Kindness is social capital, cultural strength, and a foundation of a civilized nation

Dear comrades and distinguished delegates,

Dear seniors, brothers, sisters, and young people — the 100 outstanding individuals honored by the “Kind Deeds” program,

Today, I am deeply pleased and moved to meet with you — ordinary yet noble people, exemplary figures featured in Vietnam Television’s “Kind Deeds” program.

In life, there are acts that are not loud or grand in appearance, yet they touch the hearts of people: a helping hand extended at the right moment; a look of sharing and understanding; a gesture of compassion in times of hardship; persistent support over many years; a courageous act to save someone’s life; or a quiet good deed done without expecting anything in return.

These acts remind us that, amid the pressures and difficulties of daily life, compassion remains present around us. Kindness has the power to move hearts and spread further and wider throughout society.

Today’s meeting is therefore not only an occasion to honor 100 outstanding examples, but also an opportunity for us to cherish a beautiful value of the Vietnamese people: caring for others, living with affection and solidarity, placing common interests above personal interests, and doing good deeds through simple everyday actions — with the spirit that people should live together with love and compassion.

On behalf of the Party and State leadership, I extend my warm greetings, sincere congratulations, and deepest appreciation to all comrades, delegates, and especially to all seniors, brothers, sisters, and young people here today.

I congratulate Vietnam Television for creating such a deeply humane program and encourage the broadcaster to continue discovering and spreading more inspiring examples in the future.

Dear comrades and distinguished delegates,

Seventy-eight years ago, when the country was still facing countless difficulties, President Ho Chi Minh issued the Appeal for Patriotic Emulation. That appeal became a sacred call of the nation, encouraging the entire Party, people, and army to overcome hardships and sacrifices, unite their efforts, and achieve glorious victories in the struggle for national independence, reunification, construction, and defense of the Fatherland.

A profound aspect of President Ho Chi Minh’s thought was that emulation was not something distant or merely a formal slogan. It began with the daily work of every individual.

Farmers emulated through productive labor. Workers emulated through creativity and innovation. Soldiers emulated through defending the Fatherland. Officials emulated through devoted service to the people. Teachers emulated through imparting knowledge and cultivating character. Doctors emulated through saving lives and caring for public health. Neighbors supported one another in times of need.

When every person performs their duties well for the common good, that is emulation — and it is also patriotism.

Viewed from that perspective, a kind deed today is a vivid expression of patriotic emulation. Patriotism is not only demonstrated during great historical moments, but also through every responsible action, every humane gesture, and every contribution benefiting individuals, communities, and the nation.

The 100 individuals present today come from different regions, generations, professions, and life circumstances, including some facing particularly challenging situations. Each person has a different story and each deed has its own expression, but they all share a beautiful common trait: they do not remain indifferent to the difficulties of others; they do not stand aside when the community needs them; they embody the tradition of mutual support, compassion, and humanity even in difficult circumstances.

What moves us is not only how many people you have helped or how many good deeds you have carried out. More profoundly, it is the spirit behind those actions: compassion for the suffering of others; courage in facing danger; responsibility when something needs to be done; and perseverance in doing good quietly.

Some deeds have saved lives in moments of crisis. Some have continued silently over many years. Some have received little public attention, yet have warmed a person’s heart, opened a new path, or restored someone’s faith.

All are precious, because every kind deed, whether big or small, makes society less cold, more caring, more humane, and more worth living in.

Dear comrades and distinguished delegates,

Our country is entering a new stage of development with great opportunities, strong aspirations, and no shortage of difficulties and challenges.

The goal of building a developed, prosperous, civilized, and happy Vietnam is a noble and honorable mission, but it requires tremendous efforts from the entire Party, people, and army.

To achieve that goal, we need resources, technology, institutions, infrastructure, and talent. We need innovation, digital transformation, and higher labor productivity. We need to build a socialist rule-of-law state, develop the economy, ensure social welfare, and pursue deeper, proactive, and effective international integration.

But alongside all of these factors, we must never underestimate the foundations of culture, ethics, humanity, and social trust.

Development is not simply about creating more wealth, building more projects, or achieving more targets. Deep and sustainable development means creating a society where people live more safely, compassionately, fairly, and orderly; where they have trust, opportunities to advance, and responsibility toward one another.

A society lacking trust will face enormous development costs. When justice is protected, goodness is encouraged, vulnerable groups are not left behind, and those who do good deeds do not feel alone, social trust is strengthened. And trust itself is a vital resource for national development.

Therefore, kindness should not be viewed merely as an individual moral quality. Kindness is also social capital, cultural strength, and part of the foundation of a civilized nation.

A kind person is not only someone who cares for others, but also someone who lives responsibly; not only someone who helps others, but someone who respects the law, justice, and human dignity; not only someone who does good when circumstances are favorable, but someone who preserves integrity amid difficulties, challenges, and temptations.

