Author: Li Xiaojun, PL of FC NJ

From 27 to 29 October, 2022, Han Xu from HPP Cooperation and Development Department and Li Xiaojun, head of FC project of HPP in Nanjiang Village of Chongqing participated in the "The Fifth China Rural Construction Forum in the New Era" held in Chongqing.

“The Fifth China Rural Construction Forum in the New Era” was directed by Chongqing Rural Revitalization Bureau, hosted by Southwest University, and co-organized by the Rural Revitalization Strategy Research Institute of Southwest University and the Association of Social Sciences of Southwest University. Besides, rural grassroots leaders and front-line practitioners from Chongqing Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, Southwest University and other academic institutions and social service organizations participated in the forum.

The forum has five sub-forums, including: the relationship between “Two Mountains (green water and green hills are gold and silver mountains)""Two modernizations (industrial ecology and eco-industries" and high-quality development; rural governance and rural construction, arts empowerment and cultural revitalization; social participation in rural revitalization; and the screening discussion of the documentary "Seven Voices" with the theme of "Countryside and Us". Different sub-forums covered topics on the frontier exploration and innovation trends in the current rural revitalization work.

At the forum, Professor Wen Tiejun made a wonderful keynote speech on the topic of “Modernization and the New Pattern of Rural Revitalization with Harmonious Coexistence of Man and Nature”. He believes that the Chinese-style modernization is a modernization of common prosperity and a modernization that represents the interests of the people. Different from Western modernization, the biggest feature of Chinese modernization is the modernization of 1.4 billion people. In additon, Chinese modernization is not the western modernization of high consumption, high destruction and high waste. Chinese modernization must be the modernization that follows the path of harmonious coexistence between man and nature and the green development of the rural areas.

In the sub-forum of art empowerment and Cultural Revitalization, Dr. Guo Lingyan shared the "Co-created Village Songs and Rural Cultural Revitalization ", which also provided us with many new thinking and methods for the design of rural cultural activities -- taking the mass line and creating rich and interesting rural cultural activities that everyone can participate in.

From 28 to 29 October, we visited three rural revitalization sites in Yuchi Village of Banan District, Dongsheng Village of Beibei District and Yingxiongwan Village of Jiulongpo district of Chongqing. It is noted that Chongqing has made great efforts to promote rural revitalization and improve the living environment of the villagers through talent introduction, industrial development, cultural and creative tourism and improvement of living environment.We have also gained inspiration from many projects on how to achieve sustainable development of rural communities around the "harmonious coexistence of man and nature".

Lu Xue, the village secretary of Yingxiongwan Village, introduced how to reform and revitalize rural idle assets "One centre, six parts and eight key points"

The improvement of living conditions in Dongsheng Village-villagers’ beautiful small yards

Yuchi Village has its own brand of "Liangshi" and a campaign to promote the industrial economy by buying rice contract land

Through the study of and communication at this forum, we further understood and implemented the requirements of the 20th National Congress on the implementation of rural revitalization, master the suggestions and experience on the development of "agriculture, rural areas and farmers", and think about how social organizations and public welfare projects can be better involved in rural revitalization efforts.

It was an inspiration, and also a learning. HPP – having worked as a social organization in the rural areas of central and western China for a long time - must keep up with the national development strategy and guidelines, continue to innovate and explore on the basis of the current projects, actively participate in rural construction, and help to develop rural revitalization!

Project introduction:

The Nanjiang Farmers' Clubs Project in Fengdu County, Chongqing City is implemented by the Chongqing Representative Office of HPP (Switzerland) and the Rural Revitalization Bureau of Fengdu County after receiving supporting funds. The project started February 1, 2020 and lasts for a total of three years. Through the establishment of Farmers’ Clubs and core groups, the project distributes high-quality rice seeds to villagers to carry out ecological rice pilot, helps villagers to plant fruit trees and raise native chicken, organizes villagers' training, establishes a direct selling cooperative with its own brand, and builds an Internet marketing platform, so as to help villagers to develop appropriate productions and increase income. While fundamentally promoting rural development, the project also pays attention to improving of rural women's self-awareness, mobilizing women's enthusiasm, improving the household environment and promoting the construction of human eco-environment. At the same time, we develop productions with women as the main force and encourage them to actively participate in the construction of family and rural production activities.

The article only represents the author's personal views.