Mini-conference
Mini-conference with participation from Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary ‘Together in Grief’
August 2022
The National Grief Center, with the participation of Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary and alongside Greenlandic partners, held the conference: “Together in Grief in Greenland” on August 24, 2022, in Nuuk.
Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary and the Minister for Children, Youth, Families, and Health, Mimi Karlsen, were among the participants of the conference.
Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary is the patron of The National Grief Center and spoke at the conference. Among the speakers were also author Niviaq Korneliussen, children’s ombudsman Aviâja Egede Lynge, Chief of Police Bjørn Bay, professional head Ellen Magnussen from the Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, and Preben Engelbrekt, the director of The National Grief Center.
Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary said in her speech:
“Grief is one of the hardest things and something that most people have experienced. Grief can come suddenly. As something unexpected. Grief takes up a lot of space and can take over one’s life, at least for a period. Yet, death and grief are not things we talk about. Therefore, it brings me great joy that today we focus on death and grief – and the taboo surrounding it. It is so important that we talk about grief. Talking about it can help to ease the grief – even just a little.”
The conference also featured a discussion with two of the first volunteers at Aliasoqatit about what motivated them and what it means to be a volunteer using one’s own grief to help other bereaved individuals.