Positive experiences in increasing - The involvement of young men and women in rural development in Portugal
Positive experiences in increasing the involvement of young men and women in rural development in Slovenia
Positive experiences in increasing the involvement of young men and women in rural development in Northern Ireland
by Zoran Roca
Introduction
ESDIME: Empowering the young
ARVAL: Renewing traditional linen production
Conclusions
References
Rural areas in Portugal are facing problems similar to those in other peripheral, less developed European countries. Small-scale agriculture is declining leaving cultivable land underutilized or abandoned, the exodus of young men and women is depleting the human resource base, there is a lack of investment in economic and social services, and in infrastructure and business ventures. Cultural identity is fading.
During the past ten years, considerable efforts have been made to reverse these trends. National economic and social development strategies in Portugal, especially regional development interventions, have given due priority to depressed rural areas. Also, a significant portion of the financial aid from the European Union (EU) has been directed to these areas.
Initially, emphasis was placed on infrastructure development and economic diversification. Now the development of human resources has become the highest priority. This is intended to encourage young men and women to remain in rural areas and to participate in the development process. However, the problems in rural areas of Portugal have deep-rooted structural and cultural causes, and are likely to remain for the foreseeable future.
Nevertheless, in rural areas where programmes and projects aimed at the social and economic integration of youth have been launched, some signs of positive change have been noted. Local development agencies recently formed in many parts of Portugal have played a major role in these activities. Some of these agencies already have achieved significant results and have demonstrated that the prospects for the socio-economic revival of rural areas depends largely on locally created and implemented initiatives and interventions directed to young men and women and to the community as a whole.
This study is intended to illustrate how the goal of reviving the economy and restoring social cohesion in depressed rural areas may be achieved through local development initiatives. Two agencies are highlighted, the Southwest Alentejo Local Development Agency (ESDIME) and United Artisans Co-operative of the Lima River Valley (ARVAL). These agencies operate in rural areas that are environmentally, culturally and socio-economically different from one another, but both show how opportunities for integrating young people in rural development planning can be increased through local organizations. Highlighting their common features and the conditions that led to their establishment, development and operation might inspire similar initiatives in depressed rural areas of other regions or countries.
Both desk and field research were used in the study's preparation. The desk research reviewed the experiences of local development agencies in rural areas of Portugal, based on written reports, consultations with governmental and non-governmental sources and with the agencies themselves. It also included an examination of the books, articles, press releases and other material published by local development agencies, as well as their internal documents (planning documents, project documentation, reports, evaluations, etc.).
The field research, carried out in the summer of 1997, involved visits to the headquarters of the two selected agencies and to the areas in which they operate. The research included: semi-structured interviews with management and staff; group discussions with the staff; meetings with the local population; observations of on-going activities and available facilities; and examinations of the agency documentation.
OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES
Founded in 1989, ESDIME1 was one of the first organizations in rural Portugal devoted to local development. It works in the southwest region of the province of Alentejo, situated between the Tejo River and the province of Algarve in southern Portugal. The region is characterized by vast plains with thin, poor soil and suffers from severe periodic droughts. Alentejo has been viewed as the least developed rural region, not only in Portugal but in the entire European Union. Its current problems include desertification (both natural and induced), low productivity in the agricultural sector which is dominated by very large landholdings (latifundias), rural out-migration, a population whose average age is increasing, an underqualified workforce and an overwhelming lack of entrepreneurial initiatives.
1 ESDIME, C.R.L.: Agência para o Desenvolvimento Local no Alentejo Sudoeste (Southwest Alentejo Local Development Agency). Address: Rua do Engenho 10, 7600 Messejana Portugal. Phone (351) 84-65118; fax (351) 84-65274; email < [email protected] >.
EDISME's principle objectives are to stimulate and support integrated and participatory economic, social and cultural development, and to provide consulting services and technical assistance to small businesses in southwest Alentejo.
To achieve these objectives, ESDIME has adopted an approach that makes the most of the region's strengths (accessibility, unique landscape with characteristic cork oak trees and rich cultural heritage) while addressing the region's weaknesses (limited human resource base, low entrepreneurial spirit, negative demographic trends and a fragile productive sector). The strengths offer a basis for expanding the local economy, promoting local products and making the area more attractive to outsiders.
In order to address the weaknesses, ESDIME has concentrated on increasing the number of qualified men and women capable of revitalizing the region's social and economic life in a diversified, innovative and sustainable manner and attracting professionals and entrepreneurs to settle and invest in this region.
BACKGROUND
Messejana, in the municipality of Aljustrel in the district of Beja, is a typical small town in south-west Alentejo. In the late 1980s, Messejana had a population of 1500 and 50 percent unemployment. The closing of a local carpentry firm that had more than 100 employees made the situation worse. There were few opportunities for self-sustaining economic activities. In 1989, a human resource development project was launched in Messejana by the Portuguese Federation of Service Producers Cooperatives which was a member of the Portuguese and the European Cooperative Movement.2
2 After the 1974 'Revolution of Carnations' when Portugal's dictatorship was overthrown, the government enacted legislation providing financial and technical support for the establishment of cooperatives, non-governmental organizations, professional associations and community groups. Some of these new organizationshave played a leading role in Portugal's socio-economic development. EU Structural Funds, such as the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund, have contributed greatly to their success.
The project, called 'An Experimental Project for the Development of Micro-Regions in the Interior of Portugal', was set up to initiate change by training men and women and encouraging them to develop and manage their own entrepreneurial activities. It also created a locally based association or cooperative to provide support for their individual and group projects which would contribute to the socio-economic development of Messejana and of southwest Alentejo. ESDIME is the local development agency created as a follow up to this human resource development project.
At first, ESDIME functioned almost exclusively as an advisory body, without its own programmes of intervention. It provided guidance and support to men and women who wanted to set up micro-enterprises in and around Messejana. A few years later, ESDIME expanded its operations to cover the entire region of southwest Alentejo. It concentrated on assisting small-scale entrepreneurs and unemployed women, as well as organizing numerous professional training activities and encouraging entrepreneurial initiatives among young men and women.
PRESENT PROFILE
ESDIME's headquarters is in a renovated barn in the centre of Messejana, equipped with modern information technology tools, including a data bank and reference library. ESDIME also has offices in Beja, the largest city and the capital of southern Alentejo, and in the town of Santiago do Cacém.
Initially, ESDIME was supported financially by the Instituto de Emprego e Formação Profissional (IEFP - Institute for Employment and Professional Training), part of the Ministry for Professional Training and Employment. Eater, it began receiving financial aid from the European Social Fund. It has also benefited from other EU financing with funds made available through EU Objective Number 1, which provides assistance to Europe's least developed regions, usually those with a per caput gross domestic product (GDP) 75 percent lower than the EU average. Currently, ESDIME partly supports itself with income generated from its consulting and professional training services.
One of ESDIME's most distinguishing features is that it is run by young men and women, mostly between the ages of 20 and 31, all of whom are highly educated professionals.3 Some staff members have come to the region from other parts of Portugal or from abroad. However, most are natives of Messejana and other parts of southwest Alentejo and have returned to the area after completing university. Their decision to return to Alentejo goes beyond local patriotism. It reflects a genuine professional interest in contributing directly to local development at a grassroots level.4 Also, increasingly adverse economic, social and environmental conditions in Lisbon and other large cities are causing many young, university-educated men and women to seek alternatives to urban living.
3 The staff includes economists (2 men); sociologists (5 women, 1 man); psychologists (2 women); social worker (1 woman); and business management specialists (2 men and 1 woman).4 The president of ESDIME, José Carlos Albino, is a native of Alentejo. After receiving a university degree in management economics in Lisbon, he returned to the region to take part in ESDIME's foundation. Driven by a desire to contribute directly to the region's revitalization, he has lived in Messejana since 1989.
Areas of Intervention
Individually or in small task-specific teams, and sometimes backed by external specialists, staff members conceive, plan and implement ESDIME's programmes and projects. They have organized their activities into four distinct, mutually supportive areas of intervention: (1) the promotion of an entrepreneurial culture among the young; (2) the socio-economic mobilization of local communities; (3) the promotion of entrepreneurial initiatives; and (4) the creation of alternative economic activities through a process of experimentation. ESDIME also has managed the Links among Rural Development Actions II Programme (LEADER II) in the southern and coastal regions of Alentejo. All of these activities have been complemented by ESDIME's vocational training courses, research studies, publications and network building. The following descriptions of ESDIME's various projects and activities are listed under their area of intervention category. Activities related to the LEADER II programme, vocational training courses, networking and publications are presented in the subsequent sections.
1. PROMOTION OF AN ENTREPRENEURIAL CULTURE AMONG THE YOUNG
Discovering an Active Life
In 1995, ESDIME, with financial support from the Ministry of Education and private businesses, developed the Discovering an Active Life project in cooperation with high schools in the four neighbouring municipalities in southwest Alentejo. These municipalities all have high drop-out rates, structural unemployment caused by the closing of mining operations, and a population with little interest in starting businesses. The project is geared to benefit high school students by:
· improving conditions for the social and professional integration of young men and women;· ensuring access to accurate information about employment alternatives, so that individual aspirations are in line with the actual employment and investment potential in the region; and
· encouraging youth to participate in projects that they have conceived and organized themselves, as a means of developing their creativity and initiative.
The project involved a number of activities including educational and professional orientation sessions, discussions with experienced professionals, visits to businesses, acquiring practical experience through short-term work opportunities in local firms, the organization of a trade fair, and creating a data bank with information of interest to young people.
A leaflet entitled "Discovery", and the student radio station were used to disseminate information about employment and development activities throughout the community.
Technical support materials were developed for educational games. These games are designed to engage the students in a process of self-evaluation and to sensitize them to issues relating to their future employment, to the importance of entrepreneurial initiatives and to the workings of the labour market.
The contents and methods used in this project are based on diagnostic studies of students' aspirations, educational levels and socio-economic conditions. The contacts made with local firms and workshops of local artisans emphasized traditional vocations that are already important in the region's economy as well as more innovative and experimental professions.
The Discovering an Active Life staff consists of a sociologist, specializing in extension and rural development, and a psychologist, specializing in education. The staff plans programs and implements all the activities in this project in cooperation with teachers, school officials and local youth organizations.
Active School - Active Place
This project is part of a larger, nation-wide programme managed by the Institute of Community Education. It places priority on elementary schools which are viewed as places where community activities that encourage participation in the region's socio-economic revival can be organized. Active School-Active Place works in cooperation with elementary schools in two rural municipalities and involves students, teachers, parents, local governments and other institutions. The goal is to overcome problems in the educational system in small, geographically isolated and depressed communities. These problems include low student performance levels and school dropouts. Other issues dealt with are teachers' self-esteem and professional development. This project also promotes partnerships and networks among local elementary schools and other organizations and institutions.
Raising Awareness About Youth Organizations
Financial assistance for this project was provided by the Operational Programme for the Region of Alentejo (PORÁ) at the Regional Co-ordination Centre for Alentejo (CCRA) in the town of Evora which operates under the Ministry of Infrastructure, Planning and Territorial Administration, as part of the European Community Support Framework. In small rural communities in five neighbouring municipalities, ESDIME organized meetings to encourage young men and women to create new local associations. These meetings led to the formation of youth groups made up of young men and women eager to organize cultural and athletic activities and other projects in their communities. Most of these men and women had dropped out of school and were either unemployed or underemployed.
React
ESDIME has applied to Youthstart, an EU-funded programme aimed at integrating unskilled young men and women into the labour market, to fund a project called 'React'. The objective of React is to improve the methods used by education and training institution professionals who work to integrate those young men and women into society who have dropped out of the school system or are at risk of doing so, who have no professional qualifications and who face great difficulties entering the labour market.
International cooperation
A six-month exchange programme between staff members of ESDIME and ARCI Nazionale, a non-government organization in Rome, has been arranged within the framework of the European Voluntary Service for the Young.
2. THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC MOBILIZATION OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES
Raising Awareness about Local Associations
As part of its efforts to promote the establishment of local associations, ESDIME has submitted an application to PORA/CCRA to cofinance the preparation and organization of a series of focus group sessions in communities throughout southwest Alentejo.
Criss-crossing Projects for Regional Development
This project was launched within a larger programme for the Socio-Economic Integration of Disfavoured Groups sponsored by the European Social Fund. The objective is to strengthen the self-confidence and self-respect of unemployed and underqualified young and adult women, in order to enable them to organize activities that benefit the entire community. At a later stage, the intention is to broaden the project's scope to include both men and women who are either unemployed or at risk of unemployment.
Overcoming Difficulties, Launching Projects
The suspension of mining activities in the town of Aljustrel in 1996 sparked a demand for innovative and diversified solutions to the problem of unemployment. This project, sponsored by the European Social Fund, has been created to take practical steps toward the effective social integration of unemployed men and women.
ESDIME, in conjunction with a local governmental authority, recently succeeded in convincing Papelaco, an important Portuguese company that makes automatic banking machines and other high-tech electronic equipment, to invest in a new factory in Aljustrel. Papelaco is also Panasonic's sole Portuguese partner. ESDIME has been given the responsibility for the employment training of 45 unemployed young men and women and 30 former miners. All 75 trainees have guaranteed employment in the new Papelaco factory.
