Following our first edition in May 2019, the NORSIL network is pleased to invite for its second workshop on the rights of the Sámi people in the Nordic sustainable transition that will be organised in Tromsø on January 9 and 10, 2020.

In 2015, the Nordic countries announced support as a whole for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agreed under UN auspices. The goals aim to eradicate extreme poverty and to achieve sustainable development in all fields while leaving no one behind. Yet, numerous problems are still limiting the inclusion of the Sámi people in the sustainable transition of the countries of Finland, Norway and Sweden. Despite the recognition of their rights at the national and international levels, there are still important concerns regarding the implementation of their rights on the ground. While adopting a human rights based-approach to sustainable development, this workshop series provides a platform to assess and measure the progress and challenges towards the implementation of the rights of the Sámi people in order to promote a sustainable and inclusive transition in the Nordic countries

For its second event, the workshop will discuss ways and means to evaluate the progress and obstacles concerning the inclusion of Sámi peoples within the Nordic transition. In this context, questioning what rights, knowledge and data matter to ensure the inclusion of the Sámi people in the sustainable transition is crucial. Without a proper acknowledgment of their rights, respect for their traditional knowledge and reliable information on their economic and social conditions, the Sámi people can easily be neglected in decision-making concerning them, their discrimination forgotten and their resources needs overlooked or discounted. In this regard, interested academics and practitioners, senior and junior as well as Sámi representatives and individuals are invited to submit abstracts addressing the following suggested topics:

– Sustainable Development Goals and Sámi rights

– Indicators and targets to ensure Sámi sustainability

– Progress and shortcoming in acknowledging Sámi rights

– Political and legislative obstacles to collection of data on Sámi people

– Sámi traditional knowledge and its importance for promoting Sámi sustainability

– …

The deadline for abstract submission is October 15, 2019.

More information on NORSIL website