On June 11, 1948, President Ho Chi Minh made an appeal for patriotic emulation in which he stated that emulation means patriotism, patriotism requires emulation and those who emulate are the most patriotic persons.
Over the past 70 years, President Ho Chi Minh’s appeal has become a foundation and stimulant for people from all walks of life to try their utmost to overcome all difficulties and challenges and make contributions to the struggle for national independence, and national construction and development.
During different periods, patriotic emulation movements under various names, contents and forms have been created to meet the reality of life.
Vietnam’s significant achievements all bear the imprint of patriotic emulation movements, which shows that emulation is a mental stimulus that creates physical strength and mobilises the power of the entire society for the cause of national liberation, construction and defence.
Emulation movements have helped with the fulfilment of challenging tasks, namely promoting socio-economic development, lifting the country out of underdevelopment, ensuring social security, strengthening defence and maintaining national sovereignty, and proactive international integration.
Besides the significant achievements, the emulation movement has also faced various obstacles and drawbacks. Many programmes have failed to create a far-reaching effect on the people’s lives, while many others were superficial and hollow. Certain programmes were not aligned with the interests of the working people and were implemented ineffectively. Attention was inadequately given to the commendation of exemplary people.
In order for patriotic emulation movements to make full use of national unity and the strength of the entire political system to make active contributions to the cause of reform, national construction and defence, the Party organisations, governments, and leaders of agencies and units should enhance their leadership capacity and pay closer attention to emulation and commendations.
It is necessary to properly and profoundly implement President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology on patriotic emulation and align it with everyone’s daily work. Emulation movements should be organised in a practical and effective way with the content and form suitable with the specific conditions of each agency, sector and locality.
For now, agencies, sectors and localities should continue expanding their administrative reforms, strengthen discipline, promote the anti-corruption fight, and enhance the quality of international integration, thereby creating an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national characteristics, and building patriotic, humane and comprehensively developed Vietnamese citizens.
All cadres and Party members, especially those in leadership positions, should take into account their pioneering role in order to become the true leaders of emulation movements.
President Ho Chi Minh’s appeal for patriotic emulation and his ideology on emulation has thus far remained historically significant and alive in the current cause for national construction and defence. The Party and government at all levels, the Fatherland Front, and social and political organisations should make bolder effort to call forth the people’s response, and continue to foster and enhance the quality of patriotic emulation movements in the time ahead.
