Science in the Service of Statecraft — oh, and Improving the Human Condition
By Paul Dufour
There will be an increasing need to recognize the global nature of the science-policy decisions, and the need to establish a new relationship between science and power that acknowledges that international dimension. Knowledge is power — power to produce, to foresee, to prevent. To apply that knowledge for the benefit of mankind is wisdom. Knowledge and wisdom are the two main pillars of a better, common future. (Federico Mayor, Science and Power, edited by Nigel Hawkes, UNESCO Publishing, Paris, 1995)
As Federico Mayor foretold over two decades ago, we live in an age where the sciences demonstrate “soft power” on a daily basis. A large part of this success is based on shared knowledge — knowledge that has national or regional rooting, while grounded in global cooperation and culture.
Global knowledge connections increasingly matter. Lately, the very nature of how the sciences intersect with diplomacy has been transformed. In part, this is a function of the growing digitalization of knowledge and its spread beyond states. International organizations are having a say, and youth and other groups are now engaging as the role of the sciences is becoming more embedded within statecraft. Indeed, the organizational ecology of global summitry has become increasingly complex as a result.
Several science academies’ recent statements to the G7 Summit leaders on specific topics — for example, the Global Arctic statement and our Digital Future — demonstrate a growing recognition that building knowledge capacity to address these rapidly evolving challenges will require a new mindset — one that is inclusive and brings in the voice of all (not just the usual suspects) stakeholders in an interconnected world.[1]
One path these global knowledge connections are expressed is by mobilizing expertise and evidence in handling wicked crises affecting our planet. For example, science advisers from across the Commonwealth have recently agreed to establish a knowledge exchange network to look at some of the planetary challenges we face such as climate change, pandemics, and the state of the oceans. Another pathway is finding effective solutions via research and knowledge to address the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including gender equity, food security, and poverty reduction.
Witness the forthcoming Science 20 (S20) Summit in Argentina in July or the latest round of G7 events being hosted by Canada, including a Carnegie Group meeting of science ministers and advisors later in September.
For example, as part of the consultations underway in Canada, a Y7 (Youth) group has enunciated a generational vision for 2030 calling upon the G7 to:
- Establish a G7 working group that generates innovative ways to protect bodies of water, such as legal rights, expansion of protected areas, & the creation of a list of endangered waters;
- Clearly articulate that the human right to privacy includes full ownership of personal data, even when data are used and modified by non-human entities for profit.
Within the context of engaging students as major stakeholders in science diplomacy, the Science & Policy Exchange (SPE) organization run by graduate students and early career researchers — supported by the governments of Quebec and Canada, along with the AAAS–convened a major event in Montreal in mid-May 2018 exploring the role of student diaspora in science diplomacy and future training of students. The exchanges were dynamic, leading to a productive dialogue.
Indeed, language is knowledge, as we were reminded by participants at the Science and Policy Exchange’s event. Increasingly, understanding, interpreting and integrating the context and nuance of community-based knowledge and wisdom is critically important in any discussion on diplomacy and science.
Statecraft and science are intertwined and to be sure, leadership and dialogue must come together in a meaningful way — and not just through the usual formal diplomatic avenues.
But more and more, this is an inter-generational issue mobilizing regional efforts, local communities, youth, women, and non-state actors. They are filling the space. Canada’s former Governor General pointedly argued:
Practicing the diplomacy of knowledge means recognizing that we are stronger when we work and learn together. Competition is vital and necessary, and diversity is essential to maintaining our resilience, but we must always keep in mind...the basic principle of the Enlightenment: knowledge is meant to be shared.
UNESCO’s former Director-General, Federico Mayor, reminds us of this. Everyone is affected and has a stake in the common future of this planet. The sciences and knowledge contribute to statecraft almost seamlessly — but the ultimate objective is about improving the human condition.
[1] For more on Canada’s emerging role in science advice and global partnerships, see the recent editorial by Mona Nemer — “Canada’s Call,” Science, May 25, 2018, VOL 360, Issue 6391.
Paul Dufour is Senior Fellow and Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Science, Society and Policy, University of Ottawa.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of the AAAS Center for Science Diplomacy
