II. HUMAN SECURITY, DEVELOPMENT & THE ARCTIC ECONOMY 

What Does Security Really Mean? From military security to people, communities and economic security

Security is usually discussed in terms of armies, weapons, borders and the threat of war. But can a society really be considered secure if its people lack economic security, meaningful opportunities, social well-being and the ability to influence important decisions affecting their lives?

This executive briefing introduces a broader understanding of human security. It does not replace traditional national and military security. Rather, it adds an essential human dimension by asking what security means for people, communities and societies.

The question is particularly important in the Arctic. Indigenous peoples and other northern communities have historically developed ways of life in which survival, cooperation, community and adaptation to the environment were central. Today, these societies face a combination of geopolitical pressures, economic change, climate change, resource development and political transformation.

Gorm Winther is the leading editor of Human Security through the New Traditional Economy in the Arctic and lead author of four chapters, with a further chapter co-authored with Jan Holm Ingemann—together covering approximately 200 pages of the volume.

The briefing examines the relationship between security, economic organization and institutional development.

The presentation explores

• What do we actually mean by human security?
• Is military security sufficient to make people and societies genuinely secure?
• How are economic security, employment, income and social well-being connected to security?
• What role do participation and democratic institutions play?
• Can employee ownership, cooperatives and other democratic forms contribute?
• How does political self-government affect human security?
• Can economic development strengthen security—or create new forms of dependency?
• What can Greenland and other Arctic societies teach us?

Can the North Become Economically Self-Reliant?

Development, dependency and the search for a stronger economic future

Many northern and Arctic regions have abundant natural resources, highly educated populations and strong local communities. Yet many remain economically dependent on decisions, markets, investment and financial support from outside.

Why is this so?

This presentation examines the difficult relationship between economic development and dependency in northern regions. Drawing on decades of research and practical experience in Greenland and other Arctic regions, it examines why some economies struggle to create enough local value and employment, and what can be done to build a stronger economic foundation.

The question is not simply whether a region is rich in natural resources. It is also about who owns the resources, who makes the decisions, where the value is created, and who benefits from economic development.

The presentation explores

• Why do resource-rich regions remain economically dependent?
• What do economic self-reliance, economic self-management and political self-government actually mean?
• How important are outside financial transfers?
• Why can foreign corporations and capital export impede local development?
• Can natural resources provide a lasting foundation?
• Can the Alaska Permanent Fund and Norway's Petroleum Fund provide models?
• What happens when outside companies control investment and ownership?
• How can more economic value be created and retained locally?
• What role can local businesses, cooperatives and employee ownership play?
• How can Arctic regions secure local employment when corporations rely on imported specialized labor?
• What can Greenland, Arctic Canada, Alaska and other northern regions learn from one another?

Economic and Political Development of the North

How can northern societies build a stronger and more independent future?

Northern regions face many of the same economic and political challenges as other parts of the world, but their circumstances are often very different. Distance, small populations, limited markets, dependence on outside capital and expertise, natural resources and relationships with larger political powers all influence their development.

But development is about more than economic growth. A society can increase its Gross Domestic Product without necessarily improving the lives of its people. Human development also concerns health, education, living conditions, economic opportunities, social participation and people's ability to influence the society in which they live.

Drawing on decades of research, teaching and practical experience in Greenland and other northern regions, this presentation explores how economic, human and political development are closely connected.

The presentation explores

• Why do northern economies develop differently from larger southern economies?
• What is the relationship between economic development and human development?
• How do health, education, employment, income and living conditions contribute to welfare?
• What is the relationship between dependency and self-reliance?
• Why does ownership matter?
• What is the relationship between economic self-management and political self-government?
• How do democracy, institutions and economic organization influence one another?
• What can cooperatives, employee ownership and other forms of participation contribute?
• What opportunities and problems are created by mining, energy and other large-scale projects?
• Can economic growth translate into greater human welfare and quality of life?