We strive for a life of kindness, kind families, kind individuals, and a kind society.

A kind official is devoted to serving the people, fair-minded, diligent, and does not abuse power for personal gain. A kind entrepreneur creates legitimate wealth, conducts business with integrity, and bears responsibility toward society and the environment. A kind teacher not only transfers knowledge but also nurtures character, aspirations, and compassion among students. A kind doctor not only cures illnesses and saves lives but also cares for patients with professional ethics, dedication, and empathy.

A kind young person is not only competitive in ability but also carries ideals of contribution. A kind citizen does not live only for oneself but shares with the community, protects what is right, and does not remain indifferent to wrongdoing and injustice.

Kindness does not mean being easygoing, compromising principles, or avoiding struggle. Kindness means compassion with principles; tolerance without condoning wrongdoing; love for people while firmly protecting justice, fairness, and social order.

In the digital age, kindness must also be expressed concretely: respecting truth, not spreading misinformation, not using social media to insult or harm others, engaging in civilized debate, spreading positive values, and not abusing digital platforms.

In a market economy, kindness means competing through capability and doing business based on credibility. In national governance, kindness means serving the people and protecting national interests. In international integration, kindness means preserving the country’s reputation and image, while respecting law and fairness in relations with others.

Dear comrades and distinguished delegates,

For more than a decade, Vietnam Television’s “Kind Deeds” program has tirelessly searched for, documented, and spread beautiful stories in society. Thousands of stories of kindness have been shared, becoming vivid evidence of Vietnamese people’s qualities in the new era.

What is especially valuable is that the program not only reflects good deeds, but also helps goodness become more visible, appreciated, protected, and multiplied.

In today’s diverse information environment, where negative content can sometimes spread rapidly, the persistence in promoting positive values is a responsible, courageous, and socially meaningful choice.

I highly appreciate Vietnam Television, the team behind the “Kind Deeds” program, as well as organizations, businesses, and individuals who have accompanied the initiative.

You have contributed to fulfilling an important mission of revolutionary journalism: using beauty to overcome ugliness, using positivity to push back negativity, and using real-life examples to inspire trust, compassion, and the aspiration to contribute among the people.

Dear comrades and distinguished delegates,

To continue promoting the values of the “Kind Deeds” program, multiplying good people and good deeds, and deepening the spirit of patriotic emulation in the new era, I propose that agencies and the entire population focus on three key areas:

First, renew patriotic emulation movements in a practical and substantive manner, closely linked to national development tasks and service to the people.

Emulation in the new era is not only about meeting targets, but about creating real value for society; not merely doing more, but doing better, more effectively, and with greater responsibility.

Every agency and organization must improve the quality of public service. Every locality must remove obstacles and care for people’s livelihoods. Every official and Party member must be honest, dedicated, close to and respectful of the people. Every citizen must work creatively, live responsibly, and contribute to the common good and national development.

Second, prioritize building standards for Vietnamese people in the new era and creating a social environment where kindness is protected and encouraged.

We need people who are patriotic, resilient, intelligent, compassionate, honest, responsible, disciplined, creative, and ambitious for progress.

These qualities must be nurtured through families, schools, communities, organizations, and the broader social environment.

At the same time, we must promptly recognize, reward, and protect courageous and humane actions for the common good; strictly handle those who exploit kindness, misuse charity, pretend to be compassionate, or damage social trust.

Third, strongly promote the role of journalism, media, literature, arts, education, and digital platforms in spreading positive values.

The online space today is an important part of social life. Kindness must also exist online: in the way people speak, share information, debate, and treat one another.

Every citizen, especially young people, should become a responsible digital citizen: spreading good things, not sharing fake news, not insulting others, not following harmful trends, and not allowing indifference to become a habit.

Recognition is necessary, but recognition should only be the beginning.

The most important thing is that after each story is shared, more people are inspired to live better, work better, and take greater responsibility toward their families, communities, and country.

The longer we live, the more kindness we should cultivate.

Every school, workplace, residential area, and business can become a place that nurtures good deeds, spreads kindness, and builds trust.

Dear seniors, brothers, sisters, and young people,

The Party, State, and people always appreciate your noble deeds.

Some actions have not yet received full recognition. Some sacrifices remain unknown to many. Some difficulties have been silently overcome.

But it is precisely that quiet dedication that creates the profound beauty of human kindness and society.

I hope you will continue to preserve the flame of compassion, continue doing meaningful things for life, and continue inspiring your communities.

I wish the “Kind Deeds” program continued success on its journey of nurturing trust, supporting goodness, and highlighting the beautiful qualities of Vietnamese people.

I wish all comrades, delegates, seniors, brothers, sisters, and young people good health, happiness, and success.

Thank you very much.

*The headline was created by The People's Deputies Newspaper.