Press Release
Jan 26, 2024
Yellowknife, Canada – January 19, 2024 – The Arctic Resilient Communities Youth Fellowship (ARCYF) proudly announces the successful conclusion of its inaugural year with a final workshop held in Yellowknife, Canada. This workshop marked the culmination of a year of comprehensive programming, bringing together participants from Alaska, Northern Canada, and Greenland.
The ARCYF program, with funding from the Government of Canada, is dedicated to empowering young leaders from Arctic regions, enabling them to actively contribute to the dialogue surrounding complex social and environmental issues in the rapidly changing Arctic landscape. During the fellowship, participants had meaningful, in-depth discussions about Arctic community resilience in the face of new 21st-century challenges and shared a deep cross-boundary understanding of cultural differences and similarities across Arctic communities.
Last weekend, members of the 2023 fellow cohort met for the last time in Yellowknife, Canada, to conclude their debut year and celebrate their journey as emerging leaders. Building from prior workshops, they engaged with local community residents and Tribal elders, shared stories, and explored issues critical to their communities. They participated in discussions on cultural and traditional practices, and current challenges facing local Dene communities. They also took part in crafts workshops, including traditional beading, games, and dancing. The workshop included presentations of personal community resiliency projects from the fellows and concluded with a graduation ceremony along with a performance from the Yellowknives Dene Drummers.
Graduating fellows able to attend the Yellowknife Workshop included:
Alaska
Canada
Greenland
“As we bid farewell to this extraordinary group, we say ‘goodbye-but-stay-in-touch’ and extend heartfelt congratulations to each graduate! Your passion and dedication are shaping the future of our Arctic communities.” – Jon Isaacs, Chairman, Board of Directors of the Institute of the North
Now looking to the development of this initiative’s second year, ARCYF continues to empower Arctic youth to advocate for sustainable solutions to complex issues and become leaders in building resilient Arctic communities. Through this transformative initiative, a future for Arctic communities is envisioned where:
Youth voices are appreciated, respected, and welcomed as the citizens of the pan-Arctic region seek solutions to the challenges of a rapidly changing Arctic landscape.
Directed by the Institute of the North and North Star Group, ARCYF received a significant investment from the Government of Canada, and invaluable support from partners, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Greenland School of Petroleum and Minerals-KTI, Alaska Airlines, the Rasmuson Foundation, the George and Stephanie Suddock Foundation, the Denali Commission, the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association and Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. While 2023 marked ARCYF’s inaugural year, the initiative’s concept stems from work conducted through the Arctic Council’s Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) working group’s Mainstreaming Biodiversity in Arctic Mining (MBAM) initiative.
To learn more about the ARCYF program, its mission, and objectives, visit ARCYF.org. To inquire about partnership opportunities or request additional information, please contact the program through info@arcyf.org.
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