The question is how do we build up that endogenous strength? Reporters from the Journalists & Public Opinion Newspaper met with a number of experts and National Assembly Deputies to discuss this issue.
Dr. Nghiem Vu Khai, National Assembly Delegate of the 11th, 12th, and 14th terms; former Vice Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Science, Technology and Environment; former Deputy Minister of Science and Technology:
The Vietnamese people always maintain tradition, are steadfast and loyal, but also always innovate and create "to create new and fresh things"*
+ Dear Doctor, in the current era of deep integration, a country's endogenous strength has become an important factor in determining its success and position in global competition. So, in your opinion, what is Vietnam's endogenous strength? How can that strength help the country take advantage of development opportunities in the face of changes and fluctuations in the world?
- The category of “internal strength of a nation” has a very broad connotation, and at the same time is always the most important factor helping our nation overcome countless challenges and dangers to survive and develop throughout thousands of years of history. The internal strength of a nation is determined by 3 main groups of factors, including:
First , natural factors: Favorable geographical location, rich in natural resources, area scale meets development requirements.
Second , socio-economic factors: population size, economic potential, political and social stability, national defense strength, national spirit.
Third , the cultural factor, which is “soft power” is basically the national image, the decisive cultural attraction.
Dr. Nghiem Vu Khai.
Vietnam has a rich and diverse culture with valuable traditional values such as patriotism, solidarity, perseverance and resilience. Honoring, promoting and enriching these cultural values will help enhance national pride and strengthen the people's confidence and strength.
However, we also need to frankly look at the existing aspects, shortcomings and degradation of social ethics to cultivate and create new and fresh cultural values.
Uncle Ho once taught: “In the process of national construction, there are four issues that must be paid attention to and given equal importance: politics, economics, society, and culture” . More importantly, he pointed out the close relationship between culture and other fields. “Culture cannot stand outside, but must be within economics and politics” ; conversely, economics and politics are also “within culture” .
Economy is the material foundation, culture is the spiritual foundation of society. In Ho Chi Minh's thought, economy and culture ultimately serve the political task of building a society with rich people, strong country, democracy, equality and civilization. The harmony between economic, political, cultural and social development creates the basis for sustainable development. Culture must serve the political task, promoting economic construction and development. At the same time, economy, politics and society must be guided by culture to truly bring sustainable prosperity and happiness to members of society, leaving no one behind.
In addition to cultural “soft power” , Vietnam is also a country with a favorable geographical location with rich geographical and geological potential, biodiversity and climate that can be exploited to serve the development of the country and human life. When it comes to natural resources, we need to avoid the mindset of relying on and waiting for limited resources.
In the world, there are many countries that are not rich in resources but are even very poor in resources but have risen to become developed countries, emerging countries such as Japan, Korea, Israel... We must preserve and reasonably exploit the country's renewable resources for sustainable development.
Vietnam's endogenous strength is very important in the current era of global integration - it is one of the core factors for economic development, improving the quality of life of the people and being able to cope with challenges and difficulties from the external environment. When endogenous strength is properly nurtured and developed, Vietnam will be able to increase its competitiveness, attract foreign investment and improve its position in the international arena.
+ What should be the basis for cultivating and promoting Vietnam's endogenous strength, sir?
- When talking about endogenous strength, it also means that exogenous strength exists alongside it. I think exogenous strength is the regional and international factors that bring opportunities to help promote the overall strength of a country. People also discuss a lot and give arguments and evidence about the possibility of turning risks into opportunities; or conversely, some countries have let golden opportunities slip away.
When endogenous strength is properly cultivated and developed, Vietnam will continue to enhance its position in the international arena. (Photo from the internet, illustration).
The Platform and Strategy for National Development set forth by the 13th Party Congress have affirmed strategic tasks and breakthroughs. In that spirit, we need to emphasize the following orientations:
Firstly , strengthen training and human resource development. Improving the qualifications, knowledge, skills and qualities of the people will help increase competitiveness, creating high-quality human resources to serve the development of the country.
Second , develop physical infrastructure and soft infrastructure; create the most favorable conditions for the development of economic sectors that have advantages and can compete in the international market, on the basis of taking advantage of the opportunities that the 4th industrial revolution has brought and is bringing.
Third , science, technology and innovation are the most important driving force and invaluable tool for socio-economic development, enhancing the strength and competitiveness of the economy as well as Vietnamese products and brands.
Fourth , culture is the foundation for developing national spirit and building an equal, pure, civilized and happy society. Investment in education, science, innovation and development of Vietnamese culture needs to be prioritized one step ahead.
Fifth , the people are the center of national strength. Caring for the material and spiritual life of the people, protecting their legitimate rights, especially creating conditions for the people to practice their democratic rights and the right to directly participate in the cause of nation building is extremely necessary for our nation to confidently look towards the future with humanity.
