In this third post about An Wei, an unlikely role model who keeps his values despite major challenges, I would like to share a time when he took a major chance and created a democratic congress in his village.
He grew up in a poor village in the middle of China, worked hard to improve his abilities, became an interpreter for world leaders, and worked continuously to improve life in his village. Modern China provided him education, but also hard-hitting challenges.
By middle age and through a set of complex circumstances, An Wei became the leader of his village, An Shang. Although his primary task was to oversee construction of a new school without it being thwarted by corrupt leaders, he learned the village had many serious needs. One was to create an honest village government.
The following is excerpted from my biographical portrait of An Wei called One in a Billion.
An Wei ran his hand across the top of his Lenovo Thinkpad to clean off the day’s dust. He was now the leader of An Shang village.
A donkey brayed in the distance as he looked through the tattered notebook where he had recorded villagers’ complaints and suggestions. It was obvious the farmers felt hopeless about village affairs. They hated corruption, but they didn’t know how to get rid of it. He needed to do something to help them create a reliable government. But what?
An Wei began scrolling through documents on his computer hunting for one he had translated years earlier, just before President Bill Clinton visited Xi’an. The president had wanted to know about China’s moves toward democracy, so the Foreign Affairs Office had asked An Wei to translate a law about village voting.
“Bylaws,” he muttered. “It was certainly a document about bylaws.” After an hour on his slow internet connection, he found it—The Organic Law of the Villagers Committees of the People’s Republic of China—passed by the National People’s Congress in 1998.
An Wei took a long sip of tea and read it carefully. The more he read, the more he realized he had found the key to a better village—a national law that encouraged democracy in rural areas.
The words could not be clearer.
With the village Communist Party members gathered in one of their courtyards, An Wei asked, “Have you ever heard about a national law for the Villagers Committee?” They looked puzzled. He held up the pages he had printed out.
“There is one, and it was adopted by the National People’s Congress in 1998.” Voices quieted down as he began to read.
“The Villagers Committee is the primary mass organization of self-government, in which the villagers manage their own affairs….” One section said the Villagers Committee should have an open administration and show its financial records. It should also “accept supervision by the villagers.”
By the time he had read more, the party members were all talking. What did it mean, that they should have an open administration? The former leaders kept everything secret. An Wei said he could not do much by himself, but added, “If you are interested, I can help you carry out this law.”
In the weeks that followed, they had neighborhood meetings and committee meetings to discuss the law and how it might apply to them. An Wei had a copy made for every village family. He knew that if he was going to work with the villagers to create a new form of government, he needed to follow the national law precisely. It said rural villages could decide their own government structure. But he knew not everyone would like such a radical change. Somewhere, somehow people would object. Since Tiananmen Square, the nation’s leaders had stopped talking about a democratic system, although they had not openly opposed it. Still that document was a national law, so the village could use it.
After several months filled with discussions and decisions including how to have fair representation, elected delegates from the five village neighborhoods climbed the concrete stairs to the large third-floor classroom in the old school. Their voices were serious, and there was none of the usual loud joking. They were about to embark on a new government.
The sound of wooden chairs scraping against the concrete floor filled the room as the delegates took their places at the battered desks and paged through the information handouts. An Wei checked that the cameraman they had hired was ready and walked to the front of the room. He straightened his papers, looked at the assembled group and opened the preparatory meeting for the delegates of the first An Shang Villagers Congress.
In the midst of An Wei’s explanation of their responsibilities, the town governor, administrator for An Shang and all the surrounding villages, walked in.
He asked An Wei to step outside.
“We advise you not to hold this meeting. It is illegal.” The governor’s face was drawn tight.
“Why?” An Wei asked. “It is just like the People’s Congress. It is based on the national government model.”
“Elections cannot be held at such a meeting. They can only be held at a villagers’ mass rally that everyone attends, not just representatives.”
“That’s impossible,” An Wei said.
He knew a villager would be cowed by this powerful man. But he was not going to give in. He continued. “Many villagers work in cities. The Villagers Congress solves this problem by having everyone select a delegate to represent every fifteen families.”
“You make things too open. You are affecting the enthusiasm of leaders in other villages,” the governor responded.
An Wei kept his voice steady, his fury controlled. “We are doing it our way; they can do it their way.” He started to turn back to the meeting. He knew exactly what the governor was alluding to. If An Shang made every decision with a public vote, if they made village affairs crystal clear, if they made the village accounting open to everyone, the leaders would have no way to grab personal benefits.
The governor seemed desperate. “On hearing what you are doing, some village leaders want to resign.”
An Wei kept his tone serious and respectful. “That is not our business.”
He added, “Right now we are having the preparatory meeting for the Villagers Congress. I will relay your message to the delegates.” If the villagers decide not to hold the congress, then of course tomorrow’s meeting will be cancelled. If they insist on having it, there is no way to stop them. The Villagers Congress is a self-governing organization. He looked at the governor and added, “According to the national law, the town government can only advise our delegates. You cannot impose your will on them.”
An Wei turned toward the classroom door. “We sent you an invitation a week ago. We welcome your presence at the opening session tomorrow.”
Back in the meeting, An Wei said, “Just now the town leader said we should not hold the Villagers Congress. What’s your opinion?”
The delegates were anxious to launch the congress. They agreed to proceed.
Read What American Men Can Learn From One Chinese Peasant (part one)
Read An Wei: From Chinese Peasant to Powerful Role Model (part two)
Read a Review of One in a Billion HERE
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Find out more about author Nancy Pine HERE
image courtesy of author