Rural Europe on the move English_chap7_13 | Page 81

Civil Society against a hidden superpower
WELCOME ON BOARD!
T
his book and the many stories we find within, now are profound. This book is an invitation, a call
opens at least as many questions as it answers. to action, a field guide for inspiration and hopeful
The project, the move toward real European rural futures. Get stuck in. Visit the projects we’ve
sustainability, is certainly not over. In these pages mentioned. Join Mónika for a palinka in Transylvania.
you find stories of on-the-ground projects which Hannes is happy to take you for a walk on the
have succeeded and others which have worked bottom of the North Sea, and Simone is keen to
less well. You discover particularly stunning share the Lesachtaler bread. Whatever your own
natural environments and the host of unbelievably interests in rural sustainability, I’m sure you can find
diverse and innovative projects which populate our the information you need somewhere in here, from
rural landscapes. You learn about threats to rural sustainable forestry with Artur, food cooperatives
livelihoods and environmental preservation, and with Marina, community land ownership with
the various ways rural communities have come up Camille, or national rural networks and parliaments
with their own solutions to this. Most of all, you are with Anita.
introduced to the remarkable people and projects
driving this change forward.
The story of rural sustainability does not end
here. This is the handover.
Much has changed in the past 25 years. Europe is
different and the challenges we face as a continent
Welcome on board!
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