3. PROMOTION OF ENTREPRENEURIAL INITIATIVES
Preparation of Grant Proposals for Micro and Small Enterprises
In order to stimulate the creation of new businesses and to strengthen existing businesses owned by local entrepreneurs, ESDIME provides consulting services (pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, legal advice, etc.) and technical assistance in the preparation of grant proposals. It has helped men and women submit applications for grants made available through national programmes for small business promotion and has monitored the evaluation process and the approval of these applications. The following three programmes offer financial incentives to local men and women.
· Regime de Incentivos às Microempresas (RIME - Incentive Programme for Micro-Enterprises) offers grants to investors starting businesses with fewer than ten employees. The grants cover 50 to 60 percent of the initial investment. If the new business offers jobs to unemployed young men and women, the grant is usually higher. The value of the initial investment can be up to 20 million Portuguese escudos (PTE).· Sistema de Incentivos Regionais (SIR - System of Regional Incentives) offers grants to investors who are either starting a new business or modernizing an existing one. The grants cover 30 to 70 percent of the total investment, depending on the impact it has on the region's economy. The amount invested must be between 20 million and 100 million PTE.
· Iniciativas Locais de Emprego (ILE - Local Employment Initiatives) offers grants to investors starting small businesses that use local resources and provide self-employment or other jobs to young men and woman who are either looking for their first job or are unemployed. A lump sum of 500 000 PTE is granted to such projects, with 20 percent more available to businesses started by women. Priority is given to business devoted to a revival in local arts and crafts production. The value of the initial investment can be up to 20 million PTE.
Between 1989 and 1997, ESDIME helped establish almost 200 new micro and small enterprises with a total value of 1700 million PTE. These enterprises were located in nearly every town in southwest Alentejo, although most were in Messejana and Aljustrel. In the municipality of Beja, ESDIME assisted in 90 percent of the grant applications submitted by small businesses. The Regional Bureau for Employment in Beja now refers its clients to ESDIME.
Between 1989 and 1996, businesses that received assistance from ESDIME created almost 600 new jobs. About one-half of the newly employed were men and women 30 years old or younger. However, few new business initiatives have been generated by the young. In this region, traditionally marked by poverty and lack of entrepreneurial spirit, where the overwhelming majority of the employed population is landless agricultural labourers, miners and unskilled workers, the chances are slim that young men and women would choose to start a new business. Most of the young men and women who did approach ESDIME for technical assistance in starting a small business received substantial financial support from their families. However, those who can count on such backing are generally from middle class families which represent a small segment of region's population.
The activities of these new micro and small enterprises have been wide-ranging. They include coffee shops and retail stores, food production services, civil, mechanical and electric engineering and construction firms, customizing and repair shops, health care centres and senior citizen's homes, tourist accommodation facilities, dentists' studios and other ventures. Initially, ESDIME charged consulting fees only to those projects which had been approved for funding. Today, consulting fees usually are charged to all clients.
Information about Government Incentives
ESDIME organized a series of meetings, held in municipal town halls and in communities across southwest Alentejo, to inform men and women about national policies and the existence of financial incentives for job creation available to small and medium enterprises. Funding for these meetings has been obtained from the PORA/CCRA. Also, assistance was provided to the Cortiçol Cooperative, in the small town of Castro Verde, to organize similar meetings with communities in their municipality.
Research
In collaboration with Geoidea, a Lisbon NGO, ESDIME recently completed a study of arts and crafts production and its economic potential in the large area of central Alentejo. Alentejo is expected to benefit from the multi-purpose Alqueva Dam scheduled for completion in 2005. EDISME financed this study by submitting the winning proposal in a competition sponsored by the Enterprise for Development and Infrastructure of Alqueva.5
5 In 1997, it was announced that construction would soon begin on the Alqueva Dam on the Guadiana River. This announcement came after a long period of negotiations with the European Commission and an exhaustive national debate, prompted by pressure from the environmental lobby. It will be the most expensive project ever financially supported by the EU. Damming the Guadiana River is intended to solve the problems created by severe droughts, which are considered the main obstacle to the economic development of Alentejo. Public and local development agencies are concerned about the environmental, social and economic impact the enormous artificial lake and irrigation system will have on the region.
4. CREATION OF ALTERNATIVE ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES THROUGH A PROCESS OF EXPERIMENTATION
ESDIME organizes experimental activities designed to stimulate the creation and circulation of alternative and innovative development practices. The areas considered most relevant to the regional development strategy are:
· the development of professional and community-based associations geared toward providing new services;· the promotion of alternative sustainable agricultural practices and environmental protection;6
6 Activities in this area include demonstrations of garbage sorting and composting prepared in cooperation with the Messejana Association for Environmental Protection, and the distribution of the publication Fauna and Flora which is part of ESDIME's series, Colecção Temática Baixo Alentejo.· the promotion of innovative cultural, educational and vocational models; and
· the valorization of local products and services, which includes providing assistance in certification and classification, quality improvement, and mining local expertise regarding recipes, arts and crafts, artefacts, etc.
LEADER II
ESDIME has recently assumed the responsibility of managing the LEADER II programme, called LEADER al Sud, in southwest Alentejo. LEADER is an EU initiative promoting a bottom-up approach to development. It puts institutions that offer financial and technical aid together with local groups and individuals in order to revitalize the economy of depressed rural areas. ESDIME's tasks in managing LEADER al Sud from 1996 to 1999 were stipulated in the Protocol on Cooperation between the Association for the Development of Coastal Alentejo and the Association Alentejo XXI, the two local development agencies which jointly submitted the successful proposal to implement LEADER II in the region. About 90 000 people live in the 5656 km2 area covered by the LEADER al Sud programme. It pays 85 percent of the salary of two of ESDIME's professional staff and 15 to 20 percent of the cost of ESDIME's various activities, including social mobilization and employment training.
EDISME's principal tasks are to administer the funds available to men and women who start new businesses in the region and to provide technical assistance.
The LEADER al Sud strategy focuses on increasing the potential for the development of local entrepreneurial initiatives. It has three main areas of intervention.
· Increase the role of local groups and individuals by promoting the establishment of community associations and developing a spirit of entrepreneurial initiative which requires young men and women to face risks, solve problems and assume responsibility. To accomplish this, LEADER al Sud provides specialized vocational and technical training, and provides a forum for the exchange of experiences and ideas.· Revitalize and develop entrepreneurial capacities through non-material investments, i.e. offering technical support for efficient business management, providing information about grants available for small businesses and assisting in preparing grant proposals.
· Improve marketing strategies which focus on local identity, goods and services, forge links with the external market, and highlight the region's cultural and natural assets as development resources.
The LEADER al Sud's local plan of action involves a series of project activities in several areas. ESDIME's work is to establish links among these activities and to integrate the participation of young men and women into all of the other activities. The following highlights the plan of action and lists supporting activities.
Support programmes run by local associations
Concurrence with the LEADER strategy
Support integrated local development programmes
Support service qualification programmes in local communities
Support participation of youth in rural development
Support school-based activities that benefit the young
Support local initiatives that benefit the young
Vocational training
Analysis and implementation of methodologies
Training leaders and managers of local associations, professionals and entrepreneurs
Provide on-the-job training
Assistance in recruiting
Support recruitment of full-time professionals.
Support contracting of part-time professional services
Assistance in improving qualifications
Support rural tourism
Support artisan activities, including food production
Promotion of experimentation
Develop applied experimentation
Strengthening existing services
Improve marketing and organization, and promote business services
Support business
Support micro and small businesses
Support the enhancement and promotion of local economic activities
Support networks, associations and enterprises in promoting and marketing local products
Support promotional projects and activities
Support environmental programmes
Support programmes for environmental awareness
Support economic valorization of environmental resources
Support heritage preservation
Support programmes to increase awareness of region's cultural heritage
Support promotion of the region's cultural heritage
Further to this list, the following specific support is envisaged for the participation of youth in rural development.
· Improve the availability of information relating to local development issues, investment potential and guidelines, incentives programmes for starting new businesses, employment opportunities and vocational training, etc.· Promote the creation of new community associations and assist in setting up and equipping these associations in cooperation with schools, public and private organizations and institutions, etc.
· Provide vocational training to the unemployed and to young men and women searching for their first job, with an emphasis on locally viable professions, on creating awareness about local and regional development issues and on strengthening self-esteem and motivation for entrepreneurial initiatives.
· Assist in preparing for job competitions and hiring professional staff.
· Identify and promote the skills necessary for the preservation of the region's natural and cultural resources.
· Foster international cooperation through the exchange of publications, study visits, joint programmes and projects, etc.
VOCATIONAL TRAINING COURSES
Human resource development has been at the core of ESDIME's activities since its inception. Equal emphasis has been placed on technical and vocational training and on promoting entrepreneurial initiatives.
ESDIME's first experience in vocational training came with the Experimental Project for the Development of Micro-Regions in the Interior of Portugal, launched in Messejana in 1989. This was a two-year project, offering 1300 hours of courses dealing with occupations that were both in demand and locally viable. These occupations included catering and tourist accommodation, carpentry and furniture manufacturing, agricultural production, accounting services, conservation and restoration of culturally significant buildings and artefacts, audio-visual and graphic design, and textile manufacturing. One hundred trainees (both young and adult) were selected from 250 unemployed men and women, and 86 completed their courses. Of those trained, 40 presented investment proposals, and ESDIME prepared their grant applications to ILE.
In addition to the training activities in the LEADER al Sud programme (the training of leaders and managers of local associations), ESDIME prepared and financed a number of training courses on its own. One of these, 'A Complete Course for Professional Vendors', offered between September 1997 and May 1998, was aimed at improving the marketing skills of men and women selling products made in southwest Alentejo.
ESDIME has also prepared a training programme intended to strengthen ties between agricultural producers and service providers seeking to modify, diversify and improve their activities. The envisaged training courses deal with such subjects as:
· agrotourism,
· traditional goat cheese production,
· small-scale processing of agricultural products,
· promotion of animal husbandry,
· alternative crop rotation in traditional rain-fed farming,
· adapting agricultural practices to environmental protection requirements, and
· use of information technology in agricultural production.
NETWORK BUILDING
ESDIME established a network of partnerships with institutions, associations and local governments during the Experimental Training Project in Messejana in 1989. These partnerships contributed not only to the success of the initial project, but to ESDIME's on-going development.
ESDIME belongs to two major networks of local development agencies, the Portuguese Association for Local Rural Development (ANIMAR) and IDEIA-Alentejo.
ANIMAR was founded in 1993 and represents a nationwide network of development agencies in rural areas. Initially inspired by the Trans-European Rural Network (TERN), ANIMAR moved away from representing Portugal in an international forum, to deal exclusively with national development issues. After overcoming difficulties caused by a lack of a permanent funding source, ANIMAR has earned an excellent reputation as a highly qualified partner in the promotion of local development in rural Portugal. Its membership today includes 48 groups (cooperatives, associations, enterprises, public and private organizations, etc.) and some 100 individuals (researchers, teachers, entrepreneurs, etc.) from throughout the country. Its annual general meetings and "MANIFesta" Fairs, such as those held in Santarem in 1994 and in Tondela in 1996, have established ANIMAR's national importance. Communication among the members is ensured through the network's highly participatory monthly bulletin "Vez & Voz" (Turn and Say) which contains news, reviews, ideas, debates, etc. Since 1997, ANIMAR and ESDIME have shared the same address.
IDEIA-Alentejo was formed in 1993, the result of a collective effort by several local associations in southern Alentejo to produce a stronger joint proposal for a government subsidy to support the project 'GloCal - Program for Local Development of Alentejo'. Although the proposal was not accepted, its members have continued to collaborate with one another and share a common approach in dealing with national and regional governments. IDEIA-Alentejo's headquarters is in the city of Evora.
Membership in these two networks has strengthened ESDIME's connections with similar associations both in Portugal and abroad. ESDIME considers such network building essential for maintaining its creativity and ensuring that it doesn't become isolated.
PUBLICATIONS
Formação para o Desenvolvimento Local em Meio Rural (Training for Local Development in Rural Settings), Messejana: ESDIME C.R.L., 1995.
This book is a follow-up to a 1995 conference organized by ESDIME. Both the conference and the book were financed by the Institute for Employment and Professional Training, Ministry of Professional Training and Employment, Lisbon. At the conference, agencies involved in local development training were invited to discuss their work. Their main topics, the development of training programmes and improving teaching methods, are included in the book.
Guia Prático para a Micro e Pequena Empresa (Practical Guidebook for Micro and Small Enterprises), Messejana: ESDIME, C.R.L., 1996.
Largely based on ESDIME's experiences, this reader-friendly book is intended for men and women managing micro and small enterprises and covers entrepreneurial conditions in Alentejo, micro and small business management, controlling payments and receipts, price calculation and making the best use of accounting methods.
The book received technical assistance from the Autonomous Economy Section of the Instituto Superior de Ciências do Trabalho e da Empresa (ISCTE), Lisbon, and financial support from FEDER/PORÁ (Operation Programme for the Region of Alentejo), Ministry of Infrastructure, Planning and Territorial Administration, Lisbon.
