Northern Dimension Institute

1. Northern Dimension Newsflash 2/2020 published

   Northern Dimension Newsflash 2/2020 has been published.

   In this Newsflash we announce the Northern Dimension Future Forum 2020 dates and a new publication series, the NDI Background Papers.

   You can download the ND Newsflash here: Northern Dimension Newsflash 2/2020.

   Enjoy the reading!

2. Save the Date: Northern Dimension Future Forum 2020

   The Northern Dimension Institute organizes an annual Future Forum that gathers experts, decision makers and stakeholders to exchange information on topics of relevance for the ND thematic partnerships: environment, health and social wellbeing, transportation and logistics, and culture.

   This year’s ND Future Forum events take place online.

   Curbing Black Carbon Emissions in the Northern Dimension Areaon Tuesday, November 24

   The online event consists of two sessions. The first session is devoted to sources of black carbon emissions and the reduction of their environmental impact. The second session focuses on the health implications of these emissions and ways of reducing them. The black carbon emissions will be discussed from technology and investments’ viewpoint, bringing to the fore various success stories.

   Download the preliminary programme (pdf) here >

   Combatting COVID-19 in the Northern Dimension Area on Thursday, December 3

   The hybrid event consists of two sessions. The health-focused first session is organized by the NDPHS. It includes keynote presentations by researchers & experts and a panel with policymakers from the EU and Russia.

   The NDI coordinates the second session, a live panel discussion focusing on broader societal impacts of the COVID-19 epidemic, e.g. how did the COVID-19 change the world and how does this change relate to other societal trends. The discussion will be streamed online.

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   The Future Forum events are free of charge and open to everyone. The online registration will open soon.

   Follow the ND website, Facebook and Twitter for further information about speaker lineup:

   Twitter: @ND_Institute

   Facebook: www.facebook.com/NDInstitute/

3. The NDI project ‘Support to the Northern Dimension Institute’ launched this autumn

   The NDI is strengthening its position as a platform for regional and cross-sectoral cooperation. The new project ‘Support to the Northern Dimension Institute’, co-funded by the European Commission, DG NEAR, launched this autumn. The project helps to avoid overlapping activities and to pool resources to address common challenges.

   The specific objective of the project is to exploit the existing expertise and further strengthen the capacity of the NDI to implement specified activities with expected outputs and outcomes. 

   The identification of synergies between themes of ND Partnerships and other regional strategies and initiatives will improve the regional actors’ awareness of potential synergies and complementarities with research-based evidence.

   The workshops, seminars and exchange of expertise will create common platforms for interaction, discussion on identified synergies and mutual planning of activities. These platforms foster cross-Partnership cooperation as well as intensify cooperation between regional actors in the North. 

   The project generates and provides to the ND Partnerships’ knowledge-based recommendations for formulating their strategies and directing their research. The project will identify policy-relevant research and produce it into Policy Briefs and other intellectual contributions.

   The communication and media activities of the project will increase the awareness, visibility, and outreach of the ND policy in the wider geographical context. Information on project results, policies and initiatives will be disseminated to experts, policy-makers and the public via the NDI website, the newsletter ND Newsflash, and social media channels.

4. New publication series: NDI Background Papers

   Northern Dimension Institute has launched a new publication series NDI Background Papers. The purpose of the NDI Background Papers is to raise awareness about emerging topics relevant to the ND thematic partnerships, and review the state of the art of research on them in the ND area.

