International Panel on Social Progress Release First Draft Report
The first draft of the report from the International Panel on Social Progress (IPSP), “Rethinking Society for the 21st Century”, is now out. The chapter on Social Progress from a Science and Technology Studies’ perspective was co-authored by Johan Schot. Comments are welcomed on the online platform https://comment.ipsp.org/ The report is the product of a global initiative involving around 250 expert witnesses. It is a comprehensive synthesis of current thinking from the social sciences, and beyond, on the key issues facing humankind today. The report, due for final release in 2017, is the first collaborative and participatory initiative of its kind.
Key features of the report include:
- Written by leading academics from all around the world
- Takes a holistic approach to social progress: not only the economy, but health, education, gender relations, political participation
- Focuses on the consequences of globalization and inequality, with a normative focus on the pursuit of justice broadly understood
- Identifies scholarly consensus as well as disagreements
- Each chapter concludes with advice to agents of change and policymakers
The report – the first international collaborative document of its kind, highlighting the direct relevance of scholarly knowledge to social and political change – is eventually to be published by Cambridge University Press.
In the meantime, the report is open to wide public discussion. comments are invited from all concerned actors – including, but not exclusively, NGOs, think tanks, and social entrepreneurs.
Comments entered on the online platform before the end of 2016 will feed the final version of the report.