#Устойчивое развитие, #Арктика, #коренные народы, #sustainable development, #Arctic, #Indigenous Peoples

Indigenous peoples’ and ethnic minorities’ cooperation and networking increase facility in the Nordic countries and Northwest Russia

Center Young Karelia is implementing a project "Indigenous peoples’ and ethnic minorities’ cooperation and networking increase facility in the Nordic countries and Northwest Russia", supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

The project aims at the exchange of experience and mutual training of indigenous peoples' organizations in the Arctic, including through:

1. Presentation of best practices and discussion of common challenges indigenous peoples are facing on their way to the sustainable development, preservation of traditional lifestyles, languages and identity.
2. Maintaining of long-term cooperation between indigenous and minority organizations in the region.
3. Establishment of a more sustainable dialogue of public organizations, local communities, international experts, scientists and other stakeholders.

Six organizations are involved in the project: Center "Young Karelia" (Republic of Karelia), Foundation for Socio-Cultural Programs "Resources" (St. Petersburg), Association of the Kola Saami (Murmansk region), Community of the small-numbered peoples - the Izhorians - "Shoykula" (Leningradskaya Region), the Kvenlandsforbundet - Kven Association of Norway and Inuit Circumpolar Council (Greenland).

partners.jpg


Partners are planning to collect material on best practices, existing knowledge and experience in order to use it in their internal work and joint activities, as well as for dissemination to other interested participants of Arctic cooperation.

One of the main themes of the project is sustainable development. In 2015, the UN member states unanimously adopted the Sustainable Development Goals, which determine development vectors of the planet until 2030. Also, the VII World Congress of Finno-Ugric Peoples, held in Lahti in 2016, was devoted to the theme of sustainable development. This project will contribute to these international discussions.

The project will allow its participants to embark joint initiatives at the UN forums on indigenous peoples, cooperation platforms in the Artic and the Barents region.

Some partner organizations participate in the work of the Arctic Council, the Barents Euro-Arctic Cooperation, the international movement of the Finno-Ugric peoples. This level of involvement guarantees the exchange of experience and knowledge.

Project events:

Kick-off-meeting - Seminar on cultural heritage (8 - 9 June, 2017, Voknavolok, Karelia, Russia)

Side event in the margins of the 10th session of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples(12 July, 2017, Geneva, Switzerland)

Study tour to Greenland (6 - 10 August, 2017, Nuuk, Greenland)

Expert seminar on sustainable development (8 0 9 June, 2018, Skibotn, Norway)

Final event - International workshop “Realization of the rights of indigenous peoples at the municipal level” (4 - 5 October, 2018, Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia)