CIPAST in Practice
Now also available in French - Maintenant aussi disponible en français

CIPAST case-study based training package now online
CIPAST activities have confirmed that training for public participation in science and technology has to be considered as a multiple objective aim: as training activity before (and for) the implementation of a public participation initiative but also as an offer to get informed about public participation in general – and not being directly targeted to the translation into training action. CIPAST therefore has decided to put case studies at the core of its training and to focus on a process of active and participative learning.
CIPAST in Practice now provides elementary sets for teaching and learning which are based on ‘real life case studies’ and which can be used and re-assembled by potential users . The given tools are completed through information resources about designing participatory procedures experts, literature and additional experiences.
All case studies presented in this training package were developed by involving actors and users. All case studies were tested in training sessions in two international workshops 2006 and 2007.

You can order a free CD of CIPAST in Practice from Norbert Steinhaus, norbert.steinhaus@wilabonn.de or make use of the training offers here at the CIPAST website.
English version: Go to CIPAST in Practice. Click on top right in the new window to get the French version!

Version française: Allez à 'CIPAST in Practice'. Cliquetez en haut à droite dans la nouvelle fenêtre si vous souhaitez la langue anglais! Ou demandez une CD libre de Norbert Steinhaus norbert.steinhaus@wilabonn.de

CIPAST Newsletter

The 10th issue of this quarterly newsletter is now available.
You can download the newsletter here.

If you want to subscribe for the newsletter, please send a short message to norbert.steinhaus@wilabonn.de or subscribe online.

Date: April 2008

Public Consultation on Nanotechnologies

TOWARDS A CODE OF CONDUCT FOR RESPONSIBLE NANOSCIENCES AND NANOTECHNOLOGIES RESEARCH

The European Commission has announced on 19th July 2007 a public consultation on responsible nanosciences and nanotechnologies research.
The consultation will provide input for a Recommendation to the Member States on a possible Code of Conduct for this emerging area of science, which the Commission will put forward later this year. Contributions are expected from a broad cross-section of European society, including the scientific community, industry, civil society, policy-makers, media and the general public.
The address of this public consultation site is:
http://europa.eu/sinapse/directaccess/science-and-society/public-debates/nano-recommendation/

The consultation is open to all. The persons that are not registered in SINAPSE can also contribute. They simply have to access the consultation site mentioned and enter via the "guest access".
You are most welcome to circulate this information in relevant networks in order to increase the number and widen the scope of the contributions.

Date: 03.08.2007

Euroscience slams European Institute of Technology

Scientists say creation of a European Institute of Technology (EIT) is not the answer to the lack of innovation in Europe.

"A politically motivated idea, starting from a wrong premise and with a vague and then unrealistic financial underpinning, will not help Europe forward," comments Euroscience on the Commission plan for a European Institute of Technology (EIT).
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Citizens find nanotechs

The Council for the Ile-de-France region held a Citizen' conference on nanosciences and nanotechnologies on 20 January 2007.

>>more

Participatory Methods Toolkit
A practitioners' guide

'Participation' has become a buzzword in government statements and policy papers and the concept is being given concrete shape. But how can participation be organised? What methods are available and when and how are they applied? What are the implications for the budget and staff? To offer a few answers to these questions, the King Baudouin Foundation and viWTA (The Vlaams Instituut voor Wetenschappelijk en Technologisch Aspectenonderzoek, an independent and autonomous institute, associated with the Flemish Parliament) joined forces and shared their expertise. Nikki Slocum (United Nations University) used these materials to put together a toolkit on participatory methods (in English.) It contains a presentation of ten methods (e.g. World Café, Citizens' Jury, Consensus Conference, Expert Panel), a step-by-step, hands-on manual, with detailed checklists and realistic expectations of outcomes. You can download a free copy at http://www.viwta.be/files/30890_ToolkitENGdef.pdf

Date: 16.1.06

Guidelines for science communication

'Messenger', an EU-funded project, stresses the role of press and communication officers in helping journalists and scientists understand each other and offers project's guidelines for scientists how to communicate with the media and for laypersons to decode science stories

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Public participation in environmental decision-making

Public participation in environmental decision-making is to be strengthened after EU Ministers agreed to the principles of the Aarhus Convention. But they stopped short of allowing NGOs the right to drag member states to court. The Regulation will apply directly in all member states after it is published in the Official Journal of the EU.

Read more at:

http://www.euractiv.com/en/governance/public-awarded-greater-eu- environmental-law/article-157008

http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/06/st03/st03614-re01.en06.pdf

Taken from EurActiv newsletter, 14 September 06