Rural Europe on the move English_chap7_13 | Page 42

CHAPTER 10
Wulkow and East
Germany 1996
and institutions. We met in stables or to close themselves in because so
farmers’ shops instead of conference many things out there change. I was
rooms. It was a discovery tour rather excited to share the experience back
than one to teach people what to in Lesachtal. Words, written reports
to do in Wulkow, a local community do. This goes to the heart of Forum or even photos felt insufficient to
initiative in the former German Synergies’ principles: we need to explain what was so special about the
Democratic Republic, was something confront the unknown, to experience Wulkow experience. It was definitely
quite similar to what we tried in it, in order to change our mindsets. different from the classically sectoral
Lesachtal. It was the beginning of a The Wulkow workshop was a - or stakeholder-driven, hierarchical,
series of travelling workshops, visiting discovery of rural East Germany after expert-oriented - approach. From
remote rural places, where people the Berlin Wall had come down the onset, it was about crossing
What Forum Synergies was trying
tended to leave. Forum Synergies’
The Wulkow workshop fired me up,
boundaries, both physically
workshops were about moving out because I discovered so many similar and mentally, and facilitating a
of the ivory towers of universities challenges of small communities not constructive dialogue.
“We need to confront
the unknown,
to experience it,
in order to change
our mindsets."
2a. 2b. Welcome to Wulkow
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