The Boys of Frost from Lapland

We are delighted to publish the keynote speech delivered at the Arctic Spirit Conference in May in Rovaniemi, as part of the CAP-SHARE project session Building Future Security Together: Transdisciplinary and Intergenerational Capacity Sharing for Community Development in the Arctic.

Keynote:
The Boys of Frost from Lapland
Pauli Taulavuori and Aaron Yliniemi
Muonio high school/general upper secondary school, Finland 

Dear participants and organizers of the Arctic Spirit Conference: 

We are Aaron Yliniemi and Pauli Taulavuori from Muonio. We’re here to share what safety in the Arctic region means to us as young people, as well as the challenges and opportunities we face in our environment. Muonio is a unique place—you can tell just by the ‘penguins’ that live here in winter. These are not the penguins you’re probably picturing, but young locals wrapped in long black snowmobile jackets, fur hats and warm boots, looking like penguins in the freezing cold. In summer, the style shifts to another characteristic Muonio look: caps, hiking pants and rubber boots. 
After the harsh winter comes the North’s finest moment: spring. Nature slowly awakens, and the sun shines dazzlingly. Early spring can even bring snow blindness, and sometimes rapidly changing conditions cause the roads to freeze, posing trouble for cyclists and drivers. I have slipped on ice despite using studded bicycle tyres, and the worst wasn’t the fall—it was getting soaked in icy water from head to toe! Still, I wouldn’t trade Lapland’s nature for anything. The Arctic offers incredible outdoor experiences, such as snowshoeing under the Northern Lights or climbing a fell in the spring sun. 
Life up North is tough in many ways. Mosquitoes can keep you awake into the early hours, swatting them away in the endless summer light. In winter, we pile on every blanket we’ve got, heaters cranked to the max, as the frost rules our daily lives for most of the year, even longer than the dark winter days. Beyond our winter gear, we often bike or walk to school. Homes need fireplaces alongside electric heating because electricity alone doesn’t cut it. Thankfully, Finland has plenty of wood. 
Our sense of safety is shaped by big things outside of our daily lives, such as geopolitical issues. The conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East in recent years have led us to read more news, and we constantly see updates about Russia’s actions or other global tensions. These don’t exactly scare us but instead make us wonder how they might affect us up here and where these conflicts are headed. Since joining NATO, our sense of security has definitely grown--we’ve even watched military exercises in the Arctic from the sidelines. We also view NATO and defence as potential future job opportunities. So, despite serious global conflicts, we believe and want the Arctic to stay safe.  
On a practical level, safety comes from the people of the Arctic community. It’s amazing to see how everyone knows each other, sharing knowledge and skills. In schools, our strong team spirit stems from this familiarity, making it easy for us to work together. Tourism is a big employer here—reindeer are now more of a tourist attraction than just something used for food. It’s essential to continue developing tourism, but not to the extent that it harms nature or disrupts the locals’ peace. 
As young people, we want to keep the Arctic lively and clean for ourselves and future generations. Having opportunities to study and work here is vital. The North can offer a solid foundation for life, and despite the distances, opportunities allow us to connect with others. 
For us, Arctic safety is about beating the cold, pondering global events under the Northern Lights, and cherishing our community spirit. We believe we can keep this unique place a safe home. Thank you, and let’s make the North even stronger and safer!