Joel Schwartz – Member of the US's Fund for Reconciliation and Development delegation:
Vietnam Is Source of Inspiration for Struggle for Freedom
From his high school days in New York, Joel Schwartz has been connected to Vietnam through the anti-war movement. Now at 73, he still feels that the resilient spirit of the Vietnamese people continues to inspire freedom struggles around the world.
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I began learning about Vietnam when I was 17, during my senior year at Jamaica High School in Queens, New York. From that moment on, I studied the history of the Vietnamese people's struggle and became involved in the anti-war movement in the US. Now, at 73, the memories of that time remain vivid in my mind.
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| Joel Schwartz, member of the US's Fund for Reconciliation and Development delegation. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) |
The courageous struggle of the Vietnamese people has been a profound source of inspiration for me. The Vietnamese showed the world that they could endure an incredibly tough struggle while still preserving their humanity and admirable qualities. That, to me, is truly remarkable. Because war, regardless of who wages it, can destroy human lives. Yet, the Vietnamese people do not forget the past, but they also do not live in the past. That, in itself, is a powerful lesson
I currently live on Staten Island, New York, where we’re working with a Palestinian community. They find inspiration in Vietnam. My Palestinian friends gave me a series of postcards they had drawn themselves, along with handwritten notes from local children. For them, the spirit of the Vietnamese people is a powerful source of motivation for the Palestinian struggle.
They are eagerly awaiting my return, hoping to hear about what I witnessed in Vietnam. Your struggle continues to inspire people across the globe. I believe that inspiration will carry on into the future.
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