Over 400 delegates from 30 countries across the world will attend a major international conference in Inverness next week. Taking Charge (June 23 - 27, 2003) will allow participants to share the latest experience and research on issues of rural community empowerment, rural health and rural education and rural policy.
Organised by the Arkleton Institute for Rural Development Research at the University of Aberdeen and the UHI Millennium Institute, Taking Charge will be the first official conference of the International Rural Network.
Each of the five Conference days will be themed around issues of Community and Local Development; Community Health; Community Education and Rural Policies to support local empowerment with 24 speakers invited to deliver keynote speeches and participate in various workshops and roundtable discussions.
Delegates will be welcomed on Sunday June 22 by Jim Hunter, Chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise with the Conference officially opened on Monday June 23 by Allan Wilson MSP, Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development. Speakers on Day 1, which addresses the theme of community and local development include Norman Drummond of the Columba 1400 Initiative on Skye; Billy Jean Young of the Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative in Alabama, USA and Marta Marczis of the Hungarian Rural Parliament.
The second day focuses on rural health issues with plenary speakers attending include Dr Mac Armstrong, Chief Medical Officer, Scotland; Dr Roger Strasser of Northern Ontario Medical School; Dr Keith Meuller of the Rural Policy Research Institute in USA and Margaret Dakers-Thompson from the Highland Health Council who will discuss the perspective of the rural patient.
Day 3 is devoted to a range of field trips to visit specific individual projects throughout the Highlands. Speakers on the fourth day, devoted to rural education issues, include Bruce Robertson, Director of Education Culture and Sport, Highland Council; Dr Jack Shelton of the Rural Schools Co-operative in Alabama, USA and Dr Finlay Macleod of Mac Films, Stornoway.
The final day (Friday June 27) is devoted to rural policy issues and opens with a speech from Rt Hon Alun Michael, UK Minister for Rural Affairs and Urban Quality of Life, followed by the Hon Andy Mitchell, Canadian Secretary of State for Rural and Regional Affairs. These two senior ministers will be joined by Oliver Drewes, European Commission (Member of Franz Fischler's Cabinet of the Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development). Other key speakers on Friday include Eero Uusitalo, Secretary General of the Finnish Rural Policy Committee and Richard Wakeford, Chief Executive of the Countryside Agency in England.
Professor John Bryden, Conference Chair and Co-Director of the Arkleton Institute for Rural Development Research at the University of Aberdeen said: "This Conference is a major event for Scotland with excellent speakers and participants from a wide range of both rich and poor countries, many of whom are coming to Scotland for the first time. It is particularly exciting to have senior Ministers from Canada and the UK, as well as a senior member of Mr Fischler's cabinet in the European Commission speaking on the final day. It is equally exciting that there are people coming from rural communities around the world to share their experience and learn from each other.
Conference participants will include rural scholars, practitioners and policy makers. Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Executive have made funding available to enable community representatives from Scotland to attend. Support has also been given in various ways by Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Highland Council, Inverness & Nairn Enterprise, the Countryside Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage, Communities Scotland, RARARI-NHS, HMI, Glenmorangie Distillery, The Arkleton Trust and the Carpathian Foundation