Science and Democracy:
The Dialogue Between Scientists and Citizens
by Jean-Paul Lainé
November 2009
Science and Technology are Today at the Very Heart of our Societies
They concretely influence the life of all people at all levels, regional, national and international. They range from the basic day-to-day work conditions to their cultural surrounding and the media in their country, from politics to economy, from environmental issues to military budgets. However the enormous development of knowledge and technologies is suffering from two mistakes: it is mostly happening in a few countries and is not shared amongst all populations. These characteristics influence the nature of research, particularly of applied research and the kind of people who benefit from it.
The Impact of Science and Technology is Ambivalent:
It depends on political and economic choices: applied science can produce the best and the worst. Great improvements in health (comfort, duration of life), mobility, communication and in training (I am not speaking of education at large) have been achieved resources; on the other hand – and this is frightening – huge means are devoted to destructive activities rather than the improvement of life conditions. The budget of military research and development (R&D) is not completely known because it is partly hidden. We should remember that the total amount of military expenses - all over the world - is by far higher than the aid to the developing world. In the mean time huge challenges threaten humankind, and some are provoked by human activity (global warming, pollution). Until now, facing natural, "external" threats (hunger, epidemics…) humanity could implement adequate answers: will it still be possible when individual, collective ethical answers are needed? The responsibility mainly lies with decisionmakers, politicians and economy managers but also, to some degree, with scientists. Too often they are prisoners of positivist, "technicist", "occidental" schemes… and of their financial support. It is necessary to position research, in connection to its own development, in order to meet human needs, peace and environment.
Science Policy has to be put Under Citizen Control
Therefore, science policy, which has such huge consequences for our life, has to be put under citizen control: it has to be discussed by research staff itself and by all people as well. Practically – I am speaking here on behalf of my trade-union of university teachers of France – we consider that fundamental research, closely linked to higher education, is a public mission: this is the only way to ensure independence of religions, ideologies, political and economic powers and to guarantee academic freedom and justice in the diffusion of science. As far as the principle of the right of the people and of their representatives to intervene in the control of research is concerned, the difficulties are far greater:It requires huge development of education at large, culture, critical attitude, large-scale knowledge. It underlines the role of schools and universities, of families and all opportunities of education including media and cultural institutions. Social discrimination and underdevelopment are not only a tragedy for people but also a handicap for humanity: all civilizations, all cultures have something to bring to the universal knowledge, in all fields of science, from human and social sciences to natural sciences and mathematics. Condition of Scientific Workers We have to speak of the conditions of scientific workers, academics, researchers and engineers, which are the best means to ensure freedom, responsibility and true autonomy. They involve questions of status and salaries of personnel, of structures and management of labs, departments and all institutions, of evaluation at all levels – from people to institutions. Principles imposed by struggles, by victories in the past: management under the control of elected colleagues, assessment and recruitment by the peers are not details. But pressures are increasing to introduce a private way of management if not to directly privatize institutions. Threats and struggles are spreading out all over the world.I would like to emphasize the conditions of young researchers: they need protection, a decent income and a decent life; in short, they claim the status of a worker. For graduate students and senior scientists alike, status, freedom and individual/collective responsibility facilitate a courageous attitude, the faculty to say no, respect for the truth, a readiness to denounce violations of ethics and to be courageous "whistleblowers".
The Role of Trade Unions
I would like to conclude on the role of trade-unions, associations and NGOs like ours. The priority is to spread the following idea: science, particularly the collaboration between science and society, is a main concern for scientists of course – but it is not always so obvious – and also for all the people. It is such a serious affair that it cannot be left in the hands of traditional decisionmakers. Our organisations must and can build bridges between the scientific community and the whole population, develop the feeling of responsibility amongst the researchers and the duty of intervention on scientific policy and all related items amongst the activists for "another world". Thus INES, as well as WFSW – the World Federation of Scientific Workers- to which my trade union belongs to, as well as more than fifty organisations all over the world, has decided to support the project of organising a special day dedicated to science and democracy inside the World Social Forum, next January 2009, in Belem, Brazil.