Great Unity: A Driving Force for Lam Dong’s Development
A new development space is creating opportunities for Lam Dong to rally the strength of its people, strengthen social consensus and promote the power of great national unity. Through collective efforts, local resources are being connected and mobilized, laying a foundation for the province to achieve stronger development in its new chapter.
Building Trust Through the Role of Community Elders
In Dam Ron Hamlet, Dam Rong 3 Commune, community elder Da Cat Ha Duong continues to regularly meet with local residents, participate in discussions on common affairs, disseminate information, mobilize people and mediate conflicts within the community. Born in 1961, he began working at the grassroots level in 1978, when he was just 17. After many years of dedication to the locality, he earned the trust of residents and was elected as a community elder and respected local figure.
In Dam Ron Hamlet, Da Cat Ha Duong regularly encourages residents to comply with the law, work diligently, preserve cultural traditions and maintain community values. When conflicts arise, he meets with the parties involved, listens to their concerns and analyzes the issues to help them find solutions together.
Now in his sixties, Da Cat Ha Duong still maintains the habit of reading books and newspapers to keep up with current affairs. For him, mass mobilization work must begin with closeness to the people and practical action.
Mass mobilization means staying close to the people, understanding them and starting with practical things. When we do it ourselves and people can see the results, they will trust us, reach consensus and follow.
Community elder Da Cat Ha Duong, Dam Ron Hamlet, Dam Rong 3 Commune
When the local authorities expanded a road through the residential area, Ha Duong voluntarily donated a strip of land approximately 50 meters long, helping widen the road from around 3 meters to 7 meters.
“If we want people to trust us and follow, we must take practical action first,” he said.
According to Kra Jan K’ Nguyen, Head of the Hamlet Front Work Committee, Ha Duong regularly stays close to residents, understands their concerns and actively encourages them to support common policies and initiatives. His exemplary conduct and practical contributions have helped build trust and strengthen consensus among local residents.
From Community Consensus to Collective Strength
From the example set by respected community figures to the collective efforts of residents, the spirit of consensus is being translated into practical contributions.
In Lien Ha Hamlet, Tan Ha Lam Ha Commune, a concrete road running through coffee gardens has been built with land voluntarily contributed by local residents, expanding the space for production and daily activities for 1,428 people from 360 households in the newly formed hamlet following the merger of Lien Ha 1 and Phuc Thach.
Since 2022, residents in the former Lien Ha 1 area have been informed and encouraged to reserve land within the road corridor in preparation for road expansion. By 2025, three roads with a combined length of approximately 3.5 kilometers had been completed, directly affecting 69 households.
The total resources mobilized reached around VND4.9 billion. Of this, over 2.000 square meters of land voluntarily donated by residents was valued at approximately VND2.6 billion. On part of the route, residents themselves covered the entire construction cost.
Nguyen Do Mau was among those who decided to donate nearly 5,000 square meters of land for road expansion. The land had been cultivated and developed by his family for many years. When the policy was publicly discussed, residents consulted with one another and many households agreed to contribute. Mau chose to take the lead. Ha said : “Once the road is completed, the entire hamlet will benefit. Our family is contributing part of our land so the road can be wider, travel can be easier and production can become more convenient.”
Tran Van Tinh donated 140 square meters of garden land while also removing nearly 60 coffee trees and numerous pepper posts that had been more than 10 years old. The productive crops were replaced by a road serving the wider community. The land his family gave up has become part of the infrastructure shared by residents throughout the hamlet.
One household donated land first; after seeing the results, others followed. Some contributed land, others money or labor. In this way, resources within the community have been brought together into a collective force, helping improve infrastructure and expand development opportunities at the grassroots level.
Turning Consensus into a Development Force
Social consensus can become a sustainable development resource only when the people’s right to participate is genuinely upheld — from contributing opinions and monitoring public affairs to sharing in the benefits of development.
Since the beginning of the year, localities across the province have organized more than 3,100 public information campaigns and more than 1,000 conferences on grassroots democracy, creating opportunities for residents to provide feedback and monitor the activities of local authorities.
In the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026-2031 term, voter turnout reached 99.76%.
The Vietnam Fatherland Front at all levels has also organized numerous voter meetings, receiving nearly 2,000 opinions and recommendations for submission to competent authorities for consideration and resolution.
Social monitoring and criticism have continued to be strengthened, with more than 95% of recommendations arising from monitoring activities reviewed and addressed by the relevant authorities. Nearly 1,720 mediation teams have continued to play an important role in resolving many issues at the grassroots level.
According to Pham Thi Phuc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Lam Dong Province, mass mobilization work needs to be renewed toward staying closer to the people and the grassroots, while placing residents at the center of public service. Authorities must proactively understand local developments and promptly address emerging issues at the grassroots level.
She emphasized the principle of “People know, people discuss, people act, people inspect, people supervise and people benefit,” while calling for stronger dialogue with residents and timely resolution of their recommendations and complaints, particularly those involving land, compensation, site clearance and key projects.
On its new development journey, great unity will continue to serve as a foundation for Lam Dong to rally the strength of its people, unlock internal resources, create new momentum and expand its development space.
Building on today’s consensus, Lam Dong has greater impetus to break through, turn its development aspirations into concrete actions, create lasting values and contribute to the country’s broader development.
We must promote the people’s right to mastery, build social consensus and mobilize the strength of the entire population to successfully achieve Lam Dong Province’s socio-economic development goals.
Pham Thi Phuc, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairwoman of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Lam Dong Province