Spread the spirit of volunteering

Awakening the spirit of volunteerism among young people

Volunteer launch ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Square. Photo: My Nga

PV:In early March, the Provincial Youth Union Standing Committee held a ceremony to launch the Youth Month 2019. So, can you share what activities the Youth Union at all levels have been doing to arouse the "Youth Spirit"?

Provincial Youth Union Secretary Pham Tuan Vinh:Along with the youth of the whole country, Youth Month 2019 was launched with the theme "Nghe An Youth Volunteering for the Community".

The Provincial Youth Union Standing Committee focuses on directing the implementation of key tasks in 4 groups of areas: Strengthening the education of traditions and revolutionary ideals for young union members; Organizing activities to promote the creative spirit of young people; Undertaking projects and youth work to contribute to building new rural areas and civilized urban areas, implementing social security activities, serving the people; Organizing activities to support young people in creative startups, providing career counseling and job introduction for union members and young people.

With that orientation, to kick off Youth Month, the province's youth marked it with meaningful and practical activities such as: Union activities; building charity houses; organizing voluntary blood donation; providing free medical examination and medicine to the people; general environmental cleaning in the whole province, eliminating environmental black spots; planting trees; guiding traffic safety and order...

Provincial Youth Union leaders visited seriously ill soldiers; Youth volunteers from Vinh Medical University examined and provided free medicine to people; Nghe An Youth responded to the Campaign "Each youth has a creative idea". Photo: My Nga

With the spirit of "Pioneering - Courage - Solidarity - Creativity", the activities responding to Youth Month and Youth Volunteer Year 2019 have been creating a vibrant competitive atmosphere, fanning the flame of volunteerism into creative and effective actions and deeds in studying, working, and bringing about works bearing the mark of knowledge, strength, and enthusiasm of youth.

"Activities responding to Youth Month and Youth Volunteer Year 2019 fan the flame of volunteerism into creative and effective actions and deeds of the youth."

Provincial Youth Union Secretary Pham Tuan Vinh

PV:The “Youth Volunteer” movement has gone through 20 years with positive ripple effects, affirming the role of youth in the community. Sharing in that atmosphere, what special marks have Nghe An youth left, comrade?

Provincial Youth Union Secretary Pham Tuan Vinh:Through the leadership of the Youth Union, the volunteer qualities of Nghe An youth have developed into a widespread and vibrant "Youth Volunteer" movement with the motto: "Wherever there is a need, there are youth, wherever there is difficulty, there are youth".

After 20 years, it can be affirmed that the Youth Volunteer Movement is the inheritance of the spirit of "Three readiness" and "Five volunteer" of the previous generations. From the initial small movements, volunteer activities have now been expanded, diversified in form, richer and more practical, attracting the participation of a large number of young people.

Many Youth Union and Association organizations have had very good and effective ways of doing things that have a high impact on society, such as: car washes to raise funds; rescuing agricultural products for farmers; charity music nights; participating in youth projects and activities.

Or the Youth Union organizations have helped and sponsored more than 200 students with difficult circumstances to excel in their studies; and established volunteer clubs.

Youth Union members wash cars to raise funds; give bicycles to disadvantaged students; rescue agricultural products for farmers. Photo: Archive

"All the activities of the volunteer movement have made the image of the union members and youth with green shirts and pink hearts more beautiful than ever."

Provincial Youth Union Secretary Pham Tuan Vinh

In particular, since 2011, in response to the National Target Program on new rural construction, the Provincial Youth Union Standing Committee has mobilized the entire youth union force to join hands with local authorities at all levels.

Every year, 40-45 concentrated and specialized youth volunteer teams have been established to support mountainous communes and particularly disadvantaged areas.

Millions of union members and young people participated in dredging and building tens of thousands of kilometers of new intra-field canals and rural roads, and building thousands of green fences and mural fences, changing the face of many rural areas across the province.

The volunteer movement has also attracted the participation of thousands of young civil servants, public employees, soldiers, police, businessmen, and doctors.

Many volunteer activities according to campaigns and sudden volunteer activities when natural disasters occur in the area have been organized promptly, creating resonance in society, becoming a support for people in difficult times.

In addition, the volunteer activities have been expanded to all rural, urban and island areas. In particular, many volunteer teams have also come to disadvantaged areas of Laos, contributing to fostering solidarity between the two countries; promoting the culture, image of the country and people of Vietnam to the Lao people.

The volunteer movement attracts the participation of a large number of young volunteers. Photo: Archive

Spread into life

PV:In order for the summer volunteer campaign of the "Youth Volunteer" movement to gradually become more practical, of higher quality, and more widely spread, what innovations do you think are needed?

Provincial Youth Union Secretary Pham Tuan Vinh:After the Central Youth Union selected the theme for 2019 as "Year of Youth Volunteers", the Standing Committee of Nghe An Provincial Youth Union determined to promote the development of good models, practices, and typical collectives and individuals in the youth volunteer movement.

In particular, focus on building peak volunteer programs such as: Spring Volunteer, Youth Month, Summer Youth Volunteer Campaign, Winter Volunteer.

"The Provincial Youth Union has identified 11 main targets, of which it strives to carry out at least 2 provincial-level youth projects to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Youth Volunteer Movement."

Provincial Youth Union Secretary Pham Tuan Vinh

100% of district-level Youth Unions mobilized to establish or maintain effective operations of at least 1 youth cooperative or youth booth; each district, city, and town Youth Union provided career counseling to more than 600 Youth Union members and teenagers, and introduced 150 Youth Union members and teenagers to specific jobs;...

Carrying the traditional flame at the Launch Ceremony of "Youth Month" 2019. Photo: Archive

In particular, in addition to promoting on-site volunteer activities and specialized volunteer activities, closely following the goals of the province's Administrative Reform Year, the Provincial Youth Union Standing Committee has developed a plan and provided guidance for the Youth Union members of civil servants and public employees to implement the movement in conjunction with professional tasks, with the goal that each Youth Union member actively contributes to administrative reform work, develops ideas, in which each Youth Union member volunteers to work at least 40 extra hours a year to serve the people and businesses.

Setting these specific targets demonstrates the determination to spread volunteer activities into life. In addition to the goal of attracting a large number of union members and young people to participate, it also contributes to bringing about impacts and changing the awareness and perception of the community.

PV:Thank you comrade!