Are there safeguards against domination by the agendas of a single stakeholder?
In any attempt to democratise technology it is important to ensure that a variety of different interest groups – including both people’s movements and government policy-makers – have joint oversight of the process and that a diversity of perspectives is available to participants. This aspect is often neglected, especially by government-funded processes. Diverse control of a process can be ensured by drawing on several sources of funding. The selection of at least two funding sources which have vested interests in visions that appear to be in conflict with each other can be a good way of ensuring balance. On issues where there is a high level of controversy it is particularly important to ensure the quality and validity of the knowledge generated. These have been central concerns for those coalitions organising citizens’ juries on GM. It is vital for such groups to recognise that their subjectivity and world view could potentially influence their actions as researchers and their interpr
