How our approach is different
- Connected to Inuit and community values and relationships
- Cooperative work with existing groups
- Process based on active listening:
- reviewing what people have said already
- proposing an approach
- verifying that we understand what people have said already about topics related to sustainability
Through preliminary discussions with Inuit leaders in our community, we created an innovative framework that is particularly relevant to our unique northern context. As an alternative derivation of the three-pillar systems approach used in southern Canada, we are adopting a hybrid and relational framework for Iqaluit that acknowledges that relationships form the foundation of Inuit culture and tradition.
We have determined our systems approach will be based upon three relationships:
- Relationship to the environment
- Relationship to family and social wellbeing
- Relationship to a productive society
These relationships obviously correspond to the three ‘pillars’ of sustainability (environment, socio-cultural, economic) but also provide greater scope for making and deepening our community connections.
Furthermore, these relationships best convey our unique northern Canadian realities. For example, our productive society includes a modern market economy, in addition to a traditional harvesting/hunting and a very active social economy. Acknowledging the fullness of our productive society and all the roles that stem from it (working, volunteering, childrearing, hunting, skill development, business development and more), we strongly believe this approach reflects the true nature of our sustainable future.
