"REVALUING LIFE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE"

The seminary on "Revaluing life in the countryside" took place on tke13^th and 14^th the two thousand in the local government office in Stryszów. It was a part of a project called "Ashoka Ecological Initiatives". There were about sixty participants - innovators for the public from Ashoka organisations, ecologist, professionalists , local authorities and eclo-farmers. This short but intensive seminary gave an opportunity to see what kind of projects are being developed in polish villages. All the participants described they interesting ideas, and discussed several of polish countryside and possibilities of using them in a sustainable development.

During the seminary two discussion took place. Both of them were on the topic of values of polish countryside and protecting them in the best way.

THE FINAL STATEMENTS OF THE DISCUSSION:

WHAT ARE THE VALUES OF POLISH COUNTRYSIDE?

1. Better quality of life than in the city
2. Big hospitality of farmers
3. Traditional, family farms ( not longer existing in Western Europe)
4. Friendly neighbourhood and good family members' connections
5. Land attachment
6. Life independence of people who cultivate their own peace of land
7. Easy, calm life, smaller pace of life than in the city
8. Health benefits - natural ways of medical treatment
9. Biodiversity of environment
10. Special kind of people living in the villages - more friendly, sociable, hospitable, sensitive

HOW TO PROTECT THE VALUES?

1. Choice of technologies not harmful for the people and environment
2. Ecological education for children, showing them right values, encouraging them to living in the countryside
3. Organising educational centres existing right by the farms (ex. Universities by the farms)
4. A development of ecological agriculture, ecotourism and organic food production
5. Organisations products and consumers groups ( local farmers partnership)
6. Stopping a process of commercialisation of villages
7. Work on our personality and character - noticing the real values of life
8. Co-operation with Ministry of Agriculture
9. Co-operating with innovators, ecologist, professionalists and eco-farmers
10. Helping people from the cities who want to move to the villages
11. Start sustainable development from working on ourselves
12. Join elements of ecology, education and culture
13. Co-ordinating work - sharing experiments, projects, ideas on meetings, conferences
14. Show the possible defeat, not only talk about it
15. Enlightening farmers publicly
16. Be proper and conscious consumers
17. Point out the values of each region separately

WHY WE SHOULD PROTECT THEM?

1. To make polish village attractive for young generation
2. To protect traditional village and unique nature
3. To protect ourselves from civilisation illnesses caused mainly by unhealthy life style
4. To stop the "leakage" of the "city behaviours" in the village
5. To propose a new, interesting model of spending free time (holidays on farms)
6. To stop civilisation process growing
7. Because polish countryside is in danger you must help it to save its own unique character
8. By promoting countryside values we fight against materialistic world

To make the seminary more interesting the ecological meal was prepared by the local eco-farmers that also took part in seminary. The table abound in: delicious dough cake with seasonal fruit, salads made of different kinds of vegetables, many types of goat's and cow's cheeses, fruit and vegetables juices. A very good point of the program was a small performance organised by the children from local elementary school in Stryszów - they were declaiming poems and singing songs. What's more, eco-farmers from Zawoja presented a special folksong.

The participants had also en opportunity to meet the work of local eco-farmers by staying in their local farms. It was a chance to have a look on the practical way of farming in Poland as well as to meet with hospitality and kindness typical for people living in this region.

[wersja polska]