Nghe An province is spreading the "Exemplary Veteran" emulation movement.
Inspired by President Ho Chi Minh's teaching, "Competition is patriotism, and patriotism requires competition...", over the past five years (2019-2024), the "Exemplary Veterans" emulation movement has been launched and implemented comprehensively and effectively by all levels of the Veterans Association in Nghe An province.
A highlight of the emulation movement in the Veterans Association is the preservation and promotion of the essence and traditions of "Uncle Ho's soldiers," creating a strong impetus to attract and gather generations of veterans into the association, building a strong and comprehensive association.
According to statistics, over the past five years, the Nghe An Provincial Veterans Association has admitted nearly 13,000 new members, achieving a membership rate of 98.8%. Currently, the association has 172,486 members, with 22 higher-level grassroots organizations and 4 directly affiliated organizations under Block 487; 542 grassroots organizations, 3,793 branches, including 3,769 branches (blocks, villages, hamlets), and 24 branches in administrative and public service agencies. The activities and training of the associations at all levels are becoming more organized, with regular innovation in methods and work styles, focusing on the grassroots level.
Political and ideological propaganda and education work is carried out in many rich and vivid forms, suitable for all generations of veterans, contributing to raising awareness of the situation and tasks, consolidating the faith, stance, and viewpoints of cadres and members; actively fighting against erroneous views and the "peaceful evolution" plot of hostile forces; and combating corruption and negative social evils. Through annual evaluations, 96.5% of the association's organizations meet the "Clean and Strong" standard, and 96.1% or more meet the standards of "Exemplary Veteran" and "Culturally Advanced Veteran Family".
Currently, the Nghe An Provincial Veterans Association has nearly 12,000 veteran cadres and members working in Party, State, Front, and socio-political organizations from the provincial level down to villages, hamlets, and neighborhoods. Many of them possess excellent capabilities and qualities, enjoy high credibility, and hold key leadership positions within the province's political system. This is a crucial force that directly contributes to leading, directing, and organizing the implementation of socio-economic development, national defense and security tasks, and the work of building and protecting the Party, government, and people.
Veterans' association officials and members, regardless of their positions, always maintain political integrity, unity, discipline, and exemplary conduct in fulfilling their assigned tasks; they are core elements that help Party committees and governments at all levels understand and implement the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws and regulations, and local tasks.
Furthermore, during the period 2019-2024, the entire association proactively and effectively promoted the emulation movement "Veterans helping each other reduce poverty and excel in economic activities," fostering the noble values of "Uncle Ho's soldiers," rekindling camaraderie, mutual support, and compassion; the spirit of self-reliance, self-improvement, and the dynamism and creativity of veterans have spread widely across all regions.
Besides production and business activities, the entire association has mobilized hundreds of billions of dong to build, repair, and upgrade 2,529 dilapidated and leaky houses for veterans in difficult circumstances. The outstanding characteristics of the movement are the willpower and resilience forged in the military environment, overcoming all difficulties, challenges, injuries, and health issues, with unwavering faith, refusing to accept poverty, and striving for wealth in their own way, as soldiers of Uncle Ho. Patriotism and camaraderie, based on a harmonious combination of interests, imbued with compassion, embody the noble humanistic nature of the nation, the army, and "Uncle Ho's soldiers" in the new era.
In the traditional education of patriotism, revolutionary heroism, and self-reliance for the younger generation, many creative and diverse approaches have emerged. Thousands of veterans have been invited by the Youth Union to serve as speakers in traditional education programs; hundreds of Veterans' Association branch leaders have been honored as "Honorary Youth Union Branch Secretaries." Many places have successfully implemented the motto "Where the Youth Union branch is weak, the Veterans' Association branch in that area will not be recognized as clean and strong," contributing to building a strong Youth Union organization. These movements and creative approaches have had a widespread educational impact and influence, not only among Youth Union members and young people, but also on the younger generation and society as a whole.
Over the past five years, the entire organization has coordinated the training and admission of 4,335 outstanding members into the Party; and strengthened and consolidated 678 Youth Union and Young Pioneer organizations.
The various levels of the association also linked the "Exemplary Veteran" emulation movement with other movements, campaigns, and socio-economic development, security, and defense programs of the locality, such as: the "All People Unite to Build a Culturally Rich Life" campaign, the "Day for the Poor" movement, and the "Vietnamese People Prioritize Using Vietnamese Goods" movement. Movements of gratitude and support for victims of Agent Orange/dioxin continued to be promoted. Many levels of the association and its members actively searched for, exhumed, and reburied hundreds of remains of martyrs in cemeteries.
