Summary Proceedings of the First Meeting of National Monitors - 23 May 1997
From the beginning - an overview and history of the EASW
From solar cells to power our homes to shopping on the Internet, today’s world is constantly changing. We are flooded with information about new technologies which could transform our lives both socially and economically. What’s more, policies surrounding sustainable development - that is development which satisfies present needs without threatening the needs of future generations - is hot on the agenda globally, nationally and locally. Local Agenda 21 and the European Sustainable Cities Campaign for example, are two political campaigns to promote local actions to improve global conditions.
New scientific developments can help to create a cleaner and greener tomorrow in our cities. However, these technologies may not be good value for money or they may not be socially acceptable to many citizens. If the world of research and development can connect with industry and society, however, these barriers to implementing sustainable technologies can be understood and minimised. Of course, economic, technological, political and cultural obstacles to innovation will differ from city to city. As a result, local decisions have to be made to solve the problems.
To make decisions which city dwellers can live and work with, it is crucial to initiate a dialogue between residents, policy makers, businesses and the technology experts. This is where the European Awareness Scenario Workshop comes in.
What is the European Awareness Scenario Workshop?
The European Awareness Scenario Workshop (EASW) is a tool to support and facilitate the active participation of people from across society, in discussions surrounding the sustainable development of cities and possible technological solutions. The workshops offer a forum to gauge the supply and demand of innovation, as well as encouraging public debate and creating a balanced relationship between the community, technology and the environment. The tool is not only used for raising awareness and providing information; it can also be used to identify responsibilities and priorities. The workshops involve more people in planning and decision making processes, with the hope that realistic solutions can be found to urban problems.
In each workshop, around 30 people meet for two days. Using a structured, yet flexible, methodology, the group are called to think about - and perhaps answer - two key questions:
- How should behaviour be changed to achieve sustainable living and to what extent should a technology based solution be considered?
- Who is responsible for the solution of problems - the individual, the local authority or a mix of both?
During the two days, participants focus on developing a common vision for their city. They then move onto generating ideas around what must be done and who is responsible for achieving this common vision.
How did the Workshops come into being?
In 1991, the Danish Board of Technology (DBT) began a project to look at new urban and residential lifestyles. Called "Barriers to Urban Ecology", the work tackled waste, energy and housing problems by running workshops to look at people’s everyday lives in balance with the environment. They started with basic household activities - such as having a bath and taking out the rubbish - and built up four scenarios describing a day in the life of an imaginary family, the Hansens. The scenarios consider both how much technology would be involved and also who would be responsible for solving the problems. They form the basis for discussion and debate. In Denmark, the scenario workshops have made a real difference as the proposals that emerged were integrated into the Danish government’s urban ecology policies.
In 1993, the European Commission (EC) began a global investigation to find out about available participatory tools and methodologies. As part of a programme called VALUE II, the EC aimed to reinforce the links between researchers and society. The team found an inventory of about 80 awareness workshop methods and from that list, eight were selected for in-depth study. Appropriate for use at a local level, the DBT’s Scenario Workshop was selected for further testing.
The Danish workshop was then adapted for use right across Europe and the awareness scenario workshop became known as "Sustainable Urban Living". A feasibility study of the improved workshop tool was verified at an International Scenario Workshop held in the Netherlands at the end of 1993. Four cities took part; Ede (NL), Corfu (GR), Mulhouse (F) and Preston (UK).
Would the workshop be useful at the local level?
To ensure that the European Awareness Scenario Workshop would be useful in different communities, local workshops were held in early 1994 in each of the four cities which had already met in the Netherlands. Over 200 people were involved in optimising the EASW. In mid-1994, representatives met again in Luxembourg to discuss their experiences and refine the way the workshop runs. Finally, the methodology was ready for European dissemination. A tool kit was developed, complete with all the information required to run a workshop.
The National Monitors
At this point, a scheme began to train people to use the methodology. At each training session, 20 or 30 people, who may be consultants, NGO representatives or city planners, became acquainted with the methodology. Of those trained, four or five went on to become National Monitors. These National Monitors are the people responsible in each Member State for the promotion, planning and execution of a series of EASWs at a European level. As a network, they share their knowledge and expertise across Europe.
Although the method is designed to be suitable for all Member States, the demand for the European Awareness Scenario Workshop has grown more quickly in some countries than in others. As a result, there are more National Monitors in certain countries. At the latest count, there were 52 National Monitors and over 20 European Awareness Scenario Workshops had taken place.
When the EASWs had been running for over two years, a clear need emerged for the National Monitors to meet together to compare their experiences, suggest improvements and look to the future.
The full document can be downloaded from the CORDIS document library or obtained at the the following address:
Mr. Francisco Fernandez
Commission of the European Communities
Directorate-General Enterprise
Rue Alcide de Gasperi, EUFO 2288
LUX-2920 Luxembourg
Fax: + 352 4301 32084
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