Effectiveness of mediation work at the grassroots level

In many communes and villages in the mountainous areas of Son La, whenever there are conflicts in the community, people often seek mediation groups. Thanks to that, small incidents do not turn into big complaints, and frustrations are resolved right from the start. That is an encouraging result of the grassroots mediation work implemented by Son La province.

In Son La , the team of mediators has actively participated in effectively mediating land-related cases right at the grassroots level.

Son La province currently has thousands of mediation teams with active mediators working in villages, sub-regions, and residential groups. They are retired officials, prestigious people in the community, party members and organizations trusted by the people. In recent years, clearly seeing the role of grassroots mediation in building the great national unity bloc, the province has had many solutions and policies to support and maintain this team. Recently, the Provincial People's Committee issued Plan No. 187/KH-UBND to implement the Project "Improving the capacity of grassroots mediators for the period 2024-2030" (Plan 187), concretizing the direction of the Prime Minister in Decision No. 315/QD-TTg, demonstrating the determination to improve the effectiveness of mediation work, meeting the requirements of the new period.

As one of the mountainous provinces with more than 80% of the population being ethnic minorities, Son La always considers grassroots mediation as an important channel to resolve disputes and conflicts among the people. Over the past years, thousands of cases related to land, marriage, family, small traders, conflicts in the community, etc. have been effectively handled right at the grassroots level. Accordingly, the successful mediation rate reaches more than 80% each year, contributing to reducing pressure on the judiciary, maintaining solidarity among the population and stabilizing the area. However, along with the achieved results, mediation work still has limitations such as the majority of mediators holding part-time positions, many of whom are elderly, and their legal application skills are limited. Many new cases arise such as property disputes, civil contracts, the environment, etc., requiring them to have stronger legal knowledge and soft skills. Therefore, the issuance of Plan 187 is a timely solution, meeting the requirements of innovation in mass mobilization and social management work in the new situation.

According to the plan, by 2030, Son La province strives to have 100% of mediation teams strengthened and completed with sufficient quantity, structure, and composition; 80%-90% of mediators trained and fostered in knowledge and skills; 100% of mediators have access to and use training materials issued by the Ministry of Justice . In particular, at least 10% of mediation teams will receive professional support from lawyers, jurists, judges, prosecutors, police and military forces; the whole province will have at least 5% of communes and wards achieving the model of "typical commune level mediation at the grassroots level".

Deputy Director of the Provincial Department of Justice Lo Chau Thoa said: Every year, the Department and the People's Committees of communes have organized training courses, forums to share experiences, and distributed documents; at the same time, they have focused on digitizing training documents and posting them on electronic information portals and social networks so that grassroots mediators can easily access and self-study. To implement Plan 187, departments and branches are assigned specific tasks in accordance with their functions and tasks. In particular, the Department of Justice is assigned to be the standing agency, presiding over the organization of training courses, compiling documents, providing professional guidance, and inspecting and supervising the implementation.

The notable point of Plan 187 is the focus on innovation in training content and methods. Specifically, Son La province encourages the participation of retired lawyers, judges, prosecutors, and legal officers in providing professional advice and support to mediation teams. In addition, the province clearly identifies that along with the implementation of building a strong team of mediators at the grassroots level, activities to reward and honor mediators with many contributions must be carried out regularly, considering it as a motivation for them to continue to contribute and stick with this humane work.

Muong Bang Commune Party Secretary Phan Quy Duong said: Grassroots reconciliation is not only a legal institution, but also a bridge between the government and the people, a way to promote democracy and strengthen social consensus. When small conflicts are resolved promptly, legally and reasonably, people have more confidence in the Party and State's policies and guidelines; social order is maintained; and the great national unity bloc is consolidated.

Implementing the Project "Improving the capacity of grassroots mediators in the period 2024-2030", Son La province is gradually building a team of mediators who are strong in character, good in skills, and dedicated to the community. This is also one of the important solutions to build and perfect the Socialist Republic of Vietnam's rule of law from the grassroots, contributing to the successful implementation of the goal of sustainable development, for the happiness and peace of the people.

Article and photos: QUOC TUAN

Source: https://nhandan.vn/hieu-qua-cong-tac-hoa-giai-o-co-so-post917875.html