Youth, researchers, emerging artists and cultural entrepreneurs presented for the 2024 Arctic Congress in Bodø, Norway.

The Unite Kindness Manitoba project is a community-driven initiative focused on spreading kindness and fostering a sense of belonging throughout the province. Through various acts of kindness, including volunteer opportunities, local support campaigns, and positive social events, the project aims to create a more compassionate and connected Manitoba. By encouraging individuals and groups to participate in simple yet impactful gestures, Unite Kindness Manitoba seeks to build a stronger, more inclusive community where everyone feels valued and empowered to make a difference.

To learn more about this program, click here.

This exciting project was designed to address issues of food insecurity with northern Indigenous communities by exploring highly collaborative approaches to engage a range of stakeholders such as farmers, food producers, and systems innovators. It was also designed to establish an experimental and emergent land lab program, co-developed from the ground up with little to no starting resources. A project goal was to explore co-developing a prototype program, which could be replicated for urban, rural and remote areas. 

The project explored traditional knowledge, technology development and data-driven approaches to address northern food insecurity. It explored the need for capacity building strategies and identified skills needed to capture new, emerging market opportunities aimed at Manitoba and regional Indigenous food sector businesses. It also encouraged evidence-based policy dialogues, process recommendations leading to new opportunities for northern supply chain research.

To learn more about this program, click here.

In 2022, the “Our People Our Climate: Winnipeg Summer Program” was launched exploring the use of Winnipeg as a hub. This initiative sought to explore how climate change impacts Indigenous youth and how participation in the arts could enhance resilience and improve mental health and well-being. The interdisciplinary team, with expertise spanning the arts, environmental, and social sciences, adopted a community-engaged and story-based approach to both research and arts-based creation. The project emphasized Indigenous-led structures, allowing community members to steer the exploration of their experiences and perspectives on climate change.

To learn more about this project, click here.

There is an indisputable body of evidence proving diverse and inclusive teams produce more creative and innovative science. ArcticNet is committed to sharing the responsibility to promote positive change and cultural inclusion within the Network. It recognizes that the existence of systemic racism against racialized and Indigenous People, the impacts of colonialism in Canada, anti 2SLGBTQ+ discrimination, discrimination based on disabilities, gender inequality and any combination of these limits the full participation of many of ArcticNet members and partners.

To learn more about the project, click here.