Not only prestigious in the community, grassroots mediators, especially the leaders of mediation teams, are knowledgeable about the law, good at mass mobilization, and always match their words with their actions; thereby, making an important contribution to resolving conflicts and strengthening village and neighborhood relationships.
We had the opportunity to return to Yen The hamlet, Thinh Son commune (Do Luong), and were surprised to see that the 5% public land previously used for small-scale farming and fish ponds has now been replaced by lush seedless lemon gardens, greenhouses lined up to grow grapes and melons full of fruit.
Joining us, Ms. Thai Thi Thuong - Chairwoman of the Fatherland Front Committee of Thinh Son commune shared: Up to now, the "five percent" area of land for ineffective agricultural production has become the large Doi Choi organic farm. Not only contributing to creating a source of clean food, flowers and fruits for the area, but also helping to solve jobs for some people. That result is largely due to "Mother Ly". Curiously asking about "Mother Ly", we were led by Ms. Thuong to meet the female Party cell secretary and "talking and doing" Hamlet Chief of Yen The hamlet Hoang Thi Ly.
“Mother Ly” is 65 years old, small in stature, agile and active. Talking, she happily said that Yen The hamlet was established on the basis of merging the three old hamlets 11, 12, 13 with 304 households, 1,103 people. The area is large, the population is large, with many difficulties arising. As the Party cell secretary, Hamlet leader, and Head of the Mediation Team, she had to make great efforts to work with the Party cell, the management board, and the hamlet's mediation team to resolve difficulties and create consensus among the people. For example, mobilizing people to accumulate land to build a high-quality economic model according to the Resolution of the Commune Party Committee in the Doi Choi area. This is a 5% public land area managed by the commune and assigned to 38 households for cultivation. Initially, rice was grown but the efficiency was not high, the yield was low, so people switched to digging ponds to raise fish and grow grass for livestock. In October 2021, the commune advocated mobilizing people to return land and convert to building a high-quality economic model. People were supported with crops on the land, labor to dig ponds, etc.
Initially, only about half of the households agreed. For the remaining households, Ms. Ly, together with the Party Committee, Party cell, and mediation team, went to each house to grasp the concerns of households with land to propagate and mobilize, helping people understand the benefits of changing the form of agricultural production. At the same time, she required the families of cadres, Party members, and members of the mediation team to set an example first.
Sharing with us about the time of "meeting during the day and campaigning at night", Ms. Ly said: The empathy, reason, and perseverance of the village and hamlet cadres were eventually listened to and understood by the people. 37/38 households agreed to return the land to the commune and hand it over to businesses to build farms to develop an organic agricultural model, both creating clean agricultural products and creating jobs for local workers. For example, the family of Mr. Nguyen Thuong Hai and Ms. Thai Thi Hieu had 4-5 sao in the Doi Choi area, initially growing rice, then digging ponds to raise fish. When being propagandized and mobilized, they saw that the policy of land accumulation and conversion was correct, so they soon agreed and supported. "The formation of today's clean agricultural production farm is thanks to the "skillful mass mobilization" work of the political system at the commune and hamlet levels, including the contribution of Ms. Hoang Thi Ly", Mr. Hai shared.
Taking on the role of the leader in Yen The hamlet since 2009, and also being a representative of the People's Council of the commune for many terms, Ms. Hoang Thi Ly believes that if you put the interests of the people first, you will be trusted and supported. Particularly for grassroots mediation work, you have to find the "knot" to untie the knot. There are matters that require expert advice, such as issues related to land, the hamlet had to invite the commune's land officer and the parties to the field, based on both legal regulations and combining reason and emotion, so the mediation was successful, maintaining the bond of village and neighborhood love. "It is the trust and confidence of the people that motivates me to continue to fulfill my duties well," Ms. Ly affirmed.
In village 2, Hoa Son commune (Anh Son), people talk about Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh - Head of the Front's Working Committee, Head of the village's Mediation Team, as a typical, enthusiastic and responsible mediator. Our ancestors used to say "when you see food, come back, when you see an argument, run away", but with Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh, it is the opposite, wherever there is a loud voice, conflict or disagreement, he is immediately there to mediate. There are cases that are just starting to emerge, Mr. Tinh also comes, listens, grasps the situation and then coordinates with the Party Cell and the Village Management Board to find a way to resolve them according to the motto "big things become small".
