Kinmen honors 10 'arbitration elders' for decades of dispute resolution

Kinmen County Magistrate Chen Fu-hai honored ten local "arbitration elders" who have received national awards for their years of service in mediating disputes. These individuals have been recognized with the "Administrative院长 Award" and the "Ministry of the Interior Award" for their long-term commitment to resolving conflicts within the community.

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The mediation process requires balancing emotion, reason, and law, especially for the party with greater fault, it requires patience and wisdom to guide, which is truly not easy.

Magistrate Chen lauded the elders for their selfless dedication to "harmonizing relationships" and their role as a vital force for local stability. He emphasized the difficulty of their work, which requires balancing "emotion, reason, and law," particularly when guiding parties with greater fault. Chen expressed his personal aspiration to serve as a mediation committee member after his retirement, highlighting the profound impact and personal fulfillment derived from such service.

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Mediation committee members have long served at the grassroots level as 'arbitration elders,' and receiving awards is a concrete affirmation of their years of diligent work.

The county's civil affairs department noted that mediation committees are established in five of Kinmen's six townships, handling disputes referred by the public or the prosecutor's office. In 2025, the county processed 219 mediation cases, successfully resolving 175, achieving an 79.9% success rate. This effectively reduces litigation and alleviates pressure on the judicial system. Among those honored, six received the "Administrative院长 Award" for 20 years of service, while four received the "Ministry of the Interior Award" for 16 years of service. The ten honorees are scheduled to receive their awards in Taipei on August 21.

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Mediation committee members are unpaid volunteers who continue to dedicate themselves over many years to resolve disputes for fellow villagers, demonstrating a deep sense of mission and responsibility.