Developing an integrated rural development educational toolkitfor decision makers and (aspirant) key figures Erasmus Project

Project Title

Developing an integrated rural development educational toolkitfor decision makers and (aspirant) key figures

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Rural development and urbanisation; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Agriculture, forestry and fisheries

Project Summary

Context/background of the project
Issues of the Sustainable Development, Rural Development, development of disadvantaged regions and the interconnectedness of these, are burning issues in our present time. UN launched in 2015 the Sustainable Development Goals providing a guideline how to generate necessary changes in our societies.
The rationale of the Rusdela project was that there is widely available information about sustainable development however these are either general information for the wider public or specialized curricula for formal education. Non-formal education designed for decision makers working in their community consisting tailor made knowledge does not exist in native languages. This is especially missing in less developed rural areas of Southern and Central Europe. Also there is an initiative of “green cities” in Europe but something similar does not exist for villages, smaller towns.
The project was carried out internationally, as southern and eastern parts of Europe have similar qualities, facing similar problems related to sustainable rural development: agricultural tradition; geographic disconnection from economically advanced centrums; accumulated disadvantages with historical and economic reasons; poverty and unemployment.
Given the character of the topic and the target-groups we used a multidisciplinary approach.

Objectives
The objective of RUSDELA project was to bring interdisciplinary knowledge to rural communities through decision makers, key figures and the civil society. The academic type of knowledge has to be transformed to meet the practical challenges the target group faces in their day to day work. The other objective is to increase the wellbeing of rural communities through their decision makers.

Number and profile of participating
organisations;
Butterfly Development (HU): NGO, rural development, implementation of non-formal adult educational material, working with local decision makers
Materahub (I): counselling body, trainings for public and private bodies to foster social change, graphical and website design
Manra (E): association of municipalities, developing and executing trainings mainly for entrepreneurs, cooperation with local Development Agencies
BDA (BG): NGO, regional development, promoting democratic and integration processes in the context of Knowledge Society
Maich (GR): academic and research body, curriculum development of sustainable development and organic agriculture
Resiliencie (E): NGO, promoting community resilience, ecological sustainability and economic sovereignty through capacity building, ecosocial design, strategic planning and monitoring
SPI (PT): private company, advisory work related curriculum development for formal education institutions regarding rural development, lifelong learning.

Description of undertaken main activities
After a short preparation (phase 1), phase of Toolkit Development (phase 2) was started. The first version of the toolkit was tested on different test-trainings (phase 3). Based on the results of the test-training, the final toolkit (phase 4) was compiled. Phase 5 was dedicated to the project multiplication, with a multiplication event by each partner. Phase 6: project closing.

Results and impact attained
The results of the RUSDELA project is twofold. We developed a toolkit, which provides both theoretical and practical, methodological knowledge about sustainability for decision makers of rural communities in disadvantaged regions in Europe.
This toolkit is freely accessible (see: www.rusdelaproject.eu, also available at: http://www.bffd.hu/rusdela-projekt90, http://www.bffd.hu/rusdela-project91) for all those who are interested in sustainable local development, for decision makers, experts and members of the civil society as well.
A further result is that the IO material is tested by trainings in each participating country. This training also resulted in a wider recognition of the project among practitioners in the field. The participants were also trained to be able to use the curricula in their own setting after the closing of the project.
With this toolkit and guideline RUSDELA is widening the available knowledge of target groups and creates a new methodology and knowledge base about sustainability and rural development.
The project established an international and domestic network of organizations and it can serve as a platform of cooperation for successful future partnerships.

Longer-term benefits
Throughout the trainings and meetings the capacities of the partner organizations were strengthened. These events gave new skills, improves existing ones and showed new approaches to the partners.
The participants of trainings became able to bring home the gained knowledge and skills and share with others: decision makers, trainers, leaders of other organizations, colleagues, partners. Through these interactions an increasing number of beneficiaries will be generated as a snowball effect.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 137709 Eur

Project Coordinator

Pro- Cserehát Egyesület & Country: HU

Project Partners

• CONSORZIO MATERAHUB INDUSTRIE CULTURALI E CREATIVE
• MEDITERRANEAN AGRONOMIC INSTITUTE OF CHANIA
• Mas Franch S.C.C.L.
• SOCIEDADE PORTUGUESA DE INOVACAO – CONSULTADORIA EMPRESARIAL E FOMENTO DA INOVACAO S.A.
• BALGARSKA AGENTSIYA ZA RAZVITIE
• MANCOMUNIDAD DE LA RIBERA ALTA
• Resilience Earth SCCL