Village Action Association of Finland Swedish Popular Movements
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THE RURAL MOVEMENTS OF EUROPE by Vanessa Halhead Village Action Association of Finland y Swedish Popular Movements Council y A quiet revolution Norwegian Association of Neighbourhoods y Icelandic Village Action Movement y Danish Village Association y Danish Council of Rural Districts y Villages in Denmark PREPARE presents this pioneering report on the remarkable ‘quiet revolu- y Irish Rural Link y Action with Communities in Rural England y Wales Rural Forum tion’ in rural Europe. Starting in the 1970s in Scandinavia, national rural y N. Ireland Rural Community Network y Portuguese Association for Local Development y Dutch National Association of Small Towns and Villages y Estonian movements have been formed in 17 European countries, and the process Village Movement y Latvian Rural Forum y Lithuanian Rural Communities Union y continues. Polish Rural Forum y Rural Parliament of Slovakia y Slovenian Rural Development Network y Hungarian Rural Parliament y Village Action Association of Finland y These civil movements spring from a desire to safeguard our rural commu- Swedish Popular Movements Council y Norwegian Association of Neighbourhoods y nities and heritage against the tides of centralisation and urbanisation. Icelandic Village Action Movement y Danish Village Association y Danish Council of They aim to empower rural communities to address their own develop- Rural Districts y Villages in Denmark y Irish Rural Link y Action with Communities in Rural England y Wales Rural Forum y N. Ireland Rural Community Network y ment and to lobby for changes in policy to safeguard their future. Portuguese Association for Local Development y Dutch National Association of Small Towns and Villages y Estonian Village Movement y Latvian Rural Forum y This book is the outcome of a research visit, undertaken in 2003 and fun- Lithuanian Rural Communities Union y Polish Rural Forum y Rural Parliament of ded by the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. Vanessa Halhead describes Slovakia y Slovenian Rural Development Network y Hungarian Rural Parliament y the overall pattern of the movements; analyses the way that they work Village Action Association of Finland y Swedish Popular Movements Council y and their significance; and offers detailed findings from case studies of the Norwegian Association of Neighbourhoods y Icelandic Village Action Movement y movements in four countries – Denmark, Estonia, Finland and Slovakia. Danish Village Association y Danish Council of Rural Districts y Villages in Denmark y Irish Rural Link y Action with Communities in Rural England y Wales Rural Forum y N. Ireland Rural Community Network y Portuguese Association for Local This work is of vital interest to rural communities and organisations throu- Development y Dutch National Association of Small Towns and Villages y Estonian ghout Europe, who are committed to improving the quality of life in rural Village Movement y Latvian Rural Forum y Lithuanian Rural Communities Union y areas; and also to governments at all levels who wish to understand the Polish Rural Forum y Rural Parliament of Slovakia y Slovenian Rural Development nature of their non-government partners. Network y Hungarian Rural Parliament y Village Action Association of Finland y Vanessa Halhead 2005 Village Action Association of Finland y Swedish Popular Movements Council y Norwegian Association of Neighbourhoods y Icelandic Village Action Movement y Danish Village Association y Danish Council of Rural Districts y Villages in Denmark y Irish Rural Link y Action with Communities in Rural England y Wales Rural Forum y N. Ireland Rural Community Network y Portuguese Association for Local Development y Dutch National Association of Small Towns and Villages y Estonian Village Movement y Latvian Rural Forum y Lithuanian Rural Communities Union y Polish Rural Forum y Rural Parliament of Slovakia y Slovenian Rural Development Network y Hungarian Rural Parliament y Village Action Association of Finland y Swedish Popular Movements Council y Norwegian Association of Neighbourhoods y Icelandic Village Action Movement y Danish Village Association y Danish Council of Rural Districts y Villages in Denmark y Irish Rural Link y Action with Communities in Rural England y Wales Rural Forum y N. Ireland Rural Community Network y Portuguese Association for Local Development y Dutch National Association of Small Towns and Villages y Estonian Village Movement y Latvian Rural Forum y Lithuanian Rural Communities Union y Polish Rural Forum y Rural Parliament of Slovakia y Slovenian Rural Development Network y Hungarian Rural Parliament y Village Action Association of Finland y Swedish Popular Movements Council y Norwegian Association of Neighbourhoods y Icelandic