The National Rural Network (RRN) wants to identify and publicise the “Youth on the Net” projects carried out by young people in rural areas.

These projects have a twofold objective: to make initiatives and associations linked to youth visible; and to promote the associationism and participation of this group in activities that contribute to the development of these environments.

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The RRN will present the selected projects at the VI National Fair for the Repopulation of Rural Spain (PRESURA 2022), to be held in November. The selection and participation requirements are:

Young people (individuals, groups, associations, etc.) aged between 14 and 40 years old, both inclusive. In the case of associations, at least half plus one of the members must be within the required age range.

The projects must be carried out within the national territory at different levels of the administration (municipalities, provinces, autonomous communities). The theme is free but must have a positive impact on the young population in rural areas. They can also be activities related to music, photography, dance, leisure, environment, audiovisual media, theatre, plastic arts, traditions, sports, social participation, etc.

Following the receipt of applications, the phases are as follows:

First phase: The Management Unit of the National Rural Network and the regional antennae (a team of nine people who provide technical assistance to the RRN in the rural territories) will select 5 projects from among all the applications received in all the autonomous communities.
Second phase: selection of 3 finalist projects.
The results of both phases will be disseminated through the communication channels of the National Rural Network. In addition, those selected in the second phase will be able to participate and present their projects at the VI National Fair for the Repopulation of Rural Spain (PRESURA 2022), where the RRN will have its own space.

Proposals must fill in a form, which must be sent to redrural@mapa.es with the subject “Selection of rural youth projects enREDada”, together with the name of the project. The form, the characteristics document and the selection criteria can be downloaded here. The deadline for submitting applications is 18 July.

In case of doubts, interested persons can request information from the RRN regional antenna of their autonomous community here.

Over the last two years, the National Rural Network’s action plan has focused on promoting and giving visibility to the role of young people in the future of rural areas. In 2021, the “Young people and the Rural Environment” group was created, made up of 39 experts with different profiles (academic, institutional, scientific, associative, rural inhabitants, etc.), and representatives from all over the country, with the aim of providing the RRN with sufficient information to be able to design actions aimed at meeting the needs of young people; and to help them in the task of undertaking a life project in these environments.

Thanks to a series of face-to-face meetings with these young people and with representatives of different organisations related to youth in different rural localities in all the autonomous communities, the National Rural Network was able to find out, first-hand, in which associations they are grouped together to carry out their activities and projects.