Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit Conference 2025 has begun
Rovaniemi Arctic Spirit Conference 2025 has begun and will continue for 3 days: May 5-7. Several UArctic representatives are also panelists or speakers in the conference and its side events. Read more about UArctic at the Arctic Spirit day 1 below.
As part of the John Nurminen Foundation’s Baltic Sea Talks series, the event “Bridging the Oceans” brought together voices from the Arctic and Baltic regions to explore the shared stories of nature, culture, and conservation through film and dialogue. The session opened with a compelling screening of 3 short documentary films delving into the interconnectedness of the Baltic Sea and the Arctic, made possible by the Arctic Indigenous Film Fund and the Tvärminne Zoological Station of the University of Helsinki. Following the screening, a thought-provoking discussion featured:
- Liisa Holmberg, Chair of the UArctic Assembly, Vice-Lead of the UArctic Thematic Network on Arctic Indigenous Film, and Film Commissioner at the International Sámi Film Institute
- Ilona Mettiäinen, Vice-Lead of the UArctic Thematic Network on Frozen Arctic Conservation and Environmental Social Scientist at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
- Ulla Rosenström, Director of Marine Environment at the John Nurminen Foundation
Together, they reflected on the environmental, cultural, and emotional bonds tying the Arctic and Baltic together — from Indigenous storytelling to climate resilience and marine conservation.
This session launched a unique audio comic scenario report imagining hopeful futures shaped by climate responsibility and cooperation. Produced within the Kone Foundation-funded project “Climate Responsibility as a Normative Cornerstone of Multilateral Cooperation?”, the work blends speculative storytelling with research to explore what a just and sustainable Arctic—and world—might look like in 2035.
Sanna Kopra, a member of several UArctic Thematic Networks (the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland), presented the launch of the unique audio comic scenario report produced in the “Climate Responsibility as a Normative Cornerstone of Multilateral Cooperation?” Project funded by the Kone Foundation. The report is available here.
The day closed with an evening reception hosted by the Arctic Centre in collaboration with the John Nurminen Foundation. Short speeches were given by Lars Kullerud (President of UArctic), Johanna Ikävalko (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland), and Annamari Arrakoski-Engardt (CEO, John Nurminen Foundation), setting an inspiring tone for the days ahead.