Proactively promoting Dong Nai’s image to international community

Amid increasingly deep international integration, people-to-people diplomacy plays a vital role in consolidating a peaceful environment, enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation, and mobilizing resources to support local socio-economic development.

Chairman of the Dong Nai Union of Friendship Organizations Nguyen Thanh Tri presents commendations to collectives with outstanding achievements in people-to-people diplomacy in 2025. Photo: Ho Thao

With close leadership attention and direction from the Provincial Party Committee and the Provincial People’s Committee, in 2025, the Dong Nai Union of Friendship Organizations effectively fulfilled its core role, proactively and flexibly implementing people-to-people diplomacy activities in a synchronized manner and achieving many notable results, thereby contributing to the promotion of Dong Nai’s image among international friends.

Coordinated implementation of people-to-people diplomacy activities

One of the year’s outstanding activities was the successful organization of the 2025 Dong Nai Friendship Culture and Sports Week, held in celebration of the 1st Dong Nai Provincial Party Congress for the 2025–2030 term; the 1st Congress of the Dong Nai Provincial Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; and the Traditional Day of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations. The week took place from October 30 to November 3, 2025, with the participation of nearly 300 delegates, including representatives from foreign consulates in Ho Chi Minh City, central-level leaders, unions of provinces and cities in the southern region, leaders of Dong Nai Province, foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs), foreign direct investment (FDI) enterprises, and a large number of members of provincial friendship associations.

As part of the week’s agenda, a diverse array of exchange and networking activities took place, including tree planting at the “Friendship Garden”; exhibitions featuring images of various countries and people-to-people diplomacy efforts; and a series of sports, cultural, artistic, and social welfare events. These activities helped spread the spirit of peace, solidarity, and friendship while creating an open, welcoming space that fostered stronger connections among international partners and provincial agencies, units, and localities.

Alongside efforts to promote peace, solidarity, and friendship, cooperation and the mobilization of aid from foreign non-governmental organizations remained highlights of Dong Nai’s people-to-people diplomacy. In 2025, these efforts were implemented in a methodical, well-targeted manner, closely aligned with local needs and the province’s development orientation. Accordingly, the province partnered with 38 foreign NGOs and other donors to carry out 38 programs, projects, and non-project initiatives, with total committed funding exceeding 46.5 billion VND. Aid programs focused on essential areas such as social welfare, healthcare, education, clean water, and environmental protection, contributing to improved living conditions and enhanced service quality for local communities, particularly in disadvantaged areas.

In addition, the provincial Union of Friendship Organizations proactively advised the Provincial People’s Committee on organizing the Conference to Review the National Program on Mobilizing Foreign NGO Aid for the 2019–2025 period. At the Conference, many organizations and enterprises reaffirmed their commitment to continue supporting and accompanying the province in the time ahead, reflecting their trust in and long-term engagement with Dong Nai’s development goals.

Meanwhile, external information and communication activities continued to be strengthened through diverse approaches. Notably, the provincial Union of Friendship Organizations organized the 2025 Contest on Learning about People-to-People Diplomacy, attracting more than 17.3 thousand visits and over 5.3 thousand participants. The contest helped to widely disseminate awareness of the role and significance of people-to-people diplomacy among officials, Party members, and people from all walks of life across the province.

Continuing to improve the quality of people-to-people diplomacy activities

Sharing at the Conference on the Implementation of People-to-People Diplomacy Tasks for 2026 of the provincial Union of Friendship Organizations held recently, Nguyen Thi Loan, Deputy Head of Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the Provincial Party Committee of Dong Nai, affirmed that: in 2025 the provincial Union of Friendship Organizations effectively promoted its core role for people-to-people diplomacy, comprehensively and effectively carrying out assigned tasks in line with the orientations of the Provincial Party Committee and the direction of the Provincial People’s Committee, thereby clearly affirming its position and role in the province’s external relations. From the perspective of the standing agency for external information work in the province, the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission of the Provincial Party Committee highly appreciated the results achieved and suggested several areas for continued attention in the coming period, including further strengthening communication and thorough dissemination of the Party’s and State’s foreign policy viewpoints and guidelines, particularly Politburo Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW on international integration in the new situation and the Provincial Party Standing Committee’s plan for its implementation; closely adhering to the orientations of the Provincial Party Committee to ensure effective organization and implementation. At the same time, greater emphasis should be placed on further improving the quality of external information work, enhancing the application of information technology and digital transformation in people-to-people diplomacy, and expanding the use of modern media and social networks to promote Dong Nai’s image to international audiences.

To implement the 2026 People-to-People Diplomacy Action Program, the provincial Union of Friendship Organizations has identified 14 key tasks. The Executive Committee of the provincial Union of Friendship Organizations has demonstrated strong determination in implementing the Provincial People’s Committee’s 2026 People-to-People Diplomacy Program, which comprises 27 tasks that have been concretized into work items, ensuring practicality and effectiveness.

Le Thi Thanh Loan, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Dong Nai Province, and Chairwoman of the Provincial Women’s Union, stated that for the 2025–2030 term, the Provincial Women’s Union has identified promoting the role of the organization and women in people-to-people diplomacy as one of its key priorities. Based on the union's guiding documents, the association will implement specific, practical activities that contribute to preserving and promoting national cultural identity and to strengthening friendly exchanges.

Nguyen Thanh Tri, Chairman of the provincial Union of Friendship Organizations, emphasized that: in 2026, in addition to regular tasks such as peace-building and friendship activities, foreign NGO-related work, and external information and communication, the union will place special emphasis on building, consolidating and improving the quality of personnel engaged in people-to-people diplomacy; restructuring and developing member friendship associations; and strengthening friendship activities linked with social welfare, particularly in border areas, ethnic minority communities and especially disadvantaged communes. At the same time, the union will continue to strengthen communication and dissemination of Politburo Resolution No. 59-NQ/TW on international integration, the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, and the Resolution of the First Dong Nai Provincial Party Congress for the 2025–2030 term among all officials and members.

By Ho Thao – Translated by Thu Hien, Minho