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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.

Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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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 - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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.

Page 2: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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

Page 3: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

The Municipalities

Area 3 802 km/2

50 400 Inhabitants

7 Municipalities 2 Counties

40 Parsons

Page 4: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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 )

Page 5: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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

Page 6: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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

Page 7: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

1. Young People in LAG & LEADER

Question: How to involve youth/Children in the activities of a LAG

2. Processes within the LAG & LEADER work that can be obstacles & possibilities

Question: How to avoid the situation that local authorities (governments) will start to influence the funding decisions of the LAG

Focus on 2 topics

Page 8: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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

Page 9: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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 !

Page 10: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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.

Page 11: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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

Page 12: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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?

Page 13: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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

Page 14: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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)

Page 15: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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

Page 16: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

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 ?

• Open discussion

• Long term contract with employees

• Consider employees as investment in human resources

• Educate staff & LAG

• Have fun

Page 17: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

What is really local in today's globalized economy ?

The simple and most obvious answer is

“ THE PEOPLE”

Page 18: Who am I & why am I'm here ?

How to get in contact

• Roger Silfver LEADER Coordinator

• E-mail: roger.silfver@regeringen .ax

• E-mail: [email protected] (private)

• SKYPE Silfvers

• Mobile phone +46(0)706376684