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Van 13-18 november jl. vond in Sneek de workshop Vital Villages plaats met deelnemers uit tien Europese landen. Organisatie: Internationale Commissie i.s.m. Stichting Doarpswurk. Via http://vitalvillages.ning.com/ zetten de deelnemers de discussies voort. Momenteel ligt er een aanvraag om deze Grundtvigworkshop in oktober 2010 te herhalen. Nadere informatie hierover volgt. Meer lezen
13. – 18. November 2009
Sneek, The Netherlands
Background
Since the 70th of the last century, the situation in many rural areas in Europe has been changed dramatically. A process of accelerated decline took place: a severe decrease of inhabitants and facilities, weak infrastructure, less employment, unoccupied houses and buildings, etc. This was also the situation in Friesland, the province where the Workshop will take place. Inhabitants and provincial government, both wanting a liveable rural area, looked for ways to stop the above-mentioned process. Together with community development workers, they searched for suitable actions in this situation. This was the start of the Village Development Plans (VDPs’). First the plans were rather rudimental, but with the years you can observe a development towards almost professional VDPs’, made by the inhabitants themselves. Actual VDPs’ cover a broad range of issues that are essential for the vitality of the village and suppose an active contribution of the inhabitants, including marginalised groups. As this participation requires a whole set of skills, education plays a key role in this process.
Activities in this workshop were
- Presentation and analysis of successful models to make and implement Village Development Plans. There will be a special focus on models that do not only stress the technical/physical aspects of development, but have a holistic approach and also include social and historical aspects, landscape, active citizenship, individual well-being, etc.
- Field visits to villages that made a Village Development Plan
- Project simulation: the Making Of a Village Development Plan, including training of practical exercises of skills that are necessary during the process of making and implementing a VDP.
The objectives were
- participants experience that by mobilizing all inhabitants of a village around a VDP it is possible to stop a process of decline, discover new chances and perspectives for the village and its inhabitants, and develop strategies to realize new plans to increase the liveability
- participants train skills that are necessary in rural development context
- participants are able to transmit their new knowledge at home
Outcomes
After the workshop participants had insight in various models of Village Development Plans. They had insight in the role of municipalities, rural support organisations and public society. They experienced ‘the making of a VDP’ and trained necessary skills. They went home with a set of tools to work with. They had new inspiration to play their role in the process of village development, contributing to the improvement of the vitality of the village. Participants of the workshop are now part of a growing network of persons and organisations active in Village Development Plans.
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