Desenvolver Desenvolvendo - Prática e Pistas para o Desenvolvimento Local no Alentejo (To Develop by Developing - Practice and Guidelines for Local Development in Alentejo), Messejana: ESDIME C.R.L., 1997.
This book presents a conceptual and practical synthesis of methodological approaches to local development interventions in Alentejo. Largely based on eight years of ESDIME's own experience, it also drew on the experience of other development agencies in the region. Throughout the book, an enthusiastic attitude toward overcoming obstacles to local development initiatives prevails. Financial support was received from PORA/CCRA, Ministry of Infrastructure, Planning and Territorial Administration, Lisbon.
OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGY
ARVAL7 was founded in 1982 as an association of artisans from the Lima River Valley in the Alto Minho region of northwest Portugal. The region is hilly, with Mediterranean and maritime climates, dense vegetation and a sparse population. Agricultural production remains the principle economic activity. Grapes for wine, corn, fruits and vegetables are grown on small and fragmented parcels of land. However, farm work has increasingly become a part-time activity that is combined with employment in manufacturing and service industries. In the past, relatively high birth rates offset heavy emigration to Latin America and northwestern Europe. In the early 1980s, birth rates dropped and the average age of the population increased. In the 1990s, population growth has stagnated in many municipalities, and in some it has declined. Since the mid-1980s, emigration has been replaced almost entirely by daily rural to urban commuting, made mostly by men.
7 ARVAL: Cooperativa dos Artesãos Reunidos do Vale do Lima (The United Artisans Cooperative of the Lima River Valley). Address: Terreiro 4990, São Martinho da Gandra, Portugal. Phone: (351) 58-948464.
ARVAL's mission is to reverse rural out-migration and the loss of cultural traditions by involving the local population, especially young women, in every phase of linen production, including cultivation and processing of flax (Linum usitatissimum), preparation of yarn, fabrication of thread, weaving of linen fabrics and manufacturing of clothes and other items.
ARVAL's specific objectives are to encourage the renewal of linen production as an income-generating, family-based activity and to develop the entrepreneurial spirit and self-esteem of rural women, especially young women, who are prone to out-migration and emigration.
The strategy is to provide extension services and technical assistance for the cultivation of flax in the Lima River Valley, maintain expertise in traditional linen production and promote entrepreneurial initiatives among local women.
BACKGROUND
The Lima River Valley is known for its rich cultural heritage, especially the traditional handicrafts produced in the villages. Pottery, stone sculpting, wood carving, weaving and other arts and crafts have been popular activities practiced by skilled individuals and groups of farmers as a main or additional source of income.
Among all the handicrafts produced in the Lima River Valley region, home-made linen has occupied a respected position because its production motivated farm families to- keep their land under cultivation and properly tended, it provided an important source of income for many households, and it strengthened family and community cohesion.
Although women assumed the most responsibility in linen production, it was common for all family members, male and female, young and old, and often neighbours, to perform specialized tasks either in the various phases of flax cultivation and processing or in the production of yarn and thread, weaving linen materials, embroidering and adding other decorations, as well as the marketing of linen products.
Traditionally, linen products had a guaranteed market in every village and town along the Lima River Valley. A family's supply of linen was almost worth its weight in gold. Everyone respected the painstaking work and invaluable expertise of the women weavers and embroiders. Linen production was essential to the region's livelihood and cultural identity.
Since the 1960s, the region has undergone a decline in small-scale agriculture and a general breakdown in the traditional rural economy. This process led to losses in human resources (emigration, an end to extended families, an ageing population) and to a diminished cultural identity. The endogenous knowledge and traditional skills upon which traditional family-based economies relied could no longer be sustained.
Under these conditions, the production of linen in the Lima River Valley rapidly lost its popularity and prestige, and came close to extinction. The traditional linen production could not keep up with market demands which were driven by large textile industries that encouraged mass consumption and product uniformity, and used cheaper fabrics.
Since the mid-1980s, however, there has been a renewed appreciation of local traditional products. In the cities, affluent men and women have reacted against mass produced articles and the loss of cultural diversity brought on by the increased globalization of the market. The revival of lost traditions, including traditional arts and crafts production, was an essential part of the government's policies to stimulate development in depressed rural areas. The EU advocates 'A Europe of Regions', a development concept which promotes the renewal of regional cultural identities. These shifts in attitudes have allowed traditional linen production to flourish again in the Lima River Valley
In the late 1970s, the village of São Martinho da Gandra and its surrounding area were selected for field study as part of a UNESCO research project on rural out-migration in northern Portugal. The expected visits of UNESCO's experts to this area inspired local government authorities to organize a major exhibition of local arts and crafts from the Lima River Valley in the village of São Martinho da Gandra.
For this exhibition, locally hand-crafted articles had to be gathered from many scattered villages. This required considerable knowledge of the artisans working in the region and a well-organized campaign to inspire the entire community to participate in the project. The villagers responded by donating many examples of local crafts, some of them very old and rare. In some cases, only fragments or a part of the artefact remained, and many of the tools brought in were rusted and in very bad shape. During this campaign, many of the villagers expressed an interest in either learning or teaching about the production of these arts and crafts.
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond the control of the Portuguese development agencies, the UNESCO project did not materialize. Nevertheless, the exhibition was a success, for it marked the beginning of the renewal of traditional arts and crafts in the area. For the first time, local politicians and government institutions indicated their readiness to work toward the preservation of the region's heritage.
Local officials entrusted the organization of this exhibition to the Community Improvement Group from São Martinho da Gandra whose members had already made a significant contribution to the community's development. In 1974, they worked to bring electricity to São Martinho da Gandra and its neighbouring villages. In 1997, they succeeded in reviving a popular fair with a centuries-long tradition that had nearly died out.
Traditional linen production was featured prominently in the exhibition because the members of the Community Improvement Group felt strongly that restoring the prestige of hand-made linen could be an economically viable way of strengthening the Lima River Valley's cultural identity. They were also convinced that community associations were essential for the successful promotion of small-scale economic activities and so in 1982, they founded ARVAL.
PRESENT PROFILE
ARVAL currently has 19 staff members (5 men, 14 women) who live in São Martinho da Gandra and other villages in the Lima River Valley. In addition to management positions, there are full-time embroiderers and weavers who work at headquarters or in their homes. There is also an executive board and board of directors representing the community.
There are 35 linen producers who use ARVAL's training and technical facilities on a permanent basis, as well as a network of promoters and volunteers. The volunteers are mostly young men who help with the more physically demanding aspects of linen production, such as harvesting and preparing flax for submersion in water and processing flax into yarn.
Initially located in the president's home8, ARVAL's headquarters now occupy a spacious modern building, recently constructed with financial support from the EU LEADER Programme. There are workshops with spinning wheels, looms and other tools, a gift shop, a multi-use auditorium, lecture rooms, and offices equipped with modern information and communication technology. To maintain better communication and contact with the community, ARVAL's management often holds meetings in local restaurants and other informal places.
8 Ms. Júlia Caldas, 68, is ARVAL's president and leader of the Community Improvement Group. A native of São Martinho da Gandra, Ms. Caldas comes from an affluent local family and is a qualified nurse and a teacher. She is also successful in business, manages her own farm, has owned and operated the local gas station, and has bought and restored historic homes. She is well-known in the Lima River Valley for her social work and for promoting local culture and community development. Ms. Caldas has consistently worked to improve the self-esteem and socio-economic status of women in the region. She sought to create a financially self-sufficient organization that could generate income for local women by making use of their traditional knowledge and skills. Because linen production was one of the most important regional crafts, Ms. Caldas brought together the local linen enthusiasts who now operate ARVAL.
MAIN ACTIVITIES
ARVAL's principal activities are providing training in traditional linen production and offering technical assistance in flax cultivation and the marketing of linen products.
Training
Almost all the people ARVAL has trained in traditional linen production have been women from the villages and small towns in the Lima River Valley. Their ages range from 16 to 50, although most are younger than 35. These women generally have little education. Most of the young women are unemployed and have looked for work in larger cities without success.
In view of the social background of those enrolled in ARVAL's courses, the curriculum provides practical skills and knowledge about every aspect of linen production, from flax cultivation to the marketing of linen products, as well as general education courses in arithmetic, basic accounting, Portuguese and the history of arts and crafts. This is designed to give each individual the necessary foundation for more complete personal development, to improve self-esteem and to deepen appreciation for their craft as a profitable vocation or a source of additional income.
Between 1989 and 1997, when these courses became a regular part of ARVAL's activities, 375 people received vocational training in traditional linen production. Since Portugal's entry into the EU, ARVAL's vocational training has benefited from financial support of the European Social Fund. ARVAL easily obtained this support based on the impressive results it achieved with the training programs for local women it developed for the Ministry of Professional Training and Employment. The region's experienced local artisans form ARVAL's training staff in keeping with the policy of re-affirming, sustaining and developing the region's endogenous skills and expertise. Toward this end, ARVAL organized a major inventory of the existing tools and fabric patterns in villagers' homes. Tools and patterns were selected, collected and stored at ARVAL headquarters and many spinning wheels and looms were repaired for use in the training programme. Traditional fabric patterns and region-specific embroideries were carefully studied and now serve as models for another generation of artisans.
At present, those who have successfully completed their vocational training are encouraged to enrol in a special training of trainers programme, so they can eventually become part of ARVAL's training staff. This, however, is not always easy, because instructors must have a wide variety of specialized skills. Also, some of these potential teachers have less than four years of basic education which makes it difficult for them to handle the training of trainers curriculum.
The fact that many enrolled in these vocational training programmes and even the members of the training staff have little education is a problem that has been overcome in large part through the efforts of a small but dedicated group of ARVAL's members and collaborators. Their readiness to step in and offer remedial education to those in need has been an indispensable condition for ARVAL's continuing success in human resource development. In 1989-1990, the training of trainers programme received occasional technical and material support from the Regional Arts Centre Foundation in the city of Porto, which operates under the Ministry of Culture. However, ARVAL's management has at times been reluctant to work with government institutions because they often demand a great deal of time-consuming paperwork, which for a small organization with an already heavy work load, can be more trouble than it's worth.
Internal and external evaluations, recent studies and reports, and field observations have all shown that ARVAL's training activities have had a remarkable impact on the region. Linen production has become a significant additional source of income for many families. ARVAL's activities are also contributing to a greater social cohesion at family and community levels and to an improvement in the status of women, as it is mothers and daughters who are most responsible for linen production.
Technical assistance
As part of its training activities and as an independent activity, ARVAL has supplied seeds and provided technical assistance to flax cultivators. Often, this has been done in cooperation with the extension services of the Ministry of Agriculture. Extension agents have tested different varieties of flaxseeds to improve the quality of locally grown flax, so that it conforms to EU standards. This will ultimately lead to the acquisition of the EU Seal of Quality for the region's linen products, which should, in turn, greatly enhance their success on the international market.
ARVAL has made a substantial contribution to the re-introduction of flax cultivation in the Lima River Valley. Presently, there are 45 new flax growers who make regular use of the cooperative's services. Most of them own their land. Farmers receive subsidies for sowing flax, which is becoming a more important crop as a result of this increased assistance.
Clearly, this increased interest in traditional linen production is likely to have many positive effects on agriculture in the region. Flax production will lead to a diversification of household incomes and consequently will strengthen the region's economy. It will also give local farmers an incentive to return to the land and recover abandoned fields. Also, it is estimated that between 500 and 600 looms are currently being restored in the Lima River Valley.
Women, especially young women, have benefited the most from the revival in traditional linen production. For some, it has became their main economic activity and for many others it has become an important source of extra income. Sixty percent of flax cultivation is managed by women. The entrepreneurial spirit among those who use ARVAL's services is growing. Women today show less fear in taking on responsibilities related to generating income and have proven themselves effective farm administrators.
When interviewed in a recent study, women linen producers who worked in collaboration with ARVAL showed a much more positive attitude regarding their social status than those who did not. One young woman said that she was less of a slave than her mother, "because knowing embroidery helped me to feel a lot more secure." Many expressed their deep appreciation for the cooperative, saying, "There is a lot of paid work for us every day... Orders are constantly increasing because buyers prefer to deal with the cooperative and not with individual producers... Our products have the guarantee of origin, which is greatly appreciated by knowledgeable clients... Knowing arithmetic and the basics of accounting allows us to know exactly what the final product will cost and how much revenue to expect for a given number of hours of work...." (Martins, 1997).
There is evidence that women have developed high self-esteem and that they are aware of the economic value and social relevance of their activity. Weavers and embroiders at ARVAL regularly register the use of their time and have made detailed descriptions of their work for marketing purposes. An hour's worth of weaving is said to have the same economic value as an hour's worth of stone sculpting.
A growing market for hand-made linen in Portuguese cities, where it is highly valued by interior decorators and fashion designers, has contributed to making flax cultivation and linen production economically viable. Also, rural tourism has been booming over the last ten years in the Lima River Valley, attracting mainly middle and upper class visitors from Portugal and abroad. Many old aristocratic homes and palaces have been renovated for the tourist trade, and much of their interior decor requires locally produced linen. In 1997, the demand for linen had increased to such a point that ARVAL no longer needed to advertise its products and services.
