Building a culture within the Party in the new era.
Professor Dinh Xuan Dung argues that many Party members and officials at various levels are disciplined precisely because of a lack of culture and an inability to regulate themselves using the power of cultural values.
On January 15th, the Central Propaganda Department, in coordination with the Central Theoretical Council, the Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy, the National Political Publishing House, and several other agencies, organized the national scientific conference "Theoretical and practical issues concerning the building of culture within the Party in the new era.
The role of culture has sometimes not been given due importance and properly utilized.
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thang, Member of the Politburo, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, and Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, affirmed that throughout the 95-year history of the Party's leadership of the Vietnamese revolution, spanning the eras of struggle for independence and national unification, and the era of reform, integration, and development, culture within the Communist Party of Vietnam has always been an important part, embodying the finest and most pioneering values of Vietnamese national culture.
According to Mr. Thang, alongside the great achievements, it is necessary to acknowledge that the task of building culture within the Party still has many limitations and shortcomings. The role of culture in Party building and the political system has not been given due importance and promotion in some places. The content and methods of building culture within the Party have not been given the attention they deserve.
Some Party committees and members have not paid sufficient attention to the task of building Party culture, and have not been decisive or thorough in managing Party members. In particular, corruption and negative practices are becoming increasingly complex, serious, and sophisticated, causing public outrage.
"There are cadres and Party members, including high-ranking Party officials, who lack integrity, self-cultivation, and have degenerated in ideology, morality, and lifestyle. They are tempted, bribed, and drawn into illicit interests, failing to fulfill their duties and responsibilities to the Party, the State, and the people," said Mr. Nguyen Xuan Thang.
At the seminar, Mr. Thang suggested that delegates review the historical milestones over the 95 years of the Party's leadership of the Vietnamese revolution, including 40 years of the Party's leadership in the country's renovation process, clarifying the scientific basis for unifying understanding of the role and importance of building culture within the Party in the work of Party building and rectification, building political culture, and building an advanced Vietnamese culture rich in national identity; summarize and evaluate specific tasks in implementing the building of culture within the Party; and propose and recommend goals, directions, and methods for building culture within the Party that are appropriate to the new context.
The regulatory role of culture is very important.
Professor Dinh Xuan Dung believes that the regulatory role of culture is very important, especially in managing the relationship between good and bad, beauty and ugliness, purity and greed, nobility and baseness, virtue and evil... in order to minimize moral decay. In recent times, many Party members and officials at various levels have been disciplined precisely because of a lack of culture and an inability to regulate themselves through the power of cultural values. Therefore, it is necessary to educate and train officials and Party members to cultivate cultural values within their character and the ability to apply those values to regulate their lives, thoughts, and actions.
"We must establish cultural conventions and enforcement mechanisms. Living and working according to the law is legally binding. However, living, operating, and conducting oneself according to cultural values and norms is voluntary and self-motivated. Therefore, I would like to use the term 'cultural convention' rather than regulations or directives. Once the convention is agreed upon, there will be enforcement mechanisms to ensure its implementation," Mr. Dung stated.
Speaking at the conference, Major General Nguyen Ba Duong - former Director of the Institute of Military Social Sciences and Humanities, Ministry of National Defense - reiterated President Ho Chi Minh's views on our Party and emphasized that "if we gain the people's trust, they will follow."
Mr. Duong further analyzed that building Party culture means "being exemplary, doing what one says, and setting a good example." If cadres and Party members violate discipline, fail to set a good example, or engage in corruption, then "nothing can be said."
Concluding the workshop, Politburo member, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, and Head of the Central Propaganda Department Nguyen Trong Nghia emphasized that, in order to promote the building of culture within the Party, contributing to building a truly clean and strong Party that meets the requirements of the new period, many key tasks and solutions need to be implemented.
In his remarks, Mr. Nguyen Trong Nghia emphasized the strict implementation of regulations on exemplary conduct by cadres and Party members, especially leading cadres and heads of all levels within the political system. He stressed the need to proactively detect, combat, prevent, and repel manifestations of ideological and political degradation, moral decay, lifestyle deviations, "self-evolution," "self-transformation," corruption, waste, and negative behaviors; and to further enhance the role and responsibility of stakeholders, especially the role and responsibility of Party committees and their leaders at all levels, in building a culture within the Party.
"Strengthening inspection and supervision of the implementation of cultural development within the Party, linked with evaluation, ranking, commendation, and discipline of Party organizations and members, will create a fundamental shift in the self-awareness and responsibility of each Party organization and member in building and practicing cultural values within the Party," Mr. Nguyen Trong Nghia affirmed.
The Head of the Central Propaganda Department also requested a focus on strengthening the protection of the Party's ideological foundation, combating and refuting erroneous, hostile, distorted, and slanderous views against the Party's fine cultural values; resolutely and persistently attacking and defeating the "peaceful evolution" schemes and tactics of hostile forces.
