The consortium of the European Masters Programme for Rural Animators announces the International Conference "Animation of rural development – a new profession?", that will be held on 7-9 June 2012, at the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Crete,Greece. This conference aims to promote discussion in the field of rural development, focusing especially on ways and means that rural development can be encouraged in disadvantaged or remote territories, in territories facing restructuring or in any other rural areas that lag behind in sustainable development. A key profession, that of the “rural animator” is introduced, as a focal player in the process of community encouragement and mediation towards the objective of sustainable development.

Papers are invited on the conference themes. For more information visit www.emraconference.com