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A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 1
Lithuanian Local Community Movement as Resistance to Rural Exclusion
Dr. Arunas PoviliunasVilnius University
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 2
The Rise of Rural Communities’ Movement
3
300
800
1400
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1995 2002 2004 2005
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 3
The Purpose of Presentation
1. To discuss the concept of rural exclusion and to substantiate the conceptual approach;
2. To elaborate the relevant toolkit for analysis of rural exclusion, that answers the conceptual choice;
3. To investigate the different aspects of rural exclusion;
4. To evaluate the strategies of rural inclusion.
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 4
Plan of Presentation
1. Official snapshot of Lithuanian economy2. Official snapshot of Lithuanian rurality3. The profiles of rural exclusion4. Social innovations as public policy tools for
rural social inclusion (participatory action research, partnership approach, digital communities)
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 5
Official Snapshot Of Lithuanian Economy
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 6
Macroeconomic indicators of Lithuania
20031st qtr
2004 1st qtr
2005 1st qtr
2006 2007 2008
GDP 9.9 7.1 5.6 6 5.3 6.8
EarningsIn EUR
326 332 368 394 428 464
Unemployment 13.6 13.0 10.2 10.3 9.7 8.0
DepositsIn LTL
1962 2347 3019
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 7
Average monthly social transfers by place of residence, Per capita, LTL
Total Urban areas Rural areas
2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004
Total 107,2 117,8 104,3 110,6 113,1 132,2
Pensions 72,1 78,9 70,5 71,9 75,4 92,8
Family and child
9,2 11,3 7,6 11,8 12,5 10,2
Unemployed 1,7 1,4 1,8 1,3 1,5 1,8
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 8
Official snapshot of Lithuanian rurality
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 9
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 10
The percentage of farm groups by the area of arable land (in ha) compared to the number of farms
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 11
Changes in gross agriculture production (compared to previous year)
-5
-14
5
-5
89
-0,4
-4
-14
8
-7
78
-5
-9
-19
-3
-1
11 11
15
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Gross production
Gross production in farmer's and family farms
Gross production in agriculture companies and enterprises
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 12
Relative poverty level by socio-economic group (in per cent)
16,6 16 15,8 16,5 16,6 15,9 16,1
12,8 12,1 11,5 11,6 11 11,4 11,6
30,2
32,2
39,9
35,7 35,9
28,830,1
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
1997 1998 1999 2001 2002 2003 2004
Relative poverty line
Hired emploees
Farmers
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 13
Relative poverty level by the place of residence (in per cent)
16,616 15,8
16,615,9 16,1
9,78,5
7,2 7,1 7,68,8
15,414,3
13,7
15,7
1414,8
25,926,5
28,2 28,527,4
25,7
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
1997 1998 1999 2002 2003 2004
Relative poverty line
5 large cities
Other towns
Rural areas
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 14
The conclusions from the snapshot1. The growth of economy is recording comparatively high rates. But
this growth is mostly linked with the sectors of economy that are associated first of all with the urban sector of economy.
2. One third (1.3 million) of Lithuanian population are living in rural areas. The poverty level in rural areas is more than three times higher than in urban areas. One third of farmers are living under relative poverty line. The official discourse verdict is that family farms and small farms that constitute the core of Lithuanian agriculture have no perspective. By the way the family farms the corner stone of Lithuanian agriculture reform. As Illka Alanen has demonstrated Lithuanian government was most successful in implementation of the ‘enforced World Bank project’.
3. Official rural statistics that is concentrating on the perspectives and problems of agriculture “has forgotten” the rest of rural population that amount up to one million of people.
4. I want to finish the discussion of this snapshot with the essential assumption of may report that this snapshot and inner logic of data presentation reflects not the rural situation as it is, but the stance and configuration of power that is producing the dominating official discourse of rurality.
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 15
The profiles of rural exclusion
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 16
Persons by categories who receives social assistance at home
Total Urban areas Rural areas
2003 2004 2003 2004 2003 2004
Elderly 3443 3642 1832 2004 1611 1638
Disabled children 97 109 69 77 28 32
Children from the families at risk
721 745 336336 140140 385385 605605
Persons and families at risk
665 731 262262 221221 403403 510510
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 17
Dynamics of children from ‘the families at risk’ and persons and families at risk (excessive drinking, drug abuse, etc.) who are recipients of social assistance at home in rural and urban areas (%)
24
9
28
41
1915
2935
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
2003 2004
persons and families at risk (excessivedrinking, drug abuse, etc.) in rural areas
persons and families at risk (excessivedrinking, drug abuse, etc.) in urban areas
children from the families at risk in ruralareas
children from the families at risk in urbanareas
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 18
Dynamics of “social families” and their children
15,116
18,1 18,7 18,5 17,916,9
34,4
36,9
40,3
42,8
4039,2
36,9
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Asocial families
Children of asocial families
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 19
Asocial family
Families, that are registered by the municipal agencies of the protection of children's’ right for the excessive drinking, drug or other toxic material abuse, unmoral behaviour, lifestyle that is unacceptable for the society, bad care of their children, neglecting their health and inability to guarantee the harmonious and well-rounded development of their children
Department of Statistics
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 20
Indicators of “asocial behaviour”
Excessive drinking Unmoral behaviour Unacceptable for the society lifestyle Bad care of children Inability to guarantee the harmonious
and well-rounded development of the children
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 21
If social exclusion is understood as:
(a) exclusion of different social groups to participate in the mainstream of societal development;
(b) those social groups which are less integrated and which have less possibilities to participate in political, social, economic and cultural life;
(c) shrinking public sphere.
