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Arctic Yearbook 2014
In emphasizing the importance of resilience for Northern communities, we stand in good
company. Among circumpolar nations, and increasingly across the globe, community resilience
projects have introduced a new and more encompassing policy perspective on effective
community governance, emergency management and risk reduction.
In emergency management and risk reduction fields, resilience refers to a community’s ability to
not only survive and absorb a disruption, such as a severe weather event, but also to anticipate
adversity and creatively adapt to potential changes and losses. This latter aspect of resilience, the
ability to anticipate and adapt to adversity, is critical to our understanding of effective Northern
policy.
It can be difficult for small, remote communities to deliver effective public policy. Our research
shows that resilience-based strategies can help leverage community government and local
resources to better serve the needs of members.
Building Northern resilience requires a comprehensive approach. The goal is to attend to root
causes before they become immediate crises. To this end, resilience initiatives should be
horizontal and inclusive of the roles that non-governmental actors can play. From a policy
practice standpoint, resilience-based strategies help to align the scarce resources of federal and
regional programs with the resources, intelligence and understanding of decision-makers who are
operating on the frontlines of Northern development. This comprehensive, whole-of-society
approach is what best enables Northern decision-makers, workers, entrepreneurs, families,
Elders, and youth to work together in solving common problems.
A comprehensive approach to community resilience must also encompass preventive measures
that can positively and cumulatively impact long-term development. One major facet of our
research has been the health and wellness of Northern Aboriginal children and youth. Early
childhood interventions for example, can demonstrably increase personal resilience. Such
interventions include family planning and activities that foster protective factors such as a
healthy diet, regular exercise, positive and culturally enriching early childhood education
experiences, nurturing family and community relations, cultural continuity, and academic
achievements. Then, as the child matures, more and different opportunities need to be available
to strengthen the resilience of youth; including, in particular, social empowerments that
encourage personal responsibility, self-efficacy, and civic engagement. Our work has explored
how these capabilities can develop through youth leadership forums, land-based camps,
organized sports, and volunteering opportunities.
These initiatives are preventive and holistic in that they seek to strengthen the child’s chances of
becoming a healthy, happy, and productive adult who will pass on his or her strengths to the
next generation. In essence, the resilient child is better prepared for the challenges of youth. The
resilient youth is better prepared to take on the greater responsibilities and challenges of
adulthood.
The North is breathtaking and replete with opportunity. Yet it can also be a harsh and
demanding place in which to live. Ensuring that communities can seize opportunities as well as
survive and adapt to economic, environmental, and social challenges will help them prosper and
grow. This, in turn, will solidify Canada’s Arctic sovereignty and allow us to move forward as an
Arctic nation.
Moving Forward in a Resilient North