Building a family of 'Respect, equality, love, sharing'

Reporter: Sir, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has just issued a set of criteria for family conduct. In which, the criteria for family conduct in Vietnam are based on the principles of: Respect, equality, love and sharing. Could you tell us more about the content and meaning of this set of criteria?

Family is the place to preserve, conserve and sustainably develop the traditional cultural and ethical values ​​of the nation. Photo: Document

Mr. Bui Cong Vinh:The birth of this set of criteria is very necessary in the current period. Because as we know, the family is the place to preserve, conserve and sustainably develop the traditional cultural and ethical values ​​of the nation, is the bridge between the individual and the community, is the nucleus of society. President Ho Chi Minh once affirmed the important role of the family: "Many families together make up a society, good families make a good society, good society makes better families, the nucleus of society is the family".

In 1993, the United Nations decided to choose May 15 every year as “International Family Day” to raise awareness of family issues around the world. Vietnam also has June 28 as “Vietnamese Family Day”. That shows that family is an issue that all of humanity cares about. Building Vietnamese families as healthy cells of society is the policy of the Party and the State, and the aspiration of everyone. One of the major measures to implement that policy is to raise awareness and fulfill family obligations for all citizens.

Building Vietnamese families as healthy cells of society is the policy of the Party and State. Photo: Duc Anh

The set of criteria for family conduct was created with the aim of identifying and gradually bringing into life the standards of ethical values ​​and culture of Vietnamese people in the period of industrialization, modernization and international integration. At the same time, it strengthens legal awareness, promotes ethics, conscience, and responsibility of each person to themselves, their families, communities, society and country; prevents moral degradation in families and society. Raises awareness of building and preserving sustainable happiness for each family, arouses love, and shares responsibility among members in building a prosperous, progressive, happy, and civilized family, as a foundation for building a happy community and a prosperous nation. This set of criteria is popularized and applied to all families and members, including those who are connected by marriage, blood relations or foster relationships.

PV: In addition to the general criteria for family behavior including: "Respect, equality, love, sharing", the set of criteria sets out specific criteria for family relationships. So, sir, how will this concretization be particularly effective?

The lasting and close bond between husband and wife is a strong cultural feature in every Vietnamese family. Photo: Duc Anh

Mr. Bui Cong Vinh:Behavior in the family is an important activity that contributes to the implementation of the family's functions, especially the function of educating and socializing people. Through behavioral activities and communication between family members, between the family and society, a cultural feature is created that is unique to each family, creating a community and national culture. This concretization is particularly effective, helping members realize their own position, role, and responsibility to regulate certain relationships in the family appropriately.

Specifically, the behavioral criteria of husband and wife are fidelity, loyalty, husband and wife together build a sustainable marriage, do not violate the monogamous marriage regime, love, care, look after, and help each other.

The criteria for parents' behavior towards their children and grandparents' behavior towards their grandchildren are exemplary and loving. Parents and grandparents set good examples for their children and grandchildren in their gestures, actions and words; have close emotional attachments to their children and grandchildren; care for, nurture, look after and teach their children and grandchildren when they are young; when their children and grandchildren are unable to support themselves; pass on traditional values ​​and life experiences to their children and grandchildren; educate and encourage their children and grandchildren to practice a cultural lifestyle, civic awareness, and maintain family traditions and customs.

5 criteria of behavior in the family. Illustration photo

The criteria for children's behavior towards parents, grandchildren towards grandparents is to be filial and polite. Respectful, polite, filial to grandparents, parents; loving, caring, sharing feelings, wishes with parents and family members. Studying, practicing, maintaining family traditions, helping parents and family members with tasks appropriate to age and gender. Visiting, caring, encouraging, nurturing parents, grandparents when parents, grandparents are sick, old, or encounter difficulties in life.

If we can meet the above criteria, we will build a special cultural environment in our own home, while creating good values ​​for the community.

PV: Many people expect the Family Code of Conduct to change behavior and improve family culture. However, some people are concerned about its feasibility and how to achieve effectiveness in life. So, in your opinion, how should the levels, sectors and localities implement the propaganda to make the Family Code of Conduct truly come into life?

Important criteria in the newly issued Family Conduct Criteria. Photo courtesy

Mr. Bui Cong Vinh:Associations, unions, and localities need to focus on propaganda, diversifying the forms and rich and vivid the content. Linking the set of criteria for family behavior with the criteria for awarding the title of Cultural Family, and linking it with the movement "All people unite to build a cultural life".

We also need to strengthen coordination between family, school and society in guiding values, educating ethics, lifestyle and behavioral culture for the younger generation. Timely reward outstanding groups and individuals with outstanding achievements in directing, deploying and implementing this set of criteria. Only then can we gradually improve family culture, which is a solid foundation to help people perfect their personalities, towards truth - goodness - beauty.

Hopefully, after a period of time, the propaganda work will gain depth and breadth, we will receive real values ​​from the changes in the nuclear families themselves through the implementation of the criteria. From there, we will record the changes in society, in villages, hamlets, neighborhoods, villages, and communes...

PV: On the occasion of Vietnamese Family Day (June 28), representing half of the world, I would like to share something with you: Our grandparents have a saying: "A spoiled child is the mother's fault, a spoiled grandchild is the grandmother's fault", but in fact, many studies show that most children are more attached to their fathers than their mothers and they often consider their fathers as role models to follow. Particularly for the factor of building good relationships with the community, men are always the key to connecting their small family with their clan, organizations, unions, society, professional organizations... In addition to these factors, in modern society, men also hold some new roles such as: Having the function of advising and being a spiritual support for family members (because they are considered the stronger sex)... In particular, as mentioned above, the husband also has to work with his wife to take care of "internal" and "external" affairs... So, in your opinion, to do these things, how should men in the family build relationships with their children, parents and wives to create harmony among family members?

Mr. Bui Cong Vinh:In my opinion, men are both the ones who build the foundations for lasting happiness and the ones who provide spiritual support and harmonize relationships in the family.

Therefore, first of all, we need to focus on applying behavior according to the criteria of "Respect, equality, love, sharing".

Family happiness is built on three basic foundations: economic development, raising children to adulthood, and creating, maintaining and developing good relationships with the community. In these three factors, the role of men is extremely important. The philosophy of "men build houses, women build homes" still holds its full meaning in modern society. Regardless of the era, men are still the pillars of the family, the place for their wives and children to rely on. Men still hold the main responsibility for economic work, ensuring the material life of the family. In the relationship with children, parents and wife, they must always demonstrate the right role, responsibility, and obligation, always being an important factor in strengthening good relationships in the family.

PV: Thank you for this conversation!