{"id":89,"date":"2025-10-02T03:35:41","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T03:35:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/knowledge-democracy\/"},"modified":"2025-10-02T03:35:41","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T03:35:41","slug":"knowledge-democracy","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/knowledge-democracy\/","title":{"rendered":"Knowledge Democracy"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"middle content\">\n<div class=\"column left\" id=\"columnleft\">\n<div class=\"block-0\">\n<section class=\"block themeicon Editorial article\">\n<article>\n<div class=\"icon\">\n<h3>Theme<\/h3>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/themes\/global-development-strategies\/\" title=\"Global Development Strategies\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"projectimage\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/files\/var\/broker\/storage\/images\/themes\/global-development-strategies\/88486-13-eng-gb\/global-development-strategies_big_icon_theme.png\" alt=\"Global Development Strategies\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/themes\/global-development-strategies\/\" title=\"Global Development Strategies\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGlobal Development Strategies<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEditorial article<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"description\">\n<h4>Related themes:<\/h4>\n<div class=\"icons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/themes\/social-change\/\" title=\"Social Change\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/files\/var\/broker\/storage\/images\/themes\/social-change\/88481-63-eng-gb\/social-change_tiny_icon.png\" alt=\"Social Change\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<section class=\"block article summary\">\n<div class=\"headline\">\n<h3>Summary<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<article>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">The Broker recently blogged from the conference Towards Knowledge Democracy, held in Leiden, the Netherlands. We asked Jean-Paul Marthoz to reflect on the blog postings and reports from the event.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"block article author\">\n<div class=\"headline\">\n<h3>About the author<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-content\">\n<div class=\"about-author\">\n<div class=\"tleft\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/files\/var\/broker\/storage\/images\/authors\/marthoz-jean-paul\/23071-4-eng-gb\/marthoz-jean-paul_small_author.jpg\" alt=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"tright\">\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/authors\/marthoz-jean-paul\/\">Jean-Paul Marthoz<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJean-Paul Marthoz is professor of international journalism at the Universit\u00e9 catholique de Louvain (UCL), Belgium, foreign affairs columnist for Le Soir, and senior adviser to the Committee to Protect Journalists (New York).\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/authors\/marthoz-jean-paul\/\">full profile<\/a>\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<div class=\"block article author\">\n<div class=\"headline\">\n<h3>Tags<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"weight_7\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\">conference<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"weight_6\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/display\/articles\/6490\/\">direct democracy<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"weight_5\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/display\/articles\/6492\/\">interdisciplinary<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"weight_2\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/display\/articles\/6491\/\">participation<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"block article author\">\n<div class=\"headline\">\n<h3>Related articles<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-content\">\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/special-report-collective-self-interest\/\">Special report: Collective self-interest<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"pubDate\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/authors\/kaul-inge\/\">Inge Kaul<\/a>\t\t |<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tJuly 01, 2025\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"icons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/themes\/human-security\/\" title=\"Human Security\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/files\/var\/broker\/storage\/images\/themes\/human-security\/88474-206-eng-gb\/human-security_tiny_icon.png\" alt=\"Human Security\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/special-report-collective-self-interest\/\" class=\"more\">read more<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-content\">\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/stalling-growth-and-development\/\">Stalling growth and development<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"pubDate\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/authors\/woltring-naomi\/\">Naomi Woltring<\/a>\t\t |<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tDecember 18, 2025\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"icons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/themes\/social-change\/\" title=\"Social Change\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/files\/var\/broker\/storage\/images\/themes\/social-change\/88481-63-eng-gb\/social-change_tiny_icon.png\" alt=\"Social Change\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/stalling-growth-and-development\/\" class=\"more\">read more<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-content\">\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/shaping-behaviour\/\">Shaping behaviour<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"pubDate\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/authors\/woodhill-jim\/\">Jim Woodhill<\/a>\t\t |<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tOctober 07, 2025\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"icons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/themes\/global-development-strategies\/\" title=\"Global Development Strategies\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/files\/var\/broker\/storage\/images\/themes\/global-development-strategies\/88488-146-eng-gb\/global-development-strategies_tiny_icon.png\" alt=\"Global Development