During the revolution of Vietnam, from fighting for national independence to building and defending the socialist homeland, the Party and State have always imbued with the teaching of President Ho Chi Minh: "Vietnam is democratic country. All benefits are for the people. All power is vested with the people, authority and forces are in the people, the people's forces are big, mass mobilization is very important. If mass mobilization is bad, everything is bad. If mass mobilization is smart, everything is successful. ”(1)

Implementing President Ho Chi Minh’s teachings, mass mobilization carried out by the entire political system in 2018 achieved practical results. One of the important solutions conducive to these outcomes was to launch and promote the smart mass mobilization movement, which was increasingly spreading, bringing about positive effects to national development.

The model of smart mass mobilization came from the requirements of life towards the Party's mass mobilization

Reality shows that only by well implementing mass mobilization , and communication through appropriate and effective methods in association with improving people’s lives and work in the people’s interests can people understand and support the realization of the Party's policies and lines, the State's policies and laws. Therefore, the movement of smart mass mobilization has gradually become an important method in mass mobilization. There have been tens of thousands of models, and examples of smart mass mobilization in several fields of social life, contributing to reaching a social consensus, and social inclusion for socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security, and building the political system.

Building on the review of mass mobilization models and examples, the movement has been expanded, innovated and improved in terms of quality. In 2009, the Party’s Central Committee for Mass Mobilization was officially launched the smart mass mobilization movement throughout the country.

The movement has been supported, paid much attention to by Party committees, and the political system, and implemented among side the movement "Studying and following Ho Chi Minh's moral example." The Party committees, and organizations maintain that the smart mass mobilization is the responsibility of the whole political system and must become a extensive movement in all political and social sectors, at all levels, and must be responded to by each cadre, party member, public employee, trade union member, member of different unions and people of all strata. Based on the specific characteristics and situation of each locality, units, party committees and organizations select appropriate contents to mobilize and promote the people's strength, realize political tasks, take care of the people’s legitimate interests, improve their material and spiritual lives.

Affirming the role and significance of the movement, Resolution No. 25-NQ/TW, dated 3 June 2013, of the Party Central Committee, the 12th Tenure "On strengthening and innovating the leadership of the Party in mass mobilization in the new situation" sets out the task: "Step up smart mass mobilization in association with studying and following Ho Chi Minh's moral example and other movements launched by the Fatherland Front, political and social organizations." Up to now, the movement has made new developments with good examples, deeply affecting people's lives. In 2010, the country boasted more than 200,000 models, and examples. By 2015, there were more than 400,000 models and examples of which 279 were outstanding examples in different fields and were commended and rewarded at the Patriotic Emulation Congress of the mass mobilization sector. By the first quarter of 2018, there were 863,364 models and examples in localities, such as Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi city, Tuyen Quang, Hoa Binh and Ha Giang, Ninh Binh, Son La, Nghe An, Da Nang, Kon Tum, Dak Lak, Can Tho, Ca Mau, An Giang provinces, among others.

In the economic field, there were models of smart mass mobilization in production and business, especially in rural areas, such as restructuring plants and animals; building farms, developing cottage industries, handicrafts and services in order to develop economy, eradicate hunger and reduce poverty, encourage good production and business, and get rich. In particular, the movement has begun to enter new fields, requiring the application of science and technology, high technology, economic efficiency and a wide range of impacts, partnership, association and exchange, technical assistance, capital, experience in socialist-oriented market economy conditions. At the same time, it focused on propagating and mobilizing people in urbanization, harmoniously combining legal and legitimate interests of the people with the interests of the State and enterprises. There were models of smart mass mobilization in "accumulating land, exchanging plots,” shifting plants and animals, building farms, families’ farms, developing industries, trades and craft villages, attracting labor, generating jobs, increasing income, forming a value chain in agricultural production associated with the market. There were good and creative practices in mobilizing fund, labor, land from people to build new rural areas. With the motto "people know, people discuss, people do, people check,” and thanks to smart mobilization many works were constructed in service of people, economic development in the locality, contributed to economic development, and helped raise people’s awareness, encourage economic sectors to actively participate in development.

