The nucleus of unity

(Baonghean) - In order to promote the great solidarity of the people in socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security, in recent years, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees at all levels of Tuong Duong district have always promoted the active role of village elders and prestigious people in the community.

In the process of implementing the task of building national solidarity, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Tuong Duong district has implemented Directive 06/2008/CT-TTg of the Prime Minister on "Promoting the role of prestigious people among ethnic minorities in the cause of national construction and defense", Decision No. 18/2011/QD-TTg on "Policy for prestigious people among ethnic minorities" and Project No. 07/DA/MTNA dated March 28, 2008 on "Building a team of prestigious people among ethnic minorities in Nghe An province". Thereby, together with the ethnic people, they voted and honored 154 village elders and prestigious people.

Exhibition of brocade weaving of ethnic minorities in Tuong Duong district. Photo: Thanh Le

Right from each village, the Front Working Committee actively and closely coordinated with Party cells and executive committees to encourage village elders and prestigious people to participate in the work of the political system at the grassroots level. And it was these village elders and prestigious people who became important nuclei in mobilizing people to develop the economy, care for building a prosperous and happy life, and protect security and order in each village.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Tuong Duong district donated breeding cows to poor households in Yen Na commune. Photo: Nguyen Son

Village elder Cut Kim Lien in Lo village, Xa Luong commune is 70 years old this year. At this "rare" age, he is still very healthy and agile. Having been in the Party for nearly 40 years and currently a member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Tuong Duong district, Elder Lien understands better than everyone in the village the Party's preferential policies and guidelines for ethnic minorities. Therefore, in daily life, he is always exemplary, taking the lead in all movements launched by the Party Committee, government and organizations. He closely coordinates with Party members, political and social organizations to promote propaganda and mobilize people in the village to eliminate backward customs, learn to read and write, access science and technology to develop afforestation, crops, livestock and poultry farming. Therefore, in recent years, Lo village no longer has a situation of children dropping out of school, the villagers are united, supporting each other to develop production and livestock farming towards commodities. The people's lives have therefore become increasingly prosperous, pushing back poverty. In the district Fatherland Front Congress, term 2014 - 2019, village elder Cut Kim Lien was commended for his achievements in mobilizing people to unite to build a new life and elected to attend the provincial Fatherland Front Congress this June.

As for the village elder Xong Chong Cua in Pa Lom village, Tam Hop commune, he has made many efforts to mobilize Mong people to go down the mountain, near water sources to facilitate their lives. Over the years, he has always been one of the important cores together with the provincial Border Guard force to deploy many solutions to mobilize Mong people in the border area not to migrate freely but to gather and settle in new villages, organize livestock raising, plant forests to improve their lives and firmly protect security and order. Especially in 2012 - 2013, when he learned that there was a group of "strangers" illegally preaching in the village, elder Xong Chong Cua proactively advised the villagers not to listen to bad people, to be vigilant against the plots of hostile forces; At the same time, he coordinated with the functional forces to expel the subjects, and clean up the area. Therefore, Mr. Cua was recognized by the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, People's Committee, and mass organizations of Tuong Duong district as one of the exemplary village elders. The example of old man Xong Chong Cua is not only respected by the Pa Lom villagers but also honored by the Mong, Thai, Tay Poong... people in other villages.

To promote the role of village elders and prestigious people in propagating the Party's and State's policies and laws and patriotic emulation movements to villages, families and clans, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committees at all levels in Tuong Duong district have implemented many synchronous solutions. In addition to improving the organization, cadres in the Front Committee from the grassroots to the district regularly meet and provide information, documents and knowledge to village elders and prestigious people so that they can pass them on to their descendants in the village. Every year, assessments, preliminary and final reviews are organized to encourage, commend and reward active and exemplary village elders and prestigious people; At the same time, emulation movements are integrated with activities such as "Great Unity Day" in villages and hamlets; training conferences are organized to help prestigious people continue to affirm their role and prestige to the villagers. Therefore, people are always enthusiastic in participating in mass organizations, for the goal of sustainable poverty reduction, gradually rising to become well-off and rich. Thanks to that, in recent years, the District Fatherland Front Committee has expanded the great national solidarity bloc; increasingly gathering more people into organizations and associations. Up to now, the gathering rate of the Youth Union at the grassroots level has reached 70%; the Farmers' Association has mobilized 63% of the villagers to join the association; the Women's Association has mobilized 90% of women to join the organization; This rate in the Veterans' Association has reached 98.5%, the Elderly Association has reached nearly 92%. According to the statistics of the District Fatherland Front Committee, 107/154 Front Work Committees have excellently completed their tasks, reaching over 70%, with no weak units or units that have not completed their tasks.

From the achieved results, the District Fatherland Front Committee is actively implementing the tasks set out in the 2014 - 2019 term. In addition to implementing directives and resolutions on front work, Decisions 217 and 218 of the Politburo on "Issuing regulations on social supervision and criticism" and "Regulations on the Vietnam Fatherland Front, political and social organizations and people participating in giving opinions on Party and government building", the Tuong Duong District Fatherland Front Committee continues to focus on promoting the role of village elders and prestigious people in the community. For an area with many ethnic groups living together, including Kinh, Thai, Mong, Kho Mu, Tay Poong, O Du, strengthening the role of village elders and prestigious people is even more decisive in implementing socio-economic development movements, competing to build cultural families and advanced villages. Mr. Lo Thanh Tuan - Vice Chairman of the District Fatherland Front Committee affirmed: “The village elders and village chiefs are truly the spiritual support for people in villages and clans in resolving questions or reconciling conflicts in the community. They have a lot of influence in many areas of life. Therefore, continuing to promote the role of village elders and prestigious people is considered an important key to building national solidarity in mountainous areas and ethnic minority areas…”.

Nguyen Son