VFF Presidium discusses reform of religious, ethnic work

The Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF)’s Presidium held its fourth meeting in Hanoi on July 8, with a focus on how to revise the organisation’s religious and ethnic missions.

Participants agreed that the VFF should encourage religious groups to participate in social development programmes run by the different sectors, such as education and healthcare, and actively contribute to the implementation of religion-related policies.

Mobilising religious followers’ support for national development was essential, they said, adding that the VFF should in turn focus on the observation of religious rights.

Meanwhile, members of the VFF agreed that the reform of ethnic minority programmes should focus on livelihood improvements, especially for ethnic minority groups, and enhance the front’s capacity to critically assess the implementation of policies in the field.

VFF President Nguyen Thien Nhan addressing the meeting.

During the meeting, participants also discussed measures for increasing citizens’ understanding of and respect for the law.

Addressing the event, VFF President Nguyen Thien Nhan said the capacities of VFF staff in ethnic minority areas need to be boosted and there needs to be more of a focus on maintaining the cultural identities of ethnic groups.

Nhan said it was necessary to clarify that the observation of citizens’ rights to freedom of belief and religion should be implemented in line with the law.

Leaders of localities should increase the frequency of meetings with religious dignitaries in order to jointly find ways to boost believers’ involvement in various campaigns in an appropriate manner.

At the same time, he said the campaign to develop a ‘cultural lifestyle’ in residential areas, aiming to develop new-style rural areas and civilised urban areas, should be revised in order to adapt the 19 criteria for new-style rural areas to the context of each locality.

He urged localities throughout Vietnam to review the past 20 years of implementing the campaign and nominate individuals for awards, with the winners being announced on November 11, when a new campaign is expected to be launched.