Marketing Local Artisania
ARVAL provides assistance in marketing the region's hand-made linen products. LEADER 11 has subsidized 60 percent of the cost of ARVAL's marketing activities, including the production, presentation and circulation of printed and video materials, its participation in popular fairs and the organization of exhibits. ARVAL was able to obtain this support thanks to its partnership with the Association for Integrated Rural Development in the Lima River Valley (ADRIL), which manages LEADER II projects in the region.
The linen products have been catalogued according to their use and great efforts are being made to have them officially labelled as products made exclusively in the Lima River Valley. Local producers are striving to modernize their equipment and to improve and standardize the quality of their linen fabric. This is considered an essential next step in order to break into markets outside the region.
There has been no government funding specifically targeted for traditional linen production, and it is extremely difficult for products from this region to acquire official region-specific status which would make them more attractive to national and international markets. At the moment, only two products from the region enjoy this special status, the pottery from the town of Barcelos in Minho province, and Vinho Verde, a brand of wine produced in the Lima River Valley by the cooperatives in the towns of Ponte de Lima and Ponte de Barca.
Traditional linen products from the Lima River Valley were included in a national newspaper supplement on the outstanding arts and crafts that are an indispensable part of Portugal's cultural heritage.9 This influential publication demonstrated that the production of crafts can be profitable and thus contribute to reducing rural out-migration. Acknowledging the value of local craftsmanship can increase awareness of the potential in rural areas for financially and socially rewarding occupations for young men and women.
9 Guia Expresso N°13, 1997
Prospects seem bright for the immediate future, but it will be necessary to take further steps to improve the commercialization of linen products. Employment opportunities for young linen producers could be increased if ARVAL links its training, technical support and marketing activities to rural tourism, which is expected to continue growing in the region and throughout Portugal. However, this would require ARVAL to expand its activities and human resource base. Considering ARVAL's track record and the dedication and resourcefulness of its management, staff and network of collaborators, there seems little doubt that the cooperative will be able to respond to these challenges.
ESDIME and ARVAL operate in different environments and have different objectives, activities and internal structures, yet both have shown that reducing rural out-migration and attracting young men and women to live and work in rural areas depends on:
· individuals and associations within the community who are committed to local and regional development; and· strategies that recognize young people's needs for satisfying employment and a higher quality of life, and that channel their energies toward the development of the region's economic, cultural and environmental potential.
In their efforts to match young people's needs with opportunities for local development, ESDIME and ARVAL have succeeded in designing programmes that have made use of local resources and contributed directly to greater youth employment. Although their specific objectives and projects differ, both agencies share four major areas of concern: (1) building economic and cultural foundations for local development; (2) preparing young men and women to enter the labour market; (3) creating employment opportunities for the young; and (4) strengthening the institutional framework for local development. The following section details what is involved in each of these areas.
1. Building economic and cultural foundations for local development requires:
· identifying strengths and weaknesses in the natural and human resource base;· setting goals and strategies that integrate economic, social, cultural, technological and environmental factors;
· linking human resource development with employment opportunities; linking agricultural production with other economic activities, such as arts and craft production and tourism; and linking products made and sold at a local level with larger, more competitive national and international markets; and linking the supply of traditional knowledge and craftsmanship with contemporary society's growing demand for these products;
· developing programmes and projects which are run by young men and women, or that benefit them directly;
· reducing rural out-migration by creating opportunities for paid employment for young men and women;
· encouraging educated and skilled young men and women to return to the rural areas where they were raised;
· attracting educated and skilled young men and women from other regions;
· introducing appropriate new technologies and cultural practices to the region and adapting them to local conditions;
· raising community awareness of local development issues;
· building men's and women's self-esteem and an appreciation of their heritage;
· instilling an entrepreneurial spirit in the community; and
· encouraging local investors, as well as those from outside the region, to start new businesses that make use of the available labour force.
2. Preparing young men and women to enter the labour market requires:
· offering general remedial education, especially to young women who have had little success in school or who have left school at an early age;· providing vocational training;
· improving personal self-esteem, especially among women;
· encouraging self-reliance and an entrepreneurial spirit;
· providing vocational guidance counselling;
· assisting young men and women in acquiring practical work experience;
· raising awareness about the labour market; and
· helping unemployed young men and women search and apply for jobs.
3. Creating employment opportunities for the young requires:
· hiring local men and women as full-time staff members of the development agency (this was the policy of both ESDIME and ARVAL);· contracting local men and women for projects and programmes run by local development agencies;
· providing technical advice and guidance (feasibility studies, market research, etc.) and direct support (extension services, agricultural inputs, etc.) for the creation of small businesses and family-based economic activities; and
· encouraging the young to establish community groups, associations, cooperatives and other local organizations.
4. Strengthening the institutional framework for local development requires:
· motivating young men and women to participate in identifying community needs and potential for development;· encouraging business initiative among the young;
· encouraging men and women of all ages to establish community groups, associations, cooperatives and other local organizations;
· increasing public access to information regarding the decision-making process of public and private organizations, and to their activities in the community, especially those activities that affect the employment prospects for young men and women; and
· collaborating with local and national governments, schools and other public service institutions, businesses, community associations, cooperatives, informal groups, volunteers, etc.
In addition, networks with national and international development agencies must be established to exchange information, expertise and experience, coordinate joint projects, arrange exchange programmes among staff members and lobby for programmes and projects that benefit the young. ESDIME's and ARVAL's success is due largely to the fact that they have been created and operated by men and women, many of them young, who are natives of the regions in which they live and work, have high educational levels with solid professional qualifications and are genuinely devoted to regional and local development.
This is not meant to suggest that professionals and agencies from outside the region cannot make important contributions to rural development. However, emphasis should be placed on encouraging local men and women to assume leadership roles in the socio-economic development of their communities.
Each of these agencies has established itself and implemented effective programmes and projects because its staff has been able to:
· earn community confidence and cooperation, a basic condition for any agency seeking to organize activities responsive to the needs of local population;· understand the local cultural, economic and environmental situations and adequately assess what changes need to be made;
· address sensitive issues such as gender bias, the causes of social and economic marginalization and exclusion, the reasons for out-migration, etc.;
· carry out human resource development projects and related activities that meet local needs and conditions and thereby make efficient use of financial and technical resources;
· increase the economic viability of small-scale agriculture and other traditional activities (e.g. traditional linen production in the Lima River Valley has given farmers, who had relied almost entirely on grapes as a cash crop, an opportunity to cultivate and market a new crop, flax);
· introduce, in an appropriate way, new cultural ideas and adapt them so that they are acceptable to the local population (e.g. entrepreneurship had been alien to the working-class men and women of southwest Alentejo, and local community associations and small-scale cooperatives had not been common in the Lima River Valley);
· lobby on behalf of the community for local development projects (e.g. in approaching government institutions, establishing partnerships, etc.);
· attract public and private financial aid and investments to new economic ventures; and
· reduce dependency on external financing by generating their own income (e.g. ESDIME earns money through its consulting services and ARVAL raises funds through the sale of linen products).
Throughout Portugal, increasing numbers of men and women are becoming involved in rural development and the socio-economic integration of the young. This is largely the result of national and EU programmes that have provided financial aid and other forms of support to stimulate economic growth in depressed rural areas and reduce out-migration from these regions. The policies that have helped establish effective local development agencies in Portugal and the projects and programmes of ESDIME and ARVAL, could be implemented in other regions or countries.10
10 the author extends his sincere gratitude to the members of the management and staff of ESDIME and ARVAL for their collaboration without which this study would not have been possible.
Albino, J.C. 1991. A Experiência do Projecto Messejana. Seminário nacional sobre Artesanato e Industrias Artesanais. Évora.
Albino, J. C. 1990. Sudoeste alentejano: Desenvolver as terras com as suas gentes. Formar: pp.31-40.
Albino, J. C. 1997. Descentralização - poder central, poderes locais e participação cívica e política. Messejana, ESDIME C.R.L.
Caldas, M. J. 1995. O Mundo maravilhosos do linho artesanal. Lisboa, Instituto de Financiamento e Apoio ao Desenvolvimento da Agricultura e Pescas (FADAP).
Martins, J.C. I. 1997. Observação e estudo de caso - Cooperativa ARVAL: (Relatório final), São Martinho da Gandra. Porto, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, Escola Superior de Educação.
Martins, J.C. I. 1994. Promoção do potencial de desenvolvimento regional. Lisboa, Ministério do Planeamento e da Administração do Território.
Martins, J.C. I. 1994. Programa de iniciativa comunitária 'Leader' - Sudoeste alentejano: Processo de intenção de candidatura (versão resumida). Messejana, ESDIME C.R.L.
Martins, J.C. I. 1995. Formação para o Desenvolvimento local em meio rural. Messejana, ESDIME C.R.L.
Martins, J.C. I. 1996. Guia prático para a micro e pequena empresa. Messejana: ESDIME, C.R.L
Martins, J.C. I. 1996. O Leader em Portugal - Balanço e perspectivas: Palavras de Goulart Carrinho. ANIMAR: Série palavra oportuna 2.
Martins, J.C. I. 1996. Relatório de Actividades de 1996. Messejana, ESDIME C.R.L..
Martins, J.C. I. 1997. Programa para a animação do Alentejo Sudoeste AL SUD. Messejana, ESDIME C.R.L
Martins, J.C. I. 1997. Desenvolver desenvolvendo - Prática e pistas para o desenvolvimento local no Alentejo. Messejana, ESDIME C.R.L.
Martins, J.C. I. 1997. O Melhor de Portugal: Artesanato. Guia Expresso, No.13.
by Mateja MEŠL, Zare TOMŠIC
The Meza valley development programme, the establishment of a new community development agency: Activating local potential (ALP)
The involvement of students in a development programme in the municipality of Škofja Loka: Student operational programme
The Student Operation Programme (SOP)
Literature
This study presents two examples of successful rural development programmes in Slovenia. Each of these programmes improved the quality of life in rural communities by giving opportunities and responsibilities to local young men and women to create new sources of income and employment.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
This case study presents the results and experiences of Activating Local Potential (ALP), a community development agency established in 1994 to create and support economic activities in the Meza valley of northeastern Slovenia. The men and women who founded ALP recognized that revitalizing the economy in depressed rural areas demanded knowledge and creativity and an improved entrepreneurial climate. Unemployed young men and women were invited to work with the agency as project managers, to design and implement projects that would generate employment opportunities for themselves and their community. As they did this, they motivated other young men and women to participate in ALP's activities. This substantially improved the economic situation of young men and women in the Meza valley and thereby increased the prospects for long-term sustainable development.
Description of the area
The narrow Meza valley is surrounded by high mountains on Slovenia's Austrian border. It is the most heavily forested area in Slovenia. The three major cities in the valley are Mezica, Crna na Koroškem, and the industrial centre of Ravne na Koroškem. There are a number of small villages and individual farms, called 'cells', in the mountains. The valley covers an area of 304 km2 and has a population of 27 000 inhabitants, averaging 88 people per km2. Sixty percent of the population live in the valley's three cities, the other 40 percent live in small villages and settlements in the mountains. Because of its population distribution, the valley is considered a predominantly rural area.
Two large companies dominate the valley's economy: the Mezica Lead and Zinc Mine, and the Ravne Steel Works. At the end of the 1980s, these two companies accounted for 70 percent of the area's gross domestic product (GDP). Agriculture and forestry are also an important part of the economy, accounting for 11 percent of the GDP and employing about 20 percent of the active population. The service sector represents only a small part of the entire economy, but has had the highest growth over the last six years.
The Meza valley, especially its northern region, has suffered some of the most severe out-migration in Slovenia. From 1961 to 1991, the population decreased by 11 percent. The demographic picture shows that the average age of the population is increasing, and that the number of college or university educated men and women is declining. These trends were considered the primary constraints to regional development. According to the 1989 analysis provided by the Institute for Economic Research, out-migration was mainly caused by:
· an economic structure dominated by labour intensive industries which provide few quality jobs;· a lack of motivation for local entrepreneurs;
· geographic isolation, poor communications and limited access to educational facilities and information centres;
· a lack of development institutions and technical infrastructure;
· environmental problems; and
· a low quality of life.
History of ALP
In the early 1990s, the global economy began a period of restructuring that affected the Meza valley's major industries. In 1990, the Mezica mine began closing for economic and environmental reasons. This has led to the direct loss of 800 jobs, and even more have been lost indirectly. The shutdown process is expected to continue until the year 2000, so more jobs will disappear in the coming years. Because the Mezica mine and its smelters operate in a narrow valley and use antiquated technologies, the region suffers serious environmental problems. Air pollution has caused severe degradation of the landscape and significant forest damage.
At the end of 1989, the Ravne steel works had 8000 employees. However, it was forced to reduce production substantially and as a result, 2000 men and women had lost their jobs by 1993.
The economic downturn severely affected young men and women. Even for those with a higher education, job opportunities became more and more limited. The unemployment rate for men and women between ages 16 and 25 reached 25 percent.
This unemployment crisis in the Meza valley created an urgent need for strategies that could revitalize the region's economy. A 1993 study on rural development, prepared by NOV'NA, determined the potential areas for regional development as well as the obstacles to economic growth. The study concluded that the valley's potential for development lies in the following areas.