In particular, the Veterans' Associations at all levels have actively responded to the "Nationwide effort to build new rural areas" movement, linked with the motto "Veterans contribute ideas and labor to build the homeland," resulting in nearly 20,000 veteran families donating hundreds of thousands of square meters of land; more than 111,000 members contributing millions of man-days and donating other assets worth over 36 billion VND... to contribute to building new rural areas in localities.
Recognizing the achievements and results of the "Exemplary Veterans" emulation movement during the 2019-2024 period, the Nghe An Provincial Veterans Association was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister and five times received flags and certificates of merit from central ministries and agencies in various emulation movements. The entire association had 125 collectives and 367 individuals awarded certificates of merit by the Prime Minister, central ministries and agencies, the Vietnam Veterans Association, and the Provincial People's Committee. The Provincial Veterans Association also awarded 405 collectives and 1,025 individuals for outstanding achievements in the "Exemplary Veterans" emulation movement.
Overall, over the past five years, the "Exemplary Veteran" emulation movement of the Nghe An Provincial Veterans Association has developed both broadly and deeply, demonstrating sustainability. The emulation and reward system has been progressively reformed, from content, form, and organizational methods to the development of model examples, the identification, nurturing, and replication of exemplary individuals, all aligned with the political tasks of the association and the locality in the new era.
Currently, the entire Party Committee, government, and people of Nghe An province are intensifying emulation campaigns, determined to successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the Resolution of the 19th Provincial Party Congress; in particular, focusing all resources on implementing Resolution No. 39-NQ/TW dated July 18, 2023, of the Politburo on building and developing Nghe An province until 2030, with a vision to 2045. To successfully complete the set tasks, it requires the entire political system, each collective, and each individual to have high unity in action, solidarity, self-reliance, and a strong aspiration for progress, in which the role of the Veterans Association, former soldiers, and their members is crucial.
To build upon the achievements and successes of the "Exemplary Veterans" emulation movement for the 2024-2029 period, and to make a positive, strong, and practical contribution to the overall development of the province, the Veterans Associations at all levels need to focus on the following tasks:
1. Strengthening the leadership of Party committees, Standing Committees, and Executive Committees at all levels of the association, and ensuring the coordinated efforts of agencies and units in improving the quality and effectiveness of emulation movements, affirming that emulation and reward work plays a crucial role in the building and development of the association. This is considered the key, most important, and decisive solution to the effectiveness of the "Exemplary Veteran" emulation movement. The heads of all levels of the association must directly lead, guide, and be responsible for the quality and effectiveness of emulation and reward work. Cadres and members need to clearly understand that emulation and reward work is an important, regular, daily task that directly contributes to the fulfillment of the association's objectives.
2. Develop plans and specific measures to create a strong qualitative transformation in emulation and reward work. The emulation movement must be truly practical and effective; it must awaken the spirit of self-awareness, sense of responsibility, socio-political activism, willpower, determination, feelings, and actions of cadres and members; and create new spiritual motivation in the cause of building and defending the socialist Fatherland.
3. Strengthen inspection, evaluation, preliminary review, and final review, using the results of task implementation as a measure. Pay attention to identifying, nurturing, and publicizing exemplary collective and individual role models, especially new talents, to encourage, set examples, and replicate them throughout society, creating momentum for development and widespread dissemination throughout the association.
4. Improve the quality of commendation work, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, openness, and transparency. Strengthen the identification of outstanding collectives and individuals with exemplary achievements in emulation movements, and cadres with innovative ideas in performing their duties, especially cadres and members at the grassroots level. Timely encourage veterans and former soldiers to unite, maintain their will and faith, and strive to successfully fulfill the political tasks of the association, the locality, the agency, and the unit.
5. Focus on building a strong and comprehensive association; promote the role of the association in implementing local campaigns and emulation movements, linked with the promotion of "Studying and following the thoughts, ethics, and style of Ho Chi Minh." Coordinate closely with the Fatherland Front and other political and social organizations in building the political system at the grassroots level; maintain its core role in the movement to safeguard political security and social order; effectively perform its functions of social supervision and criticism, making a worthy contribution to the cause of building and firmly defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.