Contributions and perspectives of Indigenous Peoples to the study of mercury in the Arctic

Arctic Indigenous Peoples are among the most exposed humans when it comes to foodborne mercury (Hg). In response, Hg monitoring and research have been on-going in the circumpolar Arctic since about 1991; this work has been mainly possible through the involvement of Arctic Indigenous Peoples. The present overview was initially conducted in the context of a broader assessment of Hg research organized by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme. This article provides examples of Indigenous Peoples' contributions to Hg monitoring and research in the Arctic, and discusses approaches that could be used, and improved upon, when carrying out future activities. Over 40 mercury projects conducted with/by Indigenous Peoples are identified for different circumpolar regions including the U.S., Canada, Greenland, Sweden, Finland, and Russia as well as instances where Indigenous Knowledge contributed to the understanding of Hg contamination in the Arctic. Perspectives and visions of future Hg research as well as recommendations are presented. The establishment of collaborative processes and partnership/co-production approaches with scientists and Indigenous Peoples, using good communication practices and transparency in research activities, are key to the success of research and monitoring activities in the Arctic. Sustainable funding for community-driven monitoring and research programs in Arctic countries would be beneficial and assist in developing more research/ monitoring capacity and would promote a more holistic approach to understanding Hg in the Arctic. These activities should be well connected to circumpolar/international initiatives to ensure broader availability of the information and uptake in policy development

Coopération internationale du Canada : perspectives 70-80

Parallel text in English and FrenchText of a presentation to the International Development Assistance Sub-Committee of the Commons Standing Committee on External Affairs and Defence, Ottawa, February 4, 1971Text of a speech on the local and social impact of Canadian multilateral assistance. Stresses the need for a collective action towards development

Berry consumption, phytochemical composition, bioactive properties, and their effects on metabolic syndrome and related cardiovascular risk factors in the circumpolar Arctic.

International audienc

Effect of Social Settings on Proxemics During Social Interactions in Real and Virtual Conditions

International audienceVirtual Reality (VR) offers unlimited possibilities to create virtual populated environments in which a user can be immersed and experience social interactions with virtual humans. A better understanding of these interactions is required to improve the realism of the interactions as well as user’s experience. Using an approach based on Interactionist Sociology, we wondered whether the social settings within which the individual interact has an impact on proxemics norms in real conditions and if these norms apply in VR. We conducted an experiment in real and virtual conditions where individuals experienced a transgression of proxemics norms at a train station and in a sports fan zone. Our results suggest that proxemics norms vary according to the subjective relationship of the individual to the social settings. This variation would translate directly into a modulation of bodily sensitivity to the proximity of the body of others. While we were able to show that social norms still exist in VR, our results did not show a main effect of the social settings on participants’ sensitivity to the transgression of proxemics norms. We discuss our results in the frame of the cross-fertilization between Sociology and VR. © 2020, Springer Nature Switzerland AG