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The Village Movement In Europe

Starting in the 1970s in the north of Scandinavia, national rural movements have since been formed in 12 European countries, and the process of formation is continuing.

The movements are rooted in the need to safeguard our rural communities and heritage against the tides of centralisation and urbanisation. They aim to empower the thousands of rural communities in each country to address their own development and to lobby for the policy changes needed to safeguard their future. These are civil movements, uniting the many villages and organisations working for rural development.

The reports, written by Vanessa Halhead, are the outcome of a research visit, undertaken between August and November 2003, enabled by the award of a Fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

Click on the titles below to download pdf versions of the following reports:
THE RURAL MOVEMENTS OF EUROPE 

DENMARK

FINLAND

ESTONIA

SLOVAKIA

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WEBLINKS TO VILLAGE MOVEMENTS IN EUROPE

Scandinavia
Finland
The Village Action Association of Finland - Suomen Kylatoiminta Ry (SYTY)
Web-site: www.village-action.fi

Sweden
Swedish National People’s Movement for Rural Development
Folkrorelserådet - Hela Sverige Ska Leva!
Web-site: www.bygde.net

Denmark
The Danish rural movement is different in many ways to the others and comprises 3 organisations:
The Danish Village Association – Landsforeningen af Landsbysamfund (LAL) Web-site: www.lal.dk
The Villages in Denmark Association – Landsbyer I Danmark (LID)
The Council of Rural Districts – Landdistrikternes Faellesraad (LDF)

Web-site: www.landdistrikterne.dk

Iceland
The Icelandic Village Action Movement - Landsbyggðin Lifi - “let the rural areas live!”
Web-site: www.simnet.is

Norway
The Norwegian Association of Neighbourhoods - Norges Velforbund (NVF)
The Royal Norwegian Society for Development – Norges Vel
Web-site: www.velnett.no and www.norgesvel.no

The Nordic Network – Hela Norden ska Leva (HNSL)
Web-site - see: www.bygde.net  The Nordic movements are networked through HNSL, enabling information sharing, joint project planning and mutual support within the Nordic countries.

Western Europe
Netherlands
Dutch National Association of Small Towns and Villages
Landelijke Vereniging voor Kleine Kernen
Web-site - www.lvkk.nl
United Kingdom
Wales Rural Forum Website: website not known

Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE)
Web-site: www.acre.org.uk

Central and Eastern Europe
Estonia
The Estonian Village Movement - Kodukant
Web-site: www.kodukant.ee

Hungary
The Hungarian Rural Parliament - Vidék Parlamentje
Web-site: www.falunet.adatpark.hu

Slovakia
The Rural Parliament of Slovakia - Vidiecky Parlament na Slovensku (VIPA)
Web-site: www.vipa.sk

Slovenia
Slovenian Rural Development Network - Društva za razvoj slovenskega podeželja
Web-site: www.drustvo-podezelje.si

 

The PREPARE Network

Web-site: www.PREPAREnetwork.org

The PREPARE Network has arisen from the PREPARE Programme, set up in 1999 to strengthen civil society and to promote multi-national exchange in rural development in the 10 Pre-Accession countries. The Programme has been active in facilitating the development of the more recent rural movements in Eastern Europe. The PREPARE Network formed in 2003 as a forum for exchange on rural development and supports the development and networking of rural movements.

 

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