Final article: A dramatic shift from awareness to action
With the motto "Party members lead the way, the people follow," the cadres and Party members of the mountainous district of Tuong Duong have upheld the spirit of pioneering and exemplary conduct in economic development and poverty alleviation... As a result, many exemplary economic development models led by Party members have emerged.
ReportersAugust 22, 2024
Right from the time Project No. 07-DA/HU on "eliminating conservative, dependent, and reliant thinking" was issued, the Executive Committee of the Tuong Duong District Party Committee directed the entire political system to strongly participate, creating shifts in the thinking, actions, and ways of working of cadres, Party members, and the general public.
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However, in the preliminary report on the implementation of the resolutions of the Party congresses at all levels for the 2020-2025 term, the Executive Committee of the Tuong Duong District Party Committee frankly acknowledged: Economic development is not yet sustainable and not commensurate with the district's potential and advantages; the economic restructuring is still slow; agricultural production lacks sustainability; the progress of implementing programs and projects is slow, and the disbursement rate is low; poverty reduction results are not sustainable, and the percentage of poor and near-poor households in the district remains high every year…
Besides objective reasons, the root cause still stems from the significant inertia in the thinking and mindset of officials and Party members, leading to actions that are not truly decisive and coordinated; and failing to fully utilize the combined strength of the entire political system in leading and directing the implementation of socio-economic development targets.
A significant portion of the population still lacks diligence, willpower, and aspiration to improve, and still harbors a mindset of waiting and relying on the mechanisms and policies of the Party and the State. The spirit, attitude of service, and sense of responsibility of some officials and civil servants remain limited; and some officials and Party members still violate discipline and public service ethics.
This was also clearly stated by the Tuong Duong District Party Committee in Directive No. 13-CT/HU dated June 15, 2023: "...there is still a segment of cadres, Party members, civil servants, and public employees who lack a sense of responsibility, have low levels of dedication, are afraid of difficulties and hardships, are afraid of making mistakes and conflicts, have low awareness of administrative discipline and order, and have low work efficiency; some even violate regulations and face disciplinary and criminal prosecution according to the law, affecting the overall development of the district."
Based on that reality, the Standing Committee of the Tuong Duong District Party Committee issued Directive 13 on enhancing the sense of responsibility and public service ethics of cadres, Party members, civil servants, and public employees from the district to the grassroots level. This directive requires this group to promote the spirit of "self-reflection and self-correction," eliminate conservative thinking, dependence, and reliance; innovate methods, styles, and work habits; be exemplary leaders in the "patriotic emulation" movement; have a sense of respect for the people; and improve the "six dares" (dare to think; dare to speak; dare to act; dare to take responsibility; dare to innovate and create; dare to confront difficulties and challenges; and be decisive in action for the common good) to meet the requirements of the tasks in the new situation.
Along with solutions in personnel management, it is necessary to address the reality that a segment of the population still lacks the effort to rise out of poverty, has a cautious attitude when approaching new things, is reluctant to change, and fears risks, leading to ineffective investment in livelihood development models.
Recently, in many localities in Tuong Duong district, the Party committees and authorities have implemented various solutions to change people's perceptions and push back against the mentality of waiting and relying on others.
In Yen Thang commune, a particularly disadvantaged mountainous area in Tuong Duong district, there are 805 households with 3,444 people divided into 8 villages along the Chon and Hoi Nguyen streams. During the rainy season, these villages are often cut off by flash floods, landslides, and other natural disasters, disrupting transportation. The lives of the people are very difficult, with a poverty rate of 39.7%.
According to Mr. Luong Van Vy, Secretary of the Party Committee of Yen Thang commune, the people are accustomed to a self-sufficient production style; they not only rely on the policies and regulations of the Party and the State but also have a mentality of depending on nature and the heavens... Therefore, to change the mindset and practices of the people, the entire political system must persistently carry out propaganda work, clarify the ideology, and provide hands-on guidance. Specifically, in the past, the people of Yen Thang commune had no concept of tourism.
When the local Party committee and government decided to open and develop the tourism potential of Hoi Nguyen - a small oasis located in the middle of Khe Bo hydroelectric reservoir in Pung village, about 10km from National Highway 7A; the local people became the "main actors" in tourism by building several huts and shelters to serve tourists who wanted to admire the river, mountains and forests and enjoy traditional Thai dishes such as catfish, free-range chicken, bamboo rice, and upland sticky rice... creating jobs and a long-term development direction.
In Luu Kien commune, aiming to create a breakthrough in thinking, change business practices, and promote the leading role of the people in building new rural areas, the commune's Party committee and government have directed the construction of models that create a vibrant atmosphere of emulation in the villages. A typical example is the model "Improving the quality of mass mobilization, eliminating conservative thinking, dependence, and reliance, building drug-free villages in the period 2023-2025" in Xoong Con village.
Through effective community mobilization, the village has successfully developed a model for protecting aquatic resources (mackerel), and regularly conducts collective fundraising to install cameras and solar-powered streetlights along the main road.
In addition, Xoóng Con village mobilized the people to build 850m of internal field roads, renovate 1,500m of branch roads along Provincial Road 543D; and mobilized the people to donate 1,000m of land.2Land, donated trees, and labor contributions have shaped the form and character of the Van Phot ecotourism destination.
Mr. La Dinh Thi, Secretary of the Party Branch of Xoong Con village, said: "The most gratifying thing is that the people have 'opened their eyes and are satisfied' and have truly changed their thinking, habits, and ways of doing things. For example, in the past, the villagers often questioned the government's support policies, but now they have proactively built economic development models to escape poverty."
In Xa Luong commune, instead of the old mindset of "waiting for support from higher levels," some villages and hamlets have united to utilize their internal resources to build public works to serve their lives.
