Participatory Research by OSI

Participatory Research consists of real research projects carried out by young or adult scientific volunteers. Anyone can become a scientific volunteer, regardless of their knowledge or skills. Our trained science educators, using educational tools developed by OSI, support volunteers to acquire the skills necessary to take part in their Participatory Research Project (involvement, empowerment and enabling). These projects are grouped thematically within Programmes. OSI Programme Managers are responsible for ensuring the progress of projects, the development of collaborations with academic research institutes and putting the data collected to good use.

Education as key to the Sustainable Development Goals

At OSI, we believe that the best way to empower individuals to take responsibility for the sustainable development of our planet is through science education, scientific reasoning and (re)connecting with Nature. The rise of extremism, and the inadequacy of society’s response to current environmental challenges, demonstrate the importance of helping today’s and tomorrow’s citizens acquire the critical mindset that is gained through the practice of science. We also place particular emphasis on taking responsibility and developing autonomy, in order to enable citizens, whether young or adult, to be the actors and leaders of the change they want to see accomplished.

You can find all the slides below in the attached documents.

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Power Point presentation of OSI	PDF presentation of OSI (in english)
Presentation brochure of OSI For screen reading and forward through e-mail	Brochure in High-Definition For paper printing

Participatory Research: the key to effective Education and meeting the Sustainable Development Goals

Having carried out science education and citizen science projects since 1992, and having created the 1^st participatory research stays in 2004, the NGO Objectif Sciences International has special consultative status with the United Nations.

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Actions and Effects

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Some examples of our current successes

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Typology of our operations

Participatory Research is more than Research.

In order to become a reality, Participatory Research requires :

• all the conditions of Scientific Research (supported by the Research and Education to Science Programs of the NGO),
• the Eco-Solidarity-based Tourism format (Citizen Science Club, Useful Travel, Responsible Tourism...) (supported by the Pedagogy and Logistics for Sustainable Development Programs of the NGO),
• the involvement of the largest possible number of citizens, either directly (registrations on our Participatory Science operations) or indirectly (group prescriptions by third party funders (Foundation, Europe...) or regional leaders) (supported by the Participatory Development Programs of the NGO),

It is then easy to understand that Participatory Research actions are not just research or just travelling, but are a very special format allowing participants to Give and Act, in the service of a real and useful project, directly linked to solutions for Sustainable Development.

On the Field

OSI is an open source and royalty-free platform.

Any government agency, association, NGO, or other organization that wants to become a member of the platform can register to take advantage of this.

Active on all continents, and with more than 25 years of experience, the NGO organizes among other things :

• at the operational level :
  • a wide number of Participative Research Stays, in all scientific fields and many languages ( www.science-camps.com )
  • the creation of local groups in all the cities, regions and countries that want them, which is reflected in particular by several job creations, but also by the thousands of children, young people, students and adults being involved in changing the world. (Create the Local Group of the NGO in your region/country)
  • the accompaniment of all governments, NGOs, associations, public or private laboratories in their participatory science projects who wish to develop the citizen sciences to the highest level
  • the continuous training of more than a thousand educators and science educators ( http://www.educateur-scientifique.com/ )

• at the institutional level :
  • the International Annual Conference on the Rights of Nature at the United Nations every year since 2012, in which all the governments active in this field or interested in the work, as well as all the representatives of citizen networks active in the field of the Rights of Nature participate ( http://www.osi-genevaforum.org/
  • as of 2016, and every year since, OSI also organizes the International Annual Conference on Citizen Science and Participatory Research in the UN hemicycle, in order to allow actors and operators of this field to exchange, meet and share live at the broadest international level ( http://www.osi-genevaforum.org/