Science advice to governments: diverse systems, common challenges

This briefing paper formed the basis of discussions at the 'Science Advice to Governments' summit, which took place in Auckland, New Zealand from 28-29 August 2014, and was attended by science advisors and policymakers from 48 countries

Towards Post-Pandemic Sustainable and Ethical Food Systems

The current global COVID-19 pandemic has led to a deep and multidimensional crisis across all sectors of society. As countries contemplate their mobility and social-distancing policy restrictions, we have a unique opportunity to re-imagine the deliberative frameworks and value priorities in our food systems. Pre-pandemic food systems at global, national, regional and local scales already needed revision to chart a common vision for sustainable and ethical food futures. Re-orientation is also needed by the relevant sciences, traditionally siloed in their disciplines and without adequate attention paid to how the food system problem is variously framed by diverse stakeholders according to their values. From the transdisciplinary perspective of food ethics, we argue that a post-pandemic scheme focused on bottom-up, regional, cross-sectoral and non-partisan deliberation may provide the re-orientation and benchmarks needed for not only more sustainable, but also more ethical food futures.publishedVersio

Negotiating health : the meanings and implications of "building a healthy community" in Igloolik, Nunavut

At the intersection of institutional, local and personal perspectives, this thesis explores what it means to build a Healthy Community in the Canadian Arctic hamlet of Igloolik, Nunavut. It observes that neither the dominant concepts of critical theory nor those of institutional health promotion can sufficiently account for the ways in which Healthy Community discourse and values are adopted and engaged locally.Contextual semantic analysis is used to examine the health promotion values of 'community,' 'participation' and 'empowerment' in the narratives of Inuit interview participants. Along with historical and ethnographic data, these narratives suggest the ways in which health promotion and wellness values are variously adopted, redirected or infused with particular meaning in the context of both personal and political experience.By destabilizing the consensus implied by institutional health promotion discourse and by recognizing the multiplicity of meanings and practices surrounding the Healthy Community, it can continue to inspire innovation in healthcare strategies

Towards Post-Pandemic Sustainable and Ethical Food Systems

The current global COVID-19 pandemic has led to a deep and multidimensional crisis across all sectors of society. As countries contemplate their mobility and social-distancing policy restrictions, we have a unique opportunity to re-imagine the deliberative frameworks and value priorities in our food systems. Pre-pandemic food systems at global, national, regional and local scales already needed revision to chart a common vision for sustainable and ethical food futures. Re-orientation is also needed by the relevant sciences, traditionally siloed in their disciplines and without adequate attention paid to how the food system problem is variously framed by diverse stakeholders according to their values. From the transdisciplinary perspective of food ethics, we argue that a post-pandemic scheme focused on bottom-up, regional, cross-sectoral and non-partisan deliberation may provide the re-orientation and benchmarks needed for not only more sustainable, but also more ethical food futures

Citizens’ assembly on the next source of water for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. A case study of deliberative democracy in Aotearoa

   Last year, Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures and Watercare partnered on a novel approach to involve Aucklanders in a decision-making process that could become a model throughout the country. The organisations set up a citizens’ assembly to learn first-hand from Auckland residents about their preferences for meeting the city’s future water needs.  The process and lessons learnt, and how deliberative democracy was localised for an Aotearoa New Zealand context, are covered in a new Koi Tū case study report, Citizens’ assembly on the next source of water for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.</p

Predatory journals: No definition, no defence

Leading scholars and publishers from ten countries have agreed a definition of predatory publishing that can protect scholarship. It took 12 hours of discussion, 18 questions and 3 rounds to reach