For example, the people of Khe Ngau, Xieng Huong, and Thach Duong villages contributed money, materials, and labor to build a self-flowing water system for daily use; the people of Cua Rao 2, Lo, and Ang villages contributed funds and labor to build roads leading to the production area.
Some villages have made significant strides in eliminating the mindset of dependence and reliance, and striving for economic development. A prime example is Na Be village, which, from a poor Khmu ethnic minority village, has successfully built a new rural village.
According to Ms. Lo Thi Tra Mi, Chairwoman of the People's Committee of Xa Luong commune, to achieve this "miracle," commune officials intensified their efforts to "go into the villages to propagate and mobilize people to develop garden and forest economies, and expand livestock farming." Due to the potential of hilly land, Na Be village was directed by the commune to plant high-yield cassava to supply raw materials to factories. However, initially, the people were reluctant to participate because they believed that buffaloes and cows would die if they ate cassava leaves.
To change people's perceptions, 27 party members in the Na Be branch were assigned to visit each disadvantaged and single-parent family to spread awareness and provide support. Village head Lu Van Quang not only pioneered planting over one hectare of cassava but also persuaded, helped, and mobilized eight households to participate. As a result, after one harvest, one family earned nearly 15 million dong.
With this approach, many successful garden and forest-based economic models have been established in Na Be village. Just in the cultivation of high-yield cassava, dozens of households participate, with many earning between 15 million and 20 million VND per crop. Building on the success of cassava cultivation, Xa Luong commune continues to direct officials and Party members in the village to encourage households to grow green vegetables and develop their buffalo and cattle herds…
"Regarding economic development orientation, Xa Luong commune will direct each village to implement the cultivation and breeding of crops and livestock suitable for each region, without imposing practices from one area on another."
"Thanks to this, several specialized farming villages have been established in the commune, such as Thanh Duong village growing Tuong Duong mangoes and pineapples; Khe Ngau village raising fish; and Xieng Huong village raising pigs for meat... With this motivation, people are competing to develop their economy, reducing their mentality of waiting and relying on others," said Ms. Lo Thi Tra Mi.
As mentioned, the Resolution of the 27th Congress of the Tuong Duong District Party Committee, term 2020-2025, emphasized "continuing to effectively combat the mentality of waiting and relying on others among cadres, Party members, and all strata of the people."
This has been identified as one of the three breakthroughs in development to successfully achieve the goal of "lifting Tuong Duong out of poverty and achieving sustainable development".
Mr. Lu Van May, Permanent Deputy Secretary of the Tuong Duong District Party Committee, shared: During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh always emphasized the necessity and role of setting an example for each cadre and Party member. He stressed:Frontline officersc/The village followed behind./No matter how difficult the task is/It can all be done."
Imbued with President Ho Chi Minh's teachings, the Party Committee of Tuong Duong district requires cadres and Party members to be exemplary and take the lead in carrying out tasks for the people to follow, with the motto "those above lead, those below follow," "those within lead, those outside follow," creating a vibrant and widespread emulation movement in all grassroots Party organizations, agencies, units, departments, mass organizations, in every village, hamlet, and family... creating an internal strength to overcome all difficulties and build a positive, proactive, flexible, and adaptable social community in line with the development process.
The Party Committee of Tuong Duong district also requested that localities recognize and accurately assess the shortcomings and limitations of the collective and each individual in order to resolutely "treat," "handle," and overcome them, ultimately eliminating the disease of dependence and reliance.
"We require local Party committees and authorities to be proactive, to demonstrate a spirit of daring to think, daring to act, and daring to take responsibility. Only difficulties and obstacles that are beyond their authority should be submitted to the district for resolution," Mr. Lu Van May emphasized.
Tuong Duong is a mountainous district with a natural area of 28,778.18 hectares (accounting for 17% of the province's total area), a population of over 79,930 people, comprising 6 ethnic groups: Thai, Kho Mu, Mong, O Du, Tay Poong, and Kinh, living in 17 communes and towns and 146 villages and hamlets.
The poverty rate in the area remains high (6,232 households, accounting for 34.03%; 3,187 near-poor households, accounting for 17.40%). It has been determined that escaping poverty is not something that can be achieved overnight, but rather a journey. On that journey, the people must be the main actors; their awareness plays a decisive role.
Therefore, to ensure the continued effective implementation of Project 07, along with propaganda efforts, the Party Committee of Tuong Duong district directed the political system to expand models that promote self-reliance and self-improvement, harmoniously combining the legitimate interests of the people with the interests of the State in the fight against poverty and the construction of new rural areas.
For example, the "Protecting Aquatic Resources, especially Catfish" model has been replicated in 15 out of 17 communes and towns, and 56 village-level community mobilization groups along a total length of 73 km. The "1,000 VND ATM" model involves 252 Party branches at the commune, village, and school levels, as well as trade unions and other organizations. Funds from this initiative are used to support poor households in purchasing livestock and plant seedlings.
The "Godmother Connecting Love" model has attracted 43 agencies, organizations, units, and individuals to sponsor and assist 187 orphaned children in 17 communes and towns, becoming one of the localities with the highest number of sponsored children in Nghe An province.
In particular, the model of assigning Party members to be responsible for households, after its launch, has seen 123 out of 146 grassroots Party organizations and 398 Party members provide support to 435 households in extremely difficult circumstances, helping them build houses, buy seedlings and livestock, and assisting 86 orphans and poor students who excel in their studies.
Despite remaining difficulties and concerns, the determination to change the mindset and actions of cadres and Party members, as well as the thinking and working habits of all strata of the people, is the basis and driving force for the Party Committee, government, and people of all ethnic groups in the mountainous district of Tuong Duong to gradually fulfill the set targets and tasks, strongly aiming to lift Tuong Duong out of poverty.
