90 years ago, on March 26, 1931, on the agenda of the 2nd Central Conference, our Party had an important discussion on youth affairs. It was the important decision of the Conference that marked the birth of the Indochinese Communist Youth Union (now the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union) - the socio-political organisation of the Vietnamese youth, the revolutionary vanguard and reliable successor of the Party.
Over the past 90 years, under the direct and comprehensive leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh and the companionship of the State, branches, levels, mass organisations, in all stages of the revolution, whatever names it carries, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union have always deserved to be the socio-political organisation of the Vietnamese youth - the Party's trusted successor; successfully completed its tasks of mobilising, gathering, uniting and educating generations of Vietnamese youth to make them absolutely loyal to the revolutionary cause of the Party and strive for the goals and ideals of national independence and socialism that the Party, Uncle Ho and our people have chosen. The Union is really a political bridge between the Party and the youth, making young people believe in the Party, pioneer in the cause of national liberation, construction and defence. At the same time, it is worthy of being an organisation that represents, cares for and protects the legitimate rights, interests and needs of all youths; the socialist school that educates and raises revolutionary ideals, ethics, cultural lifestyles, patriotic tradition for Vietnamese youth through the movements, programs and campaigns launched by the Union and youth associations, such as: "Pioneering in socio-economic development and national defence", "Accompanying with youth starting career", "Voluntary Youth", "Creative Youth", "Youth pioneering in Fatherland protection", "Accompanying with youth starting up", etc. The spirit, principles and purposes of those movements, programs and campaigns have gradually approached the grassroots unions, officials and members of youth unions, and different youth groups in accordance with the characteristics of geographical location and the nature of work, meeting the needs and psychology of the youth and the development requirements of the country in each revolutionary period, which have been welcomed and actively responded by the youth. Thereby, the Union at all levels has fostered and trained millions of young people who are constantly striving and sacrificing for the Party's ideals; promoted well their pioneering, creative and voluntary role in solving many strategic tasks of the Party and the revolution; built and promoted its role as a practical school to gather young people, train their awareness, responsibility and health, build a strong union organisation; at the same time, it has affirmed its role in protecting legal and legitimate rights and interests of the youth and for the youth. The union organisational structure has been continuously strengthened and developed; the youth united front has constantly been expanded and strongly grown with more than 9.9 million members, including 1.2 million members of the Vietnamese Student Association.
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Recognising its honour and responsibility in building the Party and the political system of the country, the Youth Union always performs well the function of "the Party's trusted successor". Since its foundation, the Union has fostered and introduced thousands of its outstanding cadres to agencies of the Party, State, branches, levels and mass organisations. In the period between 2015 and 2020, there have been 11,380 Union cadres being elected to the party committees and 9,888 other Union cadres and members elected to the 14th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2016-2021 term. The Union has introduced millions of outstanding members for the Party’s membership. Since 2016 to date, more than 940,000 excellent union members have been introduced to the Party, in which nearly 560,000 were admitted to the Party.
In addition, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union has successfully completed the task of "building the Ho Chi Minh Pioneering Teenager Team". Through activities, such as: orientation, staff deployment, funding, building headquarters and providing equipment, the Union has fulfilled its task of taking charge of the Ho Chi Minh Pioneering Teenager Team. The efforts of the Union have contributed to building the youth class of the new period with revolutionary ideals, political steadfastness, and patriotism; cultural ethics and responsible lifestyles, broad knowledge, good health, and high ambition.
Contributing to the overall achievement of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, for nearly 70 years, the Military Communist Youth Union has become truly a vanguard and the "right hand man" of the Party. Millions of military youth went to war, in which tens of thousands became heroes, emulation soldiers, determined to win soldiers; thousands of them became heroes of the armed forces. Many died a hero at their youth for the cause of national liberation. Walking under the Party glorious flag, the Military Youth has always been loyal and consistent with the Party's revolutionary goals and ideals, striving to deserve the title of "Uncle Ho's Soldier", worthy of being an exemplary part of Vietnam Youth.
