HOW WE CREATE TOGETHER
Projects & Events
The Arctic Philosophy Network brings people together through projects, workshops, conferences and other activities that explore Arctic perspectives on people, nature, wellbeing and sustainable change.
Below you can explore some of our past projects and events.
Projects
Developing teaching materials – Greenland through young voices
2025-2026
We developed teaching materials for Danish primary schools that offer an inspiring and nuanced picture of Greenland. At the heart of the material are the voices and perspectives of young people from Greenland, exploring themes such as friendship, nature and wellbeing.
The materials were developed for students in the middle years of Danish primary school and aim to create curiosity, understanding and meaningful connections between young people in Denmark and Greenland.
Funded by the Danish Ministry of Education.
Your Story, Our Future – Defining Arctic Leadership
2023-2025
Your Story, Our Future explored how perspectives and experiences from people living in the Arctic can contribute to new approaches to leadership, wellbeing and sustainability.
Launched in 2023, the project was based on co-creation and collaboration with local people. Using True Storytelling™ and its seven principles, participants shared their stories and experiences and contributed to developing approaches to leadership that can be applied in organisations and communities.
Funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Nordic Nature Narratives – Sustainability and Nature-Relationship
2021-2022
The project explored what we can learn about wellbeing and sustainable action from people’s relationships with nature. Through personal stories collected across Greenland, Northern Norway and Denmark, the project brought together perspectives from different generations, cultures and backgrounds.
The project included workshops, local performances, a podcast and a book. The work was inspired by Indigenous storytelling traditions and approaches to sharing diverse perspectives on nature and sustainability.
Funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
Activities 2026
Workshop
March 19, 2026, 9:30-16:00 (CET)
Alta Museum, Alta, Norway
WORKSHOP
Arctic Stories about leadership and nature
A workshop on democratic leadership and nature in the Arctic. With conversations and personal stories about democracy, engagement and the importance of inclusive leadership for the preservation of a vibrant civil society in the Nordic region from Nordic, Sami and Kven perspectives. [in Norwegian]
Speakers:
- Eva Ritter, PhD & Jens Larsen «Lederskab i Arktis – personlige fortællinger om demokratisk ledelse og fællesskab»
- Prof. Jan Erik Henriksen UiT Alta «Birgejubmi. Urfolks bærekraftige relasjoner med naturen»
- Laila Kolostyák, iskunstner «Iskalde gleder – varme møter»
- Kjell Derås, Naturvernforbundet i Finnmark «Naturens relasjonsverdi»
With kind support by WistiFonden and Alta Museum.
Activities 2025
Co-creational conference
May 07, 2025, 9:30-16:00 (CET+3)
Ilisimatusarfik (Grønlands Universitet), Nuuk.
ARCTIC LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Learn form skilled leaders in the Arctic. How do we retain talented employess in the Arctic? How do we create leadership that makes sense – locally and with respect to the people?
The day offers short presentations, dialogues and workshops with Arctic leadership tools – and a unique opportunity to help set the direction for the future of leadership in the Arctic.
The conference is both physically (in Nuuk) and online (via Zoom).
The concept of Arctic Leadership is
- based on persona stories from Greenlandic and Sami Leaders
- focussed on how we can attract and retain the right competences
- shared in workshops with tools that strengthen well-being, community and work life
The conference is for those who believe that leadership in the Arctic must be based on culture, relationships and strategy.
The conference will mainly be held in Danish. There will be speakers from Greenland, Sápmi and Canada.
Webinar 2025
NEW ARCTIC LEADERSHIP
In 2025, we arranged a webinar in three parts on NEW LEADERSHIP IN THE ARCTIC. The webinar was an introduction to the methods that we had developed as result of the project YOUR STORY OUR FUTURE – Defining Arctic Leadership (2023-2025).
It describes a leadership programme for new and upcoming leaders in the Arctic, inspired by stories from leaders in Greenland and Arctic Norway and the Arctic nature and culture.
Part 1: Personal Leadership
PART 1 is the an introduction to the topic of personal leadership. We focus on the individual leader’s personal leadership and on Greenlandic, Nordic and Sami values and traditions understood as a nuanced entity. The leader learns to create a foundation from which to lead and to motivate.
Hosts and Speaker: Jens Larsen and Eva Ritter, Ph.D.
