The Portraits of Resilience photography project, which opened today at Copenhagen's Danish National Museum, illustrates the ethical dimension of the climate change discussion through the words and photographs of high school students in four Arctic communities: Shishmaref, Alaska; Ummannaq, Kalaallit Nunaat/Greenland; Ungàrgga/Nesseby, Norway; and Pangnirtung, Nunavut, Canada.
The goal is to give these young people a voice in Copenhagen in 2009 - and to put a youthful, human face on climate change in the Arctic. The opening on 10 December featured a discussion with the young photographers about what climate change means in their lives and to their futures.
"The Portraits launch was very successful, and very powerful. We heard stories from the young people in four arctic communities, as well as from Ambassador Ronny Jumeau from the Seychelles . Other speakers included Inuit leader Patricia Cochran, Gunn-Britt Retter from the Saami Parliament, and Nikolaj Bock from the European Environment Agency. Friends and volunteers provided food for everyone" - Tiina Kurvits, MSV Partner
Portraits of Resilience is led by two photographers, Christine Germano and Lawrence Hislop, who have extensive experience documenting human/environment interactions.
Through this project, the students have written essays, learned to take photographs, and worked hard to show their communities to the outside world. Some of their writing focuses on the present, some on the future.
The main message in this work is that people in the Arctic are not helpless victims of climate change - if anything, this exhibition shows that youth have a profound sense of place and a strong desire to see their cultures and communities survive and thrive.
Notes to Editors:
The Portraits of Resilience exhibit was organized by the Many Strong Voices (MSV) programme, which is coordinated by UNEP/GRID Arendal and the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research in Oslo.
The MSV Programme was created in 2005 to bring together indigenous peoples, community organizations, policy makers, NGOs and researchers from the Arctic and Small Island Developing States. One of its key goals is to make sure the voices of people in these vulnerable regions are heard in United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations.