Next Generation Deepening Cuba-Vietnam Relations

Spreading images of Cuban culture, country, and people to Vietnamese children

According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Thao, the
Vietnam – Cuba Friendship Association

highly valued the two countries’ efforts to educate about the special friendship between Vietnam and Cuba, especially in a complex and unpredictable world situation.

This topic has been included in the Friendship and Cooperation Agreements between the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, the Vietnam – Cuba Friendship Association and the Cuban Institute for Friendship with Peoples (ICAP), the Cuba – Vietnam Friendship Association.

The 6th chapter of the Agreement states: “The parties will create conditions for students of the two countries to participate in and support politics, entertainment, solidarity, and friendship activities taking place in the two countries. Students who have completed their study program will be facilitated to establish student associations or participate as members of Friendship Associations to strengthen the knowledge base and contribute to expanding and strengthening the solidarity movement, involving new generations and indivisible solidarity, as well as the values ​​that the peoples of the two countries uphold.”

Visitors to the photo exhibition of Cuban hero Che Guevara

Over the past years, Vietnam – Cuba Friendship Association has coordinated with agencies, and local friendship associations to organize many practical, specific, and meaningful activities to spread the images of Cuban culture, country, and people to the Vietnamese people, especially the youth.
Those activities included a contest about understanding Cuba themed “Vietnam – Cuba unite for development,” a photo exhibition named “Vietnam – Cuba: 55 years of solidarity and cooperation” with 55 precious photos reflecting the relationship between the two countries over the past half- century, and a photo exhibition of Cuban hero Che Guevara.

In 2020, as the two countries celebrate the 60th anniversary of their diplomatic relations, the Vietnam – Cuba Friendship Association held and coordinated with the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations and ministries and departments to hold a series of activities to celebrate the event, including many cultural and educational activities about the special traditional friendship between the two countries for children.

The Vietnam – Cuba Friendship Associations at provincial and city levels also organized children’s painting contests in Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho. Themed “Vietnam – Cuba immense solidarity,” the contest received more than 1 million paintings expressing the feelings and wishes of children across Vietnam for Cuban children and people.

Some other activities on the occasion, such as the photo exhibition named “Cuba in the Heart of the Vietnamese People” at the Vietnam Women’s Museum, the conference to celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Cuba in An Giang; the “Vietnam – Cuba cultural exchange” program in Ba Ria – Vung Tau, reach a wide public, especially young people.

In addition to exhibitions, exchanges, and contests to learn about Cuba, the Association cooperated with publishing houses to launch books on the bilateral relationship, and the loyal friendship between the two countries.
two nations, such as: “Fidel and Vietnam: Unforgettable Memories”, “National Independence, Socialism and Updating the Socialist Model in Cuba” and “Cuban Memory.” The publications convey the feelings of the Vietnamese people for the Cuban people, raise the awareness of all classes of people, especially the young generation, about the nature and meaning of the special relationship between Vietnam and Cuba.

In 2022, on the 61st anniversary of Cuba’s Girón Victory, the Association cooperated with the National Political Publishing House to display books with the theme: “Vietnam-Cuba faithful friendship: Imprints on books.”

More specific and practical cooperation programs

To improve the effectiveness of propaganda and education for the young generation, strengthen the traditional friendship relations with Cuba in particular and countries with traditional relations in general, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Thao said it is necessary to continue to implement specific cooperation programs with diverse, vivid, and useful forms and substantive content such as holding meetings and friendship exchanges for young people, strengthening the exchange of students, young entrepreneurs, young scientists (both virtually and in-person jointly organized in comprehensive political and ideological education for young people, especially in commemoration of major holidays, more


seminars



, roundtables, exchange of information and experiences between the Vietnam Youth Federation, Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union with Cuban Communist Youth Union and youth organizations in other countries.

Through these specific and practical activities, the youth of the two countries have more opportunities to enrich their knowledge and experience and also contribute to preserving, consolidating, and developing the close solidarity and trust between the young generation of Vietnam and of other countries.

In addition, agencies and experts of the two countries need to do in-depth research, actively and properly promote, guide, and orientate to help the young generation build a foundation of awareness and understanding preserving the good traditional relations between the two countries. In addition to jointly organizing contests to learn about the country and people of Vietnam and other countries, it is to make use of new platforms loved by young people to continue effectively themed them.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Viet Thao suggested that the national education curriculum should include more content on the history, culture, and relations of Vietnam with countries that have traditional relations with Vietnam.
It is necessary to strengthen oriented training for Vietnamese students and international students in both Vietnam and those countries.
In addition to acquiring knowledge in their majors, they should also have knowledge about the country, customs, people, and the special traditional friendship relationship with Vietnam.
That helps them be aware of the responsibility to preserve and promote the special friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and countries with traditional relations.