“Bridges” strengthening community bonds

Dieu Tol (of Tho Son Commune) is a prestigious individual among ethnic minority communities in Dong Nai Province. Every day, he spends time visiting households in each hamlet to meet residents and grasp the situation in the local community. Issues and proposals raised by local people are received by him and then conveyed to the hamlet management board or the commune People’s Committee so that Party committees and authorities can promptly understand the situation. When feedback is available, he keeps the relevant people informed of the results.

Comrade Ton Ngoc Hanh, Alternate Member of the Party Central Committee, Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Chairwoman of the Provincial People’s Council, exchanges views with prestigious individuals among ethnic minority communities at the meeting with prestigious individuals, religious dignitaries, intellectuals, artists, and outstanding entrepreneurs on August 25, 2025. Photo: Van Truyen.

Over six months since the provincial merger, Dieu Tol, together with the contingent of prestigious individuals among ethnic minorities, has brought into play the role of “bridges,” connecting Party committees and authorities with more than 421,000 people from 37 ethnic minority groups in the newly established Dong Nai Province.

484 “bridges” among ethnic minorities

After the new Dong Nai Province was formed, the province recognized 484 individuals as prestigious figures among ethnic minority communities. Most of them are between 60 and 70 years old; their educational levels have improved; and each places emphasis on using and applying social media for communication, advocacy, and mobilization.

At the same time, according to Tran Thanh Hoa, Director of the Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, in 2025, alongside Party committees, authorities, and local mass organizations, during the implementation of ethnic affairs and ethnic policies, the contingent of prestigious individuals among ethnic minorities consistently coordinated and effectively fulfilled their roles in communication and explanation, helping people clearly understand the care and attention of the Party and the State toward the ethnic communities. This has contributed to thwarting “peaceful evolution” plots by hostile forces, seeking to divide the great national unity bloc, helping build the all-people posture associated with the people’s security posture, stabilizing security and order in the province, and improving the material and spiritual lives of the ethnic minority people. The overall achievements that Dong Nai attained in 2025 include the contributions of prestigious individuals among the ethnic minorities.

Nguyen Hong Nu, a prestigious individual among ethnic minorities in Dong Nai Province (Chơro ethnic group, Xuan Thanh Commune), said that in recent years, many education policies have helped raise educational standards and created favorable conditions for children of ethnic minorities to pursue knowledge.

As both a teacher and a prestigious individual among ethnic minorities, Nguyen Hong Nu encourages children in the community to attend school and strive harder in their studies to seek better jobs in the future. At the same time, in her role as an English teacher, beyond classroom hours, she organizes and is responsible for providing free foreign-language classes for children in the community. In addition, when young people encounter information on social media or when they study or work far from home, she reminds parents and children not to share harmful or toxic information, and not to believe or follow the inducements of malicious actors that could lead to violations of the law.

Caring for and encouraging prestigious individuals

To acknowledge contributions and encourage the prestigious individuals among ethnic minorities, Dong Nai Province has been implementing policies to help this contingent work with peace of mind and actively participate in building their homeland.

Specifically, the Provincial People’s Council has recently passed a resolution stipulating support policies for prestigious individuals in ethnic minority areas in Dong Nai Province, effective from January 1, 2026. Accordingly, prestigious individuals in ethnic minority areas will receive a monthly allowance of 800,000 VND per person, instead of the previous 234,000 VND. In addition, the province also stipulates support for annual health insurance cards; regimes for visits and gifts on holidays and Tet; support when participating in conferences; and assistance during illness requiring treatment at medical facilities.

Moreover, according to Tran Thanh Hoa, Party Committees and authorities identify prestigious individuals among ethnic minorities in 95 communes and wards as a special mass force with an important position and role, helping Party and State advisory and assisting agencies effectively carry out assigned tasks. Through these prestigious individuals, authorities can also grasp the thoughts and aspirations of the people to convey to the Party, the State, and authorities at all levels. Therefore, the Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs, together with departments, sectors, and People’s Committees of communes and wards, will proactively advise the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People’s Council, and the Provincial People’s Committee on ethnic affairs and ethnic policies in the province; pay attention to and create conditions for the development of the contingent of prestigious individuals among ethnic minorities; and promptly commend and reward those with outstanding and exemplary achievements.

As one of 61 individuals commended at the conference on review and commendation of prestigious individuals among ethnic minorities in Dong Nai Province in 2025, Dieu Toa (Chơro ethnic group, Binh Loc Ward) said that the province’s commendation not only impacts him personally but also serves as recognition and affirmation within the community of his recent activities in preserving traditional culture. This, in turn, helps attract the attention of local people to preserving and promoting the fine values of their ethnic group.

In 2025, the prestigious individuals among ethnic minorities continued to make effective contributions in six key areas: propagating and mobilizing people to properly implement the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws; actively participating in grassroots political systems and consolidating and strengthening the great national unity bloc; maintaining security and social order in ethnic minority areas; caring for public health in ethnic minority communities; preserving culture, arts, and sports; and promoting socio-economic development, poverty reduction, social welfare, and new rural development.

Deputy Director of the Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs
NGUYEN VAN KHANG

By Van Truyen – Translated by Trieu Ngan, Thu Ha