A 76-year-old people’s mediator in a village in Nantong city, east China’s Jiangsu province, has been hailed for his commitment to duties by visiting the farmers in the fields, listening to the voices of the people, resolving disputes and quarrels, and disseminating legal knowledge.
Ni Bocang, who is honored with the title of "National Model People's Mediator", was recently seen resolving disputes for two neighbors.
The Li brothers in Miaoji Village had a quarrel over the boundary of the house's land occupation, and after several arguments, they invited Ni Bocang to determine the rights and wrongs. After understanding the ins and outs of the situation, Ni Bocang realized that it was not difficult to set boundaries. It was only because the two brothers were stubborn and refused to let each other down that the situation had escalated to such an extent. Under his persuasion, the two brothers finally shook hands and made peace.
When encountering difficulties, seeking help from Ni Bocang has become the first choice for the villagers of Miaoji Village. In 2012, Ni Bocang became one of the grid workers in the village. The grid he was in charge of was the largest of its kind in the village, with a population of nearly 2000 people. During the day, he went from house to house to handle conflicts and resolve disputes. At night, he recorded his visits and resolved conflicts one by one. Over the course of 11 years, Ni Bocang compiled 48 diaries of approximately 1.2 million characters.
“There were many disputes and quarrels that were resolved at the time, but there were still twists and turns afterwards. After recording events in a diary, they will be kept as archives for future reference,” said Ni Bocang, a grid worker in Miaoji Village, Haifu Town, Qidong City, Nantong.
Ni Bocang vacated two houses in his family and set up a "Family Law Popularization Station" so as to integrate legal knowledge into the frontline of rural areas. From the Land Transfer Law and Marriage Law to the most fundamental Constitution and the latest Civil Code, Ni Bocang carefully combined daily cases and explained them in simple and easy wording.
“Through popularizing the law, our legal awareness has increased, and the people have understood the laws, thereby reducing conflicts,” said Mr. Xu, a villager from Miaoji Village, Haifu Town, Qidong City, Nantong.
Under the influence and call of Ni Bocang, more than 2000 "legal experts" have been trained in the entire Haifu Town, covering every village group. At the same time, each village has established a communication mechanism with the court, procuratorate, and judicial bureau, basically achieving the goal of resolving disputes and quarrels at the grassroots level.
“The ideals and beliefs of the Party support me so that we must continue with this work. We must further enhance and apply the Fengqiao Experience to our daily practices so as to make due contributions to the rural construction,” said Ni Bocang.
