Iceland review - 2019, Blaðsíða 52

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Iceland Review
in progress, it too has its challenges. “It’s difficult to
not be able to work with all the communities in need,”
admits Kristján. “We see other countries that have
actively taken a stand to keep their rural areas thriving
with similar programmes, for example in Norway or
Scotland. But they have more funding and are seeing
more progress as a result.”
Resuscitating ailing villages is a complex and
nuanced endeavour, and it does no good to affix
responsibility to any one entity; this is a task that relies
on a spectrum of efforts whose timing and alignment
is critical. That being said, there is a degree to which
many residents across rural Iceland feel as though the
government isn’t aligning what they say they’re going
to do with what they actually do; and as a programme
fully funded by Alþingi, Fragile Villages – and the very
villages it seeks to help – are deeply at the mercy of
decisions made behind closed doors.
“We are working hard on trying to communicate
within the governmental system to make our pro-
gramme better, and part of that effort is about synch-
ing the decisions public institutions make for their own
sake with those of private ones – like ours.”
The big picture
With so much effort being made to not only strengthen
community spirit but bolster the programme itself, it
is often worth reminding oneself of the purpose of all
this hard work. What’s the greater impact of the pro-
gramme beyond newly paved roads and better grocery
stores? What’s the bigger picture?
“There is so much value in preserving small commu-
nities across Iceland, not in the least because we want
to have our country accessible to tourists, for example,”
says Kristján. “We should be able to welcome people
all over the country where inhabitants haven’t already
been lost. To have a country with nearly all of its people
living in Reykjavík does not paint a positive picture.”
For Eva, who relocated to the countryside from
Reykjavík, the natural environment is extremely
important for her family’s sense of well-being. “I
wanted to bring up my family and children in a place
where the commute isn’t long, where we can be more
in touch with nature and learn to really appreciate the
natural environment,” she says. The rich potential
of major industries such as fishing and aquaculture
is also another major reason for protecting Iceland’s
rural communities.
Though it seems that Icelanders themselves truly
recognise the value in having population diversity across
its rural areas, it remains to be seen whether the gov-
ernment shares in this belief. So far, things are looking
hopeful – albeit fragile. “In the past, there was a ten-
dency to look away from struggling villages, but I think
that’s changing now,” says Kristján. “We’ve had quite a
few meetings in Alþingi to explain our project, and at this
point, I’d say ‘dropinn holar steininn,’ or the water drops
are making a hole in the stone. As time passes, we’re
seeing more and more positive signs that Parliament
and the ministries of Iceland are starting to notice – and
appreciate – what their people want and need.”