According to President Ho Chi Minh, patriotic emulation must stem first from genuine patriotism, from the will of self-reliance, resilience, and the spirit of national solidarity. He regarded emulation as a method and an organisational form of revolutionary mass action, intended to mobilise and maximise the potential and creativity of the people in all areas of social life.
Over nearly 80 years since President Ho Chi Minh launched the first patriotic emulation movement in 1948, that spirit of emulation has remained a flame that fuels the will and strength of the entire nation. Many movements during the socialist construction period in the North and the resistance war against the US for national salvation vividly demonstrate the enduring vitality and immense practical value of the patriotic emulation ideology.
During the renewal period, the Party has always considered patriotic emulation one of the key driving forces for socio-economic development, the consolidation of national defence and security, and the building of a strong political system. The Party has emphasised that patriotic emulation is not the task of any single sector or level, but the common cause of the entire people and the whole political system. Every organisation and individual can and should participate in emulation through practical and effective actions suited to their functions, duties, and circumstances.
In recent years, emulation and commendation work has achieved significant results. Movements such as “The whole country joining hands to build new rural areas,” “Vietnamese enterprises integrating and developing,” “Officials, civil servants, and public employees emulating the practice of workplace culture,” “All People Uniting to Build a Cultural Life in residential areas,” and “Vietnamese people prioritising Vietnamese goods,” among others, have spread widely across society. These have made important contributions to economic development, political stability, the consolidation of great national unity, and the building of a dynamic, innovative, compassionate, and responsible image of a new Viet Nam.
Patriotic emulation also contributes to nurturing and strengthening the moral foundation of society. In the context of a market economy and international integration, where material values tend to dominate, the patriotic emulation movement becomes a driving force to awaken and spread humanistic and ethical values characteristic of the Vietnamese people.
However, in the context of deep international integration and the rapid development of information technology, hostile forces, reactionary elements, and political opportunists have exploited cyberspace and social media to distort and misrepresent the meaning and value of the patriotic emulation movement. They claim that emulation is merely formalistic. Such arguments are fundamentally false, aimed at erasing the value of Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, denying the leadership role of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, and undermining the people’s faith in the path towards socialism.
These distortions are clearly irrational when compared to reality. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the patriotic emulation spirit was vividly demonstrated through humanitarian actions: medical staff volunteering on the frontlines; thousands of volunteers, soldiers, and youth union members joining the fight against the pandemic; and the entire nation standing together in solidarity - “the good leaves protect the worn-out ones.” Likewise, in the prevention and recovery from natural disasters and floods, the Party, people, and army united in timely support and resource mobilisation, ensuring that affected areas quickly stabilised their livelihoods, in the spirit that “no one is left behind.”
Today, patriotic emulation is not confined to traditional areas but extends to new fields such as digital transformation, environmental protection, scientific research, innovation, and start-up development, as well as international integration. Emulation movements are no longer limited to community meetings or mass media but are also deployed extensively on digital platforms, showing how patriotic emulation flexibly adapts to the times and serves as an essential driving force for the country’s sustainable development in the new era.
Through honouring and commending good people and good deeds, as well as exemplary individuals, the patriotic emulation movement helps shape public opinion, reinforce social trust, establish positive social norms, and inspire the desire for dedication and national pride. On a broader level, patriotic emulation represents a cultural value — a symbol of the Vietnamese national identity: resilient, united, and capable of turning challenges into opportunities.
