Training cadres from among Youth Union officials is a key task.

(Baonghean) - The Charter of the Communist Party of Vietnam (11th Congress), in Chapter X, Article 44, states: The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union is the Party's reliable reserve force, constantly supplementing the Party with young members.

The book "History of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Youth Movement in Nghe An" (published in 2001) affirms in its final pages: "The Nghe An Youth Union is a rich source of cadres for Party committees, government agencies, mass organizations, specialized sectors, and armed forces at all levels. Many mid-level and high-level management cadres in the province and throughout the country started as cadres of the Nghe An Youth Union."

The 76-year history of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Nghe An province, especially the last 30 years, has proven the above points.

Youth union members in Nghe An province demonstrate their determination to take action in front of the statue of President Ho Chi Minh at Ho Chi Minh Square (Vinh City).

To date, we still lack a complete statistical record of the number of Youth Union officials from the district to the provincial level who have matured and held key leadership positions in the district and provincial political systems. Therefore, this article will focus on some exemplary Youth Union officials at the provincial level.

During the revolutionary movement of 1936-1939, the Nghe An Democratic Youth Union was established. Comrade Nguyen Nhat Tan - also known as Sieu Hai - served as its Secretary and was not only instrumental in restoring the Youth Union organization, but also a leading political and cultural theorist of the Party.

At just over 20 years old, Comrade Siêu Hải authored "The Painting of War and the Problem of Indochina's Defense"—a valuable work of political theory. He was a key writer, representing the Party's cultural and artistic viewpoints in the literary debate between the art-for-life and art-for-art's-sake factions. Arrested, imprisoned, and brutally tortured, Comrade Siêu Hải passed away from a serious illness on August 23, 1939, at the young age of 24.

Following comrades Tran Van Binh, Cao Ngoc Tho, and Van Ba ​​Kiem, Comrade Chu Manh, at the age of 25, became the Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Youth Union. Having matured through practical experience, he was entrusted with the important responsibility of Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee. Before retiring, he was the Deputy Minister of Agriculture. Subsequently, Comrade Le Van Muu served as Secretary of the Provincial Youth Union for a period before being appointed Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee. From 1961 to the present, many leading cadres of the Nghe An Provincial Youth Union have been transferred to take up positions at the Central Youth Union and the Central Party Organization Department.

These comrades included Hoang Dinh Song, Pham Ba Sum, Ho Dinh Tu, Phung Ngoc Hung, Nguyen Dinh Phu, Hoang Trong Hung, Tran Thi Huong... Starting from the position of specialist, these comrades strived to use all their abilities to successfully complete the assigned tasks, and after a period of time, they were assigned positions such as: Head of the Central Committee of the Youth Union, Director of the Central Organization Department, Chief of the Office of the Central Organization Department, Head of the Central Committee for Mass Mobilization, and Vice President of the Presidium of the Vietnam Women's Union.

Besides those comrades transferred to the Central Committee, many comrades were trained and tested in practice, and were assigned leadership positions in various sectors, the Provincial People's Committee, and the Provincial Party Committee. Comrade Nguyen Thi Minh De is the Head of the Provincial Emulation Committee, and Comrade Tran Thanh is the Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Sports of Nghe Tinh Province. Comrades Bui Nguyen Hai, Nguyen Thi Minh Chau, and Nguyen Huu Ban are members of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, heads of the Mass Mobilization Committee, the Organization Committee, and the Chairman of the Provincial Party Committee's Inspection Committee...

From 1995 to the present, the process of national and local renewal has demanded the creation of conditions for young cadres in general, and Youth Union cadres in particular, to develop their abilities, contribute, and mature. During this time, many leading comrades in the Nghe An Provincial Youth Union were transferred to hold positions as Secretaries and Deputy Secretaries of District Party Committees, and Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen of District People's Committees. According to incomplete statistics, over 20 comrades have been transferred or rotated in this manner.

Youth union members distribute porridge to poor patients at Tuong Duong District General Hospital. Photo: Ho Phuong

Another training and development direction is that many key officials of the Provincial Youth Union have been transferred to other provincial-level organizations and socio-economic sectors. Currently, there are 7 comrades serving as directors of departments and equivalent positions, 4 comrades serving as deputy directors of departments and equivalent positions, 4 comrades serving as members of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, 1 comrade serving as the Permanent Deputy Secretary and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, and 7 comrades serving as deputy heads of the Provincial Party Committee's departments, and heads and deputy heads of the Provincial People's Council's departments. Notably, one comrade is a reserve member of the Central Committee of the 12th Party Congress.

Thanks to the efforts of each comrade, and with the conditions and environment provided for training and challenges, the majority of these comrades have basically proven their qualities and abilities. As a result, many have been considered, appointed, and promoted to higher positions in the Party, government, and mass organizations at the provincial level.

Youth Union officials, in general, are a part of the young workforce, serving as a source for a new generation of officials to supplement and inherit the legacy of previous generations. While 40-50 years ago, Youth Union officials primarily rose through the ranks from the grassroots, through practical experience in Youth Union activities and youth movements, today they have received substantial training and practical experience, giving them more opportunities for rapid growth. Youth Union officials, in any era, are likened to a versatile tool. This characteristic allows them to develop in many directions and fields.

Based on the above reality, we can be somewhat proud of and confident in the younger generation in general, and the current generation of Youth Union officials in particular. More importantly, it is time to conduct a comprehensive review of personnel work, from Youth Union officials at the commune, ward, and grassroots levels to the district and provincial levels. This review will help improve personnel work in general, and specifically in the areas of personnel training, utilization, and development. A team of qualified and capable successor officials will provide a strong internal resource base to propel the province forward rapidly and sustainably.

President Ho Chi Minh instructed: "Cultivating a revolutionary generation for future generations is a very important and necessary task" (Testament of President Ho Chi Minh - Complete Works of Ho Chi Minh; volume 12, page 510).

Our Party has determined that Party building is a key task. Cadre work is the key of keys. Training and developing cadres, starting from Youth Union cadres, is essentially cultivating core personnel for future generations of revolutionaries. Training and developing cadres, starting from Youth Union cadres, is a major undertaking within the key of keys.

On the occasion of the 86th anniversary of the founding of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, we are proud of the glorious history of the Union, and remind the Union's cadres, who have proven themselves worthy as "the Party's reliable reserve force," to be even more worthy in the era of national and homeland development and integration.

Truong Cong Anh