We value the quality of life that our villages afford us, and the possibility to develop projects that offer an alternative to urban lifestyles. We value enjoying nature and the possibility of having more time and space. We consider very positively the closeness of the human relations that are generated in our municipalities, the security, and the possibility to participate in local decision-making.

We also consider:

That despite the changes that have taken place in rural areas, depopulation is a threat that must be faced with determination.That the arrival of new persons, bringing new winds, is necessary.

Therefore we demand:

Policies that settle population and favour the arrival of new neighbours in rural areas.Improvements to services and the assurance of minimum services that make life in villages possible and do not force their inhabitants to leave.Positive discrimination for small villages that are never benefitted in the sharing out of investments.A look at villages from a gender perspective, providing services that promote the reconciliation of family and professional life, so that women do not have to turn their back on employment opportunities.The universality of telecommunications and quality Internet so that work and business delocation can become a reality.Quality infrastructures that keep villages adequately communicated with their surroundings.

Only in this way:

Will the inhabitants of rural areas be able to believe in the future of their villages.Will villages be inhabited, with economic activity, and will the environ-ment be sustainably maintained.Will territorial balance and equal rights be assured.

www.abrazalatierra.com

2004 - 2008DL-TE-85-2008

2

Abr

aza

la T

ierr

a

The depopulation of rural areas is one of the most serious problems facing our society. It causes a severe loss of cultural values and identifying traits, worsens territorial imbalances, reduces the potential for village development, and raises environmental risks (fire, loss of biodiversity, deterioration of landscape, etc.).

Coinciding with this loss of human capital, local development groups have witnessed and taken part in a process of change in rural areas that offers certain encouraging prospects and is characterised by a series of factors: new entrepreneurs come to set up in villages; young people decide not to emigrate but to invest in their locality; new business opportunities emerge as a result of infrastructure and communication improvements; rural things are increasingly valued; new social expectations are created; and many people simply seek a different way of life outside the urban model.

Abraza la Tierra was born in 2004 with the aim of contributing to this process of rural revitalisation by analysing the successes and the failures of previous initiatives to fix the population in rural territories and attract new population, drawing the best from

each initiative: 18 local development groups in five Spanish regions designed a model for actions to facilitate the integration of new enterprising neighbours in rural areas. Abraza la Tierra welcomes new settlers with unified criteria, through a systematic protocol that is sufficiently flexible to be adapted to the particular circumstances of each territory.

Abraza la Tierra’s methodology incorporates the great know-how of local action groups, benefitting from their ample experience in rural areas and their concept of the future of villages. It focuses on taking advantage of each municipality’s potential, its environmental, cultural, social and tourist heritage, to attain a diverse rural environment of inhabited

Abraza la Tierra is the clearest, firmest and best structured proposal for the revitalisation of village life and the fight against rural depopulation in Spain

3

villages with economic activity within a sustainable model.

To continue in the balanced development of municipalities and the fight against depopulation, Abraza la Tierra considers it necessary to combine the efforts of all

socioeconomic and political actors at local, regional and national level.

For this purpose, Abraza la Tierra has signed cooperation agreements with different bodies involved in rural development: regional ministr ies;

provincial, rural district and municipal councils; schools; associations; etc. with the aim of sharing know-how and carrying out common activities.

Abraza la Tierra has analysed other strategies used to tackle depopulation before drawing up its own reliable and tested protocol which offers assurances to new residents, the local population and municipal authorities

Rural areas need the combination of all these efforts to give rise to public

policies

Local population

Local action groupsCivil and

professional associations

Private bodiesPublic insititutions The media

New neighbours

Municipal councils

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The local action groups that form part of Abraza la Tierra are associations that have been working for more than 15 years in rural revitalisation. Each one promotes the integrated sustainable development of an average of more than 50 villages in its area. They represent a large part of the civil, social, business and institutional tissue of each territory. They apply the Leader method, a participatory working system based on the committment and involvement of local public and private actors, who ultimately share the responsibility and the privilege of deciding how to face the future.

