How does science enter public decisions? Knowledge Transfer and Exchange (KTE) is a first crucial factor for researchers and public decision-makers. Through public decisions, scientific knowledge is used and has effects on the lives of all of us.
The second decisive factor is all of us, citizens, who have the right (and duty) to take part in the decisions.
If we reduce this need in situations where the interaction between the environment and health is more evident (such as building a dangerous plant or closing a road to traffic to make it a pedestrian area), the voice of citizens weighs heavily in decisions. In all this, science must find adequate space, time and attention, not to be trivialized.
Interaction between science and public decision-making and participation of non-experts: this was discussed at the Seminar organized by the CNR Clinical Physiology Institute and the Sant’Anna High School on May 27th. It is the first of a series of meetings that will build a network, whose plot must be woven into the dialogue between experts of various disciplines and on good practices to engage constructively public administrations and citizens.
On the process that joins these players GIOCONDA has brought its experience.