· Natural resources: The region has the richest forests in Slovenia, yet wood processing remains an underdeveloped industry.· Geographic location: Situated in the heart of the Alps on the Austrian border, the valley offers many opportunities for tourism and trade.
· Experienced workforce: Three hundred years of mining and steel processing has created a skilled workforce and industrial capacities favourable for economic development.
· Cultural heritage: The Meza valley is known for its scenic beauty, its parks and monuments, and its regional cuisine and handicrafts.
According to the study, the main obstacles to realizing this potential were:
· a lack of knowledge and motivation for the development of new activities outside traditional industries;· an exodus of, educated young men and women from the area;
· the local population's generally low level of education;
· the passivity of the local population and dependence on social security;
· a lack of investment and start-up capital, due to fears concerning the existing labour-intensive industries, low wages, and the area's environmental problems;
· poor access to educational facilities and resource centres;
· an absence of institutions of higher education or regional development; and
· a poor communications infrastructure.
The study concluded that the valley could strengthen its economy by taking advantage of its cultural and natural resources, and that this economic development could only be achieved through community-based and professionally organized development projects. An initiative began in 1993 to bring together local men and women to work toward building the region's development potential, stimulating new entrepreneurial activities and encouraging the entire community to participate in reviving the region's economy. Motivational events were organized to share the positive results achieved by community-based development agencies in other countries.1
1 The concept of Integrated Resource Development (IRD) in which a local partnership agency made up of private businesses, government bodies and community organizations coordinate development programmes and projects m a professional manner was used as an example of an effective development approach for depressed rural areas. IRD has been successfully implemented throughout Ireland and an Irish development agency from County Mayo, Moy Valley Resources gave a presentation of its projects and results. This agency later became a partner in the Phare Tacis/Lien Programme which supported ALP's establishment by offering financial support and technical assistance from Irish development workers who helped design ALP's organizational structure, created planning strategies and provided training for staff. The Phare project started in 1994 and was successfully completed in 1996.
All three municipalities and several companies in the region agreed that a development initiative based on the IRD concept might work in the Meza valley. In November 1994, ALP was established. Its 21 founding partners included three local municipalities, six development and consulting agencies, three large state-owned industrial companies and nine privately owned businesses. ALP was conceived as a non-governmental organization (NGO). It is owned in partnership, with each partner holding an equal share, and is managed on the basis of mutually agreed upon development strategies and operational programmes. It is a non-profit agency which invests any income and profits in local development projects.
ALP's main goals are to:
· create a link between knowledge and capital to stimulate economic development in the community;· coordinate individual efforts into a comprehensive and professionally led movement for economic development with trained project managers and leaders;
· assure community control in planning and implementing development projects;
· offer support for new business ventures (stimulating new ideas, business planning, product design, and marketing and financing);
· serve as an incubator for new businesses by helping to establish and support them until they are capable of independent and successful growth;
· consolidate in one resource centre, professional and technical support for new and already existing businesses; and
· provide systematic development and professional marketing for regional products from one central location.
DEVELOPMENT OF ALP
Involvement of young men and women in ALP
To launch ALP, the shareholding partners invested about 2000 ECUs in venture capital and assembled a development team made up of a volunteer group of experts and five highly educated young men and women registered in the public works programme run by the National Employment Office (NEO). The NEO's public works programme is designed to involve unemployed young men and women in community development activities mostly related to town and village improvement and social work such as child care. The NEO covers the employee's basic salary and social security for one year and provides money for materials and employment training. The community is responsible for part of the individual's wages and other overhead costs. In 1995 and 1996, about 3000 young men and women participated in the NEO's public works programme. Because it has proven to be effective in creating permanent jobs, registration increased in 1997.
With the NEO's support, young men and women were hired as full-time employees with ALP for one year. This support allowed ALP's partners to reduce significantly their start-up costs but more importantly, it gave them the opportunity to build a young, creative and enthusiastic development team able to inspire the local population that had become passive and skeptical toward local economic development because of past experiences.
In 1995, when ALP's development team was formed, its main task was to use the agency's development strategies to create operational programmes and projects. The development team received support from a group of professional consultants and formal training in entrepreneurship, personal development, team work, project management, communication techniques and marketing. In June 1995, the shareholding partners accepted the development team's first project. A Tourism Information Centre (TIC) was established in Crna na Koroškem, and two members of ALP's development team were hired as permanent full-time staff.
Impressed by the effectiveness of the NEO's public works programme in stimulating community development, ALP's partners invited more young men and women from the programme to take part in its activities. By publicizing its activities, organizing promotional events and offering useful training courses, ALP has succeeded in attracting 23 young men and women to participate in its community development projects in its first two-and-one-half years of operation. All of these men and women were registered in NEO's public works programme, were looking for their first job or were unemployed, and were either college or university educated with degrees in a variety of professional fields, such as economics, sociology, journalism, information sciences, agriculture or law. While with ALP, these young men and women received professional training in different areas of project management which they used to design and implement several community development projects and improve their prospects for future employment.
Of these 23 young men and women, two continued their studies at university, while the rest found employment with one of ALP's partner companies or with small local businesses. They succeeded in not only creating jobs for themselves, they also strengthened the region's economic infrastructure by providing quality services and new business opportunities for the whole community. Because of ALP's accomplishments, many local young men and women have chosen to use its services and have obtained support for their business initiatives or received employment training.
Currently, an executive from one of ALP's partner companies, NOV'NA, manages the agency on a part-time basis, and five young men and women in the NEO's public works programme work as project managers. Another six to ten unemployed young men and women, also in NEO's public works programme, are receiving training in special services and project management.
Because of its innovative approaches to local development in the Meza Valley and its success in creating employment for young men and women, ALP has been recognized as one of the most successful community development organizations in Slovenia and has attracted financial support from national agencies such as the NEO, the National Small Business Center (NSBC), the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food, as well as international development programmes such as Phare.
ALP's Development programmes
ALP and its development team have established three resource centres to address different areas of community development.
· The TIC provides information and services to improve and promote tourism in the region.· The Business Support Center (BSC) provides information and guidance to men and women who have an established business or who wish to start a new one.
· The Human Resource Development Centre (HRDC) provides training and employment services for the unemployed, small-scale entrepreneurs, farmers and young men and women who have left school.
Tourism development
The tourism development programme is the most advanced of ALP's initiatives. The TIC staff has designed the entire promotional strategy which advertizes the Meza valley as 'King Matjaz's Park'. The TIC team is made up of two permanent full-time staff members who are supported by four unemployed men and women registered in the NEO's public works programme. The TIC has prepared special package tours that have been successfully marketed through three other tourism information offices, and new products and services are constantly being developed. The TIC hires 25 to 30 local young men and women on a contract basis to act as tour guides, improve local athletic and recreational facilities in Crna na Koroškem for use in the tourist industry, manage ski lifts, tennis courts, and playing fields and provide special mountain tours. This project is financially supported by the NEO, by the local community which pays for the cost of infrastructure and by Phare's Austria-Slovenia Cross-border Cooperation Programme which promotes the development of outdoor activities such as mountain-biking, mountaineering and trekking. The plan is to develop this project into a self-sustaining business which would manage and market athletic and recreational tourist activities in the region and would employ four permanent full-time staff members.
The TIC, with financial support from the NEO, has designed a training programme for young men and women who have left school. Those in the programme receive in-class vocational training in occupations related to tourism and are given a three-month job placement in restaurants, pubs and other businesses to gain practical experience. In connection with this, the TIC, with support from Phare's Partnership and Institution Building Programme, is working to establish a permanent training Center for tourism in rural areas.
The TIC'S strategies to promote tourism in the Meza valley have contributed to the region's development and improved the economic situation of young men and women in the following ways.
· Tourism has created jobs for young men and women in the Meza valley and offers tremendous potential for generating more employment, not only in businesses directly related to tourism but in other underdeveloped service industries.· By emphasizing the valley's cultural traditions and natural beauty in its promotional strategy, the TIC has created a stronger sense of regional identity and community pride.
· Promotion of tourism has raised the profile of the Meza valley and opened new opportunities for marketing locally manufactured products and attracting outside investment.
Small business development
ALP has established the Business Support Center (BSC) to provide assistance to a variety of business initiatives in the Meza valley. The BSC is connected to a nationwide network of information centres and support institutions. The most important of these organizations are the NEO and the NSBC, both of which offer assistance to young men and women who want to put their business ideas into action. ALP has made a successful application to administer all of the NEO's and NSBC's projects and programmes in the Meza valley.
The BSC's most important service for young men and women is its self-employment programme. The BSC has designed business strategies and provided training and financial support for new businesses in such fields as agro-tourism, farm-based processing of agricultural products, transportation and souvenir production.
The BSC feels its most important objective is to stimulate new business ventures. Towards this end, the BSC organized workshops with groups of local men and women in the village of Šentanel, where there are several farms offering tourist accommodations but few other tourist services. These workshops generated a number of ideas which led to the establishment of a village souvenir shop, a crafts studio, a farm museum and a tour guide service.
ALP is also developing programmes aimed at increasing employment opportunities for men and women from special groups in the community who traditionally have had difficulty finding full-time work. The most promising of these programmes are designed to provide:
· supplementary income for farm families through a central marketing system;· employment opportunities in the domestic service industry for women with little education; and
· employment opportunities in telemarketing and at-home work for physically and mentally challenged men and women.
The BSC's projects and programmes have contributed to the region's development and improved the economic situation of young men and women in the following ways.
· Local entrepreneurs have greater access to information about effective business practices and better connections with national data bases through the BSC's resource centre.· By administering national support programmes in the community and by establishing a local small business development fund, the BSC has made legal aid and financial assistance more accessible to local entrepreneurs.
· By improving the region's information and communication infrastructure, the BSC has provided local men and women with employment opportunities in the fields of innovation and technology.
Human resource development
In keeping with its general strategy for community development, ALP's principle objective is to improve the educational level and the overall knowledge base in the valley. The HRDC is becoming ALP's core programme because it has proven itself the most vital instrument for stimulating development. Vocational training programmes have been designed for several different groups, the most important of which are unemployed young men and women.
ALP continues to work closely with the NEO's public works programme which remains an important source for employment training for young men and women in the Meza valley. Based on ALP's successes, the NEO has developed a nationwide training programme for unemployed young men and women that involves them directly in community development projects. Project managers from ALP have been employed as instructors in this programme.
The HRDC also offers unemployed young men and women on-the-job employment training in small and medium size companies. Young women have been trained as administrative assistants in SMEs, and some have been given job placements in a variety of businesses, including restaurants, telecommunication companies, wood processing companies and financial services agencies.
The HRDC collaborates with students from the universities at Ljubljana and Maribor who carry out research studies on ALP's rural development activities. Each year, an economics student is hired to work one day per week at ALP. ALP and the regional university students' association jointly organize information meetings and social events in the community as well as an annual job fair with potential employers in the region.
By organizing motivational workshops for unemployed men and women, ALP has been able to monitor closely the local employment situation. In 1997, more than 150 men and women participated in these two-day workshops where they received personal guidance counselling and information concerning the local job market and new development initiatives in the valley. Regular evaluations of the local labour market and ALP's human resource development programmes have shown that the region has benefited from ALP's services in the following ways.
· ALP's collaboration with the NEO's public works programme has provided employment opportunities for local young men and women.· By providing rural communities with training programmes that had been available only in urban centres and by developing new educational facilities locally, the HRDC has improved access to vocational training.
· The HRDC has helped integrate educational and employment policies into a broader community development strategy.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
ALP's experiences in the Meza valley permit certain conclusions to be drawn regarding rural development and development programmes involving young men and women.
· Rural development requires the presence of effective local agencies that can coordinate the efforts of the private and public sectors, and assure that national employment programmes and business incentives are made accessible to those who need them and are implemented effectively. ALP, with its trained management team and technical infrastructure, filled this need in the Meza valley. Local men and women became less dependent on development agencies in the capital for training, information and financial assistance. Also, local development agencies, such as ALP, create quality employment opportunities in the region and as a result, increase the community's overall knowledge base and capacity for innovation.· Local development agencies have limited financial resources and often require additional funding from outside sources. Without the support of the NEO's public works programme, ALP would have been far less effective in integrating young men and women in its development activities. NEO's public works programme gave local young men and women the chance to create employment opportunities for themselves and provided the community with a highly motivated and well trained development team that is helping to spark an economic renewal.
· To increase the participation of young men and women in rural development projects, it is necessary that they be involved in every phase of the project, from its conception to its implementation. In the Meza valley, young men and women were given the chance to plan and carry out their own development initiatives. They rose to the challenge, and as a result, they became leaders in their community. With their knowledge, creativity and enthusiasm, they improved their own socio-economic position and the quality of life in the entire area. Fresh ideas from young men and women were needed in the Meza valley where a decline in traditional heavy industries and a dependency on social security programmes had left the local population feeling resigned to economic stagnation.
· Rural development requires that vocational training be available locally and that the training methods promote community involvement. Before ALP began its activities, vocational training often was only offered in cities outside the Meza valley and was not formally structured. However, once the HRDC was established, young men and women from a variety of social groups could receive training locally in a range of areas, including personal development, team work, and community building. This was important for the success of ALP's training programmes and projects which were all developed through workshops and were based on the principle of team work. The men and women of the Meza valley were not used to working together in teams and generating ideas in groups. By introducing group work techniques, men and women involved in separate projects learned to support one another. This is essential for community solidarity and effective rural development.
