Themes

Knowledge must be inclusive

Knowledge must be inclusive

Expertos en un territorio son todos – los científicos solo una parte 

Experts have come to be termed the ‘Fifth Estate’ and today form a powerful group that influences decisions-making in democracies 

 

Public decision-making needs to allow space for first-hand knowledge and community values to inform decision-making, not just the evidence of professionally accredited ‘experts’.

Scientific and other professionally accredited evidence has a valuable role to play in democratic decision-making on issues that are important for sustainability and the future of humanity – such as climate change, the impacts of genetically modified organisms, or licensing of new technologies.

Too often though, elected representatives fail to provide opportunities for public input when they make decisions in crucial areas for sustainability, such as climate change. Too often, citizens are left out.

Informed processes of public deliberation of advice and evidence should be the foundation for public decision-making, from the local to the global.

This means that evidence needs to be communicated in ways that allow people to participate debate and deliberate, to play an active part in fully informed decision-making, and to hold their elected representatives to account. And it also places a responsibility on citizens to be informed – linking, in turn, to the importance of  education for citizenship and sustainability.

Here’s what the Manifesto for Democracy and Sustainability has to say about ‘knowledge must be inclusive’.

Manifesto for Democracy and Sustainability Principle 5: Knowledge must be inclusive

It is the right and responsibility of all citizens to be informed.

Knowledge and wisdom that is drawn from first-hand experience needs to be as respected as knowledge that is professionally accredited.

Informed processes of public deliberation of advice and evidence must be the foundation of public decision-making from the local to the global.

Commitments

We support initiatives designed to bring public engagement and deliberation into international, national and local scientific and other processes that inform public decision-making on addressing sustainability challenges.

We commit to speak out when we see that elected representatives and public officials rely too heavily on expertise from professionals at the expense of knowledge from those whose expertise comes from their experience.