Vietnam’s struggle for independence has inspired many people, even those in the US, American social activist Juliet Ucelli said in an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency correspondents in New York on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day of Vietnam (September 2).
She stated that from Vietnam’s example, they launched their own liberation movements – the liberation of people of colour and the liberation of women.
The success of the August Revolution and President Ho Chi Minh’s reading of the Declaration of Independence on September 2, 1945, which marked the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam), opened a new chapter for the nation. The historic event placed Vietnam on the world map and ignited a global wave of national liberation and decolonisation across Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
Many oppressed nations came to understand that President Ho Chi Minh's viewpoint “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom” is a truth, and that nations could achieve independence and freedom even when facing the most powerful colonial and imperialist adversaries. At that historical moment, Vietnam’s actual independence was a world-shaking event.
Reflecting on Vietnam’s 80-year journey, Ucelli highlighted its remarkable achievements in safeguarding the nation, maintaining peace, and pursuing development. Vietnam has remained steadfast, self-reliant, and united under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
A small nation defeated some of the most powerful colonial and imperial forces in the world - something unimaginable at the time, she said, adding that Vietnam’s 80-year revolution has consistently received strong support from international friends and progressive forces worldwide, with activist Merle Ratner as an outstanding example.
She noted that after the war, Vietnam’s spirit of “shelving the past, looking forward to the future” won broad international support, including from US veterans who became a driving force pressing their government to lift the embargo and normalise relations with Vietnam.
According to Ucelli, once a war-ravaged nation, Vietnam is increasingly making positive and meaningful contributions to the international community, especially in multilateral forums such as the United Nations.
She praised Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence and self-reliance, saying the country has skillfully avoided being drawn into major-power rivalries to maintain a peaceful environment for development.
Expressing delight at Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements since the adoption of Doi Moi (Renewal) in 1986, Ucelli commended the country’s efforts in ensuring social security and improving people’s lives. She observed that Vietnam has harnessed market mechanisms to build productive capacity, but unlike in many capitalist countries, this has not led to severe social stratification or widening income gap.
Vietnam’s per capita income rose from only about 300 USD in 1975 to 4,300 USD in 2023. Literacy now stands at 95%, and life expectancy averages 75 years. These are tangible results of the Doi Moi process, she emphasised./.
