Taking the public dialogue forward
GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATION FORUM AIMS TO HELP AUTHORITIES FIND NEW WAYS TO ENHANCE OUTREACH
In accordance with its theme of ‘ Effective Communication... Unified Speech,’ the Government Communication Forum ( GCF) 2013 will focus on the need to switch from “talking to people” to “talking with people” in its second edition to be held from February 24- 25, the Sharjah Media Centre announced yesterday.
This year, the GCF will see the participation of a number of prominent regional and international thought leaders, and is expected to be attended by more than 1,000 leading senior executives, political and media figures, prominent communication experts and government communication professionals as well as media students from around the world.
Main focus
With the Forum’s main focus being to enhance government communication and develop relations with the people, Sharjah aims to provide a platform that supports the efforts of regional governments in developing effective communication methods and channels, Shaikh Sultan Bin Ahmad Al Qasimi, chairman of Sharjah Media Centre, told a press conference yesterday. The Forum is being held under the patronage of His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.
“Civil movement, whether political, economic, social, or humanitarian, is witnessed across the world, and such protests have placed pressure on governments to think of creative ways of communication with people and on how to respond positively to their demands, questions, concerns, and possible fears,” Shaikh Sultan said.
Referring to the communication challenges faced by gov- ernments in the Arab region, Osama Samra, director of Sharjah Media Centre pointed out a lack of dedicated communication departments in some government agencies, and the integration of public relations with government communication.
“The GCF aims to discuss these challenges and reviews successful models in government communication,” he said
Samra added that the GCF will also seek to offer practical recommendations and training courses for communication officers in government entities.
The forum will feature 10 sessions including four panel discussions, two case studies and two special discussion sessions along with two influential speeches.
During the first day of the GCF, the sessions will discuss the structure of successful communication units.
Two workshops will also take place with the aim of introducing practical communication skills to participants. The second day of the forum will highlight the best practices in government communication across the world.