Recently, during a visit to the Zaolin West Community in the Anning District of Lanzhou, Gansu Province, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that community work is fundamentally aimed at ensuring the happiness of residents. Communities are the basic building blocks of society, serving as homes where people can live and work in peace. They also provide a foundational platform for innovative social governance, which is crucial for reinforcing the Party’s leadership. All efforts from the Party and government are directed at improving the quality of life for the people. As community officials in this new era, our commitment to handling people’s livelihoods with care, empathy, and diligence is essential for enhancing community services. By addressing the concerns and worries that residents face, we aim to boost their sense of fulfillment, happiness, and security.

Understanding our responsibilities deeply allows us to effectively address the urgent needs of our communities, thus enriching residents’ sense of fulfillment. Communities represent the “last mile” connecting the Party and government to residents, acting as the nerve endings of grassroots governance. The stronger the community Party organization is, the more effective grassroots governance will become. By bringing Party services closer to the people, we conduct regular health check-ups, free haircuts, and educational outreach on safety and legal issues, creating a convenient service model right at residents’ doorsteps. Our focus is to treat the “key small matters” of the community as top priorities, ensuring alignment between action and intention. We strive to engage with residents—whether in neighborhoods or on street corners—understanding their daily lives and listening to their concerns. By being attentive to the little things that matter, we aim to bridge the gap with residents, garnering their trust and appreciation.

Furthermore, when we invest our emotions into governance, we can address shortcomings and create sustainable happiness for residents. Constructing an effective community work system emphasizes the leadership role of Party organizations and promotes the decentralization of responsibilities and resources. Establishing community Party organizations fills gaps in governance and transforms community management from a state of “good intentions but limited capabilities” to one where the community responds proactively. By fostering “neighborly strength” through Party initiatives, we continuously work towards building “happiness” within neighborhoods. With a robust governance framework at the community, grid, and micro-grid levels, we harness the collective strength of Party members, grid leaders, and resident representatives. Establishing mediation offices and community discussion forums helps to resolve conflicts at their source, creating a harmonious environment where “small issues stay within the neighborhood, and larger issues remain within the community,” ultimately facilitating effective conflict resolution.

Collaboration is key to enhancing governance effectiveness, reassuring residents of their safety. Effective community governance hinges on our ability to measure our performance. We must courageously discard outdated thinking and resist the temptation to merely follow established procedures. By maintaining an open and progressive vision, and consistently improving our methods while innovating new pathways for governance, we can directly address the urgent issues that residents face. When diverse forces come together, we can effectively manage residents’ pressing concerns right in their neighborhoods, allowing us to continue weaving the narrative of community life and cultivate more scenes of happiness. It is imperative that community Party organizations unite their strengths to overcome challenges collaboratively with functional departments, fostering a healthy development of “red property” initiatives. Through the integration of Party leadership and community governance, along with robust systems and compassionate services, we can ensure that residents find happiness within their reach. (Author: Bian Jianmei) 【Editor: Wang Qin】