ORU Fogar Seminar on Rural Development in Romania
ORU Fogar will travel to Romania to convene a meeting of its Executive Bureau, in partnership with the Argeș County Council. This meeting, to be held in Pitești on the 20th of April 2026, will provide the framework for the International Seminar entitled “Comparative Rural Development Policies”, during which regional decision-makers from several continents will engage in dialogue on strategies aimed at strengthening non-urban territories.
The organization of this event in Romania further consolidates ORU Fogar’s trajectory as one of the principal platforms for global debate advocating the protection and revitalization of rural areas. While for many years the dominant discourse has focused predominantly on cities in response to accelerated urbanization, ORU Fogar has consistently upheld a firm commitment to rural development, emphasizing that a significant share of urban challenges cannot be effectively addressed without curbing rural depopulation. This stance was articulated with particular clarity at the Habitat III Summit in Quito in 2015. In a context where the international community concentrated almost exclusively on the “right to the city,” ORU Fogar emerged as a leading voice forcefully asserting the principles of territorial balance and the right to a dignified life in rural areas.
For the organization, rural development is not a sector-specific issue, but rather a central pillar of global governance. Accordingly, the seminar will address rural exodus as a global structural challenge, one of the major struggles that should historically have been undertaken to prevent territorial depopulation and to ensure that rural populations enjoy access to the same services and opportunities as urban residents. This vision of territorial cohesion underpins the network’s engagement with international organizations, advancing the premise that sustainability cannot be achieved without a resilient, interconnected rural world.
The event in Pitești will foster an unprecedented exchange of experiences. The situation of rural areas in Romania will be examined by local and national experts, alongside representatives of the Făgăraș Massif Committee. This local perspective will be complemented by presentations on policies implemented in Morocco by regional presidents, as well as by testimonies from leaders from Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Kenya.
In addition, the seminar will draw on European benchmarks in development policy through the participation of the Basque Government and the Association of European Border Regions, as well as on successful experiences from Latin America, represented by the Government of the State of Paraná in Brazil and the Government of the Province of Azuay in Ecuador. Concluding remarks will be delivered by the President of the organization, Rachid El Abdi, through which ORU Fogar will reaffirm from Romania that the future of the planet inevitably depends on a firm commitment to the dignity of rural communities and to the cohesion of all territories.
