Stronger Together: Resilient Futures for Youth in Sápmi

Forest fires, biodiversity degradation, and loss of natural resources for subsistence as a result of adverse climate impacts are devastating communities in Sápmi. Some climate adaptation and mitigation policies/practices, such as wind farms, mines, and ‘catch-quotas’ are enhancing the pressures on local communities. These developments, often framed as “green,” create new tipping points for Indigenous land-based cultures.

Youth are on the frontlines of both ecological change and cultural loss, yet are often excluded from climate emergency strategies.

“Stronger Together: Resilient Futures for Youth in Sápmi” is an initiative which seeks to address the impacts of climate change on youth in Sápmi, one of the communities at the forefront of these challenges.

The initiative is organized by Arctic Youth Network (AYN) and the Arctic Indigenous Peoples Working Group (AIP) with support from the Climate Emergencies Forum (CEF).

Project aim

In this initiative, we want to explore, understand, and highlight the cumulative impacts of climate change on local communities in Sápmi. Together, we want to identify youth-led resilience strategies to prevent harmful climate tipping points, including those caused by maladaptive infrastructure.

This initiative aims to increase the participation and representation of Arctic youth, particularly Sámi youth, in policy-making to address climate change.

We want to achieve this by hosting a digital workshop and multi-day in-person convening in Finnish Sápmi, that will bring together youth from across the Arctic to identify and develop youth-led resilience strategies to prevent harmful climate tipping points.

With this, we hope to bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth from across the Arctic for meaningful dialogue, participatory mapping, and collective reflection on the future of life in the region.

Together, we want to predict, prevent, and prepare for climate change emergencies in Sápmi.

Project outcomes

Our deliverables include:

  • Hosting a digital workshop and the in-person event to map, identify and assess youth-led resilience strategies to prevent harmful climate tipping points and to co-develop visions for climate emergency preparedness rooted in Indigenous values, rights, and land-based knowledge;
  • Facilitating a synthesis report on climate risks and resilience pathways in Sápmi, from youth perspectives;
  • Co-creating a short film with Sámi youth artists, capturing personal climate narratives and premiered at New York Climate Week 2026;
  • Preparing a briefing note for Arctic policymakers and funders, linking local knowledge to emergency preparedness frameworks.

Project specifics

The project will be realized in two events:

  1. Digital workshop
  2. In-person gathering in Finnish Sápmi.

At these events, we aim to create spaces to streamline Indigenous youth perspectives from the Arctic into the heart of global climate emergency discourse.

Read more about the events below

Stronger Together: Resilient Futures for Youth in Sápmi

Forest fires, biodiversity degradation, and loss of natural resources for subsistence as a result of adverse climate impacts are devastating communities in Sápmi. Some climate adaptation and mitigation policies/practices, such as wind farms, mines, and ‘catch-quotas’ are enhancing the pressures on local communities. These developments, often framed as “green,” create new tipping points for Indigenous land-based cultures.

Youth are on the frontlines of both ecological change and cultural loss, yet are often excluded from climate emergency strategies.

“Stronger Together: Resilient Futures for Youth in Sápmi” is an initiative which seeks to address the impacts of climate change on youth in Sápmi, one of the communities at the forefront of these challenges.

The initiative is organized by Arctic Youth Network (AYN) and the Arctic Indigenous Peoples Working Group (AIP) with support from the Climate Emergencies Forum (CEF).

Project aim

In this initiative, we want to explore, understand, and highlight the cumulative impacts of climate change on local communities in Sápmi. Together, we want to identify youth-led resilience strategies to prevent harmful climate tipping points, including those caused by maladaptive infrastructure.

This initiative aims to increase the participation and representation of Arctic youth, particularly Sámi youth, in policy-making to address climate change.

We want to achieve this by hosting a digital workshop and multi-day in-person convening in Finnish Sápmi, that will bring together youth from across the Arctic to identify and develop youth-led resilience strategies to prevent harmful climate tipping points.

With this, we hope to bring together Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth from across the Arctic for meaningful dialogue, participatory mapping, and collective reflection on the future of life in the region.

Together, we want to predict, prevent, and prepare for climate change emergencies in Sápmi.

Project outcomes

Our deliverables include:

  • Hosting a digital workshop and the in-person event to map, identify and assess youth-led resilience strategies to prevent harmful climate tipping points and to co-develop visions for climate emergency preparedness rooted in Indigenous values, rights, and land-based knowledge;
  • Facilitating a synthesis report on climate risks and resilience pathways in Sápmi, from youth perspectives;
  • Co-creating a short film with Sámi youth artists, capturing personal climate narratives and premiered at New York Climate Week 2026;
  • Preparing a briefing note for Arctic policymakers and funders, linking local knowledge to emergency preparedness frameworks.

Project specifics

The project will be realized in two events:

  1. Digital workshop
  2. In-person gathering in Finnish Sápmi.

At these events, we aim to create spaces to streamline Indigenous youth perspectives from the Arctic into the heart of global climate emergency discourse.

