Navarana Kotalawala – Student of Culture and Social History

  Nuuk – Latitude 64° 10’ N – Longitude 051° 44’ W

  18,000 inhabitants

  Interviewed in September 2010

The fears about climate change are less present amongst young Greenlandic. They do not have or little known the periods the adults are referring to. Although the new generation is conscious, their concerns are much more concrete. In a world becoming increasingly smaller, our country now wants to move forward alone, and find its own identity. Will we be able? A problem not well tackled or a little thing forgotten, could have enormous consequences in the long term. While a section of our politicians is resolutely engaged in revitalising the country, the great majority do not seem worried by the future of Greenland and the directions to be taken. Our country is so big and we are so few. We are living in a period which is both critical and fascinating at the same time. I hope that we will be up to the task.

In the country, there are many talents which ask only to bloom, and that may be lost if someone does not show them the way. With its four institutes, our university is very small. Many young people prefer to take a one way ticket to go abroad where there are many more options. Denmark is the first step. They concentrate more on their points of interest, because we did not arrive at a point of the life yet where we say: "My country, it is for the evolution of my country which I have now to work for”

Many people will tell you that our culture and our traditions are dying. That most of our villages will not be around in 20 years. What I agree. There are fewer and fewer young people able to make the national costume. We hear more and more discussions about it. But I do not think this knowledge will disappear. For very remote times, the country has been constantly changing. It has never stagnated. We can not say that a period was better than another. We are like all countries, but here, the beauty, the exotic, the stories of our country catch every-one’s eye.