As a native Inuk from Greenland, I often have to speak on behalf of a whole country. It is not something I chose or choose to do, but rather something that is placed upon many of us with a Greenlandic background. We are expected to represent Greenland as if we know everything. It can be a lonely task, especially as I often find myself to be the only one from Greenland in the room.
Photo by Youth Together for Arctic Futures/Kari Fannar Larusson.
On October 2024 I found myself in a room introducing myself based on a concept called a PechaKucha. The concept of Pecha Kucha was new to me. It is a storytelling format in which I had topresent myself with 10 slides (normally 20) only having 20 seconds per slide. This took place in thebeautiful surroundings of Akureyri in the northern part of Iceland. The snow had just fallen, and the cozy buildings were surrounded by quiet water and connected by slippery roads. I had just gotten accepted to be part of a mentorship program that will run for the next 18 months. As part of the Arctic Mayors Forum, me and six other mentees will receive guidance, undergo personal development and perhaps end up better than we are today.
Coming from Greenland, I figured that the weather wouldn’t be colder in Iceland, but I was definitelywrong and didn’t pack enough clothes. After the Pecha Kucha of my six fellow mentees and our mentors, I realized I was among likeminded people with diverse backgrounds and cultures. Fromsalmon conservation in Alaska and engaging youth in local politics in Sweden to Arctic marine governance and photography.
Coming into this, I really didn’t know what having a mentor meant. A quick Google search provided me with “a person who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced”. I guess this is true, but I also felt a genuine inspiration from the other participants and felt that the mentors were also open to learning from their mentees.
I approached this with an open mind, but I was surprised at how I came away even more inspired than I had expected. In just a few days at the mentorship kickoff event, I gained a new network of fellow people who share a deep love for the Arctic.
Perhaps I’m not so alone after all.
Mentee Daniel Lyberth Hauptmann with mentor Joël Plouffe at the Arctic Mentorship Kick-Off Event in November. Photo by Youth Together for Arctic Futures/Kari Fannar Larusson.