Seminar on involving citizens in deliberative processes

Summary

Consumer research Norway (SIFO) at Oslo Metropolitan University arranged a seminar with special focus on methodologies for engaging citizens in so called deliberative processes. About 25 participants and invited researchers and specialists shared their experiences, views and ideas on the involvement of citizens in complex and often controversial issues within research projects. There are a number of different approaches for involving citizens on public deliberations in research projects such as Citizens Juries, Hybrid Forums and mini-public deliberations, and the main aim of the seminar was to seek out what we can learn from these different approaches in order to develop these methodologies further.
The seminar was funded by the Norwegian Research Council and linked to the EU project Organic-PLUS focusing on the current use of - and possibilities for phasing out - contentious inputs within organic agriculture in Europe. The seminar contained two separate sessions. In the first session invited speakers presented their experiences with different methods for involving citizens in deliberative processes. The speakers were encourage to talk about the following themes and questions: What are the rationale behind involving citizens in specific research projects? How can we design these deliberations such that we get a two-way dialogue between scientists and members of the public, especially on issues that often are too technical for direct public scrutiny? What are the pros and cons of different methods?
During the brakes participants had the opportunity to get information about the Organic PLUS project from displayed posters and talks with project participants. The seminar ended with a World Cafe discussion about issues such as the key ingredients of successful public engagement and positive and negative impacts of public engagements. The World Café was an exciting learning experience with colleagues from other projects and will shape the future citizen jury research work on contentious inputs within the Organic-PLUS project in Norway, the United Kingdom and Italy. The following list gives an overview of the presentations and posters on the seminar:
1. Citizen Juries: Enhancing our understanding of animal welfare and organic farming through science-society dialogues Adrian Evans and Rosa van Kesteren, Coventry University.
2. Cathrine Hasse, Aarhus University: Reeler Outreach: Minipublics [PDF]
3. Simon Burall, The Involve Foundation: The UK experience of deliberative processes [PDF]
4. Virginie Amilien, Consumption Research Norway (SIFO): Hybrid Forums [PDF]
5. Erik Thorstensen, Work Research Institute (AFI): Engaging Older Adults through World Cafés. [PDF]
6. Pål Strandbakken & Harald-Throne Holst, Consumption Research Norway (SIFO): 3rd Generation Deliberations [PDF]