The models of smart mass mobilization in building new rural areas brought about positive changes to the countryside, improving people's lives. From 2013 up to now, (2) the movement mobilized farmers to make voluntary contribution worth over VND 10,000 billion, 29 million work days, donated nearly 6 million square meters of land, built, renovated, repaired, upgraded 847,000km of canals and 678,000km of rural roads; the smart mass mobilization among war veterans mobilized voluntary contribution of more than 1.45 million square meters of land, over VND 97.5 billion, 350,000 work days; built and repaired 2,430km of roads; constructed and dredged 2,950km of canals, 190 bridges, sluices; planted and protected tens of thousands of hectares of forests. In economic development, hunger elimination and poverty reduction, the movement supplied materials, work days, product outlets worth VND15,000 billion to more than 790,000 poor households, generated on-site jobs to more than 11 million laborers; helped more than 200,000 farmer household escape poverty and get better. Models of smart mass mobilization among war veterans, such as cooperatives, "Comrade-in-arms’ compassion" fund, and "Poverty reduction for members” fund helped 14,840 poor veteran households or 0,53% get rid of poverty with 4.23% remained poor. By 2017, 56.2% of veterans households became prosperous and rich. The movement helped about 100,000 woman households to escape poverty each year. There are now 14,000 models of good economic development among the youth, 356 cooperatives of young people and nearly 1,200 economic development groups of the youth; the movement also assisted more than 20,000 trade union members and poor laborers to build new houses or repair houses worth over VND 500 billion.

In cultural and social field, different movements were launched namely "All people join hands to build a cultural life in residential areas," "All people join hands to build new rural areas, civilized urban areas," Day "For the poor," "Creative labor," "Good at work, and house chores," "Green-Clean-Beautiful," "Ensuring occupational safety and health," "Let women be active in study, creative labor, and building happy families.” Many models of the smart mass mobilization movement were carried out, such as "Inter-family group," "Self-management group,” "Reconciliation team," “Residential area without criminals or offenders,” “Family and clan without criminal and offenders,” “People's security team,” “People’s defense teams,” Programs “Welfare for trade union members," "Reunion in the Lunar New Year holidays," "Trade Union’s cozy home,”(3) "Youth volunteers protect the environment," "Women's group collects and classifies waste." In the National Target Program on Hunger Elimination and Poverty Reduction, besides issuing policies to support development, much attention was given to applying smart mass mobilization which included "Eliminating one hungry household, reducing one poor household" in Dak Lak province; the model of shifting from low income corn and cassava production to tea plantation in Thuan Chau district, Son La province; the model of "Rice jar for the poor" of the armed forces of Quang Nam province. All these efforts contributed to improving the people’s material, cultural, and spiritual lives, ensuring social protection, eliminating backward practices, solving many difficult issues for socio-economic development of localities and units.

In the field of security and national defense, the movement stepped up communication on laws, firmly grasped the situation of the people, built a core force, promptly proposed and effectively handled cases and complicated matters at the grassroots level to maintain political security, social order and safety, especially in deep-lying, remote, border, islands and key security and defense areas. Typical models included "Field march for mass mobilization," "Preventing offenses," "Bright spot in the border area," "Self-sacrifice for the country and people," "For Hoang Sa, and Truong Sa,"" The net of love,” "Cozy homes for the poor in the border area and island,” "Three decreases, four protection,"" Building industrial, handicraft clusters safe in order and security,” "Self-control family line in security and order," “self-control security group in residential quarters," “Building commune without crime and drug," “three plus one” (3 women help another who violated the law. With creative ways, the smart mass mobilization models aroused patriotic traditions, upheld the sense of responsibility, the mastery of the people, actively participated in protecting security and order, encouraged people to build All people’s defense and people's security postures, thwarted many plots and schemes of hostile forces, step by step repelled criminals, social evils, ensured political security, social order and safety, maintained defense and security and peaceful life of the people.

In the field of building the political system, the movement was conducted in association with the implementation of the Regulation on Democracy at Grassroots Level and Party building and rectification. It mobilized people to contribute comments on policies and laws closely related to people's lives; expanded forms of contacting voters (at residential areas, workplace, by theme, field, subjects and individuals or voter groups), increased consensus, expanded democracy and enhanced voters’ responsibilities in giving opinions and comments for making policies and laws, reflecting voters' recommendations. The state administrative agencies linked the movement to promoting administrative reforms, especially administrative procedure reform; building public service ethics, strengthening citizenship, dialogue, solving urgent and complex problems among people. Typical were models which combined the reception units with the communal cultural house and post office, handled “without geographical limitation” administrative procedures , "No appointment date,” "No writing day" models; organized teams of volunteers to help prepare documents and administrative procedures at the request receiving and result returning units at district, ward and commune levels; e-tax declaration. The Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations continued to innovate and reached out to the grassroots, took care of legitimate interests, and mastery of its members, and people; well organized self-management models in residential areas; and implemented customary laws.

