"My name is Emma Karjalainen, and I am currently doing an internship in the CAP-SHARE project, which aims to develop a model for effective capacity sharing for biodiversity preservation and climate resilience within NPA municipalities by promoting cooperation between communities, scientists and policymakers. Project´s one of the main themes of the activities is involve youth in place-based actions from conception to policy. I am studying for a Master's degree in Sustainability Education at the University of Lapland and I also have a background in forest engineering studies from Lapland University of Applied Sciences. I am interested in integrating various livelihoods, stakeholder work, and climate resilience.
I had the opportunity to participate the Arctic Youth Conference 2025 from January 24th to 26th, organized by Norway’s Chairship of the Arctic Council. I participated in the conference to meet and network with young people from different backgrounds. The theme of the conference was youth leadership in the Arctic region, preserving indigenous knowledge, sharing knowledge with young researchers, preparation, resilience and mental health. The panel discussions and workshops deepened my knowledge about indigenous peoples and their livelihoods, climate resilience and helped me develop young leadership skills. The Arctic Youth Conference 2025 was a unique event filled with the distinctive and relevant expertise of young people. Youth play a key role in building a sustainable future and they should be more involved in various fields.
The grant enabled me to attend the Arctic Youth Conference and choose a more climate-friendly way to travel. The weekend was both inspiring and full of experiences and interesting encounters. I created new contacts and gained tools that I can use in both my CAP-SHARE internship and my studies. Young people need experiences and opportunities, which the Arctic Youth Conference 2025 specifically provided. I believe that new contacts and networking will also help advance my career at an international level. Hopefully more conferences and opportunities like this will be created for young people in the future!"
Part of the YoungArctic project, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway. YoungArctic is a collaboration between High North Center (at Nord University), UArctic, and the International Arctic Social Sciences Association (IASSA).Follow the project on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/youngarcticproject/