+ Thank you very much, Doctor!
(*): Phrase in President Ho Chi Minh's Testament
Nguyen Huong (Implementation)
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Hoai Son, Standing Member of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Education:
Our greatest weapon is patriotism and national spirit.
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Hoai Son believes that endogenous strength originates from national cultural values, which have been distilled over thousands of years of history and become important assets of our nation.
Endogenous strength originates from national cultural values, distilled over thousands of years of history, becoming an important asset of our nation.
To form endogenous strength, it is a process of struggle, selection, preservation and promotion of cultural values. Taking national interests as the center, our country has created many miracles. In the 1943 Vietnamese Cultural Outline, our Party emphasized: "The cultural front is one of three fronts (economic, political, cultural), where communists must operate" .
In the current context, cultural development needs to create a spillover effect to other areas of social life, including politics and economics. The policy of developing cultural industries is one of the breakthrough tasks, implemented in accordance with the trend and circumstances of the country. Cultural industries, based on creative talent, cultural resources, technology and business skills to create cultural products and services, not only bring cultural values into economic products to create competitive advantages and material benefits, but also tell beautiful images and attractive stories about the country, culture and people of Vietnam, thereby helping us to form the soft, endogenous power of the nation.
At present, we are in a very complex social context. The negative impacts of the market economy, international integration and the rapid development of the scientific and technological revolution, of new media with the internet and social networks, have made cultural development more difficult than ever. The principle of cultural development must avoid conservatism to select the quintessence of world culture, avoid eccentricity, pessimism, mysticism, and idealism to form a positive, civilized, and favorable environment for national development.
When the country is at peace, culture has a new mission in building an independent, free and happy Fatherland. Illustration photo - source: TL
Nationalization is one of the three principles of cultural construction (Nationalization, Popularization, Scientificization) identified in the issue of Vietnamese cultural revolution in the 1943 Vietnamese Cultural Outline. This is the first and important principle in forming an independent culture, creating conditions for national self-reliance and national liberation. The principle of nationalization is understood as "opposing all enslavement and colonial influences to make Vietnamese culture develop independently" .
After 80 years, this principle still holds its value and the movement of the principle of nationalization has new contents, creating conditions to promote the country's overall strength. Nationalization is the way we mobilize patriotism through the awareness of common values, common ancestral origins of the nation, thereby forming the strength of solidarity. Our country has gone through many wars.
As a result, we have defeated all invaders. Our greatest weapon is not modern military equipment but patriotism and national spirit. Everyone knows and understands the content of the songs Nam Quoc Son Ha, Hich Tuong Si, or Binh Ngo Dai Cao, folk songs and proverbs about patriotism, stories that connect people to the Country through the stories of Hung Vuong, Hai Ba Trung, Ngo Quyen, Tran Hung Dao, Quang Trung...
It was no coincidence that in 1954, before returning to the capital, Uncle Ho visited Hung Temple and left behind a quote that inspired and gave confidence to the entire nation: “ The Hung Kings had the merit of building the country. We, uncles and nephews, must work together to protect the country.” Songs praising the homeland, the country, and the leader are an inevitable result of the nationalist ideology.
Songs with lyrics like “The road to the battlefield this season is so beautiful” , “We are proud to go up, oh Vietnam” , “The Party has given us the spring of our lives. The Party has given us a belief in the future” … have been the inspiration for many generations of young volunteers, happily going to the battlefield; Songs about President Ho Chi Minh such as “Ho Chi Minh is the most beautiful name” , “The country bows. Forever grateful. His name lives forever with the mountains and rivers of Vietnam” … are still a source of encouragement and motivation for everyone about his moral example, always bringing many emotions to the hearts of the people of the whole country. This is an important spiritual strength for the cause of building and liberating the country in the future, so that culture becomes a “milestone” of national sovereignty.
In relation to the two remaining principles of popularization and scientization, we see more clearly the meaning of the principle of nationalization. A strong nation must be based on the strength of the masses. Caring for the masses, the great national unity bloc, based on the development of science and education will help our nation be more steadfast and confident in the process of fighting for national liberation and building the country. When the country is at peace, culture takes on a new mission in building an independent, free, and happy Fatherland...
Human value is a great endogenous resource for national development.Writer Le Hoai Nam acknowledged: Culture plays a very important role in expressing the identity and characteristics of the nation. In particular, people are the crystallization of many aspects and contents of the Vietnamese value system. Vietnamese people have many good qualities such as patriotism, responsibility, perseverance, diligence, creativity, solidarity, desire for development... These qualities are invaluable assets of the country! Promoting the values of Vietnamese people is a great endogenous resource for development, building a bright future for the Fatherland and the nation. |
Nguyen Huong (Written)
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