The 13^th National Party Congress clearly stated that “Building strong “people’s heart-and-mind posture”, all-people defence, and people’s security posture as the foundation for the cause of safeguarding the Fatherland”. To build and promote the “people’s heart-and-mind posture” from the grassroots level, it is necessary to implement multiple coordinated contents and solutions, in which enhancing the effectiveness of the mass mobilisation work of the provincial (municipal) armed forces plays a crucial role.

Building and promoting the “people’s heart-and-mind posture” is one of the decisive factors for the success of the nation-building and defence cause, as well as a vital and continuous task of the Party, the State, the political system, and the entire population, with the People’s Army playing a pivotal role. However, the construction of this posture must be persistent and continuous as it involves multiple factors, with mass mobilisation work considered the top priority. Therefore, enhancing the quality and effectiveness of the mass mobilisation work of the armed forces in general, and the provincial (municipal) armed forces in particular, not only fosters high consensus in society and strengthens the military-civilian relationship but also contributes to building a solid “people’s heart-and-mind posture” from the grassroots level.

This article focuses on proposing several solutions to enhance the effectiveness of the mass mobilisation work of the provincial (municipal) armed forces in building and promoting the “people’s heart-and-mind posture” in the new era.

Firstly, it is essential to strengthen propaganda work to bring about a significant transformation in the awareness and responsibility of organisations and forces within the political system towards the mass mobilisation work and the construction of a solid “people’s heart-and-mind posture” for the protection of the Fatherland in the new era. This issue plays a fundamental role in improving the quality and effectiveness of the mass mobilisation work and building a firm “people’s heart-and-mind posture” in the nation-building and defence cause in the new era. Therefore, the provincial (municipal) armed forces need to intensify their propaganda and extensive dissemination efforts, ensuring that all organisations and forces within the political system, especially the Party committees, Party organisations, and leading cadres at all levels, firmly grasp the teachings of President Ho Chi Minh: “The power of the people is immense. Mass mobilisation is vital. If mass mobilisation is weak, nothing can be successful. If mass mobilisation is skillful, everything will be successful.” Based on these principles, flexible applications should be made to effectively implement the Party’s viewpoints and guidelines, the policies and laws of the State regarding mass mobilisation work, and the promotion of the strength of the national unity bloc and the construction of a solid “people’s heart-and-mind posture” for the protection of the Fatherland. To achieve effectiveness, the provincial (municipal) armed forces need to unleash their potential and strengths and promote innovation in content, forms, and methods of propaganda, ensuring comprehensive coverage while prioritising specific areas, target groups, and emphasising grassroots efforts. This will lead to a strong transformation in the awareness and responsibility of organisations, forces, and all cadres and soldiers in carrying out the mass mobilisation work.

Currently, hostile forces thoroughly exploit the conditions of corruption, waste, and ideological, ethical, and lifestyle degradation, as well as violations of discipline and laws by a portion of cadres and Party members to propagate and incite sabotage activities, undermining the people’s trust in the Party and the State and threatening the stability and development of the country. Therefore, the Party committees and Party organisations within the provincial (municipal) armed forces need to concentrate on leading and directing the renewal and improvement of the quality of political education to ensure that the cadres and party members, especially the leadership and management ones at all levels, have a thorough and profound understanding of the position and importance of Party building and rectification, as well as the risks and challenges facing the Vietnamese revolution. This will help enhance their sense of responsibility towards Party building and elevate their pioneering spirit, role-modeling behaviour, and the consciousness of serving the people. At the same time, efforts should be made to promote extensive dissemination of the significant results and implications of the anti-corruption and anti-negativity campaigns to strengthen the people’s trust in the Party and the State.

Secondly, there is a need to strengthen the education of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thoughts, the Party’s standpoint and path, and the positive nature of the socialist regime to achieve high consensus among different social classes. This is a fundamental and important solution to enhance the knowledge, intellect, political acumen, moral qualities, and lifestyle of the cadres and Party members. It helps prevent and push back the ideological, ethical, and lifestyle degradation as well as the “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” phenomena within the Party. Additionally, it consolidates and strengthens the unity within the Party and social consensus and leverages the significant role of the great national unity bloc in the current tasks of building and safeguarding the Fatherland. Therefore, the Party committees and leaders at all levels should prioritise the leadership and direction for renewing the content and programs of political education and intensify extensive dissemination of the core values and principles of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thoughts, political lines, directions, policies of renewal of the the Party and the State. This will ensure that the cadres, Party members, and the people have a deep understanding of the fundamental principles and enduring values of Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thoughts, and the achievements our Party has made throughout the Vietnamese revolution. Consequently, it will elevate the patriotic spirit, national pride, self-esteem, and scientific faith in the chosen path to socialism by our Party, President Ho Chi Minh, and the Vietnamese people. Simultaneously, it is essential to actively and firmly combat to refute and reveal the reactionary and anti-scientific nature of wrong and hostile viewpoints. This aims to consolidate and strengthen the unity and ideological consensus within society, providing a foundation for building and vigorously promoting the “people’s heart-and-mind posture” to protect the Fatherland. In the implementation process, at each level, there should be proactive innovation of methods of researching, learning, and dissemination of the Party resolutions, and close integration of communication and dissemination with suggestion to leverage the initiative, proactiveness, and creativity of the Party organisations and members to clarify emerging theoretical and practical issues. Moreover, the role of the press and media should be maximised in disseminating and popularising lines, viewpoints, and policies of the Party and State as well as countering erroneous and reactionary arguments from hostile forces.

