Roger Silfver: Empowering Rural Communities for Sustainable Development

1. Who am I & why am I'm here ? • My name is: Roger Silfver, born in Finland emigrated to Sweden 1974 • Background : Social worker & Family Care 25 years • 1990 I became active in rural/local development in Sweden • 1997 Chairman of the LAG in LEADER II Sommenbygd • 2000-2007 Program Manager LEADER + Sommenbygd • Worked as LEADER “adviser” in Latvia & Lithuania • Working with rural development in Byelorussia since 2006 • (local self governance democracy) • 2007 Working for the Government of Åland as LEADER coordinator My Commitment : - to support local grassroots to gain knowledge & influence over their everyday life. - to ensure local, regional & national politicians that “ordinary peoples” engagement is a complement to existing system, not competitors of power.

2. Leader+ area of Sommenbygd • Situated in South East of Sweden • Named after the Lake of Sommen • 360 islands • Clear water • Popular for recreation & boating • Consists of parts of two Counties • Östergötland • Jönköping • 50 000 inhabitants • Sparsely populated • No big cities in the area • Large forest areas

3. The Municipalities Area 3 802 km/2 50 400 Inhabitants 7 Municipalities 2 Counties 40 Parsons

4. Governance of Leader + in Sommenbygd • A non profit association = Local Action Group of Sommenbygd • The LAG – group consists of 29 members • 7 Community representatives - The chairmen of the municipality boards • 6 From the private sector - representatives from local enterprises and or municipality's business adviser. • 6 From local development groups - grassroots • 6 youth representatives ( under 25 years) • 4 - Regional authorities & other actors ( not decision makers )

5. Today's Governance of Leader + in Sommenbygd Administration: • 3 employees full time, responsible for all project management, preparation, finances, marketing, support, evaluation, interregional & transnational cooperation • A free office/administration with no “ties” to other actors or authorities ! • LAG – makes all project decisions, responsible for carrying out the Leader+ plan • “Sommenbygd” board 6 persons from LAG responsible for the administration/staff • LAG – projects/initiatives can also be located to the Leader+ office

6. LAG Projects – ”Start - Gas ” • Youth check´s 15 000 Skr • Support for new ideas (Private persons) 15 000 Skr • Local mobilisation & planning 30 000 Skr • Cooperation support (3-partners) 30 000 Skr/ partner • Arrangment support 30 000 Skr • Large Youth project • Tourism project • Project for small village schools

7. 1. Young People in LAG & LEADERQuestion:How to involve youth/Children in the activities of a LAG2. Processes within the LAG & LEADER work that can be obstacles & possibilitiesQuestion: How to avoid the situation that local authorities (governments) will start to influence the funding decisions of the LAG Focus on 2 topics

8. Young people in LAG today, our decision makers of tomorrow ! • Open up the LAG for young people • One young LAG member from each municipality • Prepare special strategy for youth and children (LAG –project) • Let them work together as a group, adults must guide but not lead • LAG -youth should support processes in the area that can lead to projects • LAG should

9. How to get young people interested to join a LAG ? • Se them, listen to them and notice them ! • Talk to them not about them ! • Let them work together! • Make LEADER fun modern and interesting ! • Let them know that they are important !

10. An example from my village BOET in Sweden • We asked the children of our village to write and draw pictures of their future dream of how our village will look like 10-15 years from now. • We got a lot of interesting ideas from their dreams • Children wants the village to be more urban • We also learned that children are aware of our concern of the future for the village, we need more children to be born.

11. How to get young persons active in a LAG • Shear power and responsibilities with them ! • Give them influence over youth issues in the area ! • Let them travel and meet other LAG youths in and outside Estonia ! • Support a LEADER network for young people in Rural areas

12. What makes young person leave the Village ? • Work – money – better future ? • Studies – carrier ? • The urban lifestyle - fast and anonymous? • Freedom? • To create a personality - grow up? • Bored of living in rural area – nothing happens?

13. What makes a young person return to the Village? • Work/money/family/friends • Place to live (housing) • The Village is a part of me and I am a part of the Village • Good memories from growing up in the Village • The Rural lifestyle, safe and slower • When planning to have family

14. Is there a risk that organizations/authorities’ will try to have influence over LAG and project decisions • Leader is open for all and as such vulnerable • LAG members can only represent one sector • Release a LAG member from duty if he/she is running a project • No one should be a LAG member for more than 2 years then1 year quarantine • LAG Chairman exchanged halfway into the program • Separate chairman's in LAG/Board • Mistakes made (Rogers experience)

15. How to avoid the risk of one person taking over? I don’t have to be takeover, it can also be because the group All the time hands over the responsibility to one active person • Transparency • Mutual thrust • Allow all to speak • Specify what is expected from LAG member ( on paper ) • Talk openly about compensations • Examples of takeovers Rogers experiences

16. Is there a risk that all knowledge will be lost if/when Project Manager leaves or when a project is finished ? Can we avoid that ? Long term contract with employees Consider employees as investment in human resources Educate staff & LAG Have fun Open discussion

17. What is really local in today's globalized economy ? The simple and most obvious answer is “ THE PEOPLE”

18. How to get in contact • Roger Silfver LEADER Coordinator • E-mail: roger.silfver@regeringen .ax • E-mail: roger.silfver@telia.com (private) • SKYPE Silfvers • Mobile phone +46(0)706376684