ID: 2128
Presenting Author: GUILLEN CALVO
Session: 627 - The Self-Fullfilling Prophecy of local opposition to projects
Status: pending
Based on Insuco and ICSI’s experience in Latin America, this talk shows how territorial observatories use data and disclosure to build trust and foster transformational engagement.
Investment projects often struggle to build trust with local stakeholders. Fears of opposition or opportunism can lead developers to restrict information flows, creating conditions where rumors, misinformation, and resistance thrive — a classic self-fulfilling prophecy (Merton). Breaking this cycle requires not only greater transparency, but also innovation in how data is generated, shared, and appropriated by different actors in the territory.
This presentation explores the role of Observatories of Territorial Transformation (OTT) as innovative platforms for multi-stakeholder dialogue and data co-production. By creating structured spaces where information is continuously disclosed, OTTs transform data from a potential source of tension into a shared public good. Far from eliminating disagreements, this ritualized disclosure enables them to be addressed openly, reducing the influence of actors who might otherwise exploit information gaps to misinform or manipulate communities.
OTTs also promote local appropriation of data, strengthening the capacity of institutions and community representatives to interpret, use, and generate information relevant to both project development and broader territorial priorities. By embedding project information into a wider framework of sustainable development, OTTs foster predictability, reduce mistrust, and create the conditions for adaptive, trust-based engagement.
The intervention will draw on Insuco’s field experience and the work of its think tank, the Insuco Center for Social Innovation (ICSI), in deploying OTTs in multiple countries.
Executive President of Insuco Center for Social Innovation, expert in sustainability, territorial approaches, and stakeholder engagement across Latin America.