Effective communication is essential for governments to gain the confidence of their people. Voicing opinion, needs and concerns is equally important in influencing the decisions of policy makers. Functioning like two sides of a coin, the mutual exchange will result in unified action and the growth of nations, said experts at the inaugural session of the Government Communication Forum 2013.
The event that opened today will run until tomorrow, 25 February at the Sharjah Expo Centre, drawing the participation of leading media persons, government communication specialists and politicians.
Titled Government and People: Perspectives for Mutual Engagement', the session stressed on the importance of effective communication between governments and their citizens, especially in the midst of the strategic changes taking place in the world today. The conversation identified best communication strategies adopted by governments worldwide and deliberated on the viability of replicating these models in the Arab world. In addition to examining ways to forecast future possibilities through observing incidents as they unfold on ground, the session highlighted effective tools to listen to people and communicate with them more proactively.
Moderated by Nima Abu Wardeh, presenter at BBC World News, the panel discussion featured Rawan Al Damen, Producer and Director, Programs Department, Al Jazeera, Raed Berqawi, Editor-in-Chief, Al Khaleej Newspaper, Gilbert Doumit, Adviser and Director of Beyond Reform and Development, and Ghassan Hajjar, Managing Editor of Lebanese daily Al-Nahar.
Rawan Al Damen said: Today, the focus is more on the message and the words used to convey them. The relationship between the government and the public is a partnership and misunderstandings are inevitable. For enhancing this relationship, it is crucial that communication is two-way where 65 per cent of the conversation stems from the public. Close attention must also be paid to non-verbal expressions and other external factors that drive public opinion. Officials must take proactive steps to overcome the challenge of inadequate exchange and build bridges with the public.
Ghassan Hajjar, Managing Editor of Lebanese daily Al-Nahar, said: Governments represent the people and it is their duty to convey the complete and correct message. They cannot afford to withhold information, however bad the news may be. It is the responsibility of the governments to be whiter than white; only then will the bar of transparency be raised.
Raed Berqawi said: Experiences vary from region to region. In the UAE, for instance, for years, communication between the government and the public was done through councils or the Majlis, where people gathered and could raise issues directly with the rulers. Today, the birth of new tools such as social media has completely transformed the way we communicate. In Saudi Arabia, for instance, there are over three million Twitter users conveying their opinions every day. Governments cannot ignore these channels, they must embrace them and respond to the people's concerns, be it via social or traditional media.
Speaking about the role of the newspaper in bridging the gap between the public and the government, Berqawi said: The role of journalists has become very difficult; we have a product that needs to be delivered to the consumer. However, we do not have just 20-30 reporters like before, but thousands of citizen journalists who are communicating their views and news via social media channels. The mainstream media's job has, therefore, become difficult - they need to keep pace with social media channels while authenticating the accuracy of information from these channels.
Gilbert Doumit said: Social media is interactive unlike traditional media such as newspapers. This allows individuals to react to certain pieces of information. News can be transmitted to thousands of other people along with one's own opinion. The message, therefore, becomes more personal and the sender can take ownership. With the increase in the usage of new tools of communications, the need to find that essential link between the public and the government has never been greater. It is important that governments focus on developing policies that make use of these tools while involving the public in their decisions. They must come up with new strategies that involve the people in drafting the constitution.
Rawan Al Damen's works include a series of documentaries on Al Jazeera, including Pioneers on Arab women leaders, Al Nakba that received several Arab and international awards and has been translated into seven languages, Owners of the Land on the Palestinians of 1948, The Bitter Peace, The Road to Jan 25 and Red Card to the President. She is also the author of three books Palestinian Children in Old Days', History in the Memory of Children' and Our Schools in the Court of Justice'.
Ghassan Hajjar serves as managing editor of Al-Nahar daily newspaper since mid-2009. He additionally oversees the Al-Nahar Training and Research Center. A professor of media in the Faculty of Advertising and Media at the Antonin University, and the Faculty of Information and Documentation at the Lebanese University, Hajjar has earlier worked as secretary-editor of news and political programs at Al Jadeed TV.
Joining Al Khaleej in 1985, Raed Barqawi has held several high profile roles such as Deputy Managing Editor, Head of the Economic Section and Editor of the Business Section. In addition to leading editorial teams to preeminent regional and global conferences, Barqawi has delivered incisive sessions at thought-leadership events. A weekly columnist on economic issues, Barqawi's body of work includes specialized studies in the economic field.
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Effective communication is essential for governments to gain the confidence of their people. Voicing opinion, needs and concerns is equally important in influencing the decisions of policy makers. Functioning like two sides of a coin, the mutual exchange will result in unified action and the growth of nations, said experts at the inaugural session of the Government Communication Forum 2013. 
