His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre (SMC), today reiterated that government communication has emerged as an important social and political science, given its defining role in stabilising and developing societies. He pointed out that this fact is reinforced by the public expectation of its ability to resolve crises spreading across regional and international arenas. HE Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi was speaking at a press conference, hosted at Al Qasba Theatre, Sharjah, to announce the details of the fifth International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2016) that will be held from March 20-21 at the Expo Centre Sharjah. The Press conference was attended by Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of Sharjah Media Centre, and senior officials from the public sector, representatives of IGCF's sponsor organisations and agencies, and members of the local, Arab and international media His Excellency Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre (SMC), today reiterated that government communication has emerged as an important social and political science, given its defining role in stabilising and developing societies. He pointed out that this fact is reinforced by the public expectation of its ability to resolve crises spreading across regional and international arenas.
HE Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi was speaking at a press conference, hosted at Al Qasba Theatre, Sharjah, to announce the details of the fifth International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2016) that will be held from March 20-21 at the Expo Centre Sharjah. The Press conference was attended by Tariq Saeed Allay, Director of Sharjah Media Centre, and senior officials from the public sector, representatives of IGCF's sponsor organisations and agencies, and members of the local, Arab and international media.
Being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhamad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, IGCF 2016 will bring together more than 2,500 prominent world leaders, legal experts specialising in government communication, public sector officials, communication professionals and journalists, as well as employees and stakeholders working in the field of government communication. Students of local and Arab universities are also expected to participate in the event as volunteers and attendees.
Commending the partnership between government institutions and media organisations in the UAE, HE Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi said that this harmonising relationship supports and guides the development process in the country. The partnership serves as an exemplary global model of ideal relationships between the media and government institutions to ensure progress for the greater good of the country and its people, he added.
The Chairman of Sharjah Media Centre pointed out that the slogan of the upcoming edition of IGCF Citizens for Prosperity' stresses the integral role of government communication in socio-economic development, emphasising: The slogan reinforces our focus to put a positive spin on this enabling relationship between governments and the people and highlighted their respective roles in pushing forward the development process.
He added: One of the basic differences between stable societies that are improving the lives of their people and those that are struggling and unable to achieve prosperity is the level of communication between governments and their people. We believe they share the task of development of key sectors that directly impact people's social, economic and cultural reality. Therefore, the International Government Communication Forum this year will be more specialised and focused on sharing global best practices and experiences of government communication in areas such as education, community identity and culture, among others.
Highlighting the most significant aspects of the agenda of IGCF 2016, Tariq Saeed Allay stressed that the current edition will deliberate on citizens' perceptions of government communication and the critical role that government communication can play in serving the people through its emphasis on vital life sectors. Experts will highlight specific case studies in these areas to reiterate the Forum's status as a reliable global reference for government communications.
The Director of SMC noted that IGCF 2016 will host several guests of honour who will deliver keynote speeches on both days of the forum. Most notably these will include HE Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of the Board of National Media Council; Mary Robinson, First female President of the Republic of Ireland (1990-1997) and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002); HE Shamma bint Sohail Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, UAE; Amal Clooney (Alamuddin), Lawyer, international advocate and human rights activist and author, as well as Christopher Gardner, American entrepreneur, motivational speaker, author, philanthropist.
The first session of the forum held on Sunday, March 20 will discuss the role of government communication in building knowledge societies, detailing the experience of educational institutions in Finland and Malaysia in shaping public opinion consistent with regard to the upgrading of the educational system. The session will also focus on the role of communication in linking educational policies with the requirements of development, particularly its impact on the policies and directions of private education, and on governmental reforms in formal educational institutions.
The panelists of the session will include: Fredrik Reinfeldt, Prime Minister of Sweden (2006-2014); Ziauddin Yousafzai, UN Special Advisor on Global Education; Jordan Casey, Young entrepreneur, Owner of Casey Games and
