Save the Date – May 21-23, 2018

We are excited to announce that the 2018 National Rural Assembly will be held May 21-23, 2018, at the Durham Arts Council in downtown Durham, NC.

Building Civic Courage

The focus of this meeting will be how we build a more inclusive nation, viewed through a lens of civic courage. We’ll explore a number of questions, such as:

  • What does rural civic courage look like?
  • How are rural people exemplifying, strengthening, challenging, and recreating democracy?
  • How do we amplify wise, diverse, and informed rural voices in ways that promote smarter, greener, more inclusive, and more just outcomes?

The 2018 Assembly will also be a place for us to create content and capture stories that deliver a firm response to the cynical narratives that inform policy and investment in rural America.

We look forward to convening a diverse group of speakers and presenters, who will challenge and inspire us to reflect on how we show up in and for our communities.

Participants

The venue for this event is smaller than we’re used to and will accommodate no more than 200 people. For this reason, we will use a combination of formal invitations and open enrollment to achieve a representative group of rural leaders of various ages, ethnicities, and geographies, and will be pulling in voices from a diversity of places and sectors.

Support

This gathering is generously supported by The Duke Endowment, and we are pleased to have a limited number of travel scholarships available.

If your organization is interested in providing additional support, please contact us.

Stay tuned!

We will release more information about registration and scholarships in January, 2018.

Peace and good cheer to you and yours this season!

 

Drawing Resilience: Caryl Hale

Caryl Hale is the executive director of the Norton Regional Health Foundation and amember of the Norton Arts Council in Norton, Kansas. Hale brings her experience in farming and foodsystems with her to both roles, helping to create rural health policies that center art and food production.

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