Event report

In the framework of the Conference on the Future of Europe in Vabole on January 19, 2022, 20 participants took part in the discussions organised by the Latvian Rural Forum, 10 of which took place in person and 10 remotely. Proposals put forward by participants: — It is necessary to set up networks of communities at regional level that can assume the responsibilities of coordinating information of interest to the community, to organise internal and external exchanges of experience, to develop joint activities at regional level with the involvement of community resources; — More attention and resources should be channelled towards measures to strengthen the identity of the population and the place, and projects; — Create co-working spaces/premises that will facilitate the exchange of ideas and the generation of ideas resulting from it, joint planning within the community and cooperation with municipalities; — There is a need for a platform that provides communities with easy access to information on a regular basis, possibly using one of the technical resources available to the municipality and using local government human resources, specialists; — Promote measures to promote intergenerational linkages, inheritability and emotional attachment; — Create an information base for access to the housing stock; — It is necessary to develop thematic tourism, cultural routes that provide regional coverage; — Promote understanding and empathy between different groups of society, ensuring that mutual interests are taken into account in the development and development planning of village areas; — Highlight and exalt the good work of people and communities, increasing pride in their place, strengthening the sense of belonging, encouraging a healthy race for citizens; — The media space should focus more on and talk about the strengths of rural areas as places of residence: natural wealth, a sense of coziness and acceptance, social cohesion and mutual support in crisis situations, thereby increasing confidence among those who intend to buy rural properties as a place of residence; — In order to reduce territorial exclusion and access to services in the context of limited infrastructure, it is necessary to develop new models of cooperation between community-municipal entrepreneurs, establishing such associations that provide utilities and household services, ensure the supply of medicines to remote farmsteads, take care of the supply of food in crisis situations, etc.; Cooperation between small backyard farms, domestic producers and craftsmen should be strengthened and promoted, creating sales outlets in small villages, small towns and nearby towns. Such cooperation requires information support and mentoring for both legal and financial literacy and media literacy; — Among the rural population, there is a need to promote high-quality remote education opportunities, both in lifelong, formal and interest education sectors. Initial information and media support is needed so that these opportunities can be used by all age groups; — Mobility and competitiveness in the labour market require support for learning foreign languages, especially English for people over 45 years of age.