The smart mass mobilization models aim to protect people’s legal and legitimate rights and interests, contributing to improving people's lives, strengthen people's trust in the Party, State and political system

Along with the achievements of the 30-year-renovation under the leadership of the Party, people's lives have changed for the better. Important policies in different aspects, such as education, vocational training, employment, new rural construction, sustainable poverty reduction, health care, environmental protection, disaster prevention and climate change response, crime and social evil prevention, political security, social order and safety, especially policies towards people with meritorious services to the revolution and policies towards the poor and near-poor people, laborers, people with difficulties in remote, ethnic minority areas, were implemented for social progress and equity. It is an important basis for the consensus of the people. Policies and programs on hunger eradication and poverty reduction achieved practical results, and were recognized and appreciated by people. The number ò poor household dropped from 14.2% in 2010 to 6.7% in 2017 and below 6% by the end of 2018. The number of poor households accounting for 72%, living mainly in the highlands and ethnic minority areas, dropped sharply to below 30%. By 2018, 87.2% of the population had health insurance; the quality of medical examination and treatment, the number of hospital beds and doctors continued to increase; the national education system was organized to the grassroots level. Since 2011, 48 out of 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam have been entitled to the regime of nomination and enrolment in education. Hence, the number of enrolment was 8,681 students; radio and television coverage reached over 98%, nearly 70% of the population have had access to the Internet; policies for people in difficulties such as women, children, people with disabilities, elderly people, among others have been improved. By the end of 2018, 55 districts and approximately 40% of communes obtained standards of new rural areas. These results are attributable to contribution of the smart mass mobilization models from local and grassroots levels.

Party committees, organizations and administrations at all levels paid more attention to and more effectively settled pressing issues to meet legitimate aspirations of the people; involved in dialogues and meetings with people, especially those related to complicated complaints; at the same time, solicited people's comments, openly provided "hotlines," assigned staff to solve and respond to people's feedback and proposals; strictly handled offenders; facilitated the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations and people in supervising and criticizing; brought into play the role of prestigious people in ethnic minorities and religions.

The Government built a system of receiving and responding to people's feedback and recommendations. Since 2012, the Government developed criteria and announced the administrative reform index and the people’s satisfaction index. Many agencies and units, especially the tax, customs, banking and environmental resources sectors, held dialogues to remove obstacles and solve in time the petitions of people and enterprises.

The Prime Minister had direct talks with businesses, laborers and farmers to study and revise policies concerned. (4) In the business sector, dialogues have been organized from 2 to 4 times a year and laborers’ conference held annually to promptly tackle difficulties and problems in labor relations, development of production and business, helping workers feel assured to work and develop business.

Judicial agencies focused on judicial reforms associated with the judicial administrative procedure reform; created conditions for agencies, organizations and people to inspect and supervise the activities of judicial agencies. The Supreme People's Court made public decisions and judgments; piloted dialogue and pre-proceeding mediation models in civil disputes; were prepared to draft the Law on Reconciliation and Dialogue in court.

Changes in awareness and actions of Party committees, authorities and political system are an important basis to promote the smart mass mobilization movement, increase consensus, build great national solidarity, strengthen people's trust in the Party and State, and the close relationship between the Party and people.

Beside achievements. There remained limitations in the movement. It has not yet been widely implemented in all fields of social life. There were few examples of smart mass mobilization in state agencies, businesses, cooperatives, and building political system; replication of models and examples has fallen short of expectation. Some Party committees, authorities, cadres, party members, especially heads of units were not fully aware of and did not pay due attention to leading and directing the movement; coordination among departments, branches and unions in some places were poor, unsynchronized and in some places nominal.

Through the implementation of the smart mass mobilization movement, the awareness of all levels, branches, cadres, party members, union members, especially heads of units on the impact of the smart mass mobilization movement raised. Hence they identified clearly focus in each stage and forms for localities and units to implement in the legitimate, and practical benefits of the people, creating a driving force for socio-economic development and improving the quality of life of the people.