Thirdly, it is required to enhance the role of political agencies and the political officer corps at all levels in enhancing the quality of mass mobilisation work. The Party committees and commanders, especially those leading local military units, need to leverage the role of political agencies and the political cadres in providing consultation, proposals, and assistance to the Party committees and commanders in directing, guiding, instructing, and organising the implementation of mass mobilisation contents, forms, and measures. They should regularly grasp the situation, be proactive, and timely provide consultation and proposals to the local Party committees and authorities in resolving emerging issues correctly, preventing their spread and development into complex hotspots. Close coordination should be maintained with Party committees, authorities, functional agencies, the Fatherland Front, and socio-political organisations in disseminating and mobilising the people to implement the Party’s line and policies and State laws, especially in border areas, seas, islands, remote areas, ethnic minority regions, and religious communities. Besides, it is advisable to actively participate in building comprehensively strong local political bases and support people in developing the economy, culture, and society, eradicating poverty, building new rural areas, protecting the environment, preventing and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters and epidemics, and conducting search and rescue missions. To achieve effectiveness, agencies and units need to regularly innovate mass mobilisation forms, especially twinning activities, field trips, and task force teams at the grassroots level. At the same time, they should leverage the roles of reputable individuals, village elders, community leaders, religious figures, and officials in conducting mass mobilisation work to reinforce and enhance the people’s trust in the Party, the State, and the Army. Along with that, it is necessary to perform well in planning, sourcing, training, nurturing, and improving the qualities and capabilities of the political cadres; pay attention to identifying young cadres who are enthusiastic, passionate, talented, and have an understanding of local customs and traditions to send them for training and development, enhancing their qualities, capabilities, and methods in conducting mass mobilisation work; and maintain the close combination between training in educational institutions and nurturing through practical experience and organising training sessions to enhance knowledge, skills, and experience in mass mobilisation work for the cadres at the grassroots level and take care of their material and spiritual lives to create conditions for them to work with peace of mind and strive for maturity.

Finally, it is indispensable to resolutely fight against and refute erroneous, hostile, and subversive viewpoints. Currently, hostile forces and opportunistic and subversive elements are intensifying activities of “peaceful evolution”, promoting “self-evolution”, and “self-transformation” internally, with highly subtle and malicious methods, to counter our Party and State. Therefore, the Party committees and commanders at all levels must proactively grasp the situation, timely detect the plots and tactics of hostile forces, thereby strengthening the leadership, direction, and roles and responsibilities of organisations and forces to form a comprehensive strength to effectively counter and refute erroneous and hostile viewpoints; regularly organise dissemination on the domestic, regional, and international political security situation and carry out ideological orientation work; actively strengthen positive information while effectively preventing and eliminating false, negative information on the internet and social media; utilise systems such as public information, political theory education, oral propaganda, cultural institutions, etc., to widely disseminate and propagate the Party’s line and viewpoints and State policies and laws, and raise the revolutionary vigilance for cadres, Party members, and the people against the plots and tactics of hostile forces. Promote the role of the Provincial Steering Committee 35 and Task Force 47 in detecting and promptly fighting against and refuting all false, fake, distorted, slanderous, and provocative information that goes against the Party, the State, and the Army; and handle resolutely those who oppose opportunist elements, and dissatisfied individuals and those who “self-evolve” and “self-transform,” deviating from the Party’s line and viewpoints, and the state laws.

In the face of the negative impacts from the dark side of the market mechanism and the fierce sabortage of hostile forces, leaders and commanders of provincial (municipal) armed forces need to flexibly study and apply solutions to continuously enhance the quality and effectiveness of mass mobilisation work, contributing to consolidating and enhancing the people’s trust in the Party, the State, and the socialist regime - the most important fundamental factor for building and promoting the “people’s heart-and-mind posture” to protect the country in the new era.

Lieutenant General DUONG DINH THONG,  Commissars of Military Region 1