Strong resilience
Thomas Gass began his term as Swiss Ambassador in Hanoi in January 2023. During the two years of living in Hanoi, the city has left a lasting impression on him, especially Hanoi’s autumn.
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Swiss Ambassador to Vietnam Thomas Gass at the photo exhibition to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day |
As Hanoi enters autumn, breezes bring a slight chill to every corner of the streets. In early morning, people go to parks for walks and doing exercises to start a new day. When brilliant golden sun rays shine down, the streets become crowded with people and vehicles, heralding of a busy working day. When dusk falls, lights are on. The city becomes brilliant with sparkling lights. Young people pour into streets after a stressful day of work and study.
Just last month, super typhoon Yagi made landfall in Northern Vietnam, uprooting thousands of trees - special heritage and asset of Hanoi, and causing severe floods in many streets in the city. 70 years ago, Hanoi's autumn witnessed a special historical moment - the liberation of the capital. This year’s autumn, Hanoi is once again a testament to its strong resilience and spectacular recovery as it stood up after the devastation of typhoon Yagi.
Driving force for sustainable development
Ambassador Thomas Gass believes that Hanoi has truly become a city of peace and stability - a city that provides livelihoods and brings confidence and hope to millions of Hanoians. With its achievements, Hanoi deserves to be a pioneering development city, a connecting factor and the heart of the whole country, which helps bring unity and completeness to a strongly developing country.
Thomas Gass shared that the 70th anniversary of Hanoi’s Liberation Day was also an opportunity for all Hanoi lovers to reflect on the role of cities in promoting sustainable development.
At the Summit of the Future and the 79th session of the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA 79) in the U.S. last September, 193 U.N. member states once again were committed to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, these global goals seem to be elusive in a world filled with conflicts, violence and greed. However, Thomas Gass believes that cities can help reverse this negative trend.
Along with maintaining a safe, stable, peaceful living environment for people, cities can and must be the powerful driving force of change and development at the national, regional and beyond levels. Cities’ authorities can guide investment policies to reduce “ecological footprint” of residents, making societies more resilient to external shocks. Cities can also orient public finances to both promote growth and reduce inequality, ensuring that the disadvantaged are not left behind in getting access to education, health and other services.
Cities should create a community of solidarity and mutual support, not only within their boundary, but also in surrounding localities. With responsibilities, the cities should inspire creativity and innovation among young people, while proving that diversity, cohesion and solidarity will always be the strongest and most sustainable trend. Currently, Hanoi has all factors to become an inspiring city. And the Swiss Ambassador hopes he can witness the capital of Hanoi to develop more strongly in the future.
Translated by Quynh Oanh