The University of Social Sciences and Humanities hosted a reception and literary and artistic exchange with an international delegation from the Soldier's Heart organization (USA) on the afternoon of October 10, 2010.The program was attended by representatives from the Board of Directors, the Department of External Relations and International Training Cooperation, the University's Veterans Association, and faculty and students from the Faculty of Journalism and Communication. The American delegation was led by Professor Edward Tick, a writer, poet, and psychologist, along with 19 other members who were American veterans who had fought in the Vietnam and Iraq wars, as well as university professors and students. Many poems and literary works by members of the delegation and by Vietnamese lecturers were read, shared, and discussed. Poems about war, whether written by Vietnamese or American authors, shared a common theme: wars that seem to have ended long ago, but the memories of them still haunt those who directly participated, causing them anxiety, pain, and torment; and war is something no one desires. Veteran poets shared works filled with love for family, homeland, and traditional cultural values. An atmosphere of empathy, love, and healing truly permeated the hearts of the participants. “This is a cultural and artistic ‘healing’ event, fostered by reconciliation and love between Vietnamese and Americans,” commented Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Thai (Faculty of Journalism and Communication). Associate Professor Nguyen Thi Minh Thai also acted as the “bridge” for this artistic cooperation and exchange program. Speaking at the exchange, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Van Kim (Vice Rector) expressed: “This exchange and working session was very different from previous international delegations that visited the university. Never before have the parties shared such a profound and impressive sense of empathy and understanding.” Edward Tick affirmed that he and the members of his delegation would do their utmost to help establish and promote exchange activities, training cooperation, and literary and artistic exchanges between the universities where he teaches (including Kent State University and CWRU in Ohio, USA) and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. We would like to introduce a poem by Mr. Pham Dinh Lan (Faculty of Journalism and Communication, member of the University's Veterans Association) and a poem by a member of the American delegation.
Every inch of land in the Ancient Citadel
• Pham Dinh Lan
Walk softly and speak quietly, so my comrades may rest peacefully beneath the grass. The sky over Quang Tri is clear and windy, even amidst the noise, do not shake the trees. Walk softly and speak quietly, the ancient citadel is vast, yet my comrades lie crowded together. Every inch of land holds a real life. Today, I come here, choked with emotion. Where do you lie, my friend? East of the citadel, west of the citadel, or beneath the Thach Han River? Eighty-one days and nights, the land was densely packed with bombs and bullets, the white sand scorched golden, the river itself tilted. Light an incense stick and weep a little! I silently tell myself. To take a moment to listen to your call... Where do you lie, my friend? You lie in the fields of your homeland, on the battlefront of the Ben Hai River. Gun in hand, eyes blazing with fire, you poured your hatred upon the enemy and fell peacefully. Walk softly and speak quietly, so my comrades may rest peacefully beneath the grass. The sky over Quang Tri is clear and windy, forever singing the song of immortality!
Working together to heal the wounds.
The poem byGabz Ciofani(A member of the delegation wrote this while admiring the peace paintings by Vietnamese children.)
(Translated by poet and translator Nguyen Phan Que Mai)Last fall, I guided high school students in writing poems to respond to the truth, the truth depicted by Vietnamese children. We took drawings from the internet and observed the children's experiences through a projector screen. My students and I talked about the overwhelming feelings about war and the truth as depicted by these young Vietnamese people. We opened our eyes wide together to see that we were united in purpose, to see that war burned our sons, consumed our brothers. I asked my students to write down their thoughts on the truth in the paintings, to write about the future they would create, and what they wanted tomorrow to have. And I read to them the words from that future, the lines I was drawing. I would draw people holding hands with peace-loving leaders, and a camera capturing their gentleness. Eggs hatching in spring. Now, as autumn falls, the marks of war still wrinkle our faces. I was in the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City, and I still see how our children respond to war with their own sincerity.