Village Action Movement y Danish Village Association y Danish Council of Rural Districts y Villages in Denmark y Irish Rural Link y Action with Communities in Rural England y Wales Rural Forum y N. Ireland Rural Community Network y Portuguese Association for Local Development y Dutch National Association of Small Towns and Villages y Estonian Village Movement y Latvian Rural Forum y Lithuanian Rural Communities Union y Polish Rural Forum y Rural Parliament of Slovakia y Slovenian Rural Development Network y Hungarian Rural Parliament y Village Action Association of Finland y Vanessa Halhead 2005 Village Action Association of Finland y Swedish Popular Movements Council y Norwegian Association of Neighbourhoods y Icelandic Village Action Movement y Danish Village Association y Danish Council of Rural Districts y Villages in Denmark y Irish Rural Link y Action with Communities in Rural England y Wales Rural Forum y N. Ireland Rural Community Network y Portuguese Association for Local Development y Dutch National Association of Small Towns and Villages y Estonian Village Movement y Latvian Rural Forum y Lithuanian Rural Communities Union y Polish Rural Forum y Rural Parliament of Slovakia y Slovenian Rural Development Network y Hungarian Rural Parliament y Village Action Association of Finland y Swedish Popular Movements Council y Norwegian Association of Neighbourhoods y Icelandic Village Action Movement y Danish Village Association y Danish Council of Rural Districts y Villages in Denmark y Irish Rural Link y Action with Communities in Rural England y Wales Rural Forum y N. Ireland Rural Community Network y Portuguese Association for Local Development y Dutch National Association of Small Towns and Villages y Estonian Village Movement y Latvian Rural Forum y Lithuanian Rural Communities Union y Polish Rural Forum y Rural Parliament of Slovakia y Slovenian Rural Development Network y Hungarian Rural Parliament y Village Action Association of Finland y Swedish Popular Movements Council y Norwegian Association of Neighbourhoods y Icelandic Village Action Movement y Danish Village Association y Danish Council of Rural Districts y Villages in Denmark y Irish Rural Link y Action with Communities in Rural England y Wales Rural Forum y N. Ireland Rural Community Network y Portuguese Association for Local Development y Dutch National Association of Small Towns and Villages y Estonian Village Movement y Latvian Rural Forum y Lithuanian Rural Communities Union y Polish Rural Forum y Rural Parliament of Slovakia y Slovenian Rural Development Network y Hungarian Rural Parliament y Village Action Association of Finland y The Rural Movements of Europe by Vanessa Halhead Published by PREPARE - Partnership for Rural Europe - June 2005 The publication of this report was made possible by a grant from the Fondation de France, through Forum Synergies (European Network for Sustainable Development), a partner in the PREPARE Network. The research upon which the report is based was undertaken by Vanessa Halhead, through the auspices of a Fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. PREPARE expresses cordial thanks to the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, Fondation de France and (above all) to Vanessa Halhead for making possible the production of this report. It is most timely to produce it now, as the Europe-wide network of rural movements begins to take shape and gains a collective voice in the debate and the action to create a finer life in the rural areas of Europe. Researched and Written by Vanessa Halhead Edited by Prof. Michael Dower Design by Yannick Barret Photographs by Vanessa Halhead Printed by ODIM, 04 (France) Published, on behalf of PREPARE, by: Forum Synergies, Rue de Hennin 83, 1050 Brussels, Belgium [email protected] For an electronic and more detailed version of this report refer to the following website: www.preparenetwork.org The activity of the PREPARE network is described in Appendix 2. Author Vanessa Halhead is a sociologist and regional planner. She has worked in the field of rural and community development for 25 years, in Scotland and Europe. She was co-founder and manager of an early 'village movement' in the north of Scotland - Highlands & Islands Forum - and has managed several large rural development partnerships. She has also worked in rural research, especially in relation to the Nordic coun- tries and Mexico. She is a board member of Forum Synergies and member of the PREPARE Network. She is currently working on the development of a Scottish rural community network and assisting in the develop- ment of a European Rural Alliance. Comment I wish to express our greatest gratitude to Vanessa Halhead for starting the international compa- rison in the field of rural and village activities. This work has been very rarely done, though it has a great importance.