The third Albanian Rural Parliament – a national platform dedicated to capacity building, networking, and advocacy for sustainable rural development – will be held on October 11-13, 2023, at the initiative of the Albanian Network for Rural Development (ANRD) and its 34 member organizations. This platform represents the most sustainable bottom-up advocacy effort, creating a suitable space for dialogue and cooperation, exchange and discussion of important and current issues of rural and agricultural development, and providing recommendations on the revitalization of the rural life and economy.
Part of the pan-European rural campaign, the National Rural Parliament’s initiative seeks to voice rural communities by articulating the concerns of their residents and triggering concrete actions of local communities in partnership with the civil society sector and government. Rural area residents, farmers, producers, livestock breeders, women and youth, representatives of central and local government, academia, the private sector, and the international community in Albania come together to meet and discuss important issues and concrete local solutions to improve the wellbeing of local communities and their various social groups.
This third parliament is held following the first two editions of this platform and strives to identify local solutions to the problems and challenges confronting rural communities across our country:
- Held on September 28-30, 2017, by ANRD in partnership with the Agricultural University of Tirana, the first Albanian Rural Parliament represented a unique nationwide and bottom-up advocacy platform in the rural development sector, bringing together more than 300 participants from 61 municipalities of Albania.
- Held on March 4-5, 2021, under the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic, the second Albanian Rural Parliament marked a unique event of advocacy and exchange for rural development by convening, online and in person, more than 600 participants, thanks to community cells.
The third Parliament comes with an upgraded platform, creating for the first time ever opportunities for young people from rural areas, young farmers and entrepreneurs to gather in their Youth Assembly: with the youth, for the youth, by the youth of the ANRD Rural Youth Hub themselves. Also, the 5th Edition of Pro Rural Women 2023 will be organized within the platform of the Rural Parliament to strengthen advocacy for an agricultural and rural sector, for communities, and a society with equal opportunities for all.
For more information on the third Albanian Rural Parliament’s initiative, please contact the office of the National Coordinator of the Albanian Network for Rural Development at the e-mail address: [email protected]
Click to read the declaration here: