The Foreign Service Journal, May 2021

36 MAY 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Carefully bumped elbows replaced handshakes. The U.S. ambassador to Denmark delivered prerecorded remarks, thank- ing the Danish and Greenlandic governments for their steadfast support. The then-commander of Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command, Major General Kim Jørgensen, extended congratulations from the Danish foreign minister, who was unable to travel. “I am happy to welcome the U.S. back to Green- land,” Greenland’s then–Minister for Foreign Affairs Steen Lynge said in person. Our First Year We are almost through our first year in operation, and we are building on the foundations laid by Embassy Copenhagen’s in- depth reporting, programming and relationship-building in the years leading up to the opening. As a PD officer, I’ve been grateful for Greenland’s COVID-19 mitigation and the opportunity it has given us to do in-person outreach. Nuuk was one of the few posts in the world able to hold multiple in-person U.S. election-related events, which were critical to our messaging against disinformation. In keep- ing with the island’s reputation for ruggedness, last November’s election watch gathering went ahead despite a winter storm with gusts topping 100 mph. In southern Greenland, I was able to give a presentation on the U.S. national parks to students studying to be Arctic guides for what Greenland hopes will be a growing (and sus- tainable) tourism industry. Working with our colleagues in Copenhagen’s environment, sci- ence, technology and health section, we have begun a series of virtual seminars connect- ing the U.S. Department of the Interior and its National Park Service to government and tourism stakeholders all across Greenland. And last fall, we were proud to launch the Arctic Education Alliance, a collaboration between American and Greenlandic educa- tion institutions that will help strengthen the next generation of students, workers and entrepreneurs. These continued partnerships demon- strate to Greenlanders that we are committed, and that we are looking to build capacity in areas where they themselves are hoping to grow. Beyond economic develop- ment, we want to also draw on the strong cultural and linguistic bonds that Greenland’s majority Inuit community have with those across the North American Arctic. The commonalities—from cultural identity to geography—between Alaska and Greenland underscore that America has a well of understanding as to the opportunities and challenges that define life and development paths in the far north. Before the pandemic, cultural envoys fromAlaska helped bridge the gaps between us, hosting workshops on drum dances and musical traditions that connect Inuit cultures across the cen- turies of migration, colonization and growing autonomy. Cultural centers around Greenland have not been shy in asking for more opportunities to engage with Alaskan Inuit and other American Indigenous groups. These cultural connections allow us to interact with young Greenlanders, and leave lasting impres- sions about our shared history and values. While Greenland is not a low-income country, it is trying to diversify and expand its economy, industries and social systems The U.S. consulate is currently housed at the Joint Arctic Command Office in Nuuk’s Back Harbor. (Inset) The former U.S. consulate building in downtown Nuuk. EAVANCULLY From left to right: Eavan Cully, USAID Development Adviser David Brown, Office Manager Pernille Kleeman and Consul Sung Choi. EAVANCULLY