International Youth Festival: For a World of Peace
	Madeleine Riffaud: Compassionate Peace Warrior with Heart for Vietnam

Fifty-four years ago, three young Swiss activists Bernard Bachelard, Olivier Parriaux, and Noé Graff—courageously protested the war in Vietnam and expressed their support for the Vietnamese people's fight for independence and unification by raising the liberation flag on the iconic cathedral.

On January 19, 1969, this historic event unfolded in Paris, when the three Swiss youths raised the flag of the national Liberation Front of South Vietnam on the cathedral tower. This bold action was a protest against war and a call for peace in Vietnam.

Guests attending the program. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union

The program featured special guests, including Bernard John Alexandre Bachelard and Olivier Maurice Parriaux, who shared their journey from Switzerland to Paris to raise the flag. They recounted their decision to support Vietnam and the risky operation to climb the cathedral tower. The guests discussed the impact of their actions on public opinion about the Vietnam War, emphasizing its role in drawing international attention to Vietnam’s just struggle ahead of the Four-Party Talks in Paris.

Prominent attendees included Ton Nu Thi Ninh, former Deputy Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Vietnam's National Assembly, and Nguyen Thi Yen, former General Secretary of the Southern Vietnam Students Union and a member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in Ho Chi Minh City. Both women were instrumental in Vietnam’s struggle for peace and unification during their youth.

Ton Nu Thi Ninh was involved in the anti-war movement in France and supported the Democratic Republic of Vietnam’s negotiation delegation during the Paris Peace Talks from 1968 to 1972. Meanwhile, Nguyen Thi Yen played a key leadership role in student movements against the U.S. occupation, bolstering both public and covert resistance efforts.

Young people ask for signatures from delegates. Photo: Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union

The program’s theme, "United Aspirations for Peace," reflects the voice of Ho Chi Minh City’s youth and sends a strong message of international solidarity and the enduring spirit of Ho Chi Minh in the modern era.

The image of the liberation flag flying atop Notre-Dame Cathedral has become a symbol of patriotism and the longing for peace. It inspires today’s youth with pride and determination to build a strong and prosperous nation.

As part of the event, participants laid flowers in memory of the heroes and martyrs at the Monument for the Special Task Force’s 1968 Raid on the Saigon Radio Station.

The program attracted significant interest from young people, emphasizing the importance of peace and unity in developing the city and the nation.

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