Strategies\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/themes\/social-change\/\" title=\"Social Change\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/files\/var\/broker\/storage\/images\/themes\/social-change\/88481-63-eng-gb\/social-change_tiny_icon.png\" alt=\"Social Change\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/shaping-behaviour\/\" class=\"more\">read more<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-content\">\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/turkey-turns-the-tide\/\">Turkey turns the tide<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"pubDate\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/authors\/marthoz-jean-paul\/\">Jean-Paul Marthoz<\/a>\t\t |<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tFebruary 10, 2025\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"icons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/themes\/global-development-strategies\/\" title=\"Global Development Strategies\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/files\/var\/broker\/storage\/images\/themes\/global-development-strategies\/88488-146-eng-gb\/global-development-strategies_tiny_icon.png\" alt=\"Global Development Strategies\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/turkey-turns-the-tide\/\" class=\"more\">read more<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-content\">\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/international-peacemaker\/\">International peacemaker<\/a><\/h3>\n<div class=\"pubDate\">\n\t\t\t\t<a class=\"author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/authors\/simonsen-sven-gunnar\/\">Sven Gunnar Simonsen<\/a>\t\t |<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\tNovember 30, 2025\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"icons\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/themes\/global-development-strategies\/\" title=\"Global Development Strategies\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/files\/var\/broker\/storage\/images\/themes\/global-development-strategies\/88488-146-eng-gb\/global-development-strategies_tiny_icon.png\" alt=\"Global Development Strategies\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p>\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/international-peacemaker\/\" class=\"more\">read more<\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<section class=\"content column wide left article content view\" id=\"content\">\n<div class=\"edit image\">\n\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/files\/var\/broker\/storage\/images\/articles\/knowledge-democracy\/38033-5-eng-gb\/knowledge-democracy_full_view.jpg\" alt=\"Photo by Andr\u00e9-Pierre (Sea Point Promenade Dragonfly Art)\">\n\t<\/div>\n<article class=\"fader  Editorial article\">\n<header class=\"contents\">\n<div class=\"share\">\n\t\t\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n    var addthis_config = {\n        ui_language = 'en'\n    }\n<\/script><\/p>\n<div class=\"addthis sharing\">\n\t<!-- AddThis Button BEGIN --><\/p>\n<div class=\"addthis_toolbox addthis_default_style addthis_32x32_style\" addthis:title=\"Knowledge democracy\">\n\t<a class=\"addthis_button_twitter\" tw:via=\"thebrokeronline\"><\/a><br \/>\n\t<a class=\"addthis_button_facebook\"><\/a><br \/>\n\t<a class=\"addthis_button_pinterest_share\"><\/a><br \/>\n\t<a class=\"addthis_button_preferred_4\"><\/a><br \/>\n\t<a class=\"addthis_button_compact\"><\/a><br \/>\n\t<a class=\"addthis_counter addthis_bubble_style\"><\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<p>\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\">var addthis_config = data_track_addressbar;<\/script><br \/>\n\t<script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/files\/js\/300\/addthis_widget.js\"><\/script><br \/>\n\t<!-- AddThis Button END -->\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"addthis article_options\">\n                <a title=\"Export article to PDF\" class=\"pdf\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/files\/extension\/broker\/design\/broker\/images\/pdficon.png\" alt=\"pdf\"><\/a>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKnowledge democracy<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n<h2>The Leiden agenda<\/h2>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/authors\/marthoz-jean-paul\/\">Jean-Paul&nbsp;Marthoz<\/a>\t\t|<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOctober 05, 2025<br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/header>\n<div class=\"intro contents\">\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">The Broker recently blogged from the conference Towards Knowledge Democracy, held in Leiden, the Netherlands. We asked Jean-Paul Marthoz to reflect on the blog postings and reports from the event.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"body contents\">\n\t\t<!-- body --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">Conference organizers know how to put together a programme of experts and speakers, and a balanced mix of lectures and workshops. Conferences are rarely a model of linear thinking, however.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">Participants can pick and choose among the speakers, and are alternately attentive and uninterested. Each one filters and decodes the presentations according to his or her own interests, background and objectives. The ideas they take home with them are thus more a kaleidoscope than a true reflection of the entire proceedings, rather like witnesses\u2019 descriptions of a crime scene \u2013 they all have seen different things and have been impressed by different features.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">Seen through the eyes of the bloggers, the international conference \u2018Towards Knowledge Democracy\u2019, held in Leiden, the Netherlands, in August 2009, certainly fits this pattern. The conference attracted more than 500 participants from 26 countries, so there were indeed \u2018many\u2019 Leiden conferences. The blogs extend in all directions, offering many different angles, personal and professional. But there is nevertheless an underlying logic, thanks to the two cornerstones of the conference: the keynote speech and the proposals for future action, the Leiden agenda.