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 22
At least two different concepts of social exclusion are possible:
1. Structural or positivistic approach delineates the norms and values of the society that are treated as objectively given, focuses on the characteristics of excluded social groups and analyzes conditions that provoke behaviour which does not answer the accepted by the majority norms of the society. This approach is based on psychological or sociological forms of determinism and treats social agency as the function of various so-called objective structures.
2. Interactive approach focuses on the definitions and actions both of the socially excluded groups themselves and of the groups who label them as socially excluded, and interaction between the two.
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 23
Classification of Discourses by Ruth Levitas
Moral underclass discourse (MUD) Social integrationist discourse (SID) Redistributionist discourse (RED)
“RED, SID and MUD differ in what the excluded are seen as lacking. In RED they have no money, in SID they have no work, and in MUD they have no morals.”
Ruth Levitas
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 24
“Political exclusion” of rural communities Agriculture development policy do not treat the rural
development policy as separate issue The strategic priorities are linked with the
development of agriculture Rural communities are not considered as social and
political agents able to participate in the rural development
Decline in investment in the rural social infrastructure (schools, medical service, cultural institutions, etc.)
Permanent increase of the subsidies of social transfers.
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 25
Changes in average rural household incomes
10,5 7,5 4,5
67,866
63
21,726,5
32,5
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1996 2000 2004
Social transfers
Income from employment
Other income
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 26
Changes in average urban household incomes
10,5 10,86,7
67,8 69,3 73,8
21,7 19,9 19,5
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
1996 2000 2004
Social transfers
Income from employment
Other income
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 27
Comparison of Agricultural and Rural Development Policies
Agricultural development
Rural development
Social agent Farmers, entrepreneurs, agricultural corporations
Rural communities, community groups, partnership groups
Goals Competitive agriculture Reduction of social exclusion and poverty in rural areas, improvements in rural social infrastructure
Basis to receive support
Business plan Strategic plans for the development of rural communities
Means Effective investments Social initiatives and innovations (formation of partnership groups, social entrepreneurship, surveys conducted with community participation)
Supporters Banks, business partners Charity organizations, national and foreign donor groups, LEADER+
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 28
Social Innovations as Public Policy Tools for Rural Social Inclusion
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 29
Selection of cases of social innovations
Participatory research
Social partnership
Digital communities
Local level Case of Balninkai community
Case of initiative “Toward digital communities”
Regional level Case of Moletai county
National level
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 30
Participatory Research: Case of Balninkai Community
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 31
Participatory action research“a participatory, democratic process concerned with developing practical knowing in the pursuit of worthwhile human purposes, grounded in a participatory worldview which we believe is emerging at this historical moment. It seeks to bring together action and reflection, theory and practice, in participation with others, in the pursuit of practical solutions to issues of pressing concern to people, and more generally the flourishing of individual persons and their communities.”
Peter Reason and Hilary Bradbury
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 32
Participatory action research
Method of research Democratization of the
knowledge generation procedures
Technology of social innovation
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 33
Some principles of the Freirerian pedagogy
Conscientização or conscientization
Banking education and culture of silence
Critical consciousness and dialogue
“Generative words and themes”
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 34
“Generative themes”
“Asocial family” Social exclusion Rural exclusion Rural development policy
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 35
Usual type and the desirable leisure of time of the Balninkai community members (%) (“generative theme”)
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Chore or home care
Watching TV
Communications with spouse and children
House surroundings care
Reading newspapers, books
Hobbies (knitting, fishing, etc.)
