Executive Director of the Finnish Home Regions Association Teppo Ylitalo captured the atmosphere by stating: “There is no future – we will make it!” Ylitalo gave a lot to think about the future of villages in a positive light. An important takeaway for this time was also to see villages as communities of trust and security. In villages, people meet each other and because they are at home in the villages, the encounters are genuine. Village communities also have the ability to take care of individuals and, if necessary, support the weaker ones.
The closing ceremony of the Village of the Future 2.0 project heard the development stories of the villages that participated in the project. The unifying factor in the stories was the power of community and the desire to do good for others.
Liiverin alueelta kehittämistarinaansa avasi Honkakylä. Honkakylässä on tehty työtä mm. kylän brändin kirkastamiseksi. Kylien yksi houkutusvoima sisältyykin heidän nostamaansa lauseeseen: ”Täällä arki pysyy ihmisen kokoisena.” Honkakylän tarinaan voi tutustua lisää tästä linkistä.
The evening's final highlight was served by Simo Rally. Antina kuultiin tuttuja Elonkerjuun tekstejä, jotka nousevat pohjalaisuuden sydänjuurista. Ralli antoi myös käytännön ohjeet oman kodin hankintaan. Markki kannattaa arvioida kusi-, kivi- ja pihasaunatestin avulla.
In addition to Honkakylä, the pilot villages in the Liiveri area were Hirvijärvi, Koskenkorva, Kainasto, Koura and the centre of Ilmajoki. The project has enabled the development and investments of the villages. The Liiveri government has approved eight of the project applications by the end of May, with a total value of 447,060 euros. Some of the project applications are still awaiting processing and approval by the Life Force Centre.