Arctic Initiative

The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am – 1:00pm (Eastern Time) over a series of ten weeks.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas. 

The November 11th session is focused on Arctic Broadband Connectivity.  Connectivity is considered highly important to provide better quality of life and more business opportunities in Arctic communities. COVID-19 has shown that access to the internet is not just a luxury, but a human right that enables full participation in society, access to education, healthcare, family, public resources, and economic opportunity. In this November 11th session of the Arctic Resilience Forum, we will explore the “What”, “How” and “Why” of broadband connectivity in the Arctic. 

The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am – 1:00pm (Eastern Time) over a series of ten weeks.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas. 

The October 28th session is focused on Human Health and Pandemics. The Covid-19 pandemic has been a stress-test for resilience across the Arctic, particularly for the health and wellbeing of Northerners. The results of this test have been uneven – for example the Arctic’s remoteness has been a benefit in some areas, but it has hindered readiness and response in others. Around the region we’ve heard stories of both resilience and vulnerability, but throughout it all the unique strengths of the North show through. This session will focus on what we’ve learned so far and how resilience can best be supported going forward. 

As the Polar/Arctic Sea Ice recedes, the Arctic is increasingly becoming an arena for great power competition: China is Advancing its Polar Silk Road,” while Russia continues to pursue legal, military and commercial avenues to exploit the geostrategic advantages Arctic waters could offer it in the future. Where for decades the Arctic was described as “high north, low tension,” these realities are forcing a shift in strategic thinking within NATO, particularly among member states adjacent to the Arctic and party to multilateral governance structures in the North, like the Arctic Council, whose parameters don’t address military security questions. Other, non-Arctic actors, including Singapore, Japan and the European Union, alongside key individual members states have also developed their own strategies on the Arctic. In this seminar with former U.S Ambassadors Paula Dobriansky (FDP Senior Fellow), David Balton and former Chair of the Arctic Research Commission and Belfer Center Fellow, Fran Ulmer, we will examine key countries’ economic and national security interests in region; the role of the rule of law in preventing conflict alongside critical questions of governance to balance environmental, economic and security concerns in this expert seminar.

This event is co-sponsored by the Arctic Initiative.

The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am – 1:00pm (Eastern Time) over a series of ten weeks.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas. 

The October 21st Session is focused on Renewable Energy. Clean and secure energy is essential for resilient Arctic communities and intrinsically tied to issues such as health, climate, and food. The Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council therefore has made energy a priority and work is ongoing to promote the responsible and sustainable management, use, and development of energy – even in remote communities. 

This session will highlight how energy is being transformative across the Arctic and consider questions such as: What does transition away from diesel look like? What tools are available to support transition? What is the role of policy and how are Indigenous communities leading the way? 

The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am – 1:00pm (Eastern Time) over a series of ten weeks.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas. 

This October 14th Session, the second in the series, will focus on Arctic Food Security, an issue which lies at the foundation of resilience as it relates to caloric and nutritional needs as well as important cultural practices around food production, harvesting, and consumption.

The Arctic Innovation Lab is a project designed to promote solution-oriented discussions on the changing Arctic region. 

Come hear new ideas for a better Arctic and vote for your favorite one!

Opening remarks by Kenneth A. Howery, U.S. Ambassador to Sweden and Co-Founder of Paypal and the Founders Fund

The Arctic Resilience Forum will be convened every Wednesday from 11:30am – 1:00pm (Eastern Time) over a series of ten weeks.  The online series will engage the broadest audience possible in conversations about how to build the resilience of Arctic communities and ecosystems across a variety of focus areas. 

This October 7th Session, the first in the series, will focus on Indigenous Youth Leadership. Engaging young people in a dialogue about their aspirations and needs for taking charge for resilience leadership. 

The Arctic Resilience Forum (ARF), hosted by the Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council and co-organized by the Sustainable Development Working Group of the Arctic Council and the Arctic Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center, will offer participants the opportunity to strengthen cooperation on resilience-related work as well as  discuss resilience best practices and experiences from Arctic Council Working Groups’ and the broader community of circumpolar experts and knowledge holders.

The world's biggest underground iron ore mine is about to undermine the Swedish city of Kiruna. The answer? Move the city.

Join the Arctic Initiative for a conversation with students from Luleå University and experts from across the globe for a case discussion about sustainable development, consensus building, and how one Arctic city is responding to rapid change.

Apply to be part of this unique case discussion opportunity by Monday, September 28, 2020, so you can be matched with your international team.

Join the Arctic Initiative for a discussion with the former President of Iceland, H.E. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, the current Chair and Co-founder of the largest gathering on Arctic affairs, the Arctic Circle Assembly, and a leader in the Arctic dialogue. This session is a part of the "Glacier Talks" with leaders on Arctic issues. Limited seats available - you will be notified if you have been selected.