Event 1: Digital Workshop

Reframing the Climate Emergency: Sápmi Youth Perspectives on Climate Tipping Points

During this event we will create a foundation for deeper dialogue and collaboration during the in-person event.

The agenda includes a keynote followed by a panel discussion to provide the basis for interactive workshops with registered Youth.

More information to be published shortly.

Open call for participants

We are inviting Youth from Sápmi and across the Arctic to apply for participation.

Are you passionate about climate justice, Indigenous knowledge, and the future of Sápmi? Want to help shape how youth respond to climate emergencies? Join our digital workshop this January to explore how climate tipping points, policies, and adaptation practices intersect with Sámi lands, culture, and resilience.

Event Layout

Context Setting

Keynote: The Science & Uncertainties of the Climate Emergency

Panel: Indigenous Perspectives & Ethical Dilemmas

Interactive Youth Workshop

Group Synthesis

Next Steps: physical event in Sápmi

Closing

Our Speakers

Keynote: The Science & Uncertainties of the Climate Emergency

Charlotte DeWald

Program Director for ACER – Arctic Climate Emergencies Response Initiative

Panel: Indigenous Perspectives & Ethical Dilemmas

Sara Olsvig

Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council PH.D., Ilisimatusarfik – University of Greenland

Maiken Katarina Salamonsen

Norwegian-Saami from Lofoten Norway, Nautical Sciences Student at SIMAC & Law at UiT

Read more about the second event below

Reframing the Climate Emergency: Sápmi Youth Perspectives on Climate Tipping Points

During this event we will create a foundation for deeper dialogue and collaboration during the in-person event.

The agenda includes a keynote followed by a panel discussion to provide the basis for interactive workshops with registered Youth.

More information to be published shortly.

Open call for participants

We are inviting Youth from Sápmi and across the Arctic to apply for participation.

Are you passionate about climate justice, Indigenous knowledge, and the future of Sápmi? Want to help shape how youth respond to climate emergencies? Join our digital workshop this January to explore how climate tipping points, policies, and adaptation practices intersect with Sámi lands, culture, and resilience.

Event Layout

Context Setting

Keynote: The Science & Uncertainties of the Climate Emergency

Panel: Indigenous Perspectives & Ethical Dilemmas

Interactive Youth Workshop

Group Synthesis

Next Steps: physical event in Sápmi

Closing

Our Speakers

Keynote: The Science & Uncertainties of the Climate Emergency

Charlotte DeWald

Program Director for ACER – Arctic Climate Emergencies Response Initiative

Panel: Indigenous Perspectives & Ethical Dilemmas

Sara Olsvig

Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council PH.D., Ilisimatusarfik – University of Greenland

Maiken Katarina Salamonsen

Norwegian-Saami from Lofoten Norway, Nautical Sciences Student at SIMAC & Law at UiT

Read more about the second event below

Event 1: Digital Workshop

Reframing the Climate Emergency: Sápmi Youth Perspectives on Climate Tipping Points

During this event we will create a foundation for deeper dialogue and collaboration during the in-person event.

The agenda includes a keynote followed by a panel discussion to provide the basis for interactive workshops with registered Youth.

More information to be published shortly.

Open call for participants

We are inviting Youth from Sápmi and across the Arctic to apply for participation.

Are you passionate about climate justice, Indigenous knowledge, and the future of Sápmi? Want to help shape how youth respond to climate emergencies? Join our digital workshop this January to explore how climate tipping points, policies, and adaptation practices intersect with Sámi lands, culture, and resilience.

Event Layout

Context Setting

Keynote: The Science & Uncertainties of the Climate Emergency

Panel: Indigenous Perspectives & Ethical Dilemmas

Interactive Youth Workshop

Group Synthesis

Next Steps: physical event in Sápmi

Closing

Our Speakers

Keynote: The Science & Uncertainties of the Climate Emergency

Charlotte DeWald

Program Director for ACER – Arctic Climate Emergencies Response Initiative

Panel: Indigenous Perspectives & Ethical Dilemmas

Sara Olsvig

Chair, Inuit Circumpolar Council PH.D., Ilisimatusarfik – University of Greenland

Maiken Katarina Salamonsen

Norwegian-Saami from Lofoten Norway, Nautical Sciences Student at SIMAC & Law at UiT

Event 2: In-person gathering in Sápmi

Re-imagining Climate Futures in Sápmi

The participation for the in-person gathering will be fully funded for selected participants!

We are still preparing the final layout of the in-person event.

Any specifics will be shared here, and on our Social Media channels!

Event 2: In-person gathering in Sápmi

Re-imagining Climate Futures in Sápmi

The participation for the in-person gathering will be fully funded for selected participants!

We are still preparing the final layout of the in-person event.

Any specifics will be shared here, and on our Social Media channels!