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Czech rural communities have weathered COVID-19, a tornado, the refugee response and devastating floods. Local Action Groups mobilised quickly, thanks to something just as valuable as emergency plans: a network of trusted relationships built over years. As Jana Kuthanová from the Czech LAG Network puts it: “Whoever is prepared is not at risk.”

There is increasing attention to social resilience and crisis preparedness in rural areas, and to the role of LEADER. Local Action Groups can contribute effectively to crisis response by focusing on what they do best: working with other stakeholders and leveraging their strong connections in local communities.

Local Action Groups' capacity to build trust and social capital, using the LEADER principles, helps rural communities face many kinds of crises. In June this year, over 70 LEADER stakeholders gathered to discuss and share examples of crisis preparedness and response, including an increasing need to fight disinformation.

Young voices shaping rural Europe's future through LEADER 

Two years ago, the EU CAP Network's Young LEADER Forum created an opportunity for connections and exchanges among young rural people active in rural development. Today, ELARD’s LEADER Youth Community brings that work forward, giving young LEADER actors from rural Europe a stronger voice in rural development.

We spoke with the Dutch LEADER Network to understand how LEADER is organised in the Netherlands, how Local Action Groups (LAGs) work and how the Dutch situation is quite different from other Member States. 

Discover the 'LEADER Stories' blog: a spotlight on the real people who are using LEADER to shape rural Luxembourg – and a tool for more joined-up communications across the country's five Local Action Groups.

In the EU's Outermost Regions – islands and territories spread across the Atlantic, Caribbean and Indian Ocean – LEADER Local Action Groups are supporting communities, farmers and small businesses through local development strategies that reflect a variety of territorial priorities. Lessons learnt from a cooperation project. 

Three ‘champions of cooperation’ share their experience with LEADER transnational cooperation (TNC) projects and explain how TNC helped their LAGs find shared solutions to common challenges: strengthening farmer collaboration across borders, encouraging sustainable tourism and boosting youth participation in decision-making.