University of Tartu
WP8 Lead: Stephan Dudeck, University of Tartu
dudeck@ut.ee
Mobilizing youth leadership
Overview & Objectives
WP8 supports young people in Arctic coastal communities to take an active role in shaping their communities and futures in the face of climate change and social change. Building on the local youth engagement developed in WP4, it creates opportunities for young people to connect across communities and regions, exchange experiences, and develop shared visions for the future.
Through youth-led conversations, leadership, and collaboration, WP8 creates respectful and relational spaces—both online and in person—for young people to express their concerns, share ideas, and explore responses to environmental change and the transition towards greener ways of living and working.
A key objective is to strengthen youth networks across the Arctic and beyond, fostering solidarity, cooperation, and shared strategies for a more just and sustainable future.
Empowering youth voices in environmental governance
Create spaces for young people to share their experiences, concerns, and aspirations, and strengthen their role in shaping environmental decision-making and visions for sustainable futures.
Building transregional youth networks
Connect young people across the Arctic and beyond through North-to-North and North-South networks that foster mutual learning, solidarity, and shared responses to socio-environmental challenges and green transitions.
Supporting co-creation and knowledge exchange
Develop digital and in-person spaces where young people can express themselves through exhibitions, storytelling, and collaborative activities, strengthening their agency, ownership, and long-term engagement in community and policy development.
Empowering youth voices in environmental governance
Create spaces for young people to share their experiences, concerns, and aspirations, and strengthen their role in shaping environmental decision-making and visions for sustainable futures.
Building transregional youth networks
Connect young people across the Arctic and beyond through North-to-North and North-South networks that foster mutual learning, solidarity, and shared responses to socio-environmental challenges and green transitions.
Supporting co-creation and knowledge exchange
Develop digital and in-person spaces where young people can express themselves through exhibitions, storytelling, and collaborative activities, strengthening their agency, ownership, and long-term engagement in community and policy development.
Activities & Relational Methods
WP8 brings young people together to share experiences, build connections, and imagine and shape their futures. The work combines three main activities: an online exhibition where young people can express their perspectives through photography, film, and storytelling; youth-led networks connecting communities across the Arctic and beyond; and reflective meetings where participants can exchange experiences, identify shared challenges, and develop ideas for change.
Our approach is participatory, respectful, and relational. Through peer-led meetings, co-design, and co-curation, young people are involved in shaping both the process and its outcomes. Rather than relying on top-down approaches, WP8 creates open and culturally sensitive spaces where different perspectives can be heard and where creative forms of expression—including film, photography, and poetry—can support dialogue, knowledge exchange, and youth agency.
Expected Outcomes & Impact
Creating an online platform for youth
Co-create a digital space where young people can share their ideas, stories, and creative work, stay connected, and exchange perspectives across regions.
Developing a youth policy brief
Co-create a clear and accessible policy brief capturing young people’s perspectives on climate and social change, and share their voices with European decision-makers, businesses, and investors.
Building a transregional youth network
Establish a network connecting young people across Arctic and non-Arctic regions to sustain dialogue, foster solidarity, and collaborate on shared environmental and social challenges.
WP8 team members
Research Areas
Click each place to read more
Unjárga / Nesseby is a key Birgejupmi site where Sámi knowledge and youth co-design shape climate, marine, and invasive species research. Workshops and exhibitions explore future visions and assess wind energy’s cultural impacts, supporting Indigenous resilience and adaptation.
Bearalváhkki / Berlevåg is a key Birgejupmi site where youth shape visions for sustainable futures. Through workshops and exhibitions, they explore wind energy and socio-environmental change, fostering inclusive climate decisions and Indigenous resilience in East-Finnmark.