Emotional embraces, much hand-shaking and tears were much on view at the conference entitled “Looking Back on the Patriotic Student Movement, the Intellectuals and Artists of the Southern Urban Areas from 1945 to 1975”, which was held at DTU on May 19 and 20. This special event was a reunion of war veterans and people who had spent such memorable and meaningful times together.
Mr. Le Cong Co states at the conference
The conference was honored to welcome Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh, a former Vice-President of Vietnam, Mr. Pham Chanh Truc, former Deputy Secretary of HCM City Party, Doctor Huynh Tan Mam, former Chairman of Saigon Students Association and four hundred scientists, writers and participants in the southern anti-war movement. Mr. Le Cong Co, DTU Chairman & Provost, who was the leader of this movement in Hue, led the conference.
Sixty presentations were given at the conference, including topics on the 1972 World Students Congress in Saigon, the Buddhist Theory of fighting, the patriotic movement amongst southern Catholics, the students’ role in national defense and so on.
Participants at the conference
During the three sessions, thirty-four participants recounted their personal stories. Memories of struggles, hardship and suffering were recalled movingly by the real witness of the war. Five minutes was insufficient for each of them to express their thoughts and emotions about how they had dedicated themselves to the independence of Vietnam. Nguyen Thi Binh said: “I really appreciate the DTU Board of Provosts for organizing this conference as I had wanted to organize one too. We experienced a unique and glorious period together and our mission today is to encourage the young to be worthy of the older ones who died in the national revolution”.
A participant from Ho Chi Minh City stated: “We are putting together pieces of the past to complete a jigsaw, which will prove to be valuable evidence for future generations”.
Songs performed at the conference brought them back to the glorious days. They sang with all their emotion, from the bottom of their hearts, just as they did in the old days.
“This is a reunion of the people who gave most for national independence. Today we are gathered here to look back to the spirit of the past and inspire the next generation. We cannot predict if we will be alive tomorrow but your contribution to independence will remain forever”, said Mr. Le Cong Co at the end of the conference.
As a result of the conference, the values of the patriotic student movement, intellectuals and artists of the southern urban areas from 1945 to 1975 were recalled, so that the younger generation can now more easily understand our history and stay devoted to Vietnam.
(Board of Website Editors)