The "International Laoniangjiu" training camp opens in Yiwu's Jimingshan community. [Photo/Tide News]

The "International Laoniangjiu" training camp opened on Aug 29 in the Jimingshan community of Yiwu, a county-level city in Jinhua, Zhejiang province. The inaugural cohort, hailing from over 10 countries including Iran, Nepal, Syria, and Colombia, received their certificates, marking their first steps as community mediators.

Yiwu hosts merchants from over 100 countries daily, with Jimingshan being a hub for foreign residents. Cross-cultural disputes are common, and local mediators often face challenges due to language barriers and cultural differences.

In 2014, the community pioneered the "International Laoniangjiu" studio, using foreign mediators' language skills and cultural familiarity to transform conflicts into dialogues. To date, 15 mediators have resolved over 350 disputes.

However, the community recognized that relying on a few key individuals was insufficient given the growing foreign population and increasingly complex disputes. A shift from "individual expertise" to "systematic training" was necessary, leading to the creation of the training camp.

The camp offers a comprehensive training system, from empowerment to graduation assessment, including legal lectures by the Yiwu prosecutor's office on common disputes, case analysis, real-world observation, role-playing simulations, and mentorship from experienced mediators.

The camp consists of six specialized courses to strengthen the foreign mediation team. Future initiatives include excellent mediator recognition and cross-cultural exchanges, reinforcing Yiwu's grassroots governance.