Part 2: Relational Leadership
In PART 2, we give you an introduction to working with communication and relations in Arctic leadership. Focus is on facilitating transformative conversations about social taboos, creating teams with high collective intelligence and seeing the whole person.
Hosts and Speaker: Jens Larsen and Eva Ritter, Ph.D.
Part 3: Strategic Leadership
The goal of PART 3 ist to give an introduction to the Arctic leader’s ability to execute and work strategically and create innovation together with his team and local stakeholders. Arctic leaders must focus on the future and development of the Arctic and how they can strengthen competence development.
Hosts and speakers: Jens Larsen and Eva Ritter, Ph.D.
Activities 2024
During early 2024, Alta Museum invited to three online events with academic programs and storytelling workshops. The workshops were part of the project YOUR STORY – OUR FUTURE. The workshops also shared knowledge and stories from the project’s activities in Greenland.
The workshops are a cooperation with:
Alta Museum World Heritage Rock Art Centre
Online-Workshop 1
January 25, 2024, 10:00 am-12:00 pm CET
Speaker: Maria Øien, Ph.D. Senior Curator; Host: Jens Larsen, Eva Ritter, Ph.D.
1. NGAN’GI ART: WE PAINT THE STORIES OF OUR CULTURE
Online-Workshop 1 (in English)
What values are shared when Ngan’gi artists create art with a wish to share stories of Ngan’gi culture, cosmology, and knowledge? How can art facilitate cross-cultural communication ?
Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork, Maria Øien presents art and design stories made by Ngan’gi artists, an Aboriginal community in Northern Australia. She explores a parallel to Sami relationships to sacred Sieidis in nature. Furthermore, she takes a critical look at the intercultural contradictions involved in art sales by exploring the term «shame-job» and the statement «black art on white walls.»
In the second part of the workshop, participants are invited to share stories about how arts, nature and culture can be used to give voice to different perspectives and create community. References
[Photo: Stian Thoresen. Maria Øien learning to loop a dilly bag by Molly Yawalminy and Mercia Wawul in Nauiyu, 2007.]
Online-Workshop 2
March 20, 2024, 10:00 am-12:00 pm CET
Speaker: Mari Sofie Strifeldt Arntzen. Conservator; Host: Jens Larsen, Eva Ritter
2. ROCK ART IN ALTA
Online-Workshop 2 (in Norwegian & Danish)
How do the body, stone, water and rock interact in the process of making petroglyphs?
After having gained experience in making petroglyphs, Mari has learned that nature interacts with the body in the process. All elements are equally important in achieving the result, which in this example are petroglyphs. Mari is also talking about how nature can be a healing element in, for example, a grieving process.
In the second half of the workshop, we share experiences and stories about using nature in our own lives and in society to support well-being.
[Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikipedia]
Online-Workshop 3
May 23, 2024, 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm CET.
Speaker: Kristin Nicolaysen, Museum Lecturer; Kjell Derås, Naturvernforbundet.
Host: Jens Larsen, Eva Ritter, Ph.D.
3. LET THE RIVER LIVE
Online-Workshop 3 (in Norwegian & Danish)
[Photo: Leif Gabrielsen, Alta Aksjonen 1981. Courtesey Alta Museum]
Activities 2023
Kaffemik
Nov 11, 2023, 15:00PM (CET+3) Gertrud Rask Vej 68, Nuuk
Host: Jens Larsen, Eva Ritter, Ph.D.
KAFFEMIK ABOUT GREENLANDIC LEADERSHIP
Part of the Greenland Science Week.
Stakeholder-Meeting
Nov 10, 2023, 12:00PM-1:30 PM (CET+3) Nuuk library and a walk outside
Host: Jens Larsen, Eva Ritter, Ph.D.
STAKEHOLDER-MEETING
Part of the Greenlandic Science Week.
We meet at Nuuk library, Imaneq 26, Nuuk 3900, Greenland.
Join us for a stakeholder walk. We start with an introduction to our project. Then we go for a walk to share stories and reflect on what Arctic leadership is.
The stakeholder meeting aims to discuss and share stories about what defines an Arctic approach to leadership and how it can improve mental health, business and sustainable development. The Nordic Ministry of Council sponsors the meeting.
Organizer: Eva Ritter Ph.D. and Jens Larsen, author,
Affiliation: Institute Nordic Perspectives and True Storytelling Institute
- Venue: Nuuk Library, Walk through Nuuk
- Target Group: Adults, leaders, professionals
- Language: English/Danish