· Successful rural development must instill a sense of pride in rural communities, otherwise there will be little motivation for the local population to become involved in development projects. By designing projects that validate and build on the region's cultural and natural resources, local young men and women are more inclined to remain in the area and participate in the development of its potential. By promoting the Meza valley as an attractive tourist destination, ALP not only succeeded in increasing economic activity in the region, it also reaffirmed, for the local men and women of all ages, the value of their cultural identity.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
This case study describes a rural development project which successfully encouraged young men and women to return to their communities after completing college and university in cities outside their region. The municipality of Škofja Loka's Students Operational Programme (SOP) offered students professional training and a chance to manage projects which helped develop the local tourist industry. The community benefited from the fresh ideas the students brought to the tourism promotion campaign and from the projects they implemented. By increasing the students' attachment to their native communities, the area improved its prospects for long-term economic development. The students were able to take advantage of the opportunity to use the skills and experience they acquired in business management to create employment for themselves.
Description of the area
The municipality of Škofja Loka, in central Slovenia, is an alpine area of narrow valleys and high mountains. Most of the region's 39 000 inhabitants live in the 1000 year old city of Škofja Loka or in smaller towns and villages. The rural population of about 8000 is distributed throughout 16 communities that include both lowland and highland regions. Four of the these rural mountain communities have suffered some of the most severe out-migration in all Slovenia.
The area's economy is primarily industrial, with about 75 percent of the GNP generated in urban centres compared to a national average of 54 percent. The economic situation is relatively stable in comparison to other parts of Slovenia. However, its industrial base is threatened by changes in the global economy, and the region will have to develop its service sector in order to remain secure.
At the end of the last decade, rural areas were marked by severe out-migration. Rural economies were almost entirely dependent on agriculture, and in mountain areas growing conditions placed severe limits on production. Job opportunities were scarce and, as the national economy underwent profound changes, the local labour market became even more competitive and unemployment grew. It was clear there was a pressing need for new economic activities which could bring jobs and income into rural areas.
In the region of Škofja Loka, there are no education and training institutions for students who have finished high school. To continue their education, students must commute 30 km to Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital. For students from rural areas travelling is especially difficult because public transportation connections are very poor.
Employment possibilities are limited for young men and women in Škofja Loka because the economy lacks diversity and is dominated by labour intensive industries which offer few quality jobs and which are increasingly at risk due to the global trend toward free trade. Instead of looking for work in their own communities, young men and women often prefer to search for jobs in Ljubljana or Kranj, the nearest large cities. If they find work there, they usually move away from their home towns because the daily commute is too difficult. A declining population, especially of young men and women with higher education in Škofja Loka was recognized as the main constraint for economic development.
Regional Development Programme (RDP)
In 1991, the Škofja Loka municipal council and NOV'NA, a consulting agency, designed the Regional Development Programme (RDP) for mountainous rural areas in the municipality of Škofja Loka. The programme's objective was to improve the quality of life in the area by creating new economic activities that make use of local cultural and natural resources and that are safe for the environment.
A global management approach was used to identify the region's development potential and the factors that inhibit socio-economic growth. The area's potential for development lay in its natural beauty, rich cultural heritage, the wide variety of agricultural products and handicrafts, and the existing industrial infrastructure. All the rural communities lacked was information about business development and an entrepreneurial spirit.
Although agriculture is and will remain the basis of the region's economy, tourism and traditional wood processing were seen as offering the greatest prospects for development.
Based on these findings, motivational activities were designed as a first step in RDP's development activities. The following is a list of their most effective initiatives.
· To promote the programme throughout the region, trial projects in tourism and wood processing were organized in several communities. In Sorica, a beautiful village high in the mountains, RDP and the local community designed a campaign to promote tourism by improving accommodations, services and infrastructure. In Davca, the largest community in the region, local men and women established small workshops for wood processing. After the success of the first five of these workshops, other entrepreneurs expressed an interest in investing in similar ventures. In 1993, men and women in the community of Javorje took advantage of the existing tourism facilities (ski lifts) to develop agrotourism in the area and, as a result, four farms were adapted to accommodate tourists.· Information and support were provided to local communities and to interested men and women to help them develop new business ventures.
· Members of the municipal government as well as men and women participating in local development projects formed the Rural Development Initiative Group (RDIG).
As result of this initial phase of the rural development programme, new businesses were created in the tourism, service and manufacturing sectors. It was decided that priority should be given to developing the tourism industry since it was recognized as having the most potential for generating employment and supplementary income. Increased tourism also benefits other local businesses, in a way that does not disturb the environment or local cultural values.
Consequently, in 1992, to further the work of the RDP, the municipal government of Škofja Loka created the Rural Tourism Development Strategy (RTDS) with the aim of:
· laying the foundation for long-term growth of tourism in the region in order to diversify the local economy, create employment opportunities and spark economic growth in other areas;· fostering an entrepreneurial spirit in the local population and encouraging men and women to participate in community development activities; and
· supporting already established development projects.
Its approach has been designed to build on the region's strengths: its natural beauty and cultural heritage, the traditional knowledge and skills of local artisans and the existing infrastructure. It seeks to create high quality tour packages centred around the attractions of the historic city of Škofja Loka, in order to boost tourism throughout the region. All its development initiatives would be designed to meet the expressed needs of the local community and to be environmentally safe.
Its strategies, based on development studies and consultations with local men and women, provided the community with a long-term vision of its economic future and a practical programme for reaching immediate economic goals. It also outlined a step-by-step procedure for achieving community development; starting with a campaign to change the business climate in the area by encouraging local men and women to participate in community development projects and to make use of local resources to promote tourism and economic growth.
The main obstacle to economic growth in the region was the pessimism and passivity of the local population. Local men and women were skeptical about community development initiatives, and hesitant to take risks or incur debts. There was a lack of information about new economic trends and development opportunities. The local population was unaware of its own potential and continued to wait for the solutions to come from outside.
What the local population needed was encouragement and practical results that proved that community initiated development projects could improve the quality of their lives. Therefore, in the RTDS, priority was given to changing negative attitudes about community development. In every community in the region, motivational activities were organized to encourage men and women to participate in community development activities and assume responsibility for improving their economic situations. Community development projects were designed in response to the needs and ideas that local men and women expressed during the motivational workshops. Consulting and support were offered to help develop and raise funds for these activities.
Support was also given to the development projects already under way in Sorica, Davca and Javorje. This included:
· the establishment of a regional tourism office and a community and tourist information centre in Sorica;· providing promotional materials for locally made products;
· improving the tourism infrastructure in Javorje and Davca by creating and promoting theme tours through the area and by arranging package tours in cooperation with the local ski resort;
· creating a marketing network linking domestic craft production workshops with tourism; and
· expanding the development of theme tours and tourist products to other local communities.
Background
By 1994, the Municipality of Škofja Loka had launched two development initiatives, the RDP and the RTDS, and had carried out successful projects in the villages of Sorica, Javorje and Davca. However, community leaders were faced with the problem that there were not enough qualified local men and women available to design and manage development projects. Local governments did not have professionally trained staff able to assume the responsibility of implementing the development strategies, and there were no community development agencies operating locally. The men and women who had initiated the development strategies were not experienced enough to take charge of project management.
SOP, an idea proposed by the RDIG, was designed to solve the region's human resource problem by organizing a group of local students, training them in project management and community development work, and involving them in implementing local development strategies. The project was intended to benefit all 16 local communities by exposing them to the fresh ideas generated by the student development team. Local farmers, with meager revenues from agricultural production, would be able to explore the possibilities of finding supplementary income generating activities. Artisans, entrepreneurs and farmers, hampered by their limited access to larger markets, would receive input regarding marketing strategies. Above all, male and female students and unemployed university graduates, facing an uncertain employment future, would gain valuable work experience and have a chance to express their ideas about local economic growth and work toward securing a fulfilling career.
Members of the RDIG were aware that the most effective results would come from a coordinated effort by RDP and RTDS and that SOP, which provides a link between these two initiatives, plays a role in both rural development and the development of the regional tourism industry.
History of SOP
SOP was presented in concept to the local government in every community in the region. Two communities voted to support the programme in its initial phase. The programme was then publicized in the local media, through the students association in Ljubljana and through a letter writing campaign. Any student who had finished three years of courses in any discipline was eligible to participate. Interested students were invited to a meeting in which the development strategies, projects and results of RDP and RDTS programmes were presented. Fifteen of the students (almost all) agreed to join the project. The Rural Development Initiative Group organized a training program for them which included seminars on the global management approach to rural development and on personal development. Funding proposals were sent to various national agencies, and the programme received financing from the National Programme for Rural Development and Village Renewal (Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry), and the National Fund for the Development of Depopulated Areas (Ministry of Economic Relations and Development). Municipal governments covered the material costs for the students' work. The programme began operating in January 1996 with a group of 15 students from a range of backgrounds, including agriculture, geography, economy, architecture, design, journalism and sociology. Ten more students joined the development team later. These students came from both rural and urban communities and worked together in teams. It is perhaps surprising that students from the cities were the ones who displayed the most enthusiasm for work on rural development projects.
SOP Activities
In the programme's first phase the students used the knowledge gained in the training seminars and, with help from professional advisors, took stock of the region's tourist services and facilities. After this, in conjunction with local authorities, they defined potential areas for tourism development and identified obstacles that would need to be overcome.
The next part of the initial phase involved organizing potential joint tourism ventures in cooperation with local members of the community, elaborating tourist itineraries which could be incorporated into an attractive tour package, and designing promotional materials. In accordance with priorities established by the RDIG, three new projects were designed in the second phase.
· A three-student team worked on developing a tourist itinerary through the mountain villages to enhance and expand the tour package which was centered around Škofja Loka.· Two students worked on restoring cultural monuments so that they could be used in the tourism promotion campaign. Financial assistance was given for the restoration of selected monuments.
· One student worked on civic improvements, especially a medieval castle in Škofja Loka, which is the prime attraction for the whole tourism package
Nine students, mostly designers and architects, continue to work on these programmes and projects.
Problems, Obstacles and Recommendations
Initially, the greatest difficulty the programme faced was convincing community leaders that students are capable of designing and managing local development projects. With SOP'S successes, this has become much less of a problem.
Obtaining adequate financing for training and other costs continues to be a major problem. Although local mayors have agreed to support the programme, there are no funds available to pay for the professional counselling and supervision necessary for student groups.
It was determined that younger students should be eligible to participate in SOP. One year was not enough time for students to complete their training and develop their projects into economically viable businesses offering permanent employment after graduation. Also, there is no financial aid available to support young men and women in the critical early stages of business development.
Results and Recommendations
SOP was able to implement programmes and projects for one-half the cost of professional development agencies. More importantly, because the development team came from the community, they were more aware of the region's needs and resources and had greater incentive to achieve lasting results. The following is a list of the programme's most significant results after its first year.
· Local young men and women became more enthused about community development. By contributing to the region's economic renewal, the students grew more attached to their local communities. This inspired other young men and women to participate in rural development.· Three existing development programmes which were in the implementation phase were expanded upon.
· The programme demonstrated to local communities that any young man or woman, regardless of educational background, can make an important contribution to community development, provided he or she has sufficient commitment and a willingness to work as part of a team.
· Students became more informed about development trends and policies, and funding programmes. Because the students lived and studied in Ljubljana, they acted as ambassadors, providing an important information link between the urban and rural communities.
· Students received training at no cost in areas essential for their professional development and that were not part of their university curriculum.
· The students used their practical experiences in their university studies and this improved their academic performance.
The results achieved during the first year of the project prompted other local governments to participate in the programme. Ten more students joined the programme and the scope of its activities was expanded to include the entire rural area. Because of this, the results obtained during the programme's second year were more tangible.
· A tourist route is completely arranged and on the market.· Three more packages are being designed, including a city tour of Škofja Loka, a cultural tour of the entire region and an agricultural tour.
· Promotional material and tour guides have been organized for tourists making day trips to the region.
· A training programme for tourist guides has been established.
· Three students are preparing dissertations on the development of rural tourism in mountain regions and the development of traditional craft production on farms.
Three members of the first team are now project leaders involved in creating an overall development strategy for the municipality of Škofja Loka. Four others are project managers for new programmes and initiatives. The programme created jobs for several of the students. One works in a travel agency, four are employed in municipal governments as administrative assistants, project coordinators and information technicians, and two others have become freelance designers for cultural organizations.
As a result of the programme's success, the mayors of every community in Škofja Loka agreed to provide funding for SOP so that it can continue to provide training and opportunities to students seeking experience and employment in community development projects.
ALP Peca d.o.o. 1995. Tourism Development Strategy and Implementation Programme.
ALP Peca d.o.o. 1996. Human Resource Development Centre - Business Plan.
ALP Peca d.o.o. 1996-1997. Business Support Centre - Operational Programme.
Institute for Economic Research. 1989. Comparative analyses of the development opportunities of the regions in Slovenia. Ljubljana.
