Social Dynamics Behind the Changes in the NGO Anti-Nuclear Campaign, 1993–2002

Abstract

To examine how national environmental questions are dealt with in Finnish society it is necessary to outline some background assumptions in the fabric of the decision-making processes. This chapter will consider the assumptions of democratic pragmatism through case studies of the nuclear decisions made in 1993 and 2002.¹ In short, this branch of thought has emphasized the participation of different social groups in the environmental decision-making process (Dryzek 1997). The impacts of this school of thought have included, for example, establishing a system of citizens’ participation programmes in the Finnish environmental impact assessments and the involvement of non-government organizations (NGOs) in the work of parliamentary committees. One of the basic assumptions has been that public participation is the key to solving environmental problems and that the level of civil society participation should, therefore, be extensive. In theory, participation processes should give different stakeholders the possibility to present their cases either for or against certain propositions.