Part

icip

atin

g lo

cal a

ctio

n gr

oups

Abraza la Tierra is a consolidated project of 18 local action groups in 5 Spanish regions. Since 2004 it has shown that the arrival of new neighbours and the fight against depopulation can and should be faced in a coordinated way

Aragón: BAJO ARAGÓN - MATARRAÑA Organización para el Desarrollo del Bajo Aragón y Matarraña (Teruel) Tel.: +34 978 852 742

ADEFO CINCO VILLASAsociación para el desarrollo y fomento de las Cinco Villas (Zaragoza) Tel.: +34 976 677 272

CEDER SOMONTANO Centro de Desarrollo del Somontano (Huesca) Tel.: +34 974 316 005

ASIADER Asociación para el Desarrollo Rural Integral de la Sierra de Albarracín (Teruel) Tel.: +34 978 706 198

AGUJAMA Asociación para el Desarrollo de Gúdar-Javalambre y Maestrazgo (Teruel) Tel.: +34 978 807 126

ADIBAMA Asociación para el Desarrollo Integral del Bajo Martín (Teruel) Tel.: +34 978 812 177

Cantabria:PAÍS ROMÁNICO Asociación País Románico (Cantabria) Tel.: +34 942 770 021

Castile La Mancha:ADR MOLINA - ALTO TAJO Asociación de Desarrollo Rural Molina de Aragón-Alto Tajo (Guadalajara) Tel.: +34 949 832 453

Castile and León:ADECOCIR Asociación para el Desarrollo de la Comarca de Ciudad Rodrigo (Salamanca) Tel.: +34 923 481 922

ADISAC - LA VOZAsociación para el Desarrollo Integral de Sanabria, Carvalleda y Los Valles (Zamora) Tel.: +34 980 623 088

ASOPIVA Asociación Pinares-El Valle para el Desarrollo Rural Integral (Soria) Tel.: +34 975 373 311

ADEMA Asociación para el Desarrollo Endógeno de Almazán y otros Municipios (Soria) Tel.: +34 975 301 531

ASAM Asociación Salmantina de Agricultura de Montaña (Salamanca) Tel.: +34 923 435 155

PROYNERSO Asociación Proyecto Noreste de Soria (Soria) Tel.: +34 976 646 992

CODINSE Coordinadora para el desarrollo Integral del Nordeste de Segovia (Codinse) Tel.: +34 921 556 218

PAÍS ROMÁNICO Asociación País Románico (Palencia y Burgos) Tel.: +34 979 128 029

TIERRA DE CAMPOS Colectivo para el Desarrollo Rural de Tierra de Campos (Valladolid) Tel.: +34 983 725 000

TIERRAS DEL CID Asociación Tierras Sorianas del Cid (Soria) Tel.: +34 975 350 560

Madrid:GALSINMA Grupo de Acción Local para la Sierra Norte de Madrid (Madrid) Tel.: +34 918 439 394

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Abraza la Tierra facilitates the arrival and the setting up of new enterprising neighbours in rural areas, thus contributing to revitalising the social fabric and business activity in villages.

The ini t iat ive is addressed to: enterprising individuals who wish to put their business project into action in a village and participate in its day-to-day life; neighbours who return to their village after

living elsewhere with the intention of investing there; people who leave the city and move to the country; neighbours from other places who decide to seek a new way of life in the village.

Through its network of New Enterprising Neighbour Welcoming Offices, Abraza la Tierra provides information and advice on:

Living resources

Presentation of the territory and the demographic characteristics of its villages. General information on basic services to the population. List of homes for rent or for sale in Abraza la Tierra districts. Information to facilitate social networking.

Business resources

Advice in relation with the intended business initiative. Guidance on business opportunities. Information and contacts with similar business experiences. Information on grants and subsidies. Information on landplots, industrial units and retail premises for sale or rent. Information on infrastructures in the area.

Employment resources

Guidance on job of fers in the district. Adversising of vacant job posts in the municipalities and local companies.

Abraza la Tierra accompanies new neighbours during the process of selecting a village to live in, puts them in touch with local residents and follows up their arrival and integration in village life

Abraza la Tierra offers its know-how and experience to institutions who wish to intervene in the territory to maintain and increase the population

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For the first time in Spain, people who wish to move out to rural areas are informed, advised and accompanied in an organised and professional way. Prior to the creation of Abraza la Tierra people had to to this on their own, embarking on an exhausting process that often lasted several years. Without the support of this initiative many would not have set up in rural areas. Abraza la Tierra has carried out field work of inestimable value for these people.

