The earnest wish in President Ho Chi Minh's Testament radiates the light of a noble soul containing "endless love" for the country and the people, crystallizing the eternal values in his thoughts about the only way for the country to be forever strong and the people to be happy.
"As long as there are mountains, water and people,
Defeating the American invaders, we will build more than ten days ago!”
That light has continuously spread over the past 55 years, a source of strong encouragement and motivation for the Vietnamese people and peoples around the world to fight for peace, national independence, freedom and human happiness, and to firmly step on the path of building socialism, as assessed by many researchers around the world.
Halfway around the world, far and yet near, delegates of the Argentine Communist Party had the opportunity to review his last words of advice before his passing when attending a conference to commemorate the 55th anniversary of implementing President Ho Chi Minh's Testament.
For the acting General Secretary of the Argentine Communist Party, Jorge Kneyness, President Ho Chi Minh left behind a comprehensive legacy of ideology, ethics and style in many aspects, especially the constant linking of theory with practice, which still retains its contemporary value.
First of all, it is the legacy of ideology and theory in building and rectifying the Communist Party, with the essential but most important issues being: "...it is necessary to maintain the unity and consensus of the Party like preserving the pupil of one's eye".
Up to now, the Communist Party of Vietnam is still implementing that instruction by being determined to build a clean and strong Party, pushing back bureaucracy and corruption to regain the people's trust. That is why Acting General Secretary Kneyness, who is also Head of the Central Foreign Affairs Committee of Argentina, affirmed that these instructions have helped build a strong Communist Party of Vietnam, leading the people to fight against French colonialism and American imperialism to gain independence, freedom and national unification.
Uncle Ho's Testament also highlights the idea of solidarity in the international communist and workers' movement, especially emphasizing the role of the Communist International in the Vietnamese revolution and the world revolution. In-depth research on this issue, Brazilian historian Pedro Da Oliveira realized that Uncle Ho's ideas made a great contribution to the international communist movement and still retain their value today.
Sharing the same view, Argentine journalist Gaston Fiorda, who has spent many years researching Vietnamese history, highly appreciated Uncle Ho's progressive thoughts on the revolutionary cause of Vietnam and the world, affirming that President Ho Chi Minh has entered history as an outstanding politician of the international communist movement. What he left behind has extremely important and profound significance, continuing to encourage the Vietnamese people and peoples around the world to fight for peace, national independence, freedom and human happiness.
Praising President Ho Chi Minh's spirit of international communist solidarity, including 30 years of activities abroad, including his participation in the founding of the French Communist Party, General Secretary of the Uruguayan Communist Party, Juan Castillo, affirmed that President Ho Chi Minh was one of the most important revolutionary leaders in human history. Mr. Juan Castillo stated that implementing his teachings, the Vietnamese people today always strive to contribute to peace, stability, solidarity among nations and development in the region and the world. This is more necessary than ever in this turbulent 21st century.
International scholars and experts also agree that Uncle Ho's Testament is not only a historical document of great significance for the struggle for independence but also a document of lasting theoretical and practical value for the cause of national construction and defense in the new era.
That is the legacy of the theory of just revolutionary war against unjust forces. Although Uncle Ho wrote his Testament in the context of the fierce resistance war against American imperialism, he affirmed: "Our people's resistance against America, to save the country, even though we have to go through more hardships and sacrifices, will definitely achieve complete victory. That is certain." Historian Pedro Da Oliveira, Secretary General of the Brazil - Vietnam Friendship Association, noted: "President Ho Chi Minh is a genius forecaster." He emphasized that with his profound understanding and firm grasp of the times, all of Uncle Ho's words and comments were always ahead of their time.
It is also a legacy of the ideology of building the country along the socialist path and the theory of building the country after the war. Vietnamese history and politics researcher and Communist Party of Great Britain member Kyril Whittaker commented that President Ho Chi Minh's Testament is an important historical document, showing the path of development for the Vietnamese people, and at the same time reflecting his hope for the country and the world.
British historian John Callow - former Director of the Archives Center, Marx Library Museum in London, shared that His Testament has always been an invaluable historical document of the Vietnamese people, not dogmatic or mechanical, but a guideline for political action and principles, with the nature of a "political platform" containing eternal values thanks to the crystallization of the intelligence of an outstanding thinker, a guide for action that can be creatively applied in all situations.
Agreeing with the above opinion, Argentine journalist Gaston Fiorda said that Vietnam's achievements after nearly 40 years of Doi Moi were thanks to Uncle Ho's teachings, which inspired generations of leaders of the Communist Party of Vietnam to constantly nurture the aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country and expand international integration. Today, many generations of Vietnamese are proud of the stature and position of Vietnam, which has risen to become an economy in the top 4 of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and in the top 40 of the world, with an international trade scale in the top 20 of the world, and is one of the economies considered to be the most dynamic and open in the world. Journalist Fiorda affirmed that Uncle Ho's progressive ideology still holds true today, serving as a "launching pad" for peoples around the world to continue fighting for peace, freedom and happiness.
For many overseas Vietnamese like teacher Nguyen Thi Lan Chi - Vice Principal of Nguyen Du Lao - Vietnamese Bilingual School, who has lived in Laos for 14 years, the implementation of Uncle Ho's Testament is reflected in their daily work. Ms. Lan Chi was moved when reviewing Uncle Ho's Testament, affirming the lasting and sustainable value of Ho Chi Minh's ideology in the Testament, not only as a flag leading the cause of national liberation, arousing the strength of patriotism and national spirit to become a strong driving force to protect the Fatherland, but also as a light to guide the realization of the aspiration to develop the country in the current period.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Lan, President of the Vietnamese Association in Chongqing - Sichuan (China) sincerely confided: "For the Vietnamese community abroad in general, and the Vietnamese community in China in particular, President Ho Chi Minh is a symbol of independence, national spirit, patriotism, and indomitable will."
As stated by Professor, Doctor Cheng Hanping, Director of the Center for Vietnamese Studies, Zhejiang University of Industry (China), President Ho Chi Minh's steadfast revolutionary ideology, courageous style and noble morality have influenced many generations of people, especially young Vietnamese people.
According to Professor Thanh Han Binh, his patriotism, love for the people, and desire for independence have always guided generations of Vietnamese youth to strive to build a prosperous homeland and country. That light continues to shine today and tomorrow, further enhancing the foundation, potential, position, and prestige of Vietnam.