Digital tools - a way to stay in touch when meeting is not allowed, the Latvian experience, 25.3.2020

Digital tools - a way to stay in touch when meeting is not allowed, the Latvian experience

Katrina Idu, Latvian Rural Forum, 25.3.2020

In Latvian Rural Forum we have always been adept of new digital solutions in order to be side-by-side in daily bases to our member organisations that are scattered all around Latvia as well as to organise our team work. Moreover we were also regularly meeting people in rural areas, especially in remote areas to exchange on their visions, practices, inspirations and better understand actual needs.
In the current situation no face-to-face meetings can occur and other ways to communicate need to be considered - this is time for innovations and it works well in communication with policy makers and different institutions. A lot of things can be optimised and improved by digital tools, but still a lot of people cannot be reach by them.
Digitalisation is still something that is not for everyone. And, to be honest, I hope to be soon back in rural areas discussing with people and using all the para-communicational possibilities that a face-to-face meeting offers! But this is also time when solidarity and community power is even more important and needed - in the movements’ #stayathome Latvian Facebook page an important solidarity movement has emerged - there are more people proposing voluntary help than those who are asking for it - hope that it will stay this way. “