ABSTRACT

This chapter identifies a suite of important insights which are embedded in the data and which constitute a synoptic situation analysis of where equity, diversity and interdependence are positioned in rural Northern Ireland. It is from this understanding that, at a broader scale, the way forward can be shaped. The interview data capture the deep-seated problems facing organisations in their work with rural society. Much of the dialogue is constructed around dilemmas and reflects the search by people within their organisational settings to work out the 'right' answer. The narratives thus represent a collective baseline of perceived challenges and grounded hopes. Organisations do perceive themselves as wanting to make a difference in terms of better quality of life to a multiplicity of service constituencies through a combination of pilot projects and training programmes. The local social capital environment is perceived as being a powerful dynamic for change which can successfully challenge institutional and organisational inertia or caution.