RDI is an initiative consisting of a group of people and institutions who believe that there is a growing need for rural and local development in an environment which is marked by increasing unemployment, immigration, poverty, lack of clarity in policies; and this need has become more obvious with globalization and the EU accession process. The Turkey Representation of the Heinrich Böll Stiftung (hbs) has been participating at all the meetings and is supporting this initiative right from the start.
The RDI aims to emphasize three fundamental points in its meetings. These are:
• to discuss with the participants the problems faced in the rural field,
• to ensure exchange of experiences by making on-site visits to different regions to observe rural development activities and models,
• and to discuss on and expand the Rural Development Initiative and its future.
RDI’s goal related to rural development is the elimination of the factors that give birth to the abovementioned problems. RDI considers rural development as an equality-justice approach and believes that permanent and sustainable rural development can only be realized by protecting the environment, ecological cycles and bio-diversity; paying attention to local authenticities and inter-regional differences and; supporting especially the small producer organizations, on the basis of gender equality and with the purpose to ensure the sustainability of the nature.
Within this regard, 8 meetings have been organized so far with the participation of academics from different universities in Turkey as well as people and institutions working in the area of rural development. The first meetings were held in Diyarbak›r and Kars in 2008, followed by the meetings in ‹zmir Seferihisar and Hatay in 2009, Mardin and Nall›han in 2010, Erzurum and Uzundere in 2011 and, Ankara in 2012.
Reports and detailed information related to the meetings held by the Rural Development Initiative can be viewed on the following website: