ArcticKnows is a co-designed and community-guided Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA) project, that foregrounds indigenous and local knowledges and supports community-led, decolonial, regenerative, just and climate-wise livelihoods.
Coordinated by the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) with eight Nordic partners, the ArcticKnows project aims at the development of regenerative, place-based economies, placing a strong emphasis on knowledge sovereignty (recognising and respecting diverse knowledge systems) and operating on the principles of free, prior and informed consent, and meaningful participation of women, youth and other marginalized societal groups.
Pilot areas, Kujataa (Greenland), Varangerfjord (Norway), Vindelälven–Juhttátahkka (Sweden), and Inari (Finland), focus on close-to-nature tourism, small-scale climate-resilient agriculture, fisheries and other seasonal smaller yet relevant livelihoods. These pilots will function as multi-actor spaces for deliberation, social learning, and cocreation, where ideas can be turned into practical pathways for communities to scale up and out to different levels.
ArcticKnows brings together Indigenous, local, and scientific knowledge systems to co-design principles, methods, guidelines, frameworks and indicators for regenerative economies.
ArcticKnows promotes more-than-human governance by developing tools such as seasonal calendars and maps that respect ecosystems and spiritual sites. It acknowledges animals, plants, rivers, and glaciers as living relations and active participants in decision-making.
By foregrounding community leadership and plural knowledge systems, ArcticKnows will connect local ideas, stories and action to regional policy and international agendas on regenerative economies, socioecological and multispecies justice, and inclusive governance.
