10 rural organisations and movements in Western, Central and Eastern Europe are prepared to strengthen networking on European level to promote civic commitment and responsibilities in rural areas of Europe through capacity building, forming of critical opinions, exchange of experiences, sharing of best practices, educational activities and lobby and advocacy work. The reason for this initiative is that Rural areas in many European countries suffer under negative developments. They can be regarded as discriminated in terms of infrastructure, chances for education, employment, dramatic changes in agriculture, globalisation, social- medical services, electronic communication networks, cultural offerings and leisure facilities. This leads, to a certain extent, to exclusion of people living here from making use of facilities for a good way of living.People from rural areas are less involved and engaged in the decision-making at the place they live and the rural economy is subject to the main interest of urban area. Nevertheless it is generally recognized by observers, farmers, and different stakeholders, that in Europe rural areas are not enough valorized. In order to counter this situation the project "PRO RURAL EUROPE" was designed as a common initiative of 10 European rural organisations. Accordingly, the objective of the project is a strengthened and extended European network of civil society organisations in the rural area with a corresponding capacity to do effcient lobbying at European level.To reach this objective, the project consists of the following project steps (activities):1. Exchange of best practices and capacity building of multipliers regarding citizenship in rural areas in the thematic project seminars.2. Implementation of new concepts for further development of citizenship in rural areas in the various partner countries3. Design of partners’ networking communication for sustainable co-operation beyond the project4. Organisational development for FIMARC organisation for lobbying and advocacy on European level. The process of the working group of representatives is facilitated by an expert with filed experience in cross-sectoral civil society development in Western, Central and Eastern EuropeAs main impact of the project can be expected that participants and the participating organisations are mobilized with new motivation to increase their civic commitment for a better future of rural areas. With its objective oriented educational activities the project is very suitable to strengthen and to mobilize the participating organisations.In order to reach the rural population as (indirect) target group, the project will mainly address responsables of the project partners who will participate in the key activities of the project related to exchange, capacity building and networking. Together with stakeholders and politicians who will gradually also be adressed, 120 persons will be directly involved in the project.A networking and communication structure will be elaborated to enable also a continuation of the exchange of information and experience, as well as common actions and effective lobbying on European level. Part of the follow up will be maintaining contacts with external partners of networks on different fields and levels, in order to achieve that the network is regarded as a perceptible advocate of the rural area in politics, administration and public.The project, transnationally disigned and implemented, wiil be a first step, motivating and learning from eachother, while developing and experiencing a viable spirit of European togetherness on the way to counter the decribed negativ trends. It is innovative as it promoting to strengthen a kind of network and exchange of best practices which does not yet exist in this form in Europe. Finally, this project is also a good opportunity to put the European idea of solidarity and responsibility into practice and to make it public.
Context and objectives: The aim of the Pro Rural EUROPE (PRORURE) project, designed as a strategic partnership, was to activate and to strengthen educational institutions and movements active in rural areas in Europe. This should be achieved through structured networking and exchange of good practices (inward), as well as to improve the representation of interests for the concerns of those living in rural areas and working in agriculture at the European level (externally). At the same time, the project should contribute to strengthening civic engagement in rural areas in Europe. The project has created during it's 2-years period important framework conditions for doing so: - the organizations involved were able to exchange their experiences in rural education and action work (on methodology, access, difficulties, etc.) on a regular basis - technical capacities in the sense of good practice (for example in questions of the current agricultural policy) could be communicated with one another - At the end of the dialogue process, the project partners were able to emerge strengthened in both ways, as an individual actor and increasingly also active as part of a network - justification contexts for a living European citizenship could be developed - initial approaches for a sustainable network (in the sense of "Together for the Rural Area in Europe") could be developed Number and profile of the participating organizations: Ten organizations from 9 European countries have taken part in the project, 4 from the MOL and 6 from Western Europe. All NGOs, These are non-governmental organizations (NGOs) with different backgrounds and historical characteristics (Eastern-Western). However, their common concern for rural areas and the future of Europe brings them together, for the Western organizations issues since decades, whereas such are more likely to be new for the ones from the MOL. Description of the main activities carried out: In order to achieve the goals of the project, the following instruments and strategies were been used: - 6 transnational meetings for mutual exchange were been carried out - on-the-spot partner activities on issues such as. sustainable agriculture, family farming, European agricultural policy, jobs in the village, self-initiative, active (European) citizenship, democracy, commitment to the land and culture of the countryside, cooperation with social services in rural areas, public relations in rural areas in Europe, producer / consumer dialogue, understanding among different groups in the village, rebuilding rural initiatives were been implemented - an organizational development process, moderated by an external resource person, has been carried out - a 5 days long closing / dialogue event with decision-makers (in Parliament and Commission) was launched in Brussels (designed as a teaching and learning event) Achieved results and effects: - All participating organizations know much more about each other, especially how and why they work and for what they stand - The awareness to be together on the basis of a common European sense and that it is probably more effective to act as a European network has increased - important cornerstones and factors for the further development of the organizations are internalized - As a successful initiative, the project is well known within the participating organizations, also externally, which increases the common interest of others to participate as well. Thus, in the second half of the project implementation period, 2 further organizations with guest status and financed by project-external funds could be integrated - "PRORURE", the acronym of the project, has become a trademark - local decision-makers, as well as those o European level (institutions, parliamentarians, etc.) are interested in a qualified dialogue with the "PRORURE network". - All participating organisations agree to continue to work together on the just starting process of network development and to involve other organizations from European countries Long-term benefit: Right from the beginning, the project was aimed at long-term benefits, in particular with regard to the specific regional design of rural areas and the development of a network-like European cooperation. For this purpose, decisive milestones have been set and, for example, by starting European campaigns in Begium and in Germany, as well as founding a first rural movement in Slovakia, concrete initiatives in this regard have been launched.