Pp 18 Final Forum, Berlin Cooperating with our partners in the Hinterland project has been an important and educational experience – it has been like looking in a mirror and realizing who you are. In the mirror we saw the importance of Empowerment – nursing the fire Decentralization – being critical and advocating Hinterland values Knowledge sharing – sharing the same terminology

Pp 18 Final Forum, Berlin Empowerment: We need to nurse the sparks of engagement and knowledge - like we nurse a fire. We wish to raise the educational level of our village! Let’s build an IT centre! What to do with an empty dairy in a small village? Let’s make an art exhibition with Vorderland artists! We want to make projects in our villages! But how to manage? Let’s attend a course on how to handle projects..

Pp 18 Final Forum, Berlin Decentralization Does everything have to be centralized to be effective? Is cheaper always better? Is big better than small? From participating in the Hinterland project, we have sharpened our focus on Hinterland values and potentials and do not take for granted that all development automatically happens in Vorderland. Decentralization opens the potentials of working cross-nationally – two Hinterland areas can cooperate without involving any Vorderlands.

Pp 18 Final Forum, Berlin Knowledge sharing Sharing your knowledge is always a challenge – among colleagues, among different sectors, etc. The Hinterland project has had the additional challenge of crossing cultures. This has only emphasized the importance of sharing a terminology – speaking the same language, so to speak. We believe that the Hinterland PPs now have taken the first steps of developing a new, shared terminology, which can form the base for further cooperation.

Pp 18 Final Forum, Berlin Sample of results of the Hinterland project in Denmark: “Day of the community house” A coordinated event of all community houses in Skive Municipality – to celebrate and draw the attention to the central role of the many community houses. Every house had its own unique activities that reflected the energy and potential of each village. Decline information More than 300 citizens have participated in our meetings on decline and potentials in the Hinterland

Pp 18 Final Forum, Berlin Sample of results of the Hinterland project in Denmark: Access to the landscape A series of foot paths have been established around the village Oddense. Nature is an important factor for peoples’ wellbeing, and it also attracts newcomers – if it is accessible ! Access to the landscape – also in the long run Skive municipality has been chosen as a pilot project in developing new methods for landscape planning. Methods which also take into account the many different interests in the landscape – tourists, recreation, agriculture, and settlement.