Nätverket för smarta byar, Smart Village Network, har hållit sitt första möte. Under sammankomsten i Finland (5-7.2) antogs ett uttalande (på engelska) den 7 februari som återges här under:
Smart Village Network Declaration
Adopted by the Smart Village Network Members during the 1st SVN Meeting in Finland, Ellivuori on 7 February 2019
The Smart Village Network is an open and independent network of villages, village groups and village associations, as well as trusted “enablers” of local development in rural communities, with a direct mandate to represent villages and surrounding rural areas in a bottom-up way.
As the Smart Village Network, we are committed to supporting communities across Europe to develop ‘smart village’ approaches that can deliver more resilient rural areas and communities. Our mission is to enable exchange and cooperation between villages and to make the voice of villages heard at regional, national and European levels.
We, the members of the Smart Village Network, believe that ‘smart villages’ are ones that develop strategic, community-led approaches based on a village’s assets and opportunities, taking advantage of digital technologies where relevant.
Being a smart village is about taking actions and innovating at village level towards a new sustainable development path. It is also about having effective local processes that deliver smart solutions and enable continual learning from both successes and failures.
We believe strongly that smart village approaches can be enhanced through transnational exchange and learning, study visits, pilot actions, and access to relevant expertise. Key enablers of smart village approaches will be integrated policies and access to multiple funding sources.
The Smart Village Network is committed to supporting these joint actions and will continuously seek technical and financial support and cooperation with other relevant bodies to effectively implement its activities.
For this purpose, we, the members of the Smart Village Network, confirm our interest and commitment to working with each other and with all relevant partners towards realising smart village approaches in Europe.