Lord
Wayland Kennet, Member of the British House of Lords
(UK)
"Why not take initiatives like Danish consensus
conferences at the level of the European Parliament
or provide EU funding to organise such conferences throughout
Europe?"
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Of media
and mediators
- The
dialogue between science and society requi res mediators capable
of organising an open and constructive debate. The work of
journalists is sometimes criticised. "The media tend to
silence the moderate middle and polarise the debate."(1)
New settings for mediation must be invented, such as the International
Centre for Life Science (UK), which associates life science
training, research, economic valorisation, ethical reflection
and popularisation, all at the same site.
-
The major scientific institutions and parliamentary offices
are becoming increasingly involved in the debate. Other organisations,
such as "engineering academies and the European Social
and Economic Committee, should do the same"(2).
-
An effort must be made to give health professionals training
that will enable them to advise and inform their patients.
New counselling professions may emerge at the intersection
of science popularisation, public education, and reflection
within society.
-
The Danish experience of "consensus conferences" was also
applauded. "Why not take initiatives like this at the level
of the European Parliament or provide EU funding to organise
such conferences throughout Europe?"(4)
-
Today we enjoy the privilege of the fabulous tools that information
technology has made available. We can exploit them to develop
a dialogue. At the end of the Forum, Commissioner Busquin
himself inaugurated this approach by holding a two-hour Internet
chat with dozens of citizens of all nationalities, who had
been invited to ask questions and give their opinions on "genetics
and the future of Europe".
(1)
Matt Ridley (UK)
(2) Alain Pompidou, Member of the European Parliament (FR)
(3) Philip Campbell, Nature (UK)
(4) Lord Wayland Kennet, Member of the British House of Lords
(UK)
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