<a name=\"eztoc23079_0_1\" id=\"eztoc23079_0_1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Knowledge democracy<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">In his opening address, Roel in \u2019t Veld, chair of the Council for Research on Spatial Planning, Nature and the Environment (RMNO), framed the conference as a challenge for democracy. \u2018As the industrial economy has been combined with mass democracy through universal suffrage and later by the rise of mass media\u2019, he writes, \u2018one might suggest that the logical successor of the knowledge economy is a new type of governance, to be called knowledge democracy\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">The rise of \u2018media politics\u2019, in \u2019t Veld believes, has caused \u2018the political debate to become superficial and short-term oriented\u2019. It has also fomented populism and the \u2018gradual disappearance of checks and balances\u2019. In such a context, what roles will knowledge play in the transition to a knowledge democracy?<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">The Leiden agenda strives to provide an answer to this question. \u2018From a democratic perspective, the development, dissemination and use of knowledge [must] meet certain conditions\u2019. It should be independent, relevant for policy makers, credible, legitimate, pluralistic and universally accessible.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">The words \u2018tension\u2019 and \u2018conflicts\u2019 formed a constant subtext during the conference. The tension between science and politics was forcefully expressed in a cartoon (see the blog) showing a politician saying: \u2018Find me some scientists who share my views\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">Blogger Georgina Aboud, of Eldis, UK, quotes Professor Ellen Wayenberg of Ghent University, Belgium, on how the knowledge derived from research is used: \u2018Knowledge is used when it suits policy makers, and is deemed flawed when it does not\u2019. The same applies to public participation: \u2018policy makers cherry-pick the participatory outcomes that suit them\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">In their reflections on \u2018knowledge democracy\u2019, most of the bloggers\u2019 contributions seem to have been inspired by the philosophy of the common good, and so acknowledge the need for a long-term perspective. Aboud restates the recommendations of Roel in \u2019t Veld and Louis Meuleman (RMNO) that \u2018we have no right to make decisions which, according to our present knowledge and values, would impose on future generations such costs and risks that we would not be willing to assume by ourselves\u2019. If trade-offs are inevitable, Aboud writes, they should be based on \u2018balance; enough alteration in structures to create an environment for change, without developing opportunities for dangerous elements to succeed\u2019.<a name=\"eztoc23079_0_2\" id=\"eztoc23079_0_2\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Transdisciplinary approaches<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">\u2018Transdisciplinarity\u2019 also appears to have drawn the bloggers\u2019 attention. \u2018I like the cross appeal\u2019, Aboud observes. \u2018It reminds me of Renaissance (wo)men who could switch between science, technology and art in order to unlock secrets and begin finding solutions\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">Roland Scholz, of ETH Zurich, Switzerland, is the \u2018chief evangelist\u2019 of the \u2018transdisciplinary approach\u2019. He defines it as \u2018a joint process initiated by non-academics (government, NGOs or industry) or scientists to work on an \u2018ill-defined, societally relevant, real-world problem which includes challenging scientific questions. Non-academics take responsibility for the decisions [\u2026], while science takes responsibility for the scientific quality\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">The conference was able \u2018to draw together people from different sciences and actually have them discuss inter-\/trans-\/multidisciplinary research\u2019, comments Pepijn Jansen of Wageningen International. \u2018These approaches have been called transdisciplinarity, multi-stakeholder processes, social learning, action research &#8230; Of course, they are not all exactly the same, but [\u2026] these processes are all about getting relevant people around the table and letting them generate new knowledge and a shared understanding about a common issue, and hopefully also find a way to deal with the problem\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">\u2018The idea of co-creation of new knowledge is so different from research\u2019, Geesje Kruit agrees. \u2018It implies system innovation and action! As Chris Peterson (Michigan State University, USA) states, we should engage stakeholders as our peers\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">There was a sense, however, that among these \u2018relevant people\u2019, too many belonged to the familiar coterie of science, academia, government or the media. Aboud observes that this was a \u2018very top down conference, predominantly white male academics\u2019, while Jansen adds that \u2018I was hoping to bump into my neighbour or perhaps the bus driver\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">Bart Jan Krouwel of Rabobank Nederland chooses to focus on engagement with the corporate world. \u2018Talking about interdisciplinary knowledge, we need more integrated partnerships between researchers and businessmen to develop \u2013 together \u2013 more innovations\u2019, he writes. But his fellow bloggers are convinced that knowledge should help enhance public participation in general. \u2018Knowledge democracy is about the sharing and creation of knowledge in a democratic way\u2019, Jansen suggests. Through websites such as Wikipedia, the power of knowledge is being democratized\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">There is a danger that conferences such as this, where the best meet the brightest, become elitist. The real world of mass-media-induced \u2018illiteracy\u2019 increases the temptation, since people sometimes reject \u2018scientific evidence\u2019 in favour of urban legends or unvalidated stories on the internet.<a name=\"eztoc23079_0_3\" id=\"eztoc23079_0_3\"><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Direct democracy<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">\u2018History shows that knowledge societies are rarely democratic\u2019, ponders Hanns-J. Neubert of the European Union of Science Journalists\u2019 Associations. \u2018Instead, they tend to be technocracies. Knowledge alone cannot improve democracy\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">\u2018Citizen participation\u2019 became a conference buzzword: how do we prevent citizens feeling they are subjects and not agents of change. How do we include the public in the knowledge process? How, for instance, can we mix parliamentary and new forms of direct democracy?