New inspiration catalogue on civic engagement and local innovation: 'If you come together, more things are possible'
New catalogue to inspire rural actors to seize opportunities and tackle challenges in developing local areas.
In Denmark, community development work in rural areas is often organized through local community associations such as local councils and citizens' associations. In these associations, local communities seek to mobilize local resources and influence local interests towards the municipality.
In a new inspiration catalogue, researchers from the Danish Centre for Rural Research together with a former student from the sociology programme in Esbjerg share their knowledge about local citizen engagement, citizen initiative and the importance of seizing local development opportunities.
About the inspiration catalogue
The inspiration catalogue is based on data from a questionnaire-based mapping of the prevalence, activities and cooperation of Danish local councils, citizens' associations and similar community associations, as well as interviews conducted in connection with a master's thesis by Louise Bjørklid Levinsen, a former student at the sociology programme in Esbjerg.
The catalogue supplements a main report, which you can read here.
The inspiration catalogue is made possible by a grant from the Rural District Pool's Research and Information Funds.
- Through our research at CLF, we experience many committed citizens, associations and local communities who, in one way or another trying to contribute to the development of their local area.
- At the same time, we are also increasingly seeing municipalities local engagement is seen as crucial and that they are trying to support it in the best possible way, says rural researcher Annette Aagaard Thuesen.
The inspiration catalogue combines research knowledge with examples from local communities in Denmark, the Netherlands and Canada. The purpose is to inspire and support actors engaged in developing local communities in rural areas.
- We hope that the catalogue can contribute to discussions on how local communities can join forces to seize opportunities and address challenges when working voluntarily to develop local areas, says Annette Aagaard Thuesen.
Read the catalogue online here. (Danish)
You can also receive a physical copy by sending an email to: clf@sam.sdu.dk. We send while stocks last.
Read and order the catalogue
You can read the catalogue online here (Danish)
You can also request a physical copy by sending an email to: clf@sam.sdu.dk. We send while stocks last.