Human Rights and Security in the Arctic (5cr)

Objective

After completion of the course the student is able to
- discuss, analyze, put into the global and regional con-texts, and formulate own opinions on international human rights law and different dimensions of human security in the Arctic, the role of digitalization in the Arctic and selected problems of cybersecurity, in particular those with relevance for Arctic communities, the concepts of cultural heritage, in particular cultural heritage and cultural rights of Russian Arctic communities
- explain why the food system needs to change
- analyze the relationship between climate change, agriculture and food security
- describe how food sovereignty is expressed in different spatial contexts
- explain what food sovereignty entails in the Arctic context
- have an insight on food system transformation and analyze the common language between policymakers, academics, and grassroots activists towards resilience and food security.

Content

The content of the course will comprise:
1) Introduction to Human Rights and Human Security in the Arctic (Kirchner) (6 h)
2) Food Resilience and Sovereignty in the Arctic (Raheem) (6 h)
3) Digitalization and Cybersecurity in the Arctic (Salminen) (6 h)
4) Introduction to Cultural Heritage Law and Heritage rights and Russian Arctic communities (Sikora) (6 h).

Qualifications

No prerequisites; participation in the course Arctic Eco-systems and Adaptation of Species to Arctic Environment will be an advantage.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1)

Fail: Performance is highly deficient or erroneous. The work may be based on serious misunderstandings.

Sufficient and satisfactory (1-2): Performance is lacking in scope, superficial, or corresponds poorly to the assignment. The author merely lists things out of context or addresses them one-sidedly. The work may contain errors or obscurities.

Assessment criteria, good (3)

Good and very good (3-4): Performance corresponds to the assignment, manifesting comprehension and a skill to analyse and justify. The author has addressed the issue comprehensively. The work may contain some deficiencies

Assessment criteria, excellent (5)

Excellent (5): Performance delineates an extensive whole and the author can apply knowledge in a multifaceted way or place it in various contexts. The work manifests independency and insight, and it is a flawless entity that involves justified thinking or critical contemplation. The work is well written and implemented.

Materials

Literature (suggested):

Human Rights and Security in the Arctic:
Durfee, M. H. & Johnstone, R. L. (2019). Arctic governance in a changing world. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.

Food resilience and Sovereignty in the Arctic:
Hossain, K., Raheem, D. & Cormier, S. (2018). Food security Governance in the Arctic-Barents region. New York: Springer Nature. Available at: http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319757551#aboutBook.
Cormier, S. & Raheem, D. (2018). Food security in the Barents region. Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Society-Environment-and-Human-Security-in-the-Arctic-Barents-Region/Hossain-Cambou/p/book/9780815399841 (e-book)
FAO (2016). The State of Food and Agriculture: Climate change, agriculture and food security. Available at: http://www.fao.org/3/a-i6030e.pdf.
Hossain, K., Hermann, T. & Raheem, D. (2018). Food (in)Security across the Circumpolar Arctic. Book Chapter 38 in Handbook on Arctic Security. Routledge.
Raheem, D. (2018). Food and nutrition as a measure of resilience in the Barents region. Urban Science, 2018, 2, 72. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci2030072. Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), Switzerland (open access).
Nilsson L. M. & Evengård B. (2015). Food Security or Food Sovereignty: What Is the Main Issue in the Arctic? In B. Evengård, J. Nymand Larsen & Ø. Paasche (eds) The New Arctic. Cham: Springer.

Digitalization and Cybersecurity in the Arctic:
Hudson, H. E. (2015). Connecting the Alaskans: Telecommunications in Alaska from Telegraph to Broadband. Fairbanks: University of Alaska Press.
Salminen, M. & Hossain, K. (2018). Digitalisation and human security dimensions in cybersecurity: an appraisal for the European High North. Polar Record, 54(2): 108–118.
Salminen, M., Zojer, G. & Hossain, K. (2020). Digitalisation and Human Security: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Cybersecurity in the European High North. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan

Introduction to Cultural Heritage Law and Heritage rights and Russian Arctic communities:
Blake, J. (2015). Cultural Heritage and Human Rights. In J. Blake, International Cultural Heritage Law. Oxford University Press, pp. 271–311.
Waterton, E. & Smith, L. (2009). There is no such thing as heritage. In E. Waterton & L. Smith (eds) Taking Archaeology out of heritage. Cambridge Scholars Press.

Further information

Principle tutor:
Research professor Stefan Kirchner.

Lecturers:
Research professor Stefan Kirchner, PhD; Researcher Bamidele Raheem, PhD; Researcher Mirva Salminen; PhD Candidate Karolina Sikora.

Execution methods

Lectures (24 h), group work, independent work (106 h).

Accomplishment methods

Active participation in the lectures and completing a written assignment. Attendance: 80 %.