Applicants sought for global deliberation event at ASU

Residents of Arizona now have the opportunity for their voices on biodiversity to be heard by global audience.

On Sept. 15, ASU’s Tempe campus will be one of the four U.S. sites to host "World Wide Views on Biodiversity," organized by the Danish Board of Technology.

Approximately 100 people representing the demographic of the Grand Canyon state will gather and join similar groups from across the globe to learn about biodiversity issues, discuss important policy choices and express their views. Applications are being accepted now for the event hosted by the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes and lunch will be provided. To apply, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CSPOSurvey2012

“This is an exceptional example of how to include everyday citizens in future global policymaking,” said Netra Chhetri, manager of World Wide Views Arizona site and assistant professor with ASU’s School of Geographical Sciences and CSPO. “It gives a bigger sense of political ownership and policymakers a better insight in the views of the citizens they represent.”

World Wide Views is a global citizen participation project designed to provide policymakers with information on citizens’ views on issues such as climate change and biodiversity. Along with Tempe, Boston, Washington, D.C., (which CSPO will also serve as host), and Golden, Colo., will also serve as representations from the United States. With over 25 countries participating, all meetings will follow the same agenda and take place the same day. The results from the citizens’ deliberations will be used at the 11th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the UN Convention of Biodiversity that will be held in Delhi, India this October.

“By pointing out concerns and priorities central to the public understanding of biodiversity, the result can inform future policy initiatives,” said Chhetri. “The results will also form an important baseline for future awareness raising initiatives.”

The final day to apply is August 15. To learn more about World Wide Views, visit http://biodiversity.wwviews.org/.

To learn more about the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes, visit http://www.cspo.org/.