chairman of the Vietnam Youth Volunteers Association Vu Trong Kim said that currently the whole country has more than 650,000 former Youth Volunteers who participated in the past struggles for national independence, as well as the later period of nation building.

In recent times, the Association has organized many practical activities to support former Youth Volunteers, including mobilizing members and society to donate 1,107 gratitude houses, repair 509 houses; mobilizing gifts and other items such as savings books, bicycles, food, clothes, and school supplies worth over 269 billion VND.

In particular, members have helped each other during the COVID-19 pandemic with over 2 billion VND and many other items. Currently, the Central Committee of the Association is implementing 1 campaign and 2 major movements including: "Former Youth Volunteers set a good example in following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style; movement "Former Youth Volunteers do good business for the sake of comradeship" and movement "For the sake of comradeship, each cadre and member does many good deeds."

Over the past 74 years, generations of Youth Volunteers have devoted themselves, sacrificed, and fostered the glorious tradition of Youth Volunteers and generations of Vietnam; volunteered to do anything, go anywhere when the Fatherland needed; loyal to the revolutionary cause, living for comradeship; always proactive, creative, determined to complete tasks; ready to sacrifice themselves in war, always taking the lead in being creative in peace.

On behalf of the Vietnam Association of Former Youth Volunteers, Mr. Vu Trong Kim proposed to the President a number of contents such as the State should study and promulgate appropriate regulations to apply to Youth Volunteers who no longer have original documents to be recognized and enjoy policies; promptly consider increasing the regular allowance for lonely and homeless Youth Volunteers; consider recognizing martyrs, pay attention to embellishing "Red Youth Volunteer Addresses" and a number of other mechanisms and policies...

President To Lam delivers a congratulatory speech on the Traditional Day of the Youth Volunteer Force. (Photo: Nhan Sang/VNA)

Speaking at the meeting, President To Lam expressed his emotion at meeting 150 representatives of generations of Vietnamese Youth Volunteers and conveyed the best regards and congratulations of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to all members of the Association of Former Youth Volunteers; at the same time, he wished to continue to strongly spread the spirit of Youth Volunteers in the cause of building the Vietnamese Fatherland in the new period.

The President pointed out that the history of the birth and development of the Vietnam Youth Volunteers is closely linked to the glorious, proud and honorable resistance wars of the Party and the nation; founded by President Ho Chi Minh and trained under the leadership of the Party, the Youth Volunteers have highly promoted patriotism, indomitable tradition, following the flag of the Party and Uncle Ho.

Reviewing the glorious feats and great contributions during the previous period of fighting for national independence, as well as in the later period of national construction, the President emphasized that the Youth Volunteer Force is a shining symbol of revolutionary heroism and of the young generation, the quintessence of the Vietnamese nation; forever the pride of Vietnamese youth.

Emphasizing that the Party, State and people will forever remember and be grateful for the great merits, dedication and contributions of the Youth Volunteer Force, the President expressed his joy that the Vietnam Veterans Association in the past term had organized many programs, campaigns and meaningful activities, taking the lead in implementing the Party and State's policies and guidelines.

At the same time, advise, propose, and coordinate with all levels and sectors to promote the resolution of policies for former Youth Volunteers; propagate and educate traditions; carry out activities of comradeship, search and collect martyrs' remains, help each other do business, eliminate hunger and reduce poverty, participate in activities to restore and develop the economy and society after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Agreeing with the proposals and recommendations of the Association's leaders, the President said that, besides the very positive results that the Association has achieved, in the past time, there still exist many difficulties and problems in resolving policies for former Youth Volunteers, and these are great concerns and worries of the Party, State and people, requiring joint efforts to resolve them at all levels and sectors.

Looking forward to the 5th National Congress of the Association of Former Youth Volunteers, the President hopes that the Central Committee of the Association will keep in mind and make every effort to fulfill Uncle Ho's last wish: "For those who bravely sacrificed a part of their blood and bones, the Party, the Government and the people must find every way to provide them with a stable place to eat and live, and at the same time must open vocational training classes suitable for each person so that they can gradually become self-reliant."

The President suggested that it is necessary to continue to carry out more practical activities, promptly resolve outstanding issues in the work with former Youth Volunteers, considering it a duty, responsibility and also a sentiment to express deep gratitude and appreciation to those who have devoted and sacrificed for the cause of national liberation, national reunification, and building and defending the Fatherland.

The President requested ministries, departments and branches, especially the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, to continue researching and proposing creative application of Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on the Great School of Youth Volunteers, building a contingent of cadres, building a generation of Vietnamese youth with patriotism, self-reliance, national pride; having steadfast political will, pure revolutionary ethics, capacity and courage to integrate internationally, and having great dreams and ambitions.

Along with that, the President said that it is necessary to continue to gather, unite, and build a strong Association and force of former Youth Volunteers nationwide, actively and effectively participating in the cause of innovation, construction and protection of the Fatherland; at the same time, pay attention to discovering, building, renovating and embellishing historical sites and historical relics of Youth Volunteers, so that these places can truly become "red addresses" for educating revolutionary traditions.

The President expressed his firm belief that, promoting the heroic tradition and good nature, the former Youth Volunteers will always uphold the spirit of self-reliance, solidarity and mutual assistance, effectively carry out the "comradely sentiment" movement and other meaningful movements and activities, truly be "revolutionary supporters for the older generation of youth, and at the same time be responsible for guiding the future generation of youth," continue to make worthy contributions to the cause of building and defending the socialist Fatherland, and forever be shining examples for generations of young people to follow.

On this occasion, the President presented the Association with a meaningful gift, a photo of Uncle Ho with the Youth Volunteers, along with VND200 million for the Association to prepare costumes for delegates attending the 5th National Congress of the Vietnam Veterans Association./.

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