Villagers in Hebei actively engage in promoting rule of law

Fucheng county in North China's Hebei province has made great efforts to promote the rule of law in its rural areas in recent years, successfully motivating villagers to take part in the cause.

In order to address disputes between villagers more effectively, Fengtatou village set up a people's mediation committee two years ago, designating two respected and experienced local Party members as mediators to smooth out discords in the village. 

"Because of the villagers' strong legal awareness, we've seen very few disputes over the past two years," said one of the mediators, who also acts as a local role model in terms of gaining legal knowledge.

The village also appointed a lawyer to be its legal counsel who, aside from helping settle disputes, often holds lectures to provide villagers with necessary legal education. 

To make it easier for villagers to learn legal information, the village displays legal provisions on issues closely related to their lives, such as marriage, family and land contracting, in public areas. 

All these efforts combined have successfully refreshed both the village's appearance and people's minds. 

In Jianyang, another village in Fucheng, Li Zongbo, a Ministry of Justice official who was designated as the village Party chief, has been busying himself with improving the village's major decision-making procedures since his arrival two years ago. 

"All the major matters concerning villagers' core interests will be first deliberated by the village's Party committee and then submitted to the villagers' representative conference for a resolution," said Li.

Through his persistent efforts, a well-functioning self-governance mechanism, featuring well-crafted self-governance rules and major decision-making procedures, has gradually taken shape in the village. 

As a result, the villagers of Jianyang can earnestly discuss the village's important matters in a dedicated meeting venue, voluntarily taking part in promoting rule of law in the countryside.