10 years of LDnet: priorities and initiatives in 2021

LDnet was launched in Brussels on 2 February 2011 to bring together people and knowledge in local development. While remaining an informal network, it has become a unique forum covering the theory and practice of bottom-up local development in both rural and urban areas, thanks to its active members and friends, its close working relationship with other organisations, and the support of the LEDA-Partenariat Association (LDnet) Association.

The most recent General Assembly of the LEDA-Partenariat Association (LDnet) Association was held online on  27 January 2021. It was attended by nearly 40 members and friends of LDnet and allowed us to take stock of the activities carried out since the previous GA (October 2019), followed by a lively discussion on future priorities and activities.

The recording of the presentations and discussions is available HERE – access code: ASY^90WE

A large number of activities were carried out in the last 15 months. The ones highlighted at the GA included:

• The LDnet lab on “Social innovation and local development: linking urban and rural approaches” on 20.2.2020 in Brussels, the last physical event of LDnet before the pandemic.
• A series of webinars “Rebuilding local economies after lockdown” in the period June-July 2020 and the topics of the sessions were:
  • Reinventing local shopping and hospitality
  • New solidarity services
  • Stay at home vacations – Staycations
  • Worsening inequalities / social inclusion

• A new networking activity “Community solutions – When social innovation meets local development”. Initiated and supported by LDnet together with the RSA,  this led to a COST Action proposal in the Autumn of 2020, with 85 proposers from 32 countries.
• The LDnet initiative “CLLD in Europe”. it aims to present in a systematic and succinct way how local development is implemented in different EU member states, and has already published a number of  CLLD country profiles (AT, CZ, EE, PL, PT, SI and SE) and horizontal analyses.

The priorities and activities for 2021, will include the following:

• The “CLLD in Europe” initiative is continuing with more CLLD country profiles and cross-country analyses. In 2021 priority will be given to disseminating and debating the findings of this work with practitioners, researchers and policy administrators. LDnet is exploring practical steps with the Commission and other networks.
• A new webinar series on “The Contribution of Community-based Initiatives to the Covid Recovery” is planned for April 2021. The focus on community-based initiatives for sustainable development. Topics have been provisionally identified and members and friends have been invited to ‘curate’ the following specific sessions:
  • “New local development opportunities and challenges in a post-COVID world”
    
  • “Communities in circles:  new forms of development”
  • “New exclusions: How communities are combating digital, food, heat/electric/water, health exclusions”
• LDnet will be a partner at the RSA’s “Global e-Festival: Regions in Recovery – Building Sustainable Futures” and it will organise a series of sessions on the contribution of community-based initiatives to the Covid recovery, with a focus on policy and integrated approaches.
  
• It is hoped that the initiative on social innovation and local development will be supported by COST and will be implemented as a COST Action, but anyway the substantial network that has emerge around the theme linking local development with social innovation will continue its activities.
  

A strong feature of LDnet’s work is the cooperation with other networks and it will continue in 2021. This was underlined and supported by the representatives of other networks who participated in the GA: Marion Eckardt, President of ELARD, Daniela Carl, Deputy Chief Executive of RSA, and Marta Marcis, President of AEIDL.

The meeting closed with a lively discussion on the state of CLLD and local development and prospects in the Covid recovery period, with several suggestions and offers from participants, which LDnet has taken on board.

LDnet welcomes the active involvement of old and new members and friends. For information on how to join click HERE.