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Gwich'in Council International
The Gwich'in Council International (GCI) was established as a non-profit organization in 1999 by the Gwich'in Tribal Council in Inuvik, NWT, to ensure all regions of the Gwich'in Nation in the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska are represented at the Arctic Council, as well as to play an active and significant role in the development of policies that relate to the Circumpolar Arctic. The founding members of GCI includes six Alaskan Gwich'in communities (Arctic Village, Chalkyitsik, Fort Yukon, Birtch, Circle and Venetie) two Gwich'in representative bodies in Canada — Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation representing Vuntut Gwitchin in Old Crow, Yukon, and Gwich'in Tribal Council representing four communities in the Beaufort Delta region in the Northwest Territories. In total, the Gwich'in Council International founding members represent approximately 9,000 indigenous peoples of Gwich'in descent. The GCI Secretariat rotates between the Gwich'in Tribal Council in Inuvik, NWT and the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation in Old Crow, Yukon. Latest Circle magazine focus on Arctic CouncilThe World Wildlife Federation (WWF) has released its latest issue of the Circle magazine. This issue contains several stories on the Arctic Council and on issues facing the circumpolar world. You can download this issue and past issues at the WWF website. Canada's Climate Change Adaptation Program renewedAboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada's Climate Change Adaptation Program has just been renewed for a five year period. The program still focuses on supporting Aboriginal and northern communities in assessing vulnerabilities created by climate change and in developing plans to address them. More details will be available soon on the departmental website (http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100034249). AANDC is now launching a call for Letters of Interest for funding for fiscal year 2012-2013. This call will close on December 31, 2011. You will find the information for submitting a Letter of Interest here. And an application form template here . Following the end of the submission process, a Technical Review Committee will review the Letters of Interest received to determine which potential projects will be screened for the full proposal submission stage. Given that project funds available are limited, the program might not be able to fund all projects that meet selection criteria. Should you have any question or concerns, you can contact us by email at: adaptation@aandc-aadnc.gc.ca. Marie-Ève Néron, B.Sc. M.ATDR Gestionnaire/Manager, Adaptation Call for Proposals 2012-2013 Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program:The Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program is now accepting funding proposals for the 2012-2013 fiscal year. Deadline is January 23rd, 2012. Health Canada's Climate Change and Health Adaptation Program for Northern First Nation and Inuit Communities is unique among the adaptation programs in that it focuses on northern community adaptation and human health. Its purpose is to build capacity in the development of adaptation strategies/action plans through research by funding community-based projects. Communities can develop health-related adaptation and/or action plans and communication materials that will help in adaptation decision-making at the community, regional, national and international levels with respect to human health and a changing environment. Details about the application process can be found in the following document. The Young Leaders' Summit on Northern Climate Change 2011 - Registration PackageThe Young Leaders' Summit on Northern Climate Change 2011 will be taking place in Yellowknife, Nov.10-12th, 2011. The Summit will be an amazing opportunity to network with youth from across all three Territories and from southern Canada regarding climate change. A focus will be on developing leadership skills and exploring the idea of storytelling as a tool for social change. Telling the stories of climate change experienced individually, in our communities, and by our Elders is very important. The youth steering committee has taken a lead role in determining the themes for this year's summit. The first Young Leaders' Summit on Northern Climate Change took place in Inuvik, in 2009. The Northern Voices Coalition comprised of the Arctic Athabaskan Council, Climate Action Network Canada, Dene Nation, Ecology North, Gwich'in Council International, and the Pembina Institute are pleased to encourage youth aged 18-30 to apply today! Download the registration package. Information is also available at the website www.climateleaders.ca Dawn Tremblay Inuvik research training offeredAurora Research Institute is offering a community based skills development and training program in Inuvik Nov. 7, 8 and 9th. Please contact nonsi.mathe@ualberta.ca to register. There is no cost for the workshop. The training is being offered by the University of Alberta under International Polar Year funding. The intent is to provide participants with an understanding of research and how it is done, how research results can be used to help inform decisions and planning at a community level and provide participants with a degree of skill and comfort in working on research projects. The training will be delivered at Aurora College as a non-credit course. Please contact Alana Mero or Nonsi Mathe if you have any questions or require any further information. Download the information flyer. Alana Mero Aviva Community FundEligibilityEverything you need to know to qualify for the Aviva Community Fund competition. Wondering if your idea is appropriate for the Aviva Community Fund competition? Ask yourself, is my idea: Action-oriented?The idea should "create," "make," "change," "purchase," or otherwise be carried out for the greater good of the community. We prefer stand-alone projects as opposed to those that will require annual funding. Well budgeted?Your idea should be able to be fulfilled using a reasonable portion of the Aviva Community Fund, which totals $1,000,000. We're going to fund a minimum of one Small Idea (up to $50K), one Medium Idea ($50K - $100K), and one Large Idea ($100K - $150K), so don't feel you need to hold back. Also, ideas should be self-contained, meaning they don't need funds to be pooled (for example, partially funding research on a particular health issue). Going to be well underway by 2012?Your idea should be completed or well underway before Dec. 31, 2012. While we like ongoing programs, the nature of this competition makes it difficult to predict how long we can fund them for. So preference in the judging round will be given to stand-alone projects. Local?Because this is about local Canadian communities, we will only be funding ideas that will be implemented within Canada. Click Here to see Full Idea Eligibility CriteriaThe 2011 GCI Newsletter is availableThe 2011 Gwich'in Council International Newsletter which contains the GCI activity updates can be downloaded here in pdf format.Circumpolar Health DeclarationThe First Arctic Health Ministers Meeting was held in Nuuk, Greenland. Member states and participants of the Arctic Council issued their declaration on Circumpolar Health. Arctic Council Statement to COP 16The Arctic Council released their statement on climate change in the Arctic to the upcoming conference on climate change. You can read their statement here. The 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference will be held in Cancún, Mexico, from 29 November to 10 December 2010. The conference is officially referred to as the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 6th session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties (CMP 6) to the Kyoto Protocol. The CircleWho are the people living in the Arctic? How are their lives influenced by the dramatic changes occurring in the region, as temperatures reach record high levels, the sea ice is melting with an alarming speed, and countries and companies compete for access to the wealth of arctic resources? How do people of the North cope with and adapt to these changes, and what is the role of traditional knowledge in these processes today? Is it possible to find a way forward to ensure a balance between resource exploitation on the one hand, and conservation of the Arctic’s unique and vulnerable natural values on the other? How do the arctic peoples themselves contribute to these processes? These are some of the questions we asked in this issue of The Circle, which focuses on arctic peoples, or human response to arctic change; it is available from the WWF site here. As always, we have asked for contributions from some of the key people involved in analyzing and trying to understand these issues. But most importantly, we have invited people who live in the Arctic to share their perspectives; people from a variety of countries, backgrounds, cultures and professions – from the student/fisherman in Norway to Indigenous leaders and the Premier of Greenland. WWF International Arctic Programme Home | Board of Directors | The Gwich'in | Reports | Related Links Funding for this web site was provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs Canada. Updated 2010.12.21. © 2010 Gwich'in Council International. |
