The Maine North Atlantic Institute (MNAI) at the University of Southern Maine School of Social Work co-sponsored a panel discussion in September 2023, Cross-Cultural Collaborations: Opportunities for Addressing Social Issues in the North Atlantic. This was a continuation of the Maine North Atlantic Institute’s webinar series, MNAI Convenes, which explores topics related to Maine’s relationship to the North Atlantic and the Arctic.

For North Atlantic and Arctic communities to prosper, we must ensure those most vulnerable have a voice, are represented in policy decisions, and are included in the benefits of our collective efforts. 

Social work professors Dr. Bonnie Jensen of Ilisimatusarfik/University of Greenland and Dr. Paula Gerstenblatt of University of Southern Maine, along with social work students Sofie Thomasen, Ilisimatusarfik/University of Greenland, and Emily Lambdin of University of Southern Maine discussed shared concerns, positive outcomes from community-based research in Maine and Greenland, and ways to develop innovative strategies through educational exchanges, collaborative research projects, and participatory reciprocal community engagement to address the most pressing social issues facing our communities.