   The first background paper to be published in the series is Marine Plastic Debris Pollution in the Russian Arctic by Konstantin Zaikov and Nikita Sobolev, Northern Arctic Federal University, Arkhangelsk, Russia. http://www.northerndimension.info/images/Backgroundpapers/Marine_Plastic_Debris_Pollution_in_the_Russian_Arctic_-_NDI_Background_Paper.pdf

    

5. Workshop: The Art of Staying Healthy – Can Culture Improve our Wellbeing?

   Online workshop within the 11th EUSBSR Annual Online Forum

   6 October 2020
   10:00–12:00 CEST

   There is good evidence for the positive effects of arts on health and well being, both in prevention and treatment. However, interventions are mostly local or national and short-term. To fully untap the potential of arts based interventions, we need to create a better understanding of how art impacts our well-being and how this can be used to promote better health for people of all ages and backgrounds. The workshop will raise awareness for the health benefits of art interventions, facilitate the exchange of best practices from countries outside and within the BSR and brainstorm ideas for future cross-border initiatives. Presentations will cover the possibilities for using culture to improve health throughout a person’s life-course, including children and youth and the impact of art on development.

   Schedule
   10:00 Opening and practical points / Pia Houni
   10:05 A presentation of the WHO Health Evidence Network Synthesis Report: What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being? / Katey Warran
   10:25 Arts on Prescription: perspectives from Scandinavia / Anita Jensen
   10:45 Children and youth and the impact of art / Isto Turpeinen
   10:55 Art, health and well-being in and with Games / Jaakko Kemppainen
   11:05–11:45 Discussion in groups
   11:45–12:00 Reporting back from group discussion

   The focus of the presentations will be on introducing hands-on practical examples that could be replicated in other contexts. They should also aim at identifying ways in which both the cultural and health sector could learn from and further engage with other sectors to unlock the health-promoting potential of arts, both in everyday life and crisis situations.

   The workshop is a cooperation between the NDPHS as Coordinator of the EUSBSR Policyy Area Health, the NDPC on behalf of Policy Area Culture and the Arts Promotion Centre Finland. It is organized alongside the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2020. It is part of the inception phase for a project that is already under development between NDPHS and NDPC. It should provide input and feedback into the future strategic direction of the project and identify ways to engage other Policy Areas/Horizontal Actions represented in the EUSBSR.

   Please, register here till 2 October, 2020: https://ej.uz/artsandwellbeing

   Full programme and speakers on NDPC website: https://www.ndpculture.org/news/the-art-of-staying-healthy-can-culture-improve-our-wellbeing-online-workshop-within-the-11th-eusbsr-annual-forum

   Facebook event to tag & invite to: https://www.facebook.com/events/325692805170258/

   See the programme of the EUSBSR Annual Forum 2020 here: https://www.annualforum2020.eu

    

6. NDI Policy Brief 10: Symbolic resources of the Russian North in the global experience economy

   This Policy Brief gives recommendations for the development of cultural products and creative entrepreneurship in the Russian North through the conceptual lenses of symbolic resources and the experience economy. The global experience economy has changed the value chain logic of the cultural market from the traditional production and consumption of creative products and services into co-creation of cultural experiences. This co-creation implies that symbolic resources, such as the cultural heritage, are interpreted in a novel way that transforms them into experiences connected to time and place. Cultural projects, which started in the Russian North-West in late 1990s and follow the logic of the experience economy, have proved their sustainability on the regional and global cultural scenes. Their success is explained by common features of the artistic content and organizational models. These features include the artistic interpretation of Northern cultural symbols and the formation of comfortable spaces for creative interaction of actors with different backgrounds.

   Opening of the artistic residence "Maryin Dom" in Shakola village, photo by Irina Efimova

   The Policy Brief gives the following recommendations:

   Recommendation 1. New visions of the Northern Russian heritage as the valuable resource for cultural innovation should be promoted and supported in the spheres of service design, creative tourism and event management.

   Recommendation 2. Creative places of the Russian North hosting experimental art activities, as well as traditional cultural and commercial events need to be promoted as powerful territorial brands.

   Recommendation 3. Applied research on management and organizational issues of the “unorthodox” cultural products development and on the implementation of hybrid symbolic meanings to the traditional landscapes will help to share the best practices of cultural entrepreneurship.

    

   The Policy Brief can be downloaded here.

