Sustainable Livelihoods - what does it mean for rural Britain? This is the theme of this year's ruralnet|uk Conference and ruralnet|UK has announced that all the conference documentation - including the presentation materials from individual speakers and the output from the mapping exercises - will be published on ruralnet|online and available to all ruralnet|online subscribers whether or not they attend the conference. The Conference itself will be held on 15-16 October 2003, at Wyboston Lakes, St Neots, Bedfordshire.
Whilst the ruralnet|online service is available throughout the year, the live ruralnet|2003 Conference will provide that vital ingredient for networking: face to face contact, within a motivating and inspiring environment, designed to maximise networking opportunities with the right people.
As usual, ruralnet|UK will bring in experts from inside and outside the UK rural development sector to expand our thinking.
Dr Ian Goldman (South Africa) is a leading international specialist in the application of the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach, who has worked in the UK, across Africa and Europe. He will outline the five capital assets that underpin this thinking: social capital, physical capital, financial capital, human and natural capital. He will explore the principles which underlie the implementation of the approach, and give examples of the impact of applying these concepts at community, local and national government levels, drawing from several countries.
Stephen Timms MP, Minister for e-Commerce and Competitiveness, will explore the opportunities for providing rural broadband through social enterprise and outline the DTI's work programmes in these areas.
Gavin Cargill, an expert in human capital, will show how to build wealth through people. A specialist loans and grants panel will answer delegates' questions on finance. These focussed plenary sessions will be complemented by participative workshops and seminars. These will explore the building of social capital online, provide an insight into the use of collaboration technology to support capacity building projects, improve delegates' understanding of how effective teams work and look at the role of Foodlinks projects in community regeneration.
Simon Berry, director of ruralnet|UK, said,
"Regeneration means understanding people and their local context. It should help to create an enabling environment, where people can use their abilities, fulfill their potential and flourish.
"This is the starting point for ruralnet|2003 and the basis of the Sustainable Livelihoods approach. The conference will bring the methodology alive by relating it to current issues including rural broadband, social enterprise and funding opportunities."
All delegates will have access to the award winning ruralnet|online collaboration system so that the benefits of networking and exchange can continue long after the face to face event.
In addition, ruralnet|online subscribers will able to access all the conference documentation - including the presentation materials from individual speakers and the output from the mapping exercises, through a special folder on their ruralnet|UK desktops.
ruralnet|UK will not be publishing or selling a post-conference report on paper, but will take the innovative approach of making everything available online. ruralnet|online is an inclusive network and anyone can become a ruralnet|online subscriber to benefit from the conference outcomes, as well as a wealth of other collaboration opportunities, information and tailored guidance.
Notes to editors
1. ruralnet|2003: Sustainable Livelihoods - what it means for rural Britain - is ruralnet|uk's annual Conference. This year it will be held on 15-16 October 2003, at Wyboston Lakes, St Neots, Bedfordshire
2. Existing ruralnet|online subscribers, and members of other Networks Online networks, will qualify for a discount on the conference fee. Non-subscribers will get a free, fully featured, 6-month ruralnet|online subscription.
3. Outputs from the delegate mapping exercises will be placed on the ruralnet|online extranet to ensure that the networking can continue after the face to face element of the event.
4. The ICCT (Information, Communication and Collaboration Technology) Clinic and Cybercafe will be open throughout the event. Delegates with wireless network cards will be able to connect to the Internet in and around the Cybercafe using their own laptops.
5. ruralnet|UK is a rural regeneration charity: see www.ruralnetuk.org/index.htm. It established one of the first community computing centres in the country in the early 1990's and one of the earliest online communities, ruralnet|online. See www.ruralnet.org.uk/home.shtml
6. ruralnet|online is now at the heart of over 20 online collaboration networks - Networks Online. Other networks who are members of Networks Online can be seen at www.networksonline.org.uk
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