A typical example is the land dispute between two families in the village that occurred in 2021. Ms. M's family renovated the family cemetery in the cemetery. However, Ms. Th's family thought that Ms. M. encroached on their family's cemetery land, so she obstructed the construction and renovation. Upon receiving the news, Mr. Tinh and the mediation team investigated and checked, then invited commune officials and representatives of the family to the village cultural house for mediation. After being analyzed, Ms. Th's family admitted their mistake and apologized to Ms. M's family. The conflict was resolved, the two families united, and maintained village and neighborhood relations.
Or in 2022, the mediation team of village 2 resolved the problem related to the common drainage ditch. Accordingly, two families from other places came to buy adjacent land from households in the hamlet, but because they did not check carefully, they both said that the land planned for the hamlet's ditch was their land. Mr. Tinh, the mediation team and the hamlet management board invited the land officer to come and inspect the field, inviting the two households who bought the land to the scene. After being informed and explained, the households agreed to let the hamlet dig up soil to build a drainage ditch. During the heavy rain and storms of the year, the above road section was not flooded like in previous years, and the people were very happy and excited.
As a retired Chief of Engineering of Division 324 (Military Region 4), with experience and fortitude trained in the army, according to Mr. Tinh, "working for the people" must determine the disadvantages, first of all, the sacrifice of time. Because there are matters that cannot be resolved in a day or two, but must be traveled back and forth many times so that all parties can listen and understand. When resolving people's affairs, one must be fair, objective, and unbiased, because everyone is a citizen of the village. The most important thing is to closely connect with self-management groups so that when problems arise, they can be promptly resolved. If the subject of mediation is related to a branch or organization, that branch or organization must be invited to participate to resolve the matter at its root, to mend the village relationship and neighborhood ties.
As Head of the Front Committee, Head of the Mediation Team, Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh and the Mediation Team of Village 2 have successfully mediated many cases of land disputes, neighborhood conflicts, and family conflicts (in 2021-2022 alone, 7 cases were mediated, and 1 case is still being resolved). Talking to us, Ms. Dang Thuy Van - a Justice officer of Hoa Son commune said, "Village 2 was chosen to be built as a pilot mediation team, with great contributions from Mr. Nguyen Van Tinh - the responsible and dedicated Head of the Mediation Team...".
Following the introduction of Mr. Ho Xuan Truc - a Justice officer of Hung Phuc commune (Hung Nguyen), we went to hamlet 2 to meet Ms. Dinh Thi Tam - Deputy Secretary of the Party Cell, Head of the Women's Union, Head of the hamlet's Mediation Team.
Hamlet 2, Hung Phuc Commune was established on the basis of merging Van Lang Hamlet and Van My Hamlet. Since 2019, Ms. Dinh Thi Tam has been elected as the Head of the Hamlet's Mediation Team, a task usually reserved for men (among the Commune's Mediation Team Leaders, only Ms. Tam is female). Facing many difficulties and pressures, but with her dedication and flexibility in solving problems, Ms. Tam has been trusted and admired by the villagers.
In the process of reconciling conflicts at the grassroots level, Ms. Tam realized that if everything is resolved promptly and from the root, the people, villages, and hamlets will be at peace. From 2020-2022, the Hamlet 2 Mediation Team has successfully mediated 9 cases. According to Ms. Tam, to do a good job of grassroots mediation, we must maintain the word "love" in each case, only then can we maintain village love and neighborhood affection. For example, two families in the hamlet had a conflict over a land boundary dispute, leading to discord. Accordingly, Mr. L. bought land from the household next to Mr. C.'s house, but because he did not check carefully, he built a fence encroaching on Mr. C's house.
After the incident, Ms. Tam and the Mediation Team checked the land title and invited 3 related households, including the household that sold land to Mr. L. to come to mediate. As a result, the parties reconciled, and Mr. L.'s family returned the encroached land to Mr. C.'s family. Or the conflict that lasted for many years between Mr. H.'s family and Mr. T.'s family. The reason was that the fence that previously divided the boundary between the two households was made of trees. When one of the two households wanted to build a cement fence, a disagreement arose. Everyone thought that the other side encroached on their land. After the Mediation Team intervened, the two families agreed to build a common fence to maintain neighborly relations.
To gain the trust of the people, the “prisoners” like Ms. Tam themselves must set an example in every aspect. Busy with 8 sao of rice fields, 5 sao of fish ponds, and in her free time working as a construction worker to earn extra income, Ms. Tam is still dedicated to the village and hamlet. Thanks to that, she has gained the trust and support of the people. In the past two years, the appearance of hamlet 2 has changed completely, the roads and paths have been concreted, clean and beautiful, security and order have been maintained, and people can rest assured to work, produce, and build new rural areas.