   For more information, please contact the author:

   Anna Soloveva, professor at the World History Department, Northern Arctic Federal University, Arkhangelsk, Russia, a.soloveva[at]narfu.ru

    

7. NDI Policy Brief 9: Preventing premature deaths in the Northern Dimension area

   This policy brief reports key findings of a study carried ot by the NDPHS Expert Group for Non-communicable diseases. The study analyzed official mortality data on premature deaths under 70 years of age in eight countries in the Northern Dimension area (Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden) and found that the PYLL rate (“Potential Years of Life Lost”) differs considerably among ND area countries. A striking feature is its gender difference, being on average 2.5 times higher for men than for women. Most of this difference is due to external causes of death such as suicides and traffic accidents. Alcohol-related causes also have a heavy male over-representation. The general development in public health outcome was however good in 2003-2013, resulting in average 26% PYLL reduction. Encouraging trends include decrease in losses caused by vascular (heart) diseases, cancer and external causes, such as suicides and alcohol related causes, in all ND countries that participated in the study.

   The results of the study led to the following recommendations:

   • Recommendation 1. Premature mortality can be prevented effectively by designing and implementing health and economic policies on health promotion and disease prevention. Evidence based treatment of diseases also makes a difference, but is less effective than prevention of diseases and accidents.
   • Recommendation 2. Positive changes in male health behavior has an immediate decreasing effect on overall premature mortality. Policies should be targeted towards improving traffic and occupational safety, and decreasing harmful use of alcohol.
   • Recommendation 3. Public health strategies should be intersectoral and involve all stakeholders. Practicing Health in All Policies (HiAP), promoting healthy lifestyles and holistic healthcare are crucial for preventing and avoiding many of premature deaths.
   • Recommendation 4. PYLL rate was selected in 2015 as the indicator to measure the progress of the current 2016-2020 Strategy of the NDPHS. Continuing this practice in the renewed strategy beyond 2020 is highly recommended. The ongoing ND PYLL-2 study should also pre-assess the 2020 COVID-19 caused years of life lost in order to evaluate its burden on the public health of populations.
   • Recommendation 5.Health policy makers are invited to discuss the results of the PYLL-2 study, launched by the NDPHS NCD Expert Group in 2020, in workshops that will be organized in 2021 in selected NDPHS countries.

   The Policy Brief can be downloaded here

   For more information contact the author Mikko Vienonen, NDPHS/NCD Expert Group, vienonen.m.[at]gmail.com

   
   

8. Northern Dimension Newsflash 1/2020 published

   Northern Dimension Newsflash 1/2020 has been published

   In this Newsflash we inform you about our plans for 2020, and announce the publication of the latest NDI Policy Brief.

   You can download the ND Newsflash here: Northern Dimension Newsflash 1/2020.

   Enjoy the reading!

9. ND Newsflash 4/2019 has been published

   Northern Dimension Newsflash 4/2019 has been published

   In this Newsflash we bring you greetings from the ND Future Forum 2019 and other events, as well as announce the new logo for Northern Dimension and the publication of the latest NDI Policy Brief.

   You can download the ND Newsflash here: Northern Dimension Newsflash 4/2019.

   Enjoy the reading!

10. Northern Dimension: Hidden treasure of the European North

    High-level discussion seminar in Autumn 2020

    The Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs has commissioned the Northern Dimension Institute to co-organize  an information and discussion event in Brussels to promote the role and importance of the Northern Dimension for European wellbeing and prosperity. The high-level event is targeted to the decision-makers in the EU and its member states, as well as in the other ND partner countries.

    The event will highlight the relevancy of the Northern Dimension policy and its instruments for regional and cross-border cooperation that aims at finding solutions to common challenges. The event will demonstrate several success stories of the ND policy, such as joint environmental projects on waste-water treatment and energy efficiency, and cross-border exchange of information and best practices on healthcare and disease prevention.

    The event is foreseen to take place in Brussels in autumn 2020. Would this not be feasible, the event will be organized as a web seminar.