The important role of influential figures among ethnic minority communities.

Spreading the movement to build new rural areas.

Kieng village is a purely agricultural village in Chau Binh commune (Quy Chau district), with 169 households and 781 inhabitants, 100% of whom are of the Thai ethnic group. Since being elected as the village Party Secretary, Ms. Sam Thi Lan, a respected figure in the village, has propagated and mobilized the people to implement movements for economic development, poverty alleviation, and building a cultural life in the residential area; promoting unity, mutual support, and caring for families entitled to preferential policies.

Reputable people in Tan Lac town (Quy Chau district) are spreading the word and mobilizing the people to donate land for road construction to build new rural areas. Photo: Thu Huong

In particular, during the implementation of the New Rural Development Program, Ms. Sam Thi Lan actively mobilized households in the village to donate 186 square meters of land.²Land, 51 meters of fence, and hundreds of trees with a total value of 350 million VND; contributing money and labor to complete 3.2 km of rural roads, renovating the community cultural center, building volleyball and football fields for the village...

Furthermore, Ms. Lan consistently sets a good example, taking the lead in promoting and encouraging her family and fellow villagers to actively transform the economic structure towards commodity production, applying science and technology to production. She also participates in short-term vocational training courses, works in industrial zones inside and outside the province, and even goes abroad for work. As a result, the living standards and income of the villagers have steadily improved. In 2017, the average per capita income in the village was 25 million VND/year, and by 2021, it had increased to 40 million VND/person/year.

As one of the exemplary and respected figures among the ethnic minority community in Thung Khang village, Chau Binh commune (Quy Chau district), Mr. Vi Van Chau is not only a shining example in economic development but also an active communicator in mobilizing relatives and the community to support and contribute to building new rural areas.

Mr. Chau shared: “Recognizing the difficult living conditions of the villagers and the many outdated customs affecting their daily lives, I, along with my colleagues in the Party Branch and the Village Front Committee, persistently encouraged the people to gradually change their mindset and awareness. Following the motto 'going to every alley, knocking on every door,' we used various methods of propaganda to ensure that people did not feel inferior but voluntarily participated in implementing the criteria, especially those related to transportation and poverty reduction.”

Upholding his role and responsibilities to the community, Mr. Chau regularly meets with and encourages the people to confidently develop the economy and promote the spirit of great unity; he also educates them on adopting a civilized lifestyle, eliminating outdated customs, and working together to build a new rural area... To achieve these results, he regularly studies through books and newspapers, and exchanges experiences with other reputable people to improve his understanding, especially to firmly grasp the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws and regulations...

Mr. Lang Van Chinh, Chairman of the People's Committee of Chau Binh commune (Quy Chau district), shared: "One of the decisive factors in the success of building new rural areas is the spirit of solidarity among the people, and influential individuals are the connecting links. With the spirit of 'slow and steady wins the race,' all programs and projects have been completed with the consensus of the people; 19 out of 19 criteria in building new rural areas in the locality have been achieved, which is an important stepping stone for Chau Binh commune to reach the goal of becoming a new rural area in 2021."

A bridge connecting "the Party's will and the people's hearts"

Quỳ Châu is a mountainous district in Nghệ An province; with a population of 60,809 people, of which 47,682 are ethnic minorities, accounting for 78.4% (mainly the Thái ethnic group). In 2021, the number of influential people in Quỳ Châu district recognized by the Provincial People's Committee was 144, including village elders; clan leaders; heads of hamlets and villages; retired officials;...

A respected figure in Thung Khang village, Chau Binh commune (Quy Chau district), promotes local economic development models. Photo: Thu Huong.

Over the years, influential figures among ethnic minorities in the district have played a pivotal role in various fields; they have effectively propagated and mobilized ethnic minorities to comply with the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's laws and regulations, and local regulations; they have also taken the lead in promoting and encouraging people to participate in labor, production, and economic development emulation movements. Many families of these influential figures have successfully implemented farm-based economic models, not only lifting their own families out of poverty but also supporting and assisting many other households through providing seeds, capital, and technical assistance, helping many families rise out of poverty and become wealthy.

In the field of new rural development, the team of influential individuals actively coordinated with Party committees, government agencies, and mass organizations to propagate and mobilize people to actively participate and take the lead in responding to and implementing new rural development. To date, the entire district has 2 out of 11 communes (Chau Tien and Chau Binh communes) and 30 villages that have met the new rural development standards; the average for the entire district is 14 criteria... The spiritual and material lives of the people have been gradually improved. Average per capita income has continuously increased, from 4.6 million VND in 2005 to 42.3 million VND in 2021.

In maintaining national defense, security, and social order and safety, influential individuals have actively participated in and mobilized people in their areas to build and implement many models of the "All People Protect National Security" movement, such as: "All people unite to build a cultured life in residential areas," "Managing and educating children to prevent crime and social vices," "Self-governance within clans," etc.

To build up the force, care for, and encourage exemplary and influential individuals to actively participate in various movements, the District People's Committee annually directs the district's specialized departments and the People's Committees of communes and towns to do a good job of propaganda to promote the role of influential individuals among ethnic minorities; to commend, reward, and acknowledge the contributions of influential individuals in various fields of social life; and to promptly address policies for influential individuals in the area.

To ensure that influential individuals serve as a bridge connecting the Party's will with the people's hearts, in the coming period, the district will continue to fully implement policies for influential individuals to encourage and motivate them in the cause of building and protecting the Fatherland in residential areas; promptly commend and reward influential individuals when they achieve outstanding results; mobilize and arrange work for influential individuals to participate in the work with the government, political organizations, and social organizations at the grassroots level, in order to promote the role and position of influential individuals, understand the thoughts and aspirations of ethnic minorities, and promptly report them to the local government, the Party, and the State; organize delegations to study advanced models in other localities, in order to encourage patriotism, national pride, and unity in building the homeland so that they can continue to propagate and mobilize people in residential areas.

Le Thanh Ha - Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Quy Chau District