Rural Europe on the move English_chap7_13 | Page 71

The Energy of youth
The Energy of Youth
T
IN A NUTSHELL
he scale of interest in the Forum Synergies the critical substance for the services needed in
youth workshop, and the many projects which villages and small towns such as schools, medical
have appeared following the workshop, has been
care and public transport?
immense. It really seems like this is an arena in
which Forum Synergies should intensify its work.
Co-organiser of the youth workshop Joris van der
Kamp concluded at the end of the workshop: “Our
Future Farmers initiative and the Forum Synergies
Youth Gathering were like mosaic stones in a broader
European movement of new farmers and young
“Sustainable rural policymaking
as well as civil society working in
this field need to make an effort
to fold young people in.”
rural people who are aware that business as usual
is not an option. We want to work ‘with’ nature not
Generational renewal means listening to and
against it, with our neighbours, with animal welfare, actively involving young people on equal footing
agroecology, social projects and education for with older members of the community. Kodukant
resilience.” in Estonia and the Latvian Rural Forum have found
Young people are the energisers of rural
a successful way to do this. Sustainable rural
development. More young and new farmers are policymaking as well as civil society working in this
needed to make our rural places dynamic and field need to make an effort to fold young people
lively. Besides the economic transition towards in, to ensure their voices and concerns are heard
more diverse solutions, cultural activities and and taken seriously. We need to see this across the
mutual respect between generations will build solid continent; young people are the future, after all.
ground to be able to meet the challenge of future Let us equip them with all that we have learnt, and
farming and rural livelihoods. Will young people in turn learn from them, in order to move Europe
stay or come back in sufficient numbers to keep together toward a more sustainable future.
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