Continuing to well implement the movement, building models, and examples of smart mass mobilization

The process of completing and developing the socialist-oriented market economy and international integration has opened up opportunities to improve people's lives. However, resources for development, investment, improving welfare, social security, environmental protection, response to natural disasters, national defense and security are still limited; the gap between the rich and the poor widens; social morality is degrading; in some areas, there are potential risks of security, social order and safety; bad elements, hostile forces, reactionaries continue to take advantage of democracy, human rights, ethnicity and religion to misinform, distort, instigate divisions and sabotage the great national unity, and reduce people's confidence in the Party. This situation requires the reform of the Party leadership towards mass mobilization in order to rally and mobilize the people of all strata to well implement the Party lines, State policies and laws, promote the great power of the people, create a strong revolutionary movement for national construction and defense. In order spread the movement and bring about concrete effectiveness, practical benefits to the people, Party committees need to pay attention to the leadership and direction and focus on implementing some key tasks as follows:

First, continue to raise awareness on the smart mass mobilization movement in order to create a substantial changes in the relations between the Party and people, consider the movement the responsibilityof Party committees, administration, the political system. Step up communication, and orient the movement in conjunction with functions and tasks of agencies and organizations in the political system. Uphold the role of mass media in communication and mobilization of the people.

Second, identify the key contents of the movement in accordance with the conditions of each locality and each object. Focus on the National Target Program on Building New Rural Areas and Sustainable Reduction of Poverty in association with other movements of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organizations, Directive No. 05- CT/TW of the Politburo on "Studying and following Ho Chi Minh Thought, morality and style" and the Resolution of the 4th Plenum of the Party Central Committee, 12th Tenure "On strengthening Party building and rectification; preventing and reversing political ideology, morality, lifestyle degradation, manifestations of internal "self-evolutions" and "self-transformation."

Third, focus on building and developing models and examples of the smart mass mobilization movement in difficult and complicated places, in ethnic minority and religious areas and workers in industrial parks and export processing zones, in solving "hot spots," in administrative reform, building a streamlined, effective and efficient apparatus in people’s service.

Fourth, scale up research and advise to party committees for better leadership and direction of the movement. All levels, branches, agencies and units must orient, guide and support the modelz and examples of smart mass mobilization; regularly control, urge, carry out periodically mid-term reviews, commend in time and have solutions to effectively replicate the model and examples.

The movement of smart mass mobilization conducted over the past time shows that this is a right policy, a practical, effective movement responded and supported by trade union members and members of different unions and people. The movement has made an important contribution to political stability, socio-economic development, national defense and security and building a clean and strong political system.

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(1) The Truth newspaper, issued on 15 October 1949

(2) Report of the Central Steering Committee on preliminary review of the 5-years-implementation of Resolution No.25-NQ/TW, dated 3 June 2013, 11th Tenure on "Strengthening and renewing the leadership of the Party towards mass mobilization in the new situation”

(3) The Program "Welfare for trade union members" was carried out by the trade unions at all levels which negotiated and signed cooperation agreements with 1,157 partners, providing preferential products and services for 1.7 million trade union members, and laborers worth VND526 billion. The Program "Workers’ Month" organized 19,352 launches, attracting 2.9 million members and employees, visiting and giving presents to more than 573,772 union members, and workers worth VND 149 billion. The Program "The Lunar New Year holiday of reunion" took care of, gave presents, supported train and bus tickets, provided transport vehicle to more than 8 million trade union members and laborers worth more than VND 8,500 billion.

(4) The Prime Minister met and talked to 2,000 workers in the central key economic region in Da Nang city on 22 April 2017. At the meeting with businesses with the theme "Accompanying businesses” on 17 May 2017, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers met and exchanged dialogues with more than 10,000 businesses. On 9 April 2016, in Hai Duong, the Prime Minister attended the dialogue with farmers under the theme "Removing obstacles, stimulating motivation, continuing the 30-year-innovation." The Prime Minister met and talked with nearly 1,000 workers in industrial zones in the Red River Delta with the theme "Higher productivity, better welfare" in the Ha Nam province on 20 May 2018. (Source: Preliminary Report on the implementation of Resolution No. 25 of the Government Party Caucus)

This article was published in the Communist Review, No. 916 (February 2019)