Exciting atmosphere in great national unity festival of residential areas

In the excitement of the people in the country celebrating the 93rd anniversary of the traditional day of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (November 18, 1930 – November 18, 2023), in recent days, all residential areas in the province happily organized the great national unity festival (GNUF). This is not only a festival and a happy day but also an opportunity to show solidarity and community attachment.

People in Quyet Thang village, Hoang Van Thu commune, Van Lang district play “lay co” game at the GNUF

Aiming at a safe and successful festival for the people, the Fatherland Front Committees at all levels have advised the People’s Committees and the steering committees of the movement of all people uniting to build a cultural life, family affairs committees in localities to develop plans of organizing the festival as well as programs and activities to take place before, during and after the festival.

A practical and exciting festival

Lang Giai B village, Nhan Ly commune, Chi Lang district is one of the first residential areas that organizes the GNUF in the province (November 4). Ms. Tran Thi Thiet, Deputy Secretary of the Party Cell, Head of the Fatherland Front Committee of Lang Giai B village said: “The village currently has 152 households with 634 people. Preparation for the festival was carried out by one month in advance. Meanwhile, art performances received the greatest attention from people of the village. During a month, from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. every evening, people gather at the village’s cultural house to practice art performances and bamboo dance. Everyone was enthusiastic and excited because the village was honored to be chosen by the province and district as the venue for the GNUF with the attendance of provincial and district leaders. Thanks to the close attention and direction of the leaders and the efforts of the villagers, the festival was a great success. In particular, the festival demonstrated the attention of all levels and sectors of the province, district and commune to the village, as well as the bonding, responsibility and solidarity of the villagers. On this occasion, 26 people of the village living and working in and outside the province donated for a village cultural house and equipment with a total cost of more than 40 million VND.

On the morning of November 10, a large number of people in Quyet Thang village, Hoang Van Thu commune, Van Lang district gathered at the cultural house to attend the GNUF. This is also the residential area chosen by the province and district as the model for organizing this event. Here, after the ceremony, the festival atmosphere became even more bustling with games such as banana cutting competitions, removing corn kernels, lay co game and art performances. Mr. Hoang Van Thiem, a resident of Quyet Thang village, was excited: “Today is a really fun day with the attention of the whole village, strengthening the bonding between us. It is a pleasure that the festival is attended by leaders of the province, district and commune, they listen to people’s comments, suggestions, orient and show people how to take advantage of their potentials and strengths for socio-economic development and improve their lives. Proud to live in Comrade Hoang Van Thu’s hometown, the villagers and I will continue to unite for economic development, contributing to building an increasingly developing residential area…”

In order for an effective GNUF in accordance with its intended purpose, on October 11, the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee issued a plan to organize the festival in 2023 to guide its smaller units and residential areas in the preparation of economical, safe, meaningful and useful festival activities. Each locality flexibly carries them out depending on their own conditions. In particular, attention should be paid to introduction about the history, tradition of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and the results of implementing emulation movements, campaigns and the situation of the great national unity block in residential areas; commendation of outstanding groups, families and individuals to create a vibrant competitive atmosphere among the people. Additionally, cultural, sports, social security activities and a special feast must be included to strengthen solidarity.

From the beginning of November 2023 to November 14, 85% of residential areas of the province organized GNUF (the whole province currently has 1,676 villages, hamlets and residential groups). A new feature in this year’s festival is that residential areas launch emulation movements to celebrate the Fatherland Front congresses at all levels for the 2024 – 2029 term. Many residential areas added the 20^th anniversary of holding GNUF, new and attractive activities and games, creating a joyful and exciting atmosphere for people. Thereby, the relationship between party committees, authorities, organizations at all levels and the people becomes closer, the great national unity bloc become stronger.

Spreading the spirit of consensus among the people

The GNUF in the province has been organized since 2003 according to Resolution No. 04/NQ/DCT-MTTW dated August 1, 2003 of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front. After 20 years of organization, the festival has become a bridge to connect and create good values in the community, especially contributing to consolidating and strengthening the great national unity bloc, building an increasingly developing homeland.

Accordingly, over the past 20 years, the GNUF has increasingly spread in residential areas with increasingly innovative scales and forms. While in 2003, 40% of residential areas in the province organized festivals, this number is 100% from 2016 and 2022 (except for 2020 and 2021due to COVID-19 pandemic). Over 90% of residential areas organized the feast for the festival, up nearly 72% compared to 2003. The festival took place from the beginning of November to November 18,  the traditional day of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (November 18).

Nong Luong Chan, Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, said: “In each period of time, the Fatherland Front at all levels in the province has gained experience to advise the Party Committee at the same level in leadership and direction and guiding of to hold the GNUF with the motto “the residential area as the focus, the people as the subject”. The GNUF is increasingly well-organized from model units to each residential area, becoming an indispensable annual activity in residential areas, well-prepared in accordance with specific condition of each location. In particular, the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee advises the Provincial Party Committee to develop plans and schedules to invite central, provincial leaders and Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee to the festival. This not only contributes to strengthening the great national unity bloc but also strengthens the close connection between Party and State leaders, party committees, local authorities and the People.

A GNUF usually consists of two parts ceremony and festival. In particular, in the ceremony, the tradition of the Vietnamese Fatherland Front and the results of one year of implementing campaigns and patriotic emulation movements in residential areas are often reviewed. There are also commendation, gift presentation to poor households, preferential families and donation for the construction of civil works… The festival includes cultural activities, art performances, sports, games, creating a joyful and excited atmosphere for the people.

According to statistics from the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, from 2003 to present, all levels, sectors, agencies, businesses and people in the province have donated funds and construction materials to over 1,000 civil works, financial support to build and repair 3,255 great unity houses for poor households and often reviewed families and material support serving economic, cultural and social development to villages and neighborhoods on the GNUF.

In addition, at the festival, residential areas also organize the launch and signing of emulation movements for the following year. This creates spillover effect and consensus of people throughout the province in responding to movements, activities and contributing resources to projects and tasks in residential areas. In the past 20 years, the people of the province have donated 909,850m² of land, contributed over 543 billion VND, millions of labor days to build roads, schools, cultural houses and many other public works. People from all walks of life have also contributed over 50 billion VND to invest in repairing and building irrigation systems and centralized domestic water works…

Meaningful activities have contributed to building each residential area as well as the locality to become increasingly wealthy, beautiful, and civilized. To date, the province has 86/181 communes meeting new rural standards, 65 civilized urban streets. The poverty rate is 8.92%, down 3.28% compared to 2021… The whole province currently has more than 86% of households achieving the title of cultural family, up 39.7%; Nearly 85% of villages and residential groups achieved the title of cultural residential area, up 63.9% compared to 2003.

The 20-year journey of organizing the GNUF has affirmed the vitality and significance of the great festival for the entire people, contributing to community cohesion, arousing and promoting the spirit of solidarity, self-reliance from the grassroots level; creating motivation for officials and people throughout the province to effectively carry out patriotic campaigns and emulation movements. Additionally, it contributes to building an increasingly strong political system, creating social consensus in implementing political goals and tasks from each residential area and locality, for a prosperous life and happiness of the people.