Abraza la Tierra is a pioneering project in Europe which addresses depopulation in a practical way using a reliable and tested protocol. It shows the importance and the usefulness of cooperation projects between various territories in different regions.

A new professional profile has been created for rural issues. The project technicians have received specific training that includes matters related with social and employment insertion services, the promotion of employment in rural areas, and community and intercultural mediation.

Abraza la Tierra has won the confidence of villagers; local, provincial and regional authorities; and other institutions and social and professional organisations working in rural areas.

Abraza la Tierra makes many families’ dream to live in a rural area come trues. This reinforces the idea that living in a rural area is possible, contradicting many stereotypes.

Since September 2005, when Abraza la Tierra was publicly launched, it has made important achievements.

500 persons, 230 families,

have settled in rural areas

150 families are in

the process of starting to live in villages located

in areas covered by the initative

More than 750

interviews have been held with

families proposing viable life projects

in rural areas The Welcoming

Offices have informed more than

4000 families on opportunities to live

in rural areas

Abraza la Tierra

has received more

than 5000 requests for

information via e-mail and

more than 3000 telephone

information requests

Every month 15,000 persons visit the web site www.abrazalatierra.com

Interest in living in rural areas and the number of projects presented to Abraza la Tierra rise exponentially each year.

Resu

lts

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The results obtained are vital for the future of villages:

The population has increased by an average of 8% in municipalities where Abraza la Tierra works, and in some small villages the arrival of new neighbours has even doubled the population. This change creates a climate of optimism that raises villagers’ self-esteem and with it their hopes for the future.

The families of new neighbours are much more than just numbers: they mean young entrepreneurs, people working in the village, children in the streets, and the reopening of schools and classrooms.

Vital services are maintained and reopened, like the village shop, chemist’s, baker’s or the bar: the focal point of social life in villages.

The creation of new businesses related with culture, the environment or new technologies reinforces development potential and contributes to the modernisation and diversification of rural life.

The involvement of new neighbours in activities and associations leads to a variety of initiatives, like the creation of a consumers’ association, opening of an Internet access centre, formation of a youth basketball team, or the creation of new meeting places for neighbours.

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Dissemination of good practices: Transferability of the methodology.

Abraza la Tierra has participated actively in events organised by social and institutional actors involved in welcoming processes and who define future policy for rural areas. Invited by universities, territorial institutions throughout Spain, and European associations and bodies, Abraza la Tierra has fostered the transference of the initiative, explaining its methodology and the results obtained. Abraza la Tierra has participated in in congresses, specialised meetings, fairs and international conferences.

Publication of the book: “New neighbours in rural areas. Abraza la Tierra: a path towards villages with life”, strategies and good practices to win the battle against depopulation.

In this publication Abraza la Tierra presents its methodology, analyses the demographic situation of each of the territories that form part of the initiative, describes previous attempts that have been made to attract new population in each area, highights the factors that have favoured the success of the life projects of new enterprising neighbours, takes stock of the results achieved, and suggests ways to overcome the obstacles that stop new inhabitants reaching rural areas.

Organisation of seminars and debating forums.

“Public housing policies in rural areas”. The shortage of homes for rent or sale and the high price of property that comes onto the market are the main obstacle to the establishment of new neighbours in villages. In this debating forum, experts in the field and technicians from development groups described the situation of the property market and town planning in each territory and drew up a document with guidelines for a rural housing policy that responds to these specific needs.

“Public fiscal and financial policy in rural areas”. The small companies that set up in villages are often not only businesses but also provide services to the village and contribute to fixing its population. The inhabitants of rural areas also have a large number of specific needs. Policy should consider differential measures so that setting up a business in a rural areas or living in the village is not a disadvantage and to avoid inequalities. The experts and technicians participating in the debating forum identified possible corrective factors that the administration could follow.

“The CAP reform and fixing the population in rural areas”. In this seminar sectorial representatives, farmers’ organisations and technicians of the administration analysed the opportunities and threats of the new Common Agricultural Policy. They clarified some criteria that could facilitate essential aspects for villages, such as the generational changeover, the incorporation of new people on farms and the continuing presence of farming and agricultural product processing, fostering quality, diversification and the generation of added value in the territory.

