Comrade Nguyen Thi Thu Huong - Member of the Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda Department had an interview with reporters of Nghe An Newspaper.

Reporter (PV): In carrying out the task of ensuring political and ideological unity, upholding principles, and enhancing trust in the Party and the people, how has the Nghe An Propaganda Department demonstrated its key role and innovation and creativity through historical periods?

Comrade Nguyen Thi Thu Huong: In the 93-year history of construction and development, the Propaganda Department of Nghe An has had many different names. Throughout the revolutionary process, ideological work in general and the activities of the Propaganda Department in particular have made great contributions to the common achievements of the Party Committee and the people of all ethnic groups in the province; always demonstrating their roles and responsibilities; always innovating and creating in accordance with the requirements and tasks of each revolutionary stage, ensuring the goal of political and ideological unity, steadfastness in principles, and enhancing trust in the Party and the people.

“Propaganda is to tell people something so they understand, remember, follow, and do it. If that goal is not achieved, propaganda has failed. To be successful, one must know how to propagate.”

President Ho Chi Minh

(excerpt from the article "Propaganda and Propaganda", published in Truth Newspaper, No. 79, from June 26 to July 9, 1947)

During the national liberation movement and the August Revolution (1930 - 1945), the period of fighting for power, the Party had to operate secretly, the Propaganda Department was flexible, creative, and carried out propaganda and education work through Party documents, books, and newspapers. The newspapers "Nguoi lao kho", "Tien len", "Giac ngo"... promptly disseminated the Party's policies and guidelines and guided and launched thousands of struggles throughout the province, from the Nghe Tinh Soviet movement (1930 - 1931) to the democratic climax (1936 - 1939) and especially after the 8th Central Conference (1941) towards carrying out the task of anti-imperialism and gaining national independence. With many extremely bold forms of propaganda such as armed propaganda, political violence, issuing short, timely, and popular slogans, mobilizing the entire population to rise up and overthrow the feudal and colonial regimes, the Propaganda sector contributed significantly to the victories in Nghe An.

After gaining power (1945), the revolution had to deal with extremely difficult and complicated situations; it had to fight three enemies at the same time: hunger, ignorance and foreign invaders. In the context of the consequences of the 1945 famine still being very severe, the problem was to quickly restore the Party's activities. The whole sector focused on propagating the policy of building party cells, consolidating the government, mobilizing the people of the whole province to participate in the election of the National Assembly and the Provincial People's Council (January 6, 1946 and February 24, 1946); implementing the patriotic emulation movement and President Ho Chi Minh's Call for Patriotic Emulation (June 1948) to compete to "Eliminate hunger, illiteracy and foreign invaders"; mobilizing people to focus on opening transport routes to support the Dien Bien Phu front; increased production, saved, mobilized all resources to meet the needs of the front line, contributing to victory in the 1954 Dien Bien Phu campaign.

During the period of 1954 - 1975, the country was temporarily divided into two regions. Nghe An was not a direct battlefield but was severely damaged by the enemy. The enemy took advantage of our mistakes in implementing a number of socio-economic policies and some loopholes in Article 14 of the Geneva Agreement to launch a campaign to force and entice people to migrate to the South, causing disruption to the situation, disrupting political security and social order and safety. In that situation, the Propaganda Department was persistent, skillful, and thorough in propagating and mobilizing the Catholic people, mobilizing production organizations, and protecting political security. The entire department focused on mobilizing and propagating extensively to make all cadres, party members, and the masses highly agree with the Party's policy of fighting the US to save the country, clearly understanding the situation and tasks, enhancing self-awareness and creativity in action, and turning the Party's policies and determination into reality.

After the restoration of peace and the country's reunification, from 1976 to 1991, Nghe An - Ha Tinh merged into Nghe Tinh province. Overcoming all difficulties, the Propaganda work brought the Party's policies to all Party members and the masses, contributing effectively to political stability, maintaining national defense and security, and promoting the implementation of socio-economic goals. Political and ideological work, steadfastness in the principles and goals of national independence and socialism, and the Party's renewal policy, helped our cadres, Party members and the masses overcome the global "political shock" in the years 1989 - 1991, when the socialist model in the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries collapsed.

Over 37 years of implementing the renovation process and 32 years since the separation of the province (1991) to date, with its functions and tasks, the Nghe An Propaganda Department has constantly innovated, focused on encouraging patriotism, overcoming difficulties, determination to overcome challenges, promoting the spirit of initiative, daring to think and do, exploring and creating, making great contributions to building cultural life, the spiritual foundation of the people, creating momentum for socio-economic development, national defense and security of the province.

PV: In 2023, along with the whole country, Nghe An faces many difficulties and disadvantages from the world situation and the global economy (export markets are shrinking, orders and purchasing power are decreasing; the real estate market is sluggish; hot weather is prolonged, causing water shortages; local power shortages, etc. affecting production and life). How has the Propaganda Department "Going ahead to pave the way, accompanying the implementation, following the summary" in the process of economic and social recovery and development of the province?

Comrade Nguyen Thi Thu Huong: In 2023, in the context of the world, the region and the country facing many difficulties, the Nghe An Propaganda Department has been proactive, timely, and innovative in propaganda, study, dissemination, guidance, and direction of the implementation of the Party's guidelines, directives, and resolutions, the State's legal policies; resolutions, programs, projects, and plans of the province on socio-economic development, national defense, and security that have a great impact on the province. The Department has effectively advised and proposed solutions to orient ideological work in the process of attracting investment, enforcing the law, and resolving support services for major projects; researching and grasping "hot" issues and outstanding issues that people are interested in.

