Bringing Policymakers to Science Through Communication: A Perspective From Latin America.

Marta Pulido-Salgado,Fátima Antonethe Castaneda Mena

doi:10.3389/frma.2021.654191

Abstract

Scientific knowledge should be shared beyond academic circles in order to promote science in policymaking. Science communication increases the understanding of how the natural world works and the capacity to make informed decisions. However, not every researcher has the ability to master the art of communicating, and even less in a clear, concise, and easy to understand language that society representatives appreciate. Within the huge and extraordinarily diverse Latin American region, science communication has been going on for at least 200 years, when the first science stories appeared in the newspapers, as well as the first science museums and botanical gardens were founded. Nevertheless, resources are limited, and notably time, which researchers spend mostly in mentoring, ensuring funding, publication of their results and laboratory work, while science journalists are an endangered species. This perspective article aims at providing some recommendations to build bridges between science and decision-making parties through communication, by exploring how Latin American diplomats and policymakers engage with scientific knowledge.

Highlights

In its 27th Article, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right freely [...] to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.” Scientific knowledge empowers citizens by increasing their capacity to make informed decisions and strengthens democracy by promoting debate
We aim to provide recommendations on how to bring Latin American policymakers to science through communication by combining insights from relevant stakeholders in the region with previous findings and from the personal opinions of the authors based on their own experience
We have found that many Latin American countries provide information regarding draft laws, initiatives, and commissions in which decision-makers take part, on their Parliamentary website

Summary

INTRODUCTION

In its 27th Article, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “Everyone has the right freely [...] to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.” Scientific knowledge empowers citizens by increasing their capacity to make informed decisions and strengthens democracy by promoting debate. Since the region faces many challenges, from forest fires that devastated much of the continent, to contamination of soil and water resources, or the vulnerability of Central America to natural disasters aggravated by climate change, the environment is the main topic communicated by researchers and science journalists When addressing this issue, Latin American researchers and policymakers can find a common ground language, quite easy. Both parties are unanimous in rating what makes science communication effective (Figures 2E,F), which suggest that finding a common language to put research on use is possible At this point, it seems evident that Latin American diplomats and policymakers are interested in science, or at least part of their community. In our opinion, they might just need a bridge to the scientific community

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Findings

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT