Spreading love for the sea and islands of the Fatherland

Over the past 10 years, the program "Students with the sea and islands of the Fatherland" has always been an activity of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Association, which has been warmly welcomed and participated in by a large number of students; contributing to fostering love for the sea and islands of the homeland and country.

In 2013, the program "Students with the sea and islands of the Fatherland" was first organized by the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Association, bringing 900 students to Ly Son Island, Quang Ngai. The starting point of the program was held in Ly Son - an island considered a living museum preserving evidence of the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland and generations of brave fishermen who cling to the sea without fear of danger to protect the traditional fishing grounds of their ancestors. Many meaningful and practical activities, demonstrating the high level of action of students were organized on the island, such as: building the national flagpole; displaying 23 "Student scientific research models towards the sea and islands of the Fatherland"; Exhibition "Models and pictures of sea and island life"...

In 2014, the program took place on Tho Chu Island, Kien Giang Province, with the highlight being the construction of the national flagpole on Tho Chu Island with a total investment of nearly 1 billion VND. Continuing the success, in 2015, the program Students with the sea and islands of the Fatherland brought the largest number of students with 1,200 excellent students from all over the country, along with representatives of Vietnamese students studying in European countries, and representatives of Lao students gathered on Cu Lao Xanh Island (Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh).

With the spirit that each student and youth is a propagandist for the love of the sea and islands, for the indisputable sovereignty of the Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, and a messenger of peace bringing the message of friendship and cooperation to all five continents, the story of peace and love for the sea and islands of the Fatherland, the delegates participating in the program have implemented many meaningful programs and tasks. Among them, there is the project of building the national flagpole on the outpost islands, launching a fleet of 12 ships for fishermen to fish offshore...

The highlight of the program is the grand and large-scale music night “High spirit, far-reaching aspiration” with the participation of many stars and thousands of young students from Quy Nhon city. This is also the first art program to affirm “Hoang Sa and Truong Sa belong to Vietnam”, clearly protesting China’s construction of artificial islands right on stage.

Next, Students with the Sea and Islands of the Fatherland was organized in Co To, Phu Quy, Phu Quoc, and Con Dao islands. Over the past 10 years, the Students with the Sea and Islands of the Fatherland program has brought more than 3,000 members and students from home and abroad to the islands of Ly Son, Phu Quoc, Tho Chu, Cu Lao Xanh, Co To, Phu Quy, and Con Dao. In the program, many large and meaningful activities were organized such as: visiting and giving gifts to families of war invalids, martyrs, and heroic Vietnamese mothers; giving gifts and encouraging relatives and families of officers and soldiers working on the islands; giving gifts, flags, and fishing gear to fishermen at sea; supporting localities in developing tourism and economy. In addition, activities were organized to learn about sovereignty over seas and islands for students; and organizing art programs to serve the people on the islands.

In particular, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Association has built 5 national flagpoles on the islands of Ly Son, Phu Quy, Tran, Cu Lao Xanh and Tho Chu. This is a typical project of the Vietnam Student Association in educating and fostering patriotism, national spirit, and affirming Vietnam's sovereignty over the sea. The flagpoles have also become a scenic spot attracting many tourists and local people to visit and organize community activities.

The program “Students with the sea and islands of the Fatherland” has created a widespread influence across the country. Many provinces and cities have responded, sending excellent students and young people to volunteer on the islands every year, to exchange, visit, encourage the people and carry out many projects and tasks, contributing their youth to develop the homeland's sea and islands.

Since 2015, every summer, Binh Duong Provincial Youth Union has organized volunteer teams to go to Phu Quy Island, Binh Thuan Province. Mr. Thai Kien Thuan, Director of the Provincial Youth Activity Center, Vice President of the Binh Duong Provincial Youth Union, has been attached to Phu Quy since 2013, surveyed, learned, and grasped the needs and aspirations of the people on the island, and then gathered volunteer student teams to go to the island. He said that in this year's Green Summer Campaign, Binh Duong organized a volunteer team of 20 soldiers to conduct medical examinations and give free medicine to 200 households; and repaired 2 houses on the island. Mr. Thuan said that Phu Quy is currently a tourist destination that attracts many visitors, so on each volunteer trip, he and his members focus on environmental sanitation, cleaning the sea, and decorating the beach more beautifully. He is the one who initiated painting and decorating Phu Quy seawall as a check-in point for tourists when coming here. “Each trip to Phu Quy lasts a month. Therefore, the sea and islands here become my second home,” Thuan shared.

Summing up the program "Students with the sea and islands of the Fatherland" in 2023, Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet, Secretary of the Central Youth Union, President of the Central Vietnam Student Association, assessed that through the activities during the voyage, the delegates conveyed the close attachment of the mainland to Truong Sa, understood and experienced the real life of the army and people on the islands and above all, pride. "Proud because our officers and soldiers are always steadfast, loyal, brave, ready to overcome storms, hardships at the head of the waves and winds. Proud because our Fatherland Vietnam has excellent, resilient and indomitable children who are every day, every hour firmly holding their guns to maintain the sacred sovereignty of the sea and sky of the Fatherland. And in that great pride, there is also a small pride in the enthusiasm of the delegates on this journey," said Mr. Triet.

Mr. Triet expressed his hope that, from the trip, by witnessing firsthand the difficulties and hardships that officers and soldiers are facing, each delegate in the delegation will be empowered and become ambassadors, spreading the message and emotions of love for the country and the sea and islands. At the same time, each delegate needs to be deeply aware of their honor and responsibility in inheriting, firmly protecting and promoting the great potential of the sea and islands. “Each person, with their own strength, must always be ready to take the initiative, volunteer and continue to contribute and devote themselves to Truong Sa, to the beloved sea and islands,” said Mr. Triet.

Emphasizing the country of nearly 3,000 islands, including two offshore island districts, Hoang Sa and Truong Sa, Mr. Triet suggested that members and students, with their youth and enthusiasm, continue their journeys and meaningful projects so that our seas and islands can develop more firmly.

From the success of the 2023 Student with the Sea and Islands of the Fatherland program, Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet said that the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Student Association will continue to propose to the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Ministry of National Defense, the Navy to maintain and organize this program annually and expand to many other near-shore islands and island communes in Truong Sa Island District. In particular, the Vietnam Student Association will continue to connect and coordinate to carry out student projects on Truong Sa archipelago and strive to inaugurate this meaningful project on the next voyage to Truong Sa of the Vietnam Student Association.

On this occasion, Mr. Nguyen Minh Triet also requested that the Association's chapters nationwide strengthen the implementation of propaganda activities on the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland and at the same time promote the implementation of emulation campaigns to welcome the 11th National Congress of the Vietnam Student Association, term 2023 - 2028.

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Source: https://tienphong.vn/mot-thap-ky-hanh-trinh-sinh-vien-khang-dinh-chu-quyen-bien-dao-lan-toa-tinh-yeu-bien-dao-to-quoc-post1563948.tpo