LED 2016 Group D Landscape Democracy Challenge 2

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Ērgļu novada tūrisma attītišana (Ērgļi Novads tourism development): Promoting and improving the local area

Place name	Ērgļu novada tūrisma attītišana ((Ērgļi Novads tourism development)
Location	Ērgļi
Country	Latvia
Author(s)	Joanna Storie

Rationale

• Some community members have been unhappy with the lack of development within the village of Ērgļi and have got together to promote the area and improve the look of certain sites. I am interested in how this group identify particular sites of interest and how they promote the area
• During the Soviet era, Ērgļi was a popular ski resort with many coming by train during the winter months. The train no longer runs to the village and the ski facilities are inoperative. The village was also home to Rudolfs Blaumana, a highly regarded writer. Some feel that these historic connections are not being exploited to their full potential and feel the authorities could do better to attract tourists and development. Frustrations with perceived favouritism and slowness of the authorities has motivated the group’s activities. The group have worked on cleaning up sites, particularly the central river location and working with LEADER to identify sources of funding. The challenge will be how this group can influence planning and what changes they can make to the overall appearance of the wider area, which also includes other smaller villages.

Representation of your observations

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Reflection

What are the major challenges for changing the situation?

• The major challenges for the group Ērgļu novada tūrisma attītišana is widening their reach within the community and not being restricted to a few active individuals making all the decisions. Giving space to others to contribute in a meaningful way, especially in a country that is not familiar with participation in decision-making processes is a particular problem. Also there is a risk that frustrations with the local authorities could lead to division within the community if care is not taken; or alternatively they may just be seen as a disruptive group and not a constructive voice from the community. They have tried to work with the local authorities through presentations of their ideas but so far with little result.

What could be a starting point for democractically-based change?

• Attracting the interest of others within the local community is of paramount importance. Representations of their ideas in prominent localities within the various communities represented by the whole Novads and not just Ērgļi, will help to raise the profile of the group. There should also be invitations for further contributions that is not solely based on the internet. Interactive displays in the forms of models or using computer graphics could be helpful to generate ideas and start conversations about change. A reliance on meetings could be counterproductive, as people rarely attend and this could be discouraging for the organisers. Getting out to meet the people in the places where they live and talking to them about their own concerns may generate more interest. Summer workshops with children could also encourage participation now and into the future as well as educating them about their landscape and the important elements in it.

References

• Ērgļu novada tūrisma attīstīšana: https://www.facebook.com/groups/852890111493501/
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