ABSTRACT
Northern Ireland Rural Community Network (RCN) is a voluntary organisation established by community groups from rural areas in 1991 to articulate the voice of rural people on issues relating to poverty, disadvantage and equality. A commitment by RCN to equity, diversity and interdependence fits well with the ethos of the organisation and its broader contribution to rural development in Northern Ireland. It is against this context that RCN became a participant in the Gaining from Difference initiative led by Counteract and the Future Ways Programme in order to better take forwards its own organisational approach to equity, diversity and interdependence (EDI). The RCN experience underlines the "learning organisation" character of a dynamic, self-critical and dialogue based EDI process. The experience is that participation within an EDI framework is organic in character and that a unique momentum is developing around the interplay between confidence and uncertainty about the future direction.
