Circumpolar Mental Wellness Symposium 2015
An initiative of the Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group

March 25-27, 2015
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

News Releases:

  • Minister Aglukkaq to Host Circumpolar Mental Wellness Symposium (2015-03-20)

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Taking place in Canada's Arctic, the Circumpolar Mental Wellness Symposium will provide an opportunity for communities and researchers across Arctic States to identify and share best-practices for suicide prevention, including promising intervention methods that reflect Indigenous practices, values, and reality, amongst community leaders across the circumpolar world.

The Symposium is part of a broader mental wellness initiative of the Arctic Council Sustainable Development Working Group - The Evidence-Base for Promoting Mental Wellness and Resilience to Address Suicide in Circumpolar Communities.  

The Symposium will be hosted by the Government of Nunavut, the Government of Canada and the Inuit Circumpolar Council in partnership with co-leads Arctic Council states on the overall initiative: Norway, the Kingdom of Denmark, the United States, and the Russian Federation.

The ultimate goal is to enable communities across Arctic States to learn from other Arctic communities on best practices related to mental wellness and to explore ways on how to possibly implement them as appropriate within these communities.

More about the Circumpolar Mental Wellness Symposium:

The three day Symposium is part of Canada's Arctic Council Chairmanship. It will bring together researchers, Indigenous community leaders, policymakers and representatives of Arctic Council states.

The goals of the Symposium are:

  • To provide a better understanding of mental health promotion in the Arctic and learn about specific interventions, their success and challenges;
  • To explore collaborative opportunities between researchers, policy makers, and community leaders towards a consensus on best practices; and,
  • To foster a collaborative approach to problem solving through the pooling of resources, efforts and sharing of research evidence and best practices towards sustainable, effective policy changes.

An important focus of the Symposium will be on the engagement of international youth delegates through dedicated discussions.

A report will be developed following the event and will focus on best practices, promising interventions, success stories and lessons learned.

Circumpolar Mental Wellness Symposium - Program
(Registration for this event is closed)

Report: Sharing Hope: Circumpolar Perspectives on Promising Practices for Promoting Mental Wellness and Resilience

Sharing Knowledge – Moving Forward: Summary Report of the Circumpolar Mental Wellness Symposium

Partner

  • Bell Let's Talk

Hosts

  • Inuit Circumpolar Council
  • Government of Nunavut
  • Government of Canada
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