M.ME_L. 1996. Rural development and entrepreneurship - presentation of the experiences in Slovenia. FAO International Workshop, Hungary.
M-ME_L. 1997. Self-employment in rural areas. Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs of Slovenia.
National Employment Office of Slovenia. 1996. Active Employment Policy Measures - Evaluation Study.
National Employment Office of Slovenia. 1996a. Public Works in Slovenia - Evaluation Study.
NOV'NA. 1991. Rural Development Study - Regional Development Programme for Mountainous and Rural Areas in Škofja Loka.
NOV'NA. 1993. Rural Development Study Ravne na Koroškem - Development of Meza Valley.
NOV'NA. 1993a. Rural Development Study - Establishment of Community Development Agency.
NOV'NA. 1993b. Rural Development Study - Development of the Village Tourist Products of Sorica.
NOV'NA. 1993c. Rural Development Study - Development of wood processing in small production units in Davca.
NOV'NA. 1994. Rural Development Study - Development strategy of rural tourism.
Small Business Promotion Centre of Slovenia. 1996. Local Development Initiatives - Evaluation Study.
YouthAction Northern Ireland
by Teresa Geraghty
YouthAction Northern Ireland
Rural action research project
Blueprint for community development approach to youth services.
Youth worker as catalyst for community development
Conclusion
Introduction
This study documents the work of YouthAction NI in rural areas of Northern Ireland. YouthAction has recently completed a 15-month research project examining the role of young people in rural community development. The research, presented in the report 'A Sense of Belonging', was conducted from August 1995 to December 1996, against a changing political background in three areas of Northern Ireland, all of which are designated disadvantaged in terms of economic activity and social infrastructure. The areas are the South Mournes, Castlederg and surrounding areas, and the Glens of Antrim. All of Northern Ireland is designated an EU Objective No 1 region.
In Northern Ireland, groups from two communities have been engaged in violent conflict over the region's political status. Loyalist forces from the Protestant majority favoured a continued political union with Great Britain, while the Irish Republican Army (IRA), whose members are from the Catholic minority, was seeking to establish an independent republic. In Northern Ireland, it is generally assumed that a person's religious denomination determines his or her political convictions. In this climate of violence, symbols and colours assume a heightened importance and serve to maintain solidarity within each community and entrench the divisions between them.
In 1994 both Loyalist and Republican groups declared ceasefires. The Republican ceasefire was broken in February 1996 but reinstated in July 1997. The peace process which followed has since resulted in the signing of the "Good Friday Agreement" in April 1998 and the election of 108 members to a local Assembly in May 1998.
Rural areas have not suffered the same physical damage as urban centres during this protracted civil conflict, known as 'The Troubles'. However, the same atmosphere of suspicion prevails. Considerable progress has been made in the political backdrop in Northern Ireland, but it would be a mistake to think that issues of conflict resolution no longer need to be addressed. There continues to be a need to foster trust, cooperation, respect and mutual understanding both within and between communities. Those involved in local development groups that struggle to bring the two groups together often face criticism from within their own communities. This is also true for young men and women who participate in cross-community activities.
International experts in conflict resolution compare Northern Ireland to other contested societies, such as Bosnia, South Africa and Israel. YouthAction feels that its programmes and methodologies, designed to cope with sensitive social issues in areas where there is little trust among community members, could be transferred to other regions in conflict.
Youth Service Policy
YouthAction's programmes and research complement youth services provided by government agencies and other independent organizations. Its activities respond to changes in government policies aimed at decentralizing youth services and promoting partnerships with volunteer and community organizations in order to develop citizenship and re-establish a sense of community. This involves a partial transfer of responsibility for youth services from state institutions to local community organizations or private agencies. Along with this decentralization of services, the government also has adopted a policy that seeks to enhance local democracy and increase local accountability for services.
Many government agencies have developed new approaches to deal with this shift toward community responsibility for youth services. However, the Northern Ireland Youth Service is one of the few agencies that has not, and it is under increasing pressure to do so. Pressures come from other government agencies that wish to integrate their services in order to provide more effective programmes and from communities demanding greater control over local programmes for young people. The Northern Ireland Youth Service also must adapt to government policies reducing public spending.
YouthAction's research and other studies (e.g. North Eastern Education and Library Board, 1994) have shown that the majority of young men and women over the age of 16 are unlikely to use traditional youth services. It would appear that neither the policies nor the practice are relevant to them. Youth agencies have tended to provide their services in a manner that segregates young people from the rest of the community. This approach makes the young feel undervalued and ignored, and that they have little to contribute because they have not made the transition to adulthood.
Excluding young men and women from participation in a broad range of local activities is a waste of potential. It creates a situation with little social change, because the same mistakes are repeated. Until there is a change in the way youth services are delivered, young men and women will not attain the full citizenship rights and the recognition they deserve, and community development will be hindered.
The shift to local control and delivery of youth services opens the possibility of redefining community development. It creates an opportunity for youth service agencies, wherever they operate, to build partnerships with the young, to advocate on their behalf and to stimulate an exchange of ideas among young people and those in positions of power and authority. These agencies could play a role in creating opportunities for young men and women to stake their claims in local development.
YouthAction NI is a voluntary non-governmental youth organization that cooperates with youth workers and concerned adults to support young men and women, especially those from communities considered disadvantaged, as they strive to define their identity and integrate themselves into society. Their activities focus on:
· helping young men and women assume active roles in their communities;· providing employment and life skills training;
· offering appropriate and effective training for youth workers and community activists;
· promoting equality of opportunity;
· developing innovative programmes and resource materials that encourage self-reliance and entrepreneurship in young men and women; and
· creating opportunities for children and young men and women to participate in arts, sports and recreational events.
An important aspect of YouthAction's rural research involves the development of new methodological approaches to enhance the quality of youth services and its role in community development. Four studies which were part of a 15-month research project will be reviewed later in this case study.
INITIATIVES TARGETED AT YOUNG WOMEN IN RURAL AREAS
Moving On (funded by the EU Employment Initiative - Horizon)
Moving On is an accredited pre-vocational course for young mothers between ages 18 and 25. The course is designed to suit the particular needs of the young women and offers training in such areas as parenting, personal development, computer skills, job skills, work placement, health and first aid. After completing the programme, some young women choose to continue their education and training, and others find employment, sometimes as a result of their work placement training. Course materials are developed jointly with international partners. YouthAction's work with international partners has shown that the Moving On Programme can be transferred to other developing regions, including ECTs.
Lifting the Limits (funded by the EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation -Employment Initiative)
Lifting the Limits is a community leadership programme for young mothers between ages 18 and 25. This year-long programme combines training and practical work, in order to develop the personal and professional skills of young mothers and to improve their prospects for future employment and education. It also seeks to address the social barriers and inequalities facing young mothers and to support their integration into the workforce and the community. It is an accredited programme which can lead to higher education and training in youth, community and social work.
Speaking Out (funded by the Rural Development Council)
Speaking Out is a two-year programme that provides support and training to young women from different youth and community groups throughout Northern Ireland. Having acquired new skills, participants then can establish young women's groups in their own communities and pass their experiences to other young women.
Currently in its second year, the women involved participate in monitoring and evaluating the programme's development.
Video Project (funded by EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation - Cross Border Initiative with the Republic of Ireland)
This project involves 14 young mothers from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland who have completed the Moving On programme. The young women in the programme are creating a video which deals with issues relevant to their lives and reflects the essential elements of Moving On. Each of the young women receives credits in video skills and techniques.
Rural Development Unit
YouthAction Northern Ireland is seeking to establish the Rural Development Unit to build on the results of the Action Research Project. The Rural Development Unit aims to develop and support work with young men and women in rural areas by:
· supporting projects organized by young people, in order to develop their skills and potential;· supporting governmental, community and volunteer organizations in their work with young men and women in rural areas;
· making resources and information available on the social integration of young men and women;
· designing rural development strategies, both local and regional, that respond to the needs of young men and women; and
· promoting policies which seek to gauge how measures and plans are targeted at rural young people.
The Rural Development Unit's current activities include:
· assisting various groups from LEADER II (Links among Rural Development Actions) and the Area-Based Strategy Rural Development Programme (Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture) in developing youth programmes;· assisting agencies established under the EU Special Support Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in involving young people in their programmes and strategies;
· training members of rural development organizations and project workers to work with young men and women;
· assisting an Action Research Alliance group from the Rural Development Council in working with young people; and
· providing input regarding community development in rural areas for the University of Ulster's Professional Community Youth Work training course.
The Action Research Project, carried out between August 1995 and February 1997 provided a profile of the needs, hopes and aspirations of men and women between ages 14 and 25 in rural communities in Northern Ireland. It also:
· evaluated the quality of the services directed to young men and women;· designed community development strategies responsive to the needs of the young;
· established partnerships with rural development networks to design strategies involving young adults in overall development plans;
· reviewed initiatives from other European countries for examples of innovative programmes that integrate young men and women into rural development;
· provided feedback to youth service agencies which assisted them in evaluating their services;
· provided information to youth service agencies and local development groups concerning the attitudes of young men and women in rural communities; and
· designed strategies that encouraged participation of young adults in community development projects.
PRACTICE STUDIES
The research team used practice studies not only to gather information but to demonstrate potential new approaches for integrating youth services into broader community development. They also served to make a practical contribution to the community which was particularly important for the young men and women participating in the research project.
YouthAction researchers felt that for their practice studies to be successful, there needed to be a commitment from local men and woman from all age groups to work together for a common purpose, and that they must be willing to support and challenge each other in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect.
The methodological approaches the research team wanted to demonstrate made use of the following tools for community development:
· consciousness raising;· participation - an essential element in community development, ranging from minimal to fully committed involvement, including participation in decision-making;
· conscientization - a term coined by Paulo Freire (1972) to describe a process in which experiences are shared, validated and reflected upon in order to support future action;
· partnership - a relationship in which men and women in groups or individually share power equally;
· self-help - the capacity within communities to engineer their own development but not a substitute for support from government agencies or other institutions;
· capacity-building - the validation and development of local knowledge and skills;
· collective action - social mobilization made possible by the transformation of individual issues into common concerns;
· community education - education in the community, by the community and for the community which can involve both structured courses on subjects such as literacy and numeracy, and informal instruction concerning personal development; and
· community politics - grassroots political activism that seeks to assure equitable distribution of local power and involve all members of the community in decision-making processes.
The following section includes a brief description of the four practice studies that were conducted and a listing of their major outcomes.
I. VIDEO PROJECT
Young men and women wanted to express their views at a community meeting which adults would be attending. They did not feel confident enough to speak at the meeting and decided to make a video that would deliver their message. A member of the YouthAction research team was asked to help with the video project, and her role as facilitator was agreed upon. Regular meetings were arranged, agendas set and responsibilities delegated. During the meetings, the video's content and style were decided democratically. The video was shown at the meeting and was well received. While writing and producing the video, the young people had the opportunity to:
· discuss issues relevant to them and to express their needs;· identify factors that both inhibit and encourage their participation in community activities;
· develop methods to facilitate the expression of their ideas to local adults and workers;
· learn new skills and gain experience in community affairs;
· feel that their ideas were heard by local community representatives;
· enjoy and appreciate the value of collective action; and
· share experiences and develop a greater understanding of each other's skills and abilities.
Adults and young men and women were able to share experiences and reflect on how these had affected them. This helped consolidate the relationship between the younger and older generations within this community.
The researcher had the opportunity to record the ideas and attitudes of local young men and women and observe the methods they used to express themselves.
II. YOUTH WORKSHOP
A number of young people expressed a desire to meet with other young people in the area to discuss common issues. Consequently, the YouthAction researcher invited those who were interested to a general meeting to discuss the purpose and content of the proposed workshop. All agreed that the researcher would support but not supervise the project. During a period of several weeks at a series of preparatory meetings, the objectives for the workshop were agreed upon, and a contract was drawn up which clearly defined each person's responsibilities. An invitation list was drawn up, and the workshop was publicized in schools and throughout the community.
During the workshop, the young people acted as facilitators for the full group and small group sessions. At the end of the day, a member of the local community development association joined the workshop to praise their work and invited them to participate in the organization of a local festival. Also in attendance was an official from the local Education and Library Board who encouraged young people to use him as a resource in the future.
The group of young men and women involved in the project:
· developed and demonstrated leadership skills;
· gained greater awareness of the needs of other young people in the area;
· improved their self-confidence;
· learned to organize a workshop;
· became aware of support available to them locally;
· enjoyed sharing experiences and working together;
· became involved in other community activities; and
· became more pro-active in making their demands known.
Adults and youth workers saw that young men and women are able to organize community activities on their own when the appropriate support is available.
III. PLANNING A LOCAL FESTIVAL
A community group approached a YouthAction researcher to coordinate a youth subcommittee that would plan events and activities for a week-long local festival. The subcommittee would then submit the plans to the main committee. It was hoped that some of the young men and women on this subcommittee would remain involved in the community group and would encourage others to join. The subcommittee and the researcher discussed past festivals before brainstorming for new ideas. The ideas generated during these discussions were then canvassed among their peers to gauge which were the most popular. The subcommittee then met to finalize the proposals and to determine how they would be presented to the main committee.
