It brings together a sampling of the little-known rural Newfoundland and Labrador success stories in community development and public education in an attempt to ensure that lessons learned from them, important for other struggling communities and organizations, are not lost or forgotten.
The Project is a snap-shot in time as it captures the essence of nine initiatives that occurred in the 1990s. It is also a living document as it provides opportunities for readers to comment on the case studies profiled, as well to celebrate new case studies that share the spirit of those covered in the document.
The Best Practices Project is intended to be a practical contribution to the fields of community development, adult popular education, participatory research and community activism.
It is--and has always been intended to be--a work-in-progress. Through the interactive mechanisms built into the document, readers are encouraged to: add their comments; propose additional photos, sound clips, links and helpful resources; check for and correct inaccuracies; and to challenge our version of sometimes murky history.
Finally, readers are encouraged to suggest--and to co-author--additional case studies that they believe other Newfoundlanders and Labradorians might find useful or important.
Newfoundland and Labrador will certainly continue with its long tradition of tapping the strength of its people to survive harsh conditions--hopefully by documenting and celebrating what those who have come before us have learned and accomplished, the challenge for future generations will be less daunting.