Rural & Island Parliaments are participative democratic processes which aim to:
- amplify the diverse voices of rural and island communities in Scotland, in the UK and internationally;
- promote self-help, solidarity, exchange and cooperation between communities; and
- connect communities directly to decision makers to ensure that government policy is shaped by rural and island expertise.
They are designed on a two to three year cycle. The process is initiated at a large-scale assembly, bringing together hundreds of rural and island people in person and online to explore thematics which reflect rural and island priorities, from housing and transport to childcare, land management and culture. Most Rural & Islands Parliaments also have a dedicated space for young people to connect and discuss their own priorities. The outputs – from policy recommendations to practical projects and tools – are brought to life during the two to three years immediately following the assembly.
A member of the European-wide network of Rural Parliaments, the Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament was launched in Oban in 2014 and there followed assemblies in Brechin in 2016, Stranraer in 2018, virtually in 2021 and Fort William in 2023. Secretariat and coordination is provided by Scottish Rural Action with the programme and event shaped by a wide range of rural and island organisations who take on the role of 'curators'.
2023 also saw the inaugural Scottish Rural & Islands Youth Parliament.