For decades West Virginia’s population remained pretty flat, over the past ten years it’s steadily declined. Roughly 41 residents leave every day but the state isn’t entirely unique in this respect: numerous others indicate negative growth, stagnation or a very slow population growth – each has its own reasons. Until 2000 West Virginia was a solid Democratic state – the party’s environmental commitments have, rightly, been perceived as being bad to the coal industry. Today it’s ‘Trump country’. Stepping off the bus from next door Washington, DC, I began to draw parallels with Northern Ireland’s situation.

One hundred years ago Belfast was the linen capital of the world, today NI’s the weakest economically performing region of the UK and Ireland and by some way the most politically conservative. The Department for the Economy’s (DfE) latest figures revealed that just one-third of graduates in 2017 who studied elsewhere returned home. On Northern Slant, our interview series with ex-pats show that for many the prospect of coming home is highly conditional upon political and socio-economic reform and career opportunities. So, sitting down with friends of Generation West Virginia (GWV), a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to attracting, retaining, and advancing young talent in the state, I wanted to learn what challenges they faced and consider how we in NI can stem our own brain drain.

GWV has 11 branches across West Virginia, led by and for young people, facilitating around 300 events a year from running clubs to advisory panels for individuals running for public office. That the state’s future depends on its ability to hold on to young people is clear, so are the challenges – the cost of living, healthcare, education, the opioid crisis which has trapped many parents into a cycle of drug addiction. “All these things drag you down,” said one person I spoke to. “A sense of hopelessness runs through people’s minds… worrying becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”

When people leave it threatens the tax base which has a knock-on effect on public services, limits the state’s scope to attract new employers and capacity of those residents left behind to instigate change. GWV understands that young people don’t just want a job; they seek choice in career pathways, and liveability – more are choosing the place they want to be first before trying to find a job there.

Revitalising perceptions of the state, then, is crucial. Lobbying for investment in infrastructure – like better roads and rural broadband – less regulation around the sale of alcohol, and bringing Uber to West Virginia; these are things taken for granted in Belfast nowadays. Hearing from GWV made me wonder who’s providing a voice for young people elsewhere across Northern Ireland, particularly in the absence of an Executive at Stormont. Without viable career pathways, absence of railway and other infrastructural investment, what incentives exist for today’s graduates to return to the likes of Derry or Fermanagh? We could sure benefit from a Generation West of the River Bann equivalent.

The potential for tourism in the Mountain State is vast yet West Virginians don’t think it’s anywhere close to being tapped as it should be. Sound familiar? One friend of GWV claimed: “We live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I lived in Colorado for a time – it’s similar scenery but a completely different story.” When we think of NI tourism, the north coast comes to mind – Game of Thrones, the Giant’s Causeway. But are we doing enough to promote ourselves? The Scottish government’s marketing of its North Coast 500 offers a great case study – bringing  money, life and worldwide fame to an area that struggles to hang on to its population. Remember in 2016 the Chief Executive of Titanic Belfast, Tim Husbands, said Northern Ireland needs a major tourist attraction outside of Belfast? That was two months before the Assembly collapsed. We’ve had two Assembly elections since. How much (or little) has the potential for tourism featured in our parties’ manifestos?

Education is important to GWV. It provides accessible programs and training opportunities to inspire new leaders to be part of West Virginia’s solutions – Generation Kickstart and Young Professionals Week are two examples. The Impact West Virginia Fellowship is modelled after the successful Challenge Detroit program, a year-long program inviting young people to work, live and give in West Virginia by offering paid fellowships at some of the state’s most innovative companies. Throughout the year, Fellows work 32 hours a week at one of the program’s participating companies and spend Fridays contributing to a local non-for-profit organisation. Do we have an equivalent of this in NI? If not, can we, with the added aspiration of normalising crossings and relations between what should become formerly known as nationalist/unionist areas?

As I travelled across the USA this summer the sense of community and reluctance to rely on government to solve problems was clear. In Northern Ireland we’re getting used to not having any political leadership, and all hope is not lost. Of the DfE figures mentioned, around nine in 10 graduating here in 2017 stayed and found work within six months. Is Northern Ireland too small to bring about tangible change? GWV sees the opportunities working in a small place: “We can be a part of the change – in months, years, even weeks. Because it’s small, every little impact seems like a great victory. The collaboration of it is really special.”

GWV know they can’t do everything on their own – they need partners. Their campaign for better broadband, secured through collaboration with retired people, is a case in point. “The more we can involve people, give people different perspectives and something to belong to. It’s what makes me want to stay,” I was told towards the end of our meeting. It’s about helping people to imagine what’s possible too. If there’s another organisation NI could certainly learn from, NEWaukee stands out – founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2009, inspiring folks “to leave a lasting mark on the place they called home,” showing the potential of a place, like parks, just by building it. I wonder how they’d could bring the hills of Stormont to life.

Also published on Medium.