Prospects of Citizen Participation in Science and Technology : The consensus conference model as a case

Abstract

It has recently been emphasized that citizens should be more involved in policy and decision making in both local and national levels. Many issues ranging from individual to regional, national or even global level involves scientific and technological problems. Ways of participation of citizens in science and technology has thus become a focus of interest. Although general public has tremendous difficulties in understanding modern science and technology, there seems to exist a consensus on the necessity of people's involvement in them in some form or other. Accelerated information disclosure, increased use of the public comment system, and local referendums can be seen as supported by such a consensus. This paper discusses possibilities and necessity of citizen participation in science and technology and suggests a novel type of participation. It also describes the Consensus Conferences in 1998 and 1999, in whose organization the author was involved, and analyzes the results.