Linking sustainable practices throughout Europe
Rural parliaments: emerging participative democracy
Rural topic(s): Civic dialogue, Civic engagement, local governance and dialogue, Development of rural territories
Type: capitalization document
Date of publication: January 1, 2011
Organization(s): PREPARE (Partnership for Rural Europe)
Abstract:
Over the last 25 years, there has been a growing realisation that rural development will only truly work if it is done, not to the people but by the people for the people. Government alone cannot make it work. The people must be involved, not simply as receivers of government action, but as prime movers of their own development.
That is the realisation that lies behind the Rural Parliaments. They are driven by pride, by assertiveness, by a willingness to act, by a sense that ‘we can do it, we do not need to be told by government what to do, we will raise our voice and be heard, we will take our future into our own hands’. Michael Dower
This booklet presents the evolution of rural movements in Europe in the past decades and describes how Rural Parliaments have been organised in 6 countries (Sweden, Estonia, Finland, The Netherlands, Slovakia).
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Informations:
Link: http://preparenetwork.org/files/PREPARERuralParliaments.pdf
Scale of intervention : National
Keywords: empowerment of rural communities
Places: Europe, Estonia, Slovakia, Sweden, Netherlands, Finland
Actors: network, platform, forum, rural population, animation and rural development organisation, local community
See also:
Success stories: