Meridian Institute is convening the Global Dialogue on Nanotechnology and the Poor: Opportunities and Risks (GDNP). Goals of the GDNP include:

• Raise awareness about the implications of nanotechnology for the poor.

• Close the gaps within and between sectors of society to catalyze actions that address specific opportunities and risks.

• Identify ways that science and technology can play an appropriate role in the development process.

Recent and Upcoming GDNP Activities

To achieve these objectives Meridian will develop the following set of activities aimed at:

Generating information, raising awareness, fostering linkages and informing decisions:

• Nanotechnology and Development News (Click here for more information)

• Meeting for donor institutions interested in nanotechnology and more broadly the role of science and technology in development (Click here for more information)

Identifying and ground-truthing specific opportunities and risks:

• Paper on water, development, and nanotechnology

• Multi-stakeholder workshop on water, development, and nanotechnology

• Multi-stakeholder workshop on commodities, development, and nanotechnology

(Click here for more information)

Addressing issues of global significance: (these activities are contingent on funding)

• Multi-stakeholder global-level group focused on "cross-cutting issues"

(Click here for more information)

In addition, the GDNP is building linkages with national activities in India and regional activities in the Andean region.

Past GDNP Activities (May 2004 - August 2005)

The GDNP's initial activities focused mostly on the goal of raising awareness about the implications of nanotechnology for the poor. Meridian used several strategies to pursue this goal, including:

• Publishing a paper about the implications of nanotechnology for developing countries (Click here for details);

• Organizing an online consultation for people to share their own views and questions (Click here for details);

• Conducting one-on-one consultations with numerous individuals;

• Participation in meetings and conferences (Click here for details); and

• Convening a multi-stakeholder Steering Group meeting to advise Meridian about the specific future activities (Click here for a meeting summary).

For more information about the GDNP, including past and planned activities, please click here.

Meridian Institute is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help people solve problems and make informed decisions about complex and controversial societal issues. Meridian's mission is accomplished through facilitation, mediation, and consultation services that include: convening and facilitating multi-party problem-solving and conflict resolution processes; assisting diverse parties in creating alliances and partnerships; designing processes that help organizations develop strategic priorities and sustainable policies.

Our work focuses on a wide range of issues related to environment and sustainability, science and technology, agriculture, security, and health care. We work at the local, national and international levels. Meridian Institute has offices in Dillon, Colorado and Washington, DC.

For more information, please click here.

Meridian Institute has been working on issues related to nanotechnology and society since 2003. These activities are part of our broader range of projects on the role of science and technology in society. These pages provide information on our nanotechnology-oriented projects.

Meridian Institute and the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) convened an informal dialogue among representatives from 25 countries and the European Union on June 17-18, 2004. The meeting brought governmental representatives from countries with significant nanotechnology R&D programs together to discuss how to best ensure such programs are carried out in a responsible manner. For more information and a meeting summary, click here.

Meridian staff are facilitating an advisory committee to the US Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (OPPT). During the summer of 2005, Meridian also facilitated an ad hoc work group of this advisory committee -- the Interim Ad Hoc Work Group on Nanoscale Materials. The Work Group discussed potential elements for an OPPT voluntary program regarding engineered nanoscale materials, began consideration of regulatory actions OPPT could undertake, and identified issues that need further consideration. For more information, click here.

Meridian Institute and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars (WWICS) co-convened a series of dialogue sessions in Washington, DC, focused on the relationship between nanotechnology and federal regulations in the United States. For more information and workshop materials, click here.

Meridian Institute organized and facilitated several informational sessions on nanotechnology for The Rockefeller Foundation and facilitated the first meeting of the International Council on Nanotechnology. Meridian also facilitated a meeting of the International Risk Governance Council. For more information, click here.