Can Tho: Training on legal aid linking law with community cultural life

“A Bridge” bringing legal Aid Law Closer to the People

The Conferences were held in three communes—Truong Xuan, Vinh Thanh, and Truong Thanh—with the participation of hundreds of delegates, including grassroots association officials (Fatherland Front, Youth Union, Women’s Union, Farmers’ Association, Veterans’ Association, Elderly Association), local officials, as well as many respected community figures. This group plays an important role in guiding and orienting the community based on their legal knowledge, while also helping people access free legal aid services in a timely manner.

Legal aid is a major policy of the Party and the State to ensure human rights and citizens’ rights. It is also part of the overall policies on poverty reduction, gratitude to those who rendered meritorious service, and ethnic policies, reflecting profound humanitarian values and contributing to social justice. The organization of training conferences in Can Tho not only helps grassroots officials and respected community figures enhance their legal knowledge but also enables them to act as bridges to bring legal aid law closer to the people, especially ethnic minorities, the poor, those who rendered meritorious service to the revolution, and other vulnerable groups in society.

Within the framework of the training conference, speakers conveyed the core contents of the Law on Legal Aid 2017, introduced the beneficiaries of legal aid, the forms of legal aid, and the procedures for requesting legal aid, while emphasizing the rights and obligations of those receiving legal aid. In particular, the speakers integrated many practical scenarios relating to land disputes, marriage and family, labor, administrative, and criminal matters to provide vivid illustrations, making it easier for grassroots officials and respected community figures to understand, remember, and apply the knowledge in practice.

Comrade Le Van Han, Director of the Can Tho City State Legal Aid Center, shared at the conference: “In recent years, legal aid activities in Can Tho have helped thousands of people, especially ethnic minorities and vulnerable groups, to protect their legitimate rights and interests. However, for this work to be truly effective, we very much need the companionship of grassroots officials and respected community figures in detecting, introducing, and assisting people in timely and lawful access to legal aid services. This training conference is an important opportunity to strengthen the capacity of the core force at the grassroots level.”

The atmosphere of the conferences was lively, with many opinions shared and discussed. On that basis, the lecturers directly addressed questions, removed obstacles, and guided participants on how to access legal aid services.

At the Conference, Dr. Nguyen Dac Tuan – Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Criminal Law, Hanoi Law University – delivered a presentation and emphasized: “Legal aid is not only a free legal service but also a tool to ensure human rights and citizens’ rights. When grassroots officials and respected community figures are well-versed in legal knowledge, they will become a firm support, helping the poor, people with meritorious services to the revolution, and other vulnerable groups gain more confidence in protecting their legitimate rights and interests. This not only contributes to building a rule-of-law state but also strengthens the people’s trust in the legal system and public authorities.”

Enhancing Legal Knowledge, Consulting Skills, and Guiding Citizens in Accessing Legal Aid Services for Grassroots Officials

In addition to conveying legal knowledge, the lecturers particularly emphasized the importance of understanding local customs, traditions, and regional cultures in order to adopt appropriate approaches when implementing legal aid activities. Accordingly, when working with ethnic minority communities, grassroots officials and respected community figures need to grasp traditional cultural traits, lifestyles, and the role of legal aid. The lecturers analyzed numerous practical scenarios instead of mere dialogues. Everyday stories were skillfully integrated in place of rigid legal concepts, making the training sessions more engaging and easier to absorb. As a result, grassroots officials and respected community figures will become truly effective “bridges”—not only conveying legal knowledge but also acting as companions who respect and understand local culture. This way, legal aid activities will be brought closer to the people, contributing to raising public awareness in general and that of legal aid beneficiaries in particular about the significance of legal aid.

The practical insights and analyses shared by the lecturers made the training conferences in Can Tho not only a venue for conveying legal knowledge but also a forum for exchange and connection between grassroots officials and respected community figures regarding legal aid activities. Through these training conferences, grassroots officials and respected community figures enhanced not only their legal knowledge but also their skills in consulting, explaining, and guiding citizens in accessing legal aid services.

This activity ensures that legal aid services are truly integrated into community life, guaranteeing that all eligible individuals can access free legal aid services when needed.

At the conclusion of the program, delegates highly appreciated the practicality of the conferences, affirming that the knowledge and skills acquired would serve as an important foundation for them to better perform their role as “bridges” in legal aid work. The training conferences in Can Tho City reaffirm the commitment of the justice sector to bringing the law closer to the people, serving the public, and promoting fairness and sustainable development.