Gerlinde Augustin, the Chief Admnistrative Officer of the SDL, told the students about the functions of the Agency. With its offices in the former Benedictine Cloisters of Thierhaupten, Rural administrative District Augsburg, the agency is a forum for rural areas, a practice oriented educational institution that seeks to optimize the transfer of knowledge. The promotion of the initiative from its base was one of the essential building blocks to the success of the SDL, as Augustin noted. "A major role is played by the motivation: to encourage individual initiative, it is necessary to open people's hearts." The flair of the former Benedictine monastery, sophisticated working methods and the analysis of complex contexts impacted on the agency's look to future challenges. Against the background of demographic and development systems communities need technical and methodological support to maintain the structures and quality in their villages. In addition, the portal www.sdl-inform.de provides more tips and information about the area.

Economic growth, social justice, democracy and the protection of the natural foundations of life are unimaginable without legal certainty in land. Certainly, only those who can make long term and predictable plans will be ready to invest in the future and contribute to the protection of livelihoods. This is true in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia as well as Latin America.
The concept of land management works mainly through the interplay of community, community participants and citizens. Indded the agency supports and assists communal politicians and residents in the development of their own village and/comminity in their respective regions. In this respect, local community workshops. seminars, specialist excursions and qualifying events are the enabling programs to political participants to realise their own potentials and use their ideas to practically carry out development on a long term basis.

Manfred Pfeiffer from the Office for Rural development explained to the master students about the land related activities with an example of Thierhaupten. Pfeiffer stressed that it involved a lot of persuasion and tough negotiations. The students were visibly impressed by the tour through projects in the areas of flood control, design of public space, pedestrian connections, and the recreation area through the restoration of the "water fountain"