To improve the quality and effectiveness of Party building work in terms of politics, ideology and ethics, the Nghe An Propaganda Department has selected breakthrough and key tasks in localities and units to focus on directing the implementation of studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style in the spirit of: Directive No. 05-CT/TW of the Politburo, especially in building typical models. Up to now, the whole province has built 136 bright spots implementing the grassroots democracy regulations of studying and following Uncle Ho, 135 bright spots of government mass mobilization; maintained 3,973 skillful mass mobilization models, built and recognized 4,460 new models in various fields.

The whole sector has been proactively deploying, advising and proposing to the Party Committee to direct the good implementation of tasks in the field of propaganda: Political theory work, protecting the Party's ideological foundation, propaganda, foreign information, orienting public opinion, press-publishing, culture-arts, science and education, building and developing the Propaganda sector, achieving many important results... clearly demonstrating the pioneering role on the ideological and cultural front of the Party "going first to pave the way, accompanying the implementation, following the summary", creating unity in perception and action throughout the Party, contributing significantly to political and social stability and economic development in the area.

PV: On July 18, 2023, the Politburo issued Resolution 39-NQ/TW on building and developing Nghe An by 2030, with a vision to 2045. The Resolution sets the goal that by 2030 Nghe An will be a fairly developed province in the country, with a fast and sustainable economic growth, imbued with the cultural identity of Vietnam and Nghe An. What will the Nghe An Propaganda Department do to "ignite and inspire" cadres, party members and people to achieve this goal?

Comrade Nguyen Thi Thu Huong: On July 18, 2023, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 39-NQ/TW on building and developing Nghe An province to 2030, with a vision to 2045, focusing on 9 key tasks and solutions. The resolution has created momentum, resources, and leverage for Nghe An to develop its socio-economy, security and defense, becoming a well-off province in the country by 2030; the province will develop rapidly, sustainably, comprehensively, civilized and modern by 2045.

Based on the attention of the Central Government, Nghe An is currently focusing on solutions for directing and leading with the right focus and key points, identifying and removing bottlenecks in economic development, administrative reform, supporting businesses, attracting investment... And to successfully implement this goal, it is necessary to unify awareness, innovate thinking, and arouse the desire for comprehensive, faster, and stronger development in the entire political system and people.

With that important task, the Propaganda sector will continue to make efforts, be creative, innovate, and be proactive in work, information, propaganda, and political ideology orientation, grasp the Party's will, understand the people's will , and fight against the wrong and distorted views of hostile forces... The sector focuses on launching patriotic emulation movements; replicating and spreading positive factors, good models, and creative ways of doing things; promoting traditions and cultures imbued with Nghe An's identity to become the driving force and endogenous resources for development. From there, strongly arouse the desire for development from within the people's internal strength and the determination to innovate the thinking of cadres, party members, civil servants, and public employees, in order to create a new driving force to develop Nghe An into a prosperous province of the country, the center of the North Central region by 2030.

PV: In the face of rapid technological development, in order to promptly direct and orient political and ideological work in the digital age, what solutions has the provincial Propaganda Department had and is having in the coming time?

Comrade Nguyen Thi Thu Huong: The fourth industrial revolution has been developing rapidly, dramatically changing all perceptions, thinking, lifestyles, and habits of people around the world. The requirements of development are requiring digital transformation in all areas and activities in society, in which the propaganda sector must take the lead.

With diversity and flexibility in operating methods, Nghe An Propaganda Department has been proactively and synchronously implementing many solutions: Digital data, digital methods and digital environment... Regarding digital data, the department will develop a project to digitize historical documents of the Party Committee for the period (1930 - 2020); digitize a number of data sources, which will create conditions for the Propaganda Department to perform ideological work tasks anytime, anywhere; helping Propaganda officers as well as all people conveniently exploit data.

Regarding digital methods and digital environment, the whole sector is promoting the application of technology in directing and operating, investing in facilities, aiming to gradually complete digital infrastructure, contributing to the timely application of digital technology in learning activities, thoroughly understanding directives and resolutions in the area. Currently, the whole province has 400 online bridge points at the district level, 19/21 districts and cities have 100% of communes with bridge points to connect in the work of propagating, thoroughly understanding and studying the Directives and Resolutions of the Party... In the coming time, the whole sector will focus on perfecting and innovating the method of ideological work in a modern direction , all information and data are digitized; striving for 21/21 districts, cities and towns to have 100% of communes with bridge points to meet the needs of people in choosing information and serving the study, propaganda and thorough understanding of the Directives and Resolutions of the Party at the grassroots level.

The sector makes full and effective use of Zoom, Zalo, Google Meet applications... for direction, information and propaganda. The whole province currently has more than 1,000 social networking sites serving to post news and propaganda articles to orient public opinion, thanks to which people can access official information quickly and very effectively. In the coming time, the sector still determines that the Internet and social networks will become the second living environment of people and the space to provide important information . This is also the fastest means to help the sector grasp and detect new issues arising in people's ideological life in the fastest and most direct way to promptly advise the Party Committee to direct and effectively resolve issues of concern to the people, contributing to unifying the Party's will and people's hearts, consolidating and strengthening people's trust in the Party and the State.

Therefore, the use of applications and social networks to connect, share, interact with information, listen to people's opinions and thoughts will be of great interest to the industry and will be determined to implement well in the coming time, promptly improving the quality and effectiveness of the Party's propaganda work in the new period.

PV: Thank you, comrade!