Through exhibitions, workshops, audiovisual presentations, chats and a range of actions Abraza la Tierra contributes to raising awareness of rural values

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iviti

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Rural areas need specific and distinguishing policies which take into account their particular differences with urban areas

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It supports neighbours in their demands for improvements in their quality of life, promotes territorial balance, backs business innovation, and defends a future for all

Abraza la Tierra conceives rural areas as a group of diverse and inhabited villages, with economic activity within a sustainable model

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Awareness campaign “Live, work and enjoy yourself in your village”.

The objective is to encourage people who have a relationship with a rural locality to invest in their village and make a life there.

Publication of teaching materials “Embrace your village”.

To foster among primary schoolchildren an affective link with their village and transmit the idea of rural areas as an optimum place to develop a fulfilling lifestyle. During the first phase it was made available to more than 7000 schoolchildren in around 100 schools.

www.abrazalatierra.com

15,000 people visit the initiative’s web site each month. In this virtual house they obtain information about the project, subscribe to digital bulletins and news on the initiative, learn about the experience of people who, like them, wanted to live in a rural area, and get in touch with the Welcoming Offices to start the process of return to a rural area.

Through the youtube.com/abrazalatierra channel

thousands of people have gained an in-depth knowledge of the opinion of mayors, tutors and new enterprising neighbours, as well as the local population’s point of view, in the territories that form part of the initiative.

In relation with its work, Abraza la Tierra has received important awards at national and regional level:

National Rural Development Award of the Macario Asenjo Ponce Foundation for tackling depopulation, the fundamental problem of rural territories; and because its protocol sets out sufficiently flexible guidelines for the initiative to be adapted to the particular circumstances of any municipality or area that wishes to follow its methodology.

Local Demographic Policy Award of the Villalar Castilla y Leon Foundation which recognises: “the capacity of the local action groups that form Abraza la Tierra to recognise common interests and put into action processes for the welcoming of new settlers which mean the revaluing of rural areas and an important contribution to the gradual raising of their population”.

Red Cross Award for Good Practices in Inclusion, in the modality “Spatial inclusion in the repopulation of underprivileged rural areas”. The award values the initiative’s contribution to improve the quality of social intervention.

Inforural Award of Castile and Leon. For the integrated approach with which rural development is addressed and the importance that the initiative places on the use of new technologies in the fostering of employment.

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Abraza la Tierra is constantly present in the media and has become a clear reference for journalists wishing to deal with the issue of new neighbours in rural areas. The interest of the media and the enormous impact that Abraza la Tierra has on audiences shows to what degree the issue fascinates public opinion. Dissemination of the initiative also helps to create a more realistic image of rural areas that look to the future. Local, regional and national media, both written press, radio and TV, have spoken about Abraza la Tierra in their news, reports, interviews, magazines…

The

med

ia

Abraza la Tierra’s message has reached millions of people through the mass media

We value the quality of life that our villages afford us, and the possibility to develop projects that offer an alternative to urban lifestyles. We value enjoying nature and the possibility of having more time and space. We consider very positively the closeness of the human relations that are generated in our municipalities, the security, and the possibility to participate in local decision-making.

We also consider:

That despite the changes that have taken place in rural areas, depopulation is a threat that must be faced with determination.That the arrival of new persons, bringing new winds, is necessary.

Therefore we demand:

Policies that settle population and favour the arrival of new neighbours in rural areas.Improvements to services and the assurance of minimum services that make life in villages possible and do not force their inhabitants to leave.Positive discrimination for small villages that are never benefitted in the sharing out of investments.A look at villages from a gender perspective, providing services that promote the reconciliation of family and professional life, so that women do not have to turn their back on employment opportunities.The universality of telecommunications and quality Internet so that work and business delocation can become a reality.Quality infrastructures that keep villages adequately communicated with their surroundings.

Only in this way:

Will the inhabitants of rural areas be able to believe in the future of their villages.Will villages be inhabited, with economic activity, and will the environ-ment be sustainably maintained.Will territorial balance and equal rights be assured.

www.abrazalatierra.com

2004 - 2008DL-TE-85-2008