Rural Europe on the move English_chapt1_6 | Page 41

,
,
FINDING A SENSE OF PLACE
and everywhere there was a need
to put value on community as well
as on wilderness and heritage. Rural
development had to be people-
focused, because it was the people
that kept the land going.
But much was also dependent on
systems of land tenure. These were an
important part of the arena of power,
as our friends from East Germany,
Estonia and Hungary were able to tell
from bitter experience. The challenge
was to take this issue to European
rural policy makers and get them to
deal with it, Hannes Lorenzen had
boldly proposed at the Big House
gathering.
From local
to global
Today, the Misak people visit us
on Eigg with their thoughts on how
we can continue to effect change for
future generations, if we root our work
12. Enjoying a well-deserved celebratory
moment at the summit (From
right, Camille Dressler and Oliver Emmes)
13. Crofters’ cattle
14. Silage harvest
in social and environmental justice
informed by our ‘sense of place’. It is
heartening to see the changes the
last twenty years have brought. The
EU may never come to grips with the
issue of land and power, but significant
changes have been made to the
design of rural policy and support
with community and place-based
approaches right at the centre of it.
“We can continue to effect change for future
generations, if we root our work in social
and environmental justice informed by our
‘sense of place’."
The island of Eigg is a telling
example: its growing prosperity boundaries, erected with Common environment schemes which are
has been facilitated by many of the Agricultural Policy (CAP) and Scottish perfectly suited to our rugged crofting
EU’s rural policies. Where there Rural Development Programme landscape and the wildlife it attracts.
were rotting fence posts, there are (SRDP) funding which also financed now brand new crofting and farm a machinery ring and the agro-
EU Structural funds have helped
build the new Eigg pier and fund
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