We warmly welcome you to work together in a creative process and dialogue between rural communities, politicians and policymakers on challenges as well as solutions and opportunities for the development of small towns and rural areas by taking part in the Rural Communities Parliament which is one of the activities in Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Participants will have a chance to listen to inspirational stories from practitioners and field experts, share their experience and knowledge, work in common sessions and workshops and in an interactive way discuss the following issues:

–  Consolidate economic potential of rural areas to strengthen the competitiveness of the EU;
–  Improving the quality of life in rural areas and small towns by promoting the development of civil society outside the centers of development;
–  The mobility of citizens and ensuring access to services.

Rural Communities Parliament will conclude with commonly developed Resolution – a commitment of communities and policymakers to specific actions over the next 2 years, and long-term actions. The resolution will be transferred to Latvian and European level advocacy.

Evenings of the Development forum will be enriched by getting to know each other, our daily lives within local communities, our culture, traditions, sounds, and dances or with the charms of Ligatne, being fascinated by the new experiences it has to offer, be it history, culture, nature or human action.

The last day of the Development Forum will involve us in traveling workshops where we will explore inspirational local community development stories which will be gathered in collaboration with the local action group “Cesis District Rural Partnership”.

There is no participation fee!

An English translation service will be available.

If you want to host your own meetings during the Rural Communities Parliament, please let us know what you have in mind so that we can look into what can be arranged. A fee may be charged for accommodation.

First Rural Communities Parliament in Latvia was held in 2013. Latvian Rural Forum gathered more than 200 participants who participated in discussions about topics relevant to rural communities comprising both Latvian and European elements. As a result, Resolution – action plan for the next two years was developed.

Latvian Rural Forum (LRF) is a national non-governmental organization, founded in 2004. The mission of LRF is to promote the balanced development of Latvian rural territories in order to create it as a place where contented people live, able to meet their economic and social needs in the place of their residence.  LLF unites 68 member organizations. More about LRF: llf.partneribas.lv