Initially, the members of the main organizing committee encouraged members of the youth subcommittee. However, their attitude became more harsh as deadlines drew nearer. Some ignored the work of youth subcommittee entirely, others dealt only with the YouthAction researcher. The main organizing committee's focus on money and control led to fears that the events planned by the youth subcommittee would be too costly, embarrassing or controversial.
The hostile behaviour of members of the main organizing committee was not only aimed at the youth subcommittee. They also tended to be dismissive, inconsiderate and generally non-supportive of each other's ideas.
The young men and women involved in the project:
· successfully organized a series of events at a local festival;· demonstrated to themselves and others that they are capable of working on their own, if adult support (but not supervision) is made available;
· enjoyed being given responsibility and working with local community groups;
· observed how community groups operate; and
· identified factors which inhibited their participation in such groups.
The adults in the festival committee, as well as other members of the community, saw that local young men and women were willing to become involved in community activities. The potential for partnership was demonstrated but not entirely realized.
The YouthAction researcher identified the factors which hindered the participation of youth in community groups and was able to address them in a limited way.
IV. COMMUNITY MEETING
A local community group asked a YouthAction researcher to attend a meeting organized to address the problem of hooliganism. Acting on a request by the researcher, a planning meeting was scheduled. However, the researcher was unable to attend because she was given only 24 hours notice. She did meet later with the chairperson and suggested that YouthStart's research questionnaires might be used as a starting point for discussions with the young people.
The researcher agreed to play the role of a facilitator. However, when she arrived at the meeting, she discovered that she and a youth worker were expected to act as chairpersons. A member of the community group decided against using the questionnaires and instead used some of the statements on the questionnaires as discussion topics. Following brief introductions, the assembly split into three smaller groups. The youth worker, the researcher and other adults facilitated the discussions. The district youth officer, a police officer and other adults observed the proceedings.
During the plenary discussion, several issues were raised, the conversation became heated and very personal. As the researcher did not wish to see anyone in a potentially embarrassing situation, she intervened and brought the discussion to an end. She proposed that if the young people wanted to meet again without adults present, in order to talk about the issues raised at the meeting, she and the youth worker were willing to act as facilitators. This was agreed to by all.
At the next meeting, the researcher found that another district youth officer had sent a senior staff member to the meeting to 'offer support' from the Education and Library Board. Despite knowing that the young people wanted to meet without adults present, he remained in the room. During the meeting, he constantly tried to promote the Education and Library Board's services and spoke of forming a structured group. Although plans were made to meet the following week, none of the young people showed up.
Young men and women:
· had a limited opportunity to discuss issues relevant to them with other members of the community;· opted out of the community activity; and
· indicated that they were not satisfied by the procedures being followed.
Local adults saw that the younger generation was interested in working collectively. Local service providers and security officials (district youth officers and the police) saw that some effort was being made by local adults and youth to come together to address community needs. The researcher identified a number of different agendas at work.
ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION
An analysis of these practice studies offers useful information about how a community development approach to youth services might be implemented in Northern Ireland and other regions. In each of these practice cases, agendas, roles, relationships and procedures are considered in determining the strengths and weaknesses.
Agendas
For each of these projects, the YouthStart researcher's agenda was to demonstrate effective methods for integrating local young men and women into community development activities. Establishing partnerships between all those involved was to be an integral part of the process.
The video group and youth workshop were successful because, in both cases, agendas were made clear, and there was a greater understanding of each participant's viewpoint. This ensured a productive dialogue between the young people and community members.
In the community meeting, the local community group seemed to have a hidden agenda. Hooliganism was not really the problem. The real issue was a power struggle between the young and other members of the community, particularly those involved in promoting tourism. As for the local youth service agencies, it seemed that self-promotion was at the top of their agenda.
Successful social mobilization cannot happen when agendas are not explained, and when the participants see each other as rivals. Also, some of the men and women who participated in the community meeting were task oriented, while others were more interested in the process. This clash between people with differing, unexpressed agendas resulted in failure.
Roles
At the outset of any community activity that involves the young, the role of each person, including the youth worker, must be clearly defined. It is, in fact, an essential part of the activity itself. Defining roles helps to avoid confusion, inconsistency and conflict.
In the video group, those involved knew what was expected of them, because their roles were made clear from the start. It was also understood that these roles could be revised if necessary. For example, during the video project, the researcher and the young men and women assumed the roles of teacher and pupil interchangeably. This gave the video group the self-assurance to take risks and try new ways of communicating.
In the video group and youth workshop, a feeling of security prevailed. The participants knew that mutual support was crucial for the project's success and, in this atmosphere of trust, any confusion or difficulties concerning individual responsibilities were resolved quickly. This was vital in achieving the full participation and partnership of the young people. In fact, in the youth workshop, the
YouthAction researchers role was minimal. The young people, recruited from their peer groups, organized their own tasks and took responsibility for carrying them out.
In contrast in the festival planning and community meeting, roles were not clearly defined. In both cases, the YouthAction researcher agreed to play the role of facilitator. However, during the course of events, the community groups involved tended to impose other responsibilities on the researcher (i.e. chairperson, supervisor, manager, recruiter and liaison officer) which created a situation in which it was very difficult to build partnerships among the different groups.
Although most roles may be agreed upon, there are others which are automatically ascribed to certain people. The members of the youth subcommittee pointed out that older men and women, whether they like it or not, are role models for youth in their communities. When adults fail to realize this, they can damage their relationships with young people. Adults need to be aware of how influential their behaviour can be and act responsibly.
Relationships
Relationships based on trust and mutual respect are crucial for community development. If such relationships are not present, participants will be reluctant to declare their agendas openly and accept constructive roles in community projects. In all of these practice studies, the YouthStart researcher tried to establish partnerships among all the men and women involved. The extent to which the researcher was able to do this determined the success of the activity.
In both the video group and festival planning, the team-building process was made easier because the researcher had already established a relationship of trust and mutual respect with the young men and women involved. However, in the community meeting, relationships between different groups had to be developed on the spot.
In the festival planning and community meeting, the community agencies often treated the YouthStart researchers more as employees than as partners. Perhaps the young men and women involved also saw them in this light, but nevertheless they were willing to give the process the benefit of the doubt.
In the community meeting, community groups and other members of the community viewed the local youth not as a partners in development, but as a problem that needed to be contained.
Clearly in a relationship which is explicitly defined as a rivalry, no trust will grow, no ideas will be exchanged and no risks will be taken.
Procedures
At the outset of any community project that involves young people, the participants should work together to design a process acceptable to all. Explicit procedures for dealing with difficulties, disagreements and/or dissatisfaction will help reduce frustration, tension and confusion. Taking time to do this can ensure that real partnership and participation is achieved. Planning how community projects will proceed is as important as the results, if not more so.
Also, evaluations should be integrated into any community activity. How these evaluations are conducted is important. All participants should be involved, and feedback should come from a variety of sources. It is preferable for evaluations to be facilitated by an outside observer.
The young men and women in the video group clearly defined the procedures they would follow and understood how the project's objectives and the process were related. They recognized, however, that these procedures could be modified if they were not working. Building this safety net boosted their confidence and allowed them to enjoy taking risks. These procedures produced satisfactory results for all.
An explicit mission statement prepared by those involved in planning the youth workshop allowed the participants to focus on their respective tasks and understand their purpose. By reflecting on issues that were important to them, the young people involved were able to plan, implement and evaluate their own work. Separate evaluations were made by the students who organized the workshop and by those who participated in it. As a result, the student organizers learned from their experience and made plans for other activities such as participation in a local women's festival and greater involvement in student council activities. This shows that once skills have been developed in one area, they can be transferred to other activities.
In the festival planning, the procedures adopted by the youth subcommittee conflicted with those of the main organizing committee. The members of the youth subcommittee, though they came from different backgrounds, succeeded in setting common goals which promoted self-reliance and partnership, and they agreed upon procedures that were mutually supportive. This allowed them to present their ideas with confidence. The members of the main organizing committee, on the other hand, followed procedures that seemed antagonistic and were oblivious to how this affected the young men and women they were working with. Because members of the youth subcommittee followed different procedures, they were dismissed by the members of the main committee.
In the community meeting, the absence of a proper planning strategy meant that the youth service providers were excluded from the process. They became merely observers at the meeting, and so the divisions between adults and the young became more entrenched and little was accomplished. Local youth agencies alienated potential users of their services because of their need for very formal procedures.
CONCLUSIONS
YouthAction research has demonstrated that the rural population in Northern Ireland has shown a genuine willingness to participate in community development. There is an understanding that all members of the community, men and women, young and old, need to be involved in the process. Many are working to find common ground to create mutual trust and respect. Community development networks are helping to promote change by providing a forum in which information and ideas can be shared.
The young men and women involved in these practice studies demonstrated an ability to be active and equal partners in community activities. They willingly assumed responsibility and showed that, while they may need support, they do not always need supervision.
Although the resources and the willingness for community renewal are present in Northern Ireland, the tools necessary for successful development are often lacking. The practice studies demonstrate that a combination of participation, capacity-building, partnership and collective action often is needed to integrate young men and women successfully in community development projects.
If agendas are openly stated, goals and procedures are clearly defined and evaluation is integrated into the process, community development activities can create a situation in which each person can learn from the other, regardless of age, gender or social background. Establishing a relationship in which everyone benefits can change the dynamic of community politics, as all members of the community realize that sharing power is infinitely more constructive than struggling for power. If this is not done, a situation similar to that in the community meeting may arise, in which no one benefits and community issues remain unresolved. In that instance, young men and women lost an opportunity to contribute to local development, and the community was unable to take advantage of their potential.
As a follow-up to their research and practice studies, YouthAction has designed a blueprint for a community development approach to youth services. It is an approach that can be adapted by youth workers and community development associations to suit the local context and the particular objectives of individual projects.
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BLUEPRINT Cooperate with young men and women to establish their agenda for community development. Establish a parallel process with other community members. Identify and assess the needs of men and women of all ages. Establish capacity-building with the entire community. Facilitate dialogue among all participating in the development process. Find common ground among different groups. Develop action plans. Implement development plans. Support the process. Evaluate both results and procedures. |
Community development that satisfies men and woman of all ages requires a catalyst, i.e. a facilitator who can work with all concerned. Professional youth workers trained in interpersonal skills, advocacy and community development are well-suited to this role. Because they are not authority figures as are teachers, police officers or social workers, they are in better positions to establish relationships of trust with young people that validate their experiences, enable them to express their needs and encourage them to participate in community activities.
Increasingly, the professional skills of youth workers are seen as being of use in other contexts. Youth workers also can work with other community groups whose members may feel the need for a safe environment where they can develop the confidence to contribute actively in local development. Expanding the scope of youth workers' activities to include a wider range of local associations would lead to a community development approach to youth services.
Such an approach would:
· develop the capacity of young people to articulate their needs, make plans and assert their rights;· help rural community-based organizations develop strategies to promote the participation of young men and women in local development;
· provide technical assistance to young men and women and community groups in such areas as planning, training and support, identification of resources and project evaluation;
· develop parallel processes with adult and youth populations supporting the development of dialogue and mediate between the two groups; and
· create a forum in which needs of young people are given priority and in which development policies are influenced.
The use of such an approach could lead to:
· a more confident and skilled youth population, better able to make informed, critical decisions and to exercise rights as citizens, thus contributing to a more participative democracy;· young people's active involvement in rural community development activities and strategies, resulting in more sustainable rural development;
· the creation of localized processes though which specific issues can be addressed and resolved;
· greater awareness among community development associations of the issues facing young men and women;
· more effective delivery of services for young people;
· creation of structures at local and regional levels through which community groups can exert greater influence on policy developments; and
· a youth sector that can play a dynamic role in advocating and demonstrating partnership with young people.
If youth workers are to empower young people, they need to be empowered themselves. It is the responsibility of youth workers, particularly those working individually, and their employers to make sure that adequate support is available. This includes sufficient staff, appropriate training, and managerial and non-managerial assistance. If it is not available from within the agency, arrangements should be made to obtain it from outside sources.
The youth worker requires support, but also autonomy. A lack of autonomy can stifle creativity, undermine confidence and lead to resentment and a lack of motivation, all of which interfere with the youth workers ability to build constructive relationships with community members. Youth workers, while needing direction, rarely need to be given orders, and should not be supervised to the point where quality work is impossible.
Although a community development approach to youth services is intended to increase the social integration of young men and women, it should not eliminate opportunities for the young to develop independently. It should also validate their right to remain outside.
YouthAction believes that in order to tackle the problem of the social exclusion of young men and women, attention must be paid to community development which encourages true citizenship. To create well-informed, well-motivated and actively participating communities, the rights of young men and women must be acknowledged, and priority given to creating opportunities for them to play active roles in community development (WHO, cited in DHSS, 1996).
YouthAction feels that local youth workers can play an important part in achieving this goal because of their unique relationship with young people. The youth worker often has experience in creating safe environments for finding mutual understanding, where young men and women can feel secure enough to alter their traditional social roles, and where trusting, respectful and supportive partnerships can develop. By facilitating the development of such partnerships, the youth worker can challenge traditional power structures, which often exclude the young, and can provide new approaches to youth services and community development.
