Sustainable development of small Arctic communities under neoliberalism through the lens of community capitals: Teriberka, Russia

The article discusses sustainable development in small Arctic communities under ongoing neoliberalization of economic and social policies. It draws on a case study from Teriberka, a coastal village in Northwest Arctic Russia. To understand the processes of sustainable development of such Arctic communities, the study applies the concept of community capitals, examines the effects of neoliberal policies on Teriberka, and analyses the impact of local strategies on community capitals. The research confirms that the balanced development of community capitals is both a path to and an indicator of sustainable development in small Arctic communities facing neoliberalism. The study reveals that recent initiatives undertaken mainly by outside actors have not invested Teriberka’s capitals in a balanced way and have thereby not promoted sustainable local development. Community capitals are suggested as an appropriate model to discovering what small Arctic communities may do in practice to advance sustainable development in the face of neoliberal change. Also, in small communities with scarce human, social, and political capitals – as is the case in many Arctic communities – this model can work effectively only if local interests are not ignored by the state and external business actors

Voluntary work in the shadow of COVID-19: Experiences from a Norwegian-Russian border region in the Arctic

This commentary presents the results of a study on volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic in two neighbouring regions in the Arctic –– Troms og Finnmark county in Norway and Murmansk oblast in Russia. Our research shows that volunteering is one of the most efficient crisis response tools and that it adds indispensable value to reducing the workload of public health and social care institutions in promoting health and well-being for vulnerable groups. In both Norway and Russia, responses to the pandemic included the rise of the volunteer movement, but volunteering has different traditions and scopes in the two countries. Established NGOs in Troms og Finnmark ounty took on new responsibilities for vulnerable groups. Such organizations were less developed in Murmansk oblast, and new volunteer structures in the form of united regional and municipal volunteer centres were quickly established in addition to existing organizations

Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Arctic: comparing the ways of organizing voluntary work in Northwest Russia and Northern Norway.

This Research Communication presents preliminary results of an ongoing Russian-Norwegian research project about volunteer work in two border regions in the Arctic –– Troms and Finnmark county in Norway and Murmansk oblast in Russia. Here, we aim to provide a deeper understanding of the ways in which volunteer work with vulnerable groups was organized during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in two national and regional settings, the role and scope of volunteer work during the pandemic in the two regions, and how this activity is framed by structural and political differences between Norway and Russia. The study adds knowledge to the field of implementation of national COVID-19 strategies in diverse regional settings and understanding the role of volunteerism in crisis response in providing for the health and well-being of vulnerable groups in the Arctic. Our study reveals that both in Norway and Russia responses to the pandemic include mobilization of volunteers and the rise in the volunteer movement, but volunteerism has different traditions and scopes in Norway and Russia. Well-established NGOs in Troms and Finnmark county were mobilized to act when the pandemic hit, and they took on new responsibilities for vulnerable groups. Such organizations were less developed in Murmansk oblast, and in order to effectively respond to the pandemic, new voluntary structures were quickly established in the form of united regional and municipal volunteer centres in addition to existing organizations. Our research shows that volunteerism is one of the most efficient tools for crisis response and that it adds an indispensable value to reducing the workload of public health and social care institutions in promoting health and well-being for vulnerable groups. Voluntary structures on the Norwegian side appear to be resilient and flexible to meet the needs of the target groups, while volunteerism in Murmansk oblast shows exceptional strength to grow, formalize, and mobilize during a very short period within crisis response.publishedVersio

In memory of Vladimir Didyk

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Neoliberal governance, sustainable development and local communities in the Barents Region

There are currently high hopes in the Barents Region for economic growth, higher employment and improved well-being, encouraged by developments in the energy industry, tourism and mining. The article discusses these prospects from the perspective of local communities in five locations in the region, which spans the northernmost counties of Finland, Norway, Sweden and Northwest Russia. The communities studied are remote, relatively small, multicultural, and dependent on natural resources. The salient dynamic illuminated in the research is how ideas of sustainability and neoliberal governance meet in community development. While the two governmentalities often conflict, they sometimes also complement one another, posing a paradox that raises concerns over the social aspect of sustainable development in particular. The article is based on international, multidisciplinary research drawing on interviews as well as statistical and documentary analysis

Emotions and community development after return migration in the rural Arctic

Migration is emotive, evoking feelings of hopelessness, fear, or optimism for human and economic development, yet the role of emotions in post-migration community development gains limited attention. This chapter discusses the role of emotions in migration and rural development after the return of migrants, drawing on studies of temporary labour migration from Teriberka, a small coastal village in the Russian Arctic, to Båtsfjord, a small fishing community in Norway. The materials include community studies in these places 20 years ago, when the migration started, and several follow-up studies. Norwegian and Russian businessmen organised the migration for work in the fish-processing industry, and the project ceased after three years. Most actors expected that the migration would improve the migrants’ economic situation and spur development in the home community. This chapter argues that emotions play a significant role in expectations and considerations before and during migration, and help explain the lack of development in the community of origin after migration ended and migrants returned. Migrants used their migration experiences in post-return individual strategies, but to a lesser degree at the community level. Positive emotional capital obtained during the residency in Norway was depleted by negative emotions related to public policies after the migrants’ return