Our Goals
The Rural Coalition's charter members, 22 national organizations, joined together in 1978 to bring their combined experience and skills to bear on national policies affecting rural people and communities. They mapped an ambitious course toward general goals articulated in the Rural Coalition's guiding principles. These principles, to which all coalition member organizations subscribe, and are part of the Rural Coalition membership application, are the following:
- Justice and equal opportunity are the right of all people regardless of race, sex, or place of residence
- All rural people are entitled to the goods and services essential to a decent quality of life, including education, health and employment services, housing and basic community facilities. They are also entitled to democratic community institutions dedicated to serving their interests.
- The long-term viability of rural communities rests on effective control and use of resources by the people living in rural areas, including family farmers, local business people and working people of all walks of life
- Community-based organizations are instrumental in the development of rural communities. Public policy should encourage their growth and strength.
- The federal government has a responsibility to ensure the rights of all citizens and help them secure the fulfillment of these rights.
Consistent with its commitment to these guiding principles, the Rural Coalition has worked toward two long range goals:
- The development and implementation of progressive policies responsive to rural needs, and
- The development of the capacities of rural organizations and people to work effectively for and sustain institutional and systematic change
We join together as rural interest organizations to work for a better national society. We mutually subscribe to the principles of the Rural Coalition.