<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">At a time when growing numbers of citizens feel disenfranchised, marginalized or excluded, the challenge is to integrate them and their knowledge, says consultant Geesje Kuit. \u2018Not the solutions, but how to get them involved, or interested, is the issue.\u2019<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">Too much consensus is another risk. Knowledge needs to be nurtured by encouraging \u2018differing and conflicting views\u2019. \u2018The real challenge is finding ways of dealing with people who do not share our values\u2019, Jansen notes. \u2018We cannot be really innovative if we don\u2019t welcome outside views\u2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">Experimentation is the name of the game. \u2018Perhaps central to this conference \u2013 and the idea of knowledge democracy \u2013 is that we need to alter institutions and reshape ill-fitting concepts, while experimenting with new ideas to see what works\u2019, Aboud concludes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">Some degree of modesty seems most welcome. \u2018We scientists are not very innovative in our thinking about innovation\u2019, Jansen comments after two days at the conference.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">Hanns-J. Neubert ends on a sceptical note: \u2018All the knowledge available obviously does not prevent a democracy from taking irrational, even stupid decisions, while investing a good deal of society\u2019s economic and intellectual wealth in dead-end technologies\u2019. He made this comment after fighting his way through a traffic jam on his way home. \u2018Democracies still have a long way to go\u2026\u2019, he observes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">Well, now they have a new route map: the Leiden agenda.<\/p>\n<p class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\">\n&gt;&gt; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\" target=\"_blank\">www.thebrokeronline.eu\/Knowledge-Democracy<\/a><br class=\"yunu3cvqabft7vifv\"\/>&gt;&gt; www.knowledgedemocracy.nl <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"credit\">\n\t\t\tPhoto credit main picture:<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPhoto by Andr\u00e9-Pierre (Sea Point Promenade Dragonfly Art)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<p>\t\t<!-- body --><br \/>\n\t\t<!-- footnotes --><br \/>\n\t\t<!-- footnotes -->\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n<section class=\"commentform content column wide left\">\n<div class=\"disqus_content\">\n\t\t<a name=\"comments\" id=\"comments\"><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"disqus_thread\"><\/div>\n<p>        <script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n            \/* * * CONFIGURATION VARIABLES: EDIT BEFORE PASTING INTO YOUR WEBPAGE * * *\/\n            var disqus_shortname = 'broker'; \/\/ required: replace example with your forum shortname\n            var disqus_identifier = '3349';\n            \/* * * DON'T EDIT BELOW THIS LINE * * *\/\n\t\t\tfunction trackComment(comment)\n            {\n                console.log(comment);\n            }\n\t\t\tfunction disqus_config() {\n                this.callbacks.onNewComment = [function() { \n                console.log(comment);\n                }];\n            }\n\t\t\t(function() {\n                var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type = 'text\/javascript'; dsq.async = true;\n                dsq.src = '\/\/' + disqus_shortname + 'https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/files\/articles\/.disqus.com\/embed.js';\n                (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(dsq);\n            })();\n        <\/script><br \/>\n        <!--\n        <noscript>Please enable JavaScript to view the <a href=\"http:\/\/disqus.com\/?ref_noscript\">comments powered by Disqus.<\/a><\/noscript>\n        <a href=\"http:\/\/disqus.com\" class=\"dsq-brlink\">comments powered by <span class=\"logo-disqus\">Disqus<\/span><\/a>\n        -->\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/section><\/div>\n<div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false,"raw":""},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Theme Global Development Strategies Editorial article Related themes: Summary [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template_3.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-89","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Knowledge democracy \/ Articles - The Broker<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Broker recently blogged from the conference Towards Knowledge Democracy, held in Leiden, the Netherlands. We asked Jean-Paul Marthoz to reflect on the blog postings and reports from the event.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/knowledge-democracy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Knowledge democracy \/ Articles - The Broker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Broker recently blogged from the conference Towards Knowledge Democracy, held in Leiden, the Netherlands. We asked Jean-Paul Marthoz to reflect on the blog postings and reports from the event.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/knowledge-democracy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Homepage - Broker Online\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Knowledge democracy \/ Articles - The Broker","description":"The Broker recently blogged from the conference Towards Knowledge Democracy, held in Leiden, the Netherlands. We asked Jean-Paul Marthoz to reflect on the blog postings and reports from the event.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/knowledge-democracy\/","og_type":"article","og_title":"Knowledge democracy \/ Articles - The Broker","og_description":"The Broker recently blogged from the conference Towards Knowledge Democracy, held in Leiden, the Netherlands. We asked Jean-Paul Marthoz to reflect on the blog postings and reports from the event.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/articles\/knowledge-democracy\/","og_site_name":"Homepage - Broker Online","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"7 minutes"}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/89","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=89"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/89\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thebrokeronline.eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=89"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}