Currently, facing the requirements and tasks of innovation and international integration, in order to promote its pioneering role as a socialist school of Vietnamese youth, the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union should continue to persevere its solidarity, widely gather all Vietnamese youths and youth organisation both at home and abroad with the goal of building a "both red and expert" youth generation with dreams, ambitions, and aspirations for self-development, national construction, and the goals of: rich people, strong, democratic, equal and civilised country. In order to promote the important role of the Youth Union in the Party building work, worthy of being the "trusted successor of the Party", continuing to firmly step under the Party glorious flag, it is necessary to focus on effectively implementing the following tasks:
1. Maintaining the direct and comprehensive leadership of party committees at the same level for the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union. Improve the efficiency of building the Party, State and socio-political organisations; foster and introduce a contingent of typical union cadres to supplement for the Party, the State, the Fatherland Front and socio-political organisations. Continue to implement solutions to implement the Campaign: "Union members strive to become members of the Communist Party of Vietnam"; discover and select outstanding union members to introduce for the Party’s membership. Attach importance to introducing the members who are workers, students, rural youth, and members of the armed forces, young intellectuals, ethnic minority youth, and grassroots union cadres.
2. Strengthening the ideal education, revolutionary ethics, cultural lifestyles for young people to nurture their steadfastness, persistence, revolutionary ideals and faith in the Party and Uncle Ho. Improve the quality of building the Youth Union strong in politics, thought, morality and organisation, really be the organisation and the socialist school of the youth and for the youth. Focus on improving the quality of union members, working capacity for the union cadres and the quality of union activities. Implement well the role of social criticism and supervision of laws and policies related to the development of youth and children; build the Ho Chi Minh Pioneering Teenager Team strong and take care to the interests of the children.
3. Attaching importance to fostering the strongly-held faith with the Party for Union members and youth by actions, through practice of the movements, considering this an important solution to nurture the next revolutionary generations. Union levels promote the pioneering and voluntary manner of union members in labor and study, and encourage their effort in starting their career, national construction and defence. Effectively carry out the three revolutionary action movements, namely: "Voluntary Youth", "Creative Youth", "Youth pioneering in Fatherland protection", and three programs, namely: "Accompanying with youths in study"; "Accompanying with young people in starting up and starting their career"; "Accompanying with youth to practice and develop skills in life, improve physical, cultural and spiritual life". Through revolutionary action movements of youth and Youth Unions, make the young generations understand the glorious traditions of the Party and the nation, make the union members and youth deeply understand more deeply about the role models of the youth in the cause of building and defending the country so that they would feel grateful to the older generations who sacrificed themselves for the independence and freedom of the country, and enhance their national pride and patriotism. Promote their pioneering and voluntary spirit in implementing the country's socio-economic development goals.
4. Actively representing and caring for and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the youth. Youth organisations are the broad social front, the extended arm of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in gathering, orienting and leading youth movement activities. Youth organisations should diversify the forms of youth gathering, approach and organise supportive contents and activities suitable to each youth, basing on the basic needs of the youth. At the same time, implement practical solutions to gather and support young people who are ethnic minorities, religious followers, youth working in industrial and export processing zones, non-state enterprises and overseas Vietnamese youth. Connect and promote young talents in different fields and Vietnamese young intellectuals abroad to participate in activities of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the Vietnam Youth Association, and involve them in the cause of national construction and defence.
Proudly stepping under the flag of the glorious Party, the cadres, members, and all levels of the Union will continue to promote the spirit of initiative, pioneer, creativity with concrete, practical and constructive actions to make the union strong, really be a "socialist school" for the youth and the loyal and trustworthy successor of the Party, contributing to building and firmly defending the Socialist Vietnam Fatherland.
NGUYEN ANH TUAN, Member of the Party Central Committee, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, President of the Vietnam Youth Association