Reflections on the EYP International Session
Opinion Piece by Jerry Koli (FI)
For me, the EYP International Session was an opportunity to network and connect with like-minded youth across Europe, but I also had the privilege of being an Arctic delegate working in a committee focused on the green transition and its effects on traditional livelihoods. The fact that this one committee was specifically directed towards discussing Arctic topics is something I highly value, since our voices aren’t often heard at the European Union level because we are such a small minority.
I definitely connected with the other delegates, and I felt I was treated with respect and that my knowledge about the topic was valued. I enjoyed answering all the specific questions of, “Hey, how exactly do you do this and that?”, sharing insight into a way of life exotic to most Europeans and even to those from southern parts of the Nordics. The interest of the other delegates in truly understanding the nuanced topics thoroughly was very heart-warming. At the EYP I was given time to fully explain the topics and problems without being forced to oversimplify them, and I truly feel that everyone involved learned something valuable as a result of this dialogue.
I think 99% of people I spoke with outside of the Nordics thought that we hunt reindeer. When the dialogue starts at this level of knowledge it means I have to explain step by step how modern-day reindeer herding works, how it has changed from fully nomadic to semi-nomadic and so on. At an earlier meeting one of my friends asked me seriously if we had stoves or not (lol).
This is why I find it important to have these discussions, to share our perspective, our way of life, our culture and traditions. It is completely understandable that most Europeans do not have knowledge about the people living far away in the north, and I have no intent of ridiculing anyone for their lack of knowledge.
It takes bravery to ask questions, and honestly there are no stupid questions (sometimes I do not use the stove but cook outside on a campfire or smoke the meat/fish I have). The sincerity of these questions and the good intent behind them is what matters, and I feel it is my responsibility to explain these topics deeply to those who want to listen and learn.
I feel like this event was very inclusive and the Arctic got its fair share of attention. We are only a fraction of the European Union, and having one committee discussing Arctic issues was already huge in my opinion. The fact that they sponsored this event for me and the other Arctic delegates also shows how highly our opinion and insight is valued, which makes me incredibly happy.
The issues we were discussing truly hit home: at the time of the meeting I was reading in the news how our river temperatures were measured to be 7 degrees Celsius higher than the long-term average; how there were large-scale forest fires across Lapland; how they are planning up to 200 wind turbines in my community’s traditional hunting grounds.
All these issues can already be seen by the locals. It is not in the future, it is today. Being worried about the once thriving, now ever-decreasing migratory salmon populations and the effects of wind farms on our moose and forest game bird populations is something concrete to me. These things are political decisions. Influencing politics starts exactly at these youth events where we are allowed a voice. We write policy recommendations to the European Commission. We work together to reach a consensus on difficult topics. These are the skills that I have learned from my attendance at the Arctic Youth Dialogue 2025 and the EYP International Session.
However, these sessions have offered me so much more. The new friends, the connections and the memories will stay with me forever. Most importantly, these events have lit a spark to continue this work in representing and advocating for my people.
Now it has been shown that change may even be possible, and the only way to achieve it is to start striving higher in politics, staying active and letting go of the “I can’t fix bigger problems” mindset.
Maybe not me by myself, but together we definitely can.
7 youth from the Arctic took part in Turku 2025 — the102nd International Session of the European Youth Parliament as part of the EU-funded Youth Together For Arctic Futures project. The project is led by the WWF Global Arctic Programme, in cooperation with the Arctic Youth Network, European Youth Parliament, Saami Council, Arctic Mayors’ Forum, Tromsø Kommune, University of Tromsø, and the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists.
This publication was funded by the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the European Youth Parliament and partners and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
