Young Inuit gathered in Nuuk on March 2nd, 3rd and 4th 2025 for the ‘ICC Inuit Youth Engagement Program’. The program started in December 2024 and provides young Inuit with focus on international affairs and the work of the ICC. The participants were three youth participants from Alaska, three (one physically and two online) from Canada, two (online) from Chukotka and four from Greenland.
During the three days, the participants were introduced to the more than 50 years of diplomatic co-operation among Inuit and other Indigenous Peoples across national borders within the Arctic, as well as in the international forums where Indigenous Peoples are represented. Prior to the meeting in Nuuk, the participants had attended three online modules, where they were introduced to the various international and regional forums where ICC participates.
During the program, the participants met, among others, member of Inatsisartut (the Greenlandic Parliament), Doris Jakobsen Jensen, Gwich’in leader Ed Alexander, Sámi leader Gunn-Britt Retter and heard about community leadership and political work. The participants also received presentations from former ICC leader’s Dr Dalee Sambo Dorough, Sheila Watt-Cloutier and Aqqaluk Lynge, as well as experts from other parts of the world, including the former UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, José Francisco Calí Tzay, and the Arctic Council’s SAO Chairman, Ambassador Morten Høglund.
Developing future leaders
The teaching modules concluded with a program in Nuuk which further introduced the participants to the different political structures of those countries where Inuit live, the work of international organizations, and meetings with the diplomatic corps working in Greenland, which included the head of the EU office, Simon Bojsen-Møller, and the US Consul in Greenland, Monica Bland.
The gathering in Nuuk further develops the ICC ‘Inuit Youth Engagement Program’, aiming to empower the next generation of Inuit leaders across the Arctic, thereby developing the potential of young Inuit by strengthening their leadership skills and their ability to contribute to their communities and the rest of the Arctic. The activities for the youth are designed to improve their professional skills and deepen their knowledge of Inuit culture and global advocacy.
Sara Olsvig, Chair of the ICC, expressed about the youth gathering in Nuuk:
– As Chair of ICC It is important to me to strengthen youth participation in ICC’s work. This program builds on the previous program ‘Emerging Leaders’ Initiative’, where the participating youth concluded with recommendations for, among other things, increasing participation in our international work. With this program, we have developed a school of Indigenous diplomacy that can continue in the future with new participants. We are incredibly pleased that this first group of youth has embraced the program. It has been absolutely amazing to meet the young professionals, to hear and learn their experiences as Inuit youth. Their engagement gives me great hope for our future.
Empowerment through collaboration
The program emphasizes collaboration between young Inuit from the different regions and countries and promotes a shared learning experience that transcends geographical boundaries. After the online modules and the physical meeting in Nuuk, the participants will choose each their own field to follow for the rest of the year and then join ICC in international meetings and negotiations. Here, the participants will be matched with mentors from ICC’s extensive network of experienced leaders, who will guide and support the young people throughout the rest of the year.
The mentors are key persons in supporting the participants to navigate complex issues and seize opportunities to benefit Inuit throughout the Arctic.
Great interest from all over Inuit Nunaat
The application round in the fall of 2024 showed a great interest in participating in the programme. To the few places we found funding for, there were 179 applicants from Alaska, Canada and Greenland. The ten persons chosen to participate in the program were in the age between 21 and 35. Fortunately, two young Inuit from Chukotka are able to participate online.
The program has in 2024 and 2025 been supported by ‘Nordatlantpuljen’ (the North Atlantic Pool) from the Danish Parliament, and by a grant from the US Embassy in Denmark.
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