Risk Network

 Provision of health and safe, clean and sustainable environment to the people of Europe is one of the cornerstone activities of Sixth Framework Programme of the EU. Decisions must be made what is safe and beneficial for our society and the environment. However, any decision to improve our well being is linked with weighing risks and benefits.

The project brings together scientists, science communicators and media that have not been able to complement their activities in the past on issues of science development and societal uncertainty. To be addressed are key risk issues, including risk assessment, management and the precautionary principle within the socio-economic framework of 21st century. The project will help to increase public knowledge and appreciation of what role science plays in this process. The overall aim of the project is to stimulate open dialogue on this important topic and bring forward public perspectives on risks.

The communication will be done in a stimulating and interactive manner. We have chosen two FP6 priority areas to communicate risk issues: biodiversity and genomics as it relates to health.

There will be five core deliverables:

1. Five workshops to strengthen the links between the scientific community, science communicators and media
2. Production of four in depth case studies dealing with risk issues in the above mentioned priority areas
3. A reference book targeting communicators of science integrating the in depth case studies
4. Production of up to four 10 minute films to clearly present the case studies through a different media platform
5. Internet database/reference centre

These deliverables will be used primarily by our network by the scientific community and risk communicators to effectively communicate and open a dialogue with the public on risk issues. The project has been designed such that the deliverables incorporate stakeholder feedback. The main communication platform will be presentations at science museums, and publishing and broadcasting media around Europe. The network includes research organizations, science communicators and media from twenty seven locations in sixteen European countries. The project aims to exploit a mixture of different information delivery platforms for the purpose of optimizing the impact of the dialogue on risk issues. Through the chosen deliverables, the project will have a short and long term use with schools, teachers and general public. Great emphasis will be placed on the dissemination of the project deliverables through appropriate channels to increase the project impact.

The infrastructure and content to be established within this project will serve as the starting point to effectively communicate biodiversity and genomics risk related issues to the general public and schools.