EuroScience Open Forum 2004

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• EuroScience Open Forum 2004
• Awareness creation in
• policy making
• Kjell Andersson
• Karita Research and The VALDOC Group

Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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SOME EXAMLE AREAS genetic testingsoftware
patenting food safetycellular phone systems
GMOnuclear waste management municipality
planningglobal warming. etc .
Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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a scenario we dont want

• New-tech enthusiasm
• Early narrow framing
• Later concerns, media debates, conflicting
  interests, frustration .
• The framing found irrelevant
• Fragmentation by interest groups
• The decision-making system gets paralysed
• Backlash in technology development
• Does it sound familiar ?

Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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Trust deficit - Eurobarometer 2002
biotechnology

•   Trust
• The medical profession 49
• Consumer organisations 49
• Environmental organisations 46
• Universities 33
• Animal welfare organisations 26
• Television and newspapers 23

Valdoc Group
Karita Research
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Trust cont.

• Trust
• International institutions 17
• National government bodies 14
• Farmer organisations 3
• Religious organisations 8
• None of these (SPONTANEOUS) 6
• A particular industry 5
• Political parties 3
• Dont Know 6

Valdoc Group
Karita Research
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Dialogue proposed

• EU White Paper on Governance 2001 people
  increasingly distrust institutions and politics
  or are simply not interested in them.
•  
• House of Lords 2002 Direct dialogue with the
  public should become a normal and integral part
  of the process.
•  The Royal Society The Royal Academy of
  Engineering (2004), see a need for mechanisms for
  incorporating public values early in the
  development of nanotechnology.
•  

Valdoc Group
Karita Research
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Expert attitudes

• Xxx technologies should be accepted by the
  public
• There are barriers against acceptance
• European population base their attitudes towards
  xxx research not on concrete evidence but on
  images of fear, stereotypes and beliefs.
• sound scientific evidence

Valdoc Group
Karita Research
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Trust deficitUneasiness among policy makers
 Information does not helpWhat shall we
do?Dialogue Yes ! BUT HOW? 
Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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A success story ??

• Dialogue Project SKI/SSI 1991-93
• RISCOM Pilot SKI/SSI/Karita 1996-98
• RISCOM II EU 2000-03
• Hearings site selection SKI/SSI 2001
• Oskarshamn Model O. municip. 1994 ---
• VALDOR symposia SKI/SSI/Karita 99,01,03
• Site selection hearings SKI/SSI 2001
• VALDOC Summer School Karita 2002 the
  Transparency Forum idea was borne

Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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FACTORS IN RISK MANAGEMENT (e.g)

• Factual issues
• Uncertainties
• Values
•   Emotions
• Vested interests

Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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ACTORS

• lobbyists
• NGOs
•  
• political parties
• media

• industry
• authorities
• scientists
• experts

Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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HOW ?
Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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VALDOC VALues in Decsions On Complexity

• Awareness in societal decisions requires
• Transparency
• Citizen involvement
• Arenas for public discourse
• Awareness is for decision-makers
• and the public

Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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VALDOC/Riscom Model of Transparency
Truth/efficiency - Objective world - Scientific
methods and technology Are we doing things
right?
Legitimacy - Social world - Are we doing the
right things?

• Authenticity
• - Personal integrity/
• organisational identity
• are we doing what we say? (no hidden agenda)

Karita Research
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PRINCIPLES

• 1. A multi-perspective starting point
  (up-framing)
• 2. Stretching capacity
•  (making the RISCOM triangle visible)
• 3. Impartiality and fairness (participation)
•  
•  4. Publicity (discourse arenas)
•  

     
Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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METHODS

• organise a cross-disciplinary study group
• involve stakeholders early (fairness)
• have methods to apply the RISCOM Model
• define the format and actor/stakeholder roles
  carefully
• document and evaluate
• stick to the principles
• be pragmatic in implementation

Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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Application nuclear waste

• SKI and SSI
• Hearings about site selection

Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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Application remediation of contaminated sites

• Swedish Environmental Protection Agency
• How can decision processes be strengthened with
  more transparency ?

Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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Many possible areas of application e.g. in biotech

• Patenting in genomics
• Stem cell research
• Bio banks
• Genetic testing

Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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Application mobile phone systems

• SSI
• Industry, authorities, municipalities and
  critical groups have agreed to form a joint
  Transparency Forum
• Next talk (Hedberg)

Karita Research
Valdoc Group
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       VALDOC    Group www.valdoc.org