Essential changes in economic activities and social structure of rural inhabitants - main prerequisites for planning regional development

The article deals with some serious problems of rural development in Lithuania at the turn of the century, as well as with the changes in attitude towards the role of the countryside in the future. The authors analyze the new rural situation, which came to existence after restoration of private property in land and emergence of new categories of inhabitants, when the structure of rural population is changing very fast and radically. Only one from seven rural inhabitants is working in the sector of agriculture. Over 35% of rural residents are employed in industry, construction, and communal services; and most of them are operating as non-qualified workforce. Their present level of education and experience are not meeting the demands of the modern labor market. Therefore, until now, unemployment is an acute problem for the majority of countryside population. Meanwhile, the unemployment is the main reason for emigration and depopulation of small towns and villages. A lot of rural schools, cultural and health centers are closed, and the attractiveness of countryside is seriously damaged. Under these circumstances, the necessity for economic diversification became obvious in the rural areas. The range of new functions of countryside should be fulfilled in the near future. "Rural is no longer synonymous with the agricultural economy, but an area with a diversified economy, including industrial and services activity," - was stated in "Towards a New Urban Rural Partnership in Europe" by Flavio Boscacci already in 1999. In the rural areas, the progress has been facilitated by the essential improvement of infrastructure, providing new forms of communication and new content of education for rural residents. In the article, the authors examine the recent findings of the researches on the development of the local communities' movement. A necessity for essential reforms of the system of local and regional self-government is stressedVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŠiaulių universitetas, kptc@smf.su.ltŠvietimo akademij