Communications with neigbors and friends
Café visiting
Participation in cultural life
Usual Desirable
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 36
Types of Rural Community Organizations and Dimensions of Analysis (A. Juska, A. Poviliunas, R. Pozzuto, 2004)
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 37
Key Success Factors of Balninkai Community Centre1. Effective leadership and management of the Community
Centre2. Support of the Church and participation of the Priest in the
activities of Balninkai Community Centre (BBC)3. Recognition of the BBC by the Balninkai community4. Recognition by the members of BBC of the Importance of
Strategic Planning5. Success in the early stages of the process 6. Effective and intensive public relation campaign lead by BBC
inside the Balninkai Community7. Effective public relation campaign on regional, national and
even international levels. Effective use of ICT for accessing and disseminating relevant information
8. Support of Municipality and Mayor.9. Commitment to ongoing training and capacity building10. Ability to initiate the appropriate structures and to involve new
members at various stages of community development
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 38
Social Partnership Approach: Case of Moletai County
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 39
Model of Social Partnership
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 40
Moletai County Rural Policy Network
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 41
Nework of Communities’ Policy
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 42
Digital Communities: Case of Initiative “Toward digital communities”
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 43
Goals of the project “Toward Digital Communities” foster a more active use of the
opportunities of information technologies in rural communities for the purposes of strengthening and modernizing their own activities.
to create and propagate incentive models and examples of good practice for modernization of communities by the use of IT opportunities.
to evaluate rural areas inhabitants’ potential to modernize by the use of IT possibilities.
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 44
LITNETLITNET
Aljansas LAAljansas LA
Rural Areas Having Internet Connection Rural Areas Having Internet Connection –– 20020033
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 45
LITNETLITNET
Aljansas LAAljansas LA
PHAREPHARE
Rural Areas Having Internet Connection Rural Areas Having Internet Connection –– 20052005
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 46
1. Strengthening specific communities organizations
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 47
Main principles of strengthening local communities based on the active involvement of community
members in the drafting of IT application project and making them the agents of a continuous (not a temporary) change of the community;
active dialogue with local inhabitants and stimulation of discussions inside of organization;
aimed at upholding the idea of ownership of ideas. Consultants are mere encouragers and facilitators and not generators of ideas nor decision makers.
we start off not by technologies but rather by identifying a problem, then informational, communicational needs and only then technologies
development of hybrid skills.
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 48
Regional Consultants
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 49
Communities that Drafted IT Application Projects
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 50
2. Strengthening of the national community communication network
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 51
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 52
Community Portal http://www.bendruomenes.lt public space for community
communication, sharing of experience, presentation of the information about themselves;
informational instrument on the introduction of various opportunities for communities;
storage of all-accessible educational materials, conference, seminar webcasting;
ground for testing the opportunities and applicability of new IT instruments.
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 53
Community organizations, by modernizing their activities, undergo certain transformations
They become ‘learning organizations’ with significantly enhanced absorption capabilities for new knowledge;
They become ‘change agents’ in the local community; They become ‘PR’ organizations capable of spreading
the information about themselves in various ways, including the use of information technologies;
They establish communication networks with other organizations and become ‘moderators’ and ‘maintainers’ of these networks;
With the help of ‘network’ and ‘PR’ activities, community organizations successfully accumulate social capital allowing them to enhance their power
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 54
Problems One of the most acute problems – the gap between the community
activists and the rest of the community members. In same cases, instead of becoming ‘changes agents” the activists become ‘local elite’;
The lack of possibilities of education and development of various hybrid skills for adult rural inhabitants. The majority of trainings take place in the centres of the districts, therefore, the participation in these trainings requires distraction from work, which causes various additional expenses and it is impossible;
Due to the closure of various foreign funds, there are no opportunities for drafting and implementing small-scale pilot projects to test local initiatives. To develop the draft proposal for structural funds is to complicate for such community organisations;
A number of rural areas still suffer from the poor quality of internet connections, extremely poor carrying capacity preventing the people from a possibility to use collaborative software tools, video and audio conferencing and webcasting tools.
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 55
Recommendations for public policy Emphasize the strand of knowledge society in rural areas in
national documents defining the future support from the EU.
To support small-scale community activities’ modernization projects that would stimulate the application of the acquired knowledge;
To promote research and experimental activities for the needs of introducing IT possibilities in rural activities and for the assessment of the impact to the social changes. A special attention should be paid to development of collaborative software, which could be used for the needs of partnership, team working, collaborative learning based on the basis of broadband possibilities.
To encourage a more active participation in solving of the problems of rural areas of universities, in particular colleges (e.g. Cultivating service learning)
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 56
Conclusions – Two different concepts of rurality
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 57
Official – Excluded ruralities
Predominates positivistic deterministic approach
Prevails moral underclass discourse Actor – “socialized role-playing
sanctioned man” SRSM, i.e. dependant on or determined by structures.
(S. Lindenberg)
A. Poviliunas, Vilnius University 58
Alternative – included rurality
Predominates critical and constructivist approach
Prevails redistributive discourse Actor – Resourceful restricted
expecting evaluating maximizing man RREEMM, i.e. rational, active and acting
(S. Lindenberg)