The "In the Spirit of the Rovaniemi Process – Local and Global Arctic" will take place in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland, on 24-26 November 2015.
The conference is the second in the series of biennial international Arctic conferences organized by the City of Rovaniemi, the University of Lapland and its Arctic Centre and the Arctic Society of Finland.
The conferences highlight the importance and contemporary legacies of the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy, the so-called Rovaniemi Process that led to the establishment of the Arctic Council. These is still today seen in the priorities of Arctic co-operation, environmental protection and sustainable development, while at the same time the aim is to overcome geopolitical tensions into a region of peace and co-operation. Today, the spirit of the Rovaniemi Process is seen in the nature of the circumpolar cooperation that is marked by close scientific collaboration, people-to-people connections and networks of businesses and arts.
With the theme "Local and Global Arctic" the conference will address the interaction of the global, regional and local levels in the Arctic, such as the impacts of global processes on local communities in the Arctic. Moreover, the role of institutions such as the Arctic Council, the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and the European Union, in interlinking Arctic stakeholders is highlighted. Key questions include: How the local perspective is, or should be, seen in global and international context in the Arctic? Does Arctic international co-operation truly support sustainable development at the local level? How do local perspectives and values translate to regional and global contexts?
The conference will consist of keynote speeches by eminent political speakers and distinguished scholars in two plenaries as well as presentations highlighting latest scientific papers and good practices in the parallel sessions. The ten thematic sessions will address topical issues such as sustainable extraction of Arctic natural resources, the European Union and the Arctic, art, geopolitics, indigenous peoples' languages and livelihoods, work and well-being in cold conditions, marine transportation, and indigenous tourism. Moreover, the special features of Arctic cities are addressed from sustainability and design viewpoints.
The conference invites friends of the Arctic - decision-makers, scholars, artists, designers and students - to discuss the Arctic in global, regional and local perspectives in the spirit of the Rovaniemi Process.
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