Meet the Citizens
Week 11 (other available weeks : 12 / 13/ 14 / 15 / 16 / 17)
Over the past year, 126 ordinary citizens from across Europe have taken part in the Meeting of Minds, European Citizens' Deliberation on Brain Science. As members of the first European Citizens' panel, they have explored and questioned the societal implications of the ever greater possibilities being opened up by brain science. They discussed their questions and ideas with leading European researchers, experts and policy-makers, and have engaged in intense dialogue.
On 23 January 2006 their deliberation has been concluded with the production of a final report containing their specific recommendations directed at policy-makers and people involved with brain science. How do the panelists look back on their Meeting of Minds experience?
In this new weblog statements from panelists on how they reflect on their Meeting of Minds experience are published and updated on a weekly basis.
Monday 13 March 2006
Jo Bauwens
“Bright draped tensions and high expectations interacted on 1000 multilingual eyes.
A definitely good and prepared masterteam massaged the participants, on a keen line of hypertension or other syndromes, to a very high eturn of dream-brain-stream.
To obtain these ideas the members worked long and hard.”
Mr Bauwens is a Flemish member of the European Citizens’ panel
Tuesday 14 March 2006
Wolfgang Zerahn
"The most valuable that I could take with me from the meeting, was the European corporate feeling. Also in the future I will be happy to take part in similar projects, if I will have the chance to do so.”
Mr Zerahn is a German member of the European Citizens’ panel
Wednesday 15 March 2006
Mr Heinz J. Rickal
“For me a European corporate feeling appeared, because all were pulling in the same direction and were following the same interests.”
Mr Rickal is a retired Police Officer from Germany
Thursday 16 March 2006
Patrick Vanderreydt
"This weekend I learned what democracy is all about. It was a wonderful experience, bringing together people & institutions into a community, a real European community of people. I hope in the future other European citizens will also get the opportunity to go to a process like this!"
Patrick Vanderreydt is a Flemish member of the European Citizens’ Panel
Friday 17 March 2006
Maurits Vanhoebrouck
“The future of Europe, based on guidelines made by democratic involvement of citizens, where their human brains commit to point out the essentials on community affairs, has been proven by the process of Meeting of Minds, where experts have been overwhelmed by the expertise of citizens”
Maurits Vanhoebrouck lives in Flanders, Belgium. He is 58 years old and has three children and two grandchildren as well