On December 23, the Faculty of Communication and Foreign Culture, Diplomatic Academy in collaboration with photographer Nguyen A organized a seminar, combined with a photo exhibition with the theme "80 years - A confident Vietnam".
The exhibition displays typical works by photographer Nguyen A printed in the photo book "80 years - A confident Vietnam". The book selects more than 200 typical photos, distilled from thousands of shapes, which the author diligently recorded during 5 years of creating, spanning across all regions of the country, from the headland at the northern border to the mouth of Ca Mau - the last point on the S-shaped strip of land.
At the seminar, Major General Hoang Kim Phung - Former Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department shared that in the initial stage, when the army was studying the possibility of participating in peacekeeping, there were many concerns and internal debates.
However, it was during that process that the military's strategic thinking changed strongly. With the support and close coordination of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam has gradually approached the United Nations directly, carefully studied and made strategic decisions. The first working group to South Sudan to survey included not only military officers but also many senior officials - who later held great roles in the country.
"After more than 10 years of implementation, Vietnam has proven that the decision is the right one. The Vietnamese army accepts sacrifice and hardship, but in return, the image of Uncle Ho's soldiers is respected by international friends" - Major General Hoang Kim Phung said.
Sharing professional memories over 30 years - Photographer Nguyen A feels lucky to have accompanied many generations, from veterans to today's young soldiers.
He talked about the memorable memory of his trip to South Sudan with the Vietnamese peacekeeping force. As the person who directly recorded the image at the scene, he clearly understands the hardships and challenges that Vietnamese soldiers face when performing international missions, as well as the great changes of the Vietnamese army in foreign thinking and people's diplomacy. From those trips, he took photos and photo books to tell the story of Vietnam through images.
Or the last time, when participating in a business trip to the Truong Sa archipelago, he considered himself a "standing in the middle", using photography to convey the stories of inspirational people, helping the younger generation appreciate life and be more proud of the country.
As for Lieutenant Ngo Lam Phuong, the memory of "going into the hands of the people" at two major national festivals - A50 and A80 left a deep impression on her.
"It is not just a parade, but a direct connection between the army and the people" - Lieutenant Ngo Lam Phuong said and expressed his pride in bringing the image of a brave and resilient Vietnamese soldier to the people of the country and international friends.
Mr. Nguyen Manh Dong - Deputy Director of the Diplomatic Academy hopes that through the exhibition and seminar, the program will create an academic and inspiring dialogue space, helping students, especially students of the Diplomatic Academy and the International Communication industry, better understand how the image of Vietnam is created, spread and received domestically as well as in the international arena.
Thereby, the event arouses the sense of responsibility of the young generation in preserving, retelling and promoting the story of Vietnam in creative, humane forms and in line with the requirements of the times.
