On Changing and Staying the Same

Since 2021, I have served as the Secretary of Social and Human Working Group at the International Arctic Science Committee. I have just returned from the annual Arctic Science Summit Week, this year held in Aarhus, Denmark, where, for the fifth time, I was responsible for preparing and hosting the Working Group meeting. This is an all-day event: we began the meeting at 8:30 am and finished at 6:30 pm, ten hours in a row!

When I envisioned this blog post on the evening train to Aarhus, I thought I would write: I remember my first WG meeting as a very new Secretary. It required such an investment of energy, and I was so worried and tired, but this year I managed the same meeting effortlessly…

It didn’t happen like that. There were once again unpredictable last-minute changes: presentations needed to be transferred, videos displayed, minutes taken, and Zoom links and agendas sent. I was, once again, worried and tired.

What has changed? I knew I would manage nevertheless, and I was not surprised when the meeting ran smoothly in the end. I still cannot prepare for everything, but I believe in myself more than I did five years ago.

I am grateful to have gotten to know IASC better through this position, and it is encouraging to see how the organization is changing over the years of my service. This year was the second time the Arctic Science Summit Week included an Indigenous Pavilion: a Sámi lavvu installed right next to Aarhus University, with a full program of lectures, discussions, film screenings, and a cultural evening.

I did not expect the Indigenous Pavilion to become a highlight of the conference for me, but when I sat in the lavvu and looked at the fire, something inside me was changing. I felt more connected to the other participants sitting nearby, and I was glad to listen to their stories. I found it fascinating that we come from different corners of the North, and I often cannot even imagine what their everyday lives look like, and yet we are deeply linked through shared experiences and emotions. We are connected through our shared Arctic-ness, and this connection stays despite life changes.

On the train back, I felt more energy than I had in weeks. I no longer planned this blog post, as I did not want to expect, predict, or plan for a while. I just looked out the window at the clouds forming beautiful compositions in the morning sky.