Government Communication Forum 2013 Institutes 'Green Seat' to involve student representation at event

Sharjah Media Centre is currently evaluating and meeting with students from government colleges and universities who submitted their statement of purpose to be nominated for the Green Seat. The selected students will have to demonstrate strong academic credentials and active participation in campus-based thought- leadership programmes.

The 'Green Seat' initiative takes root from Sharjah Media Centre's vision to engage the youth in decision making, which represents the largest segment of the UAE's society and enjoys the highest integration in government bodies across the country.

The implementation of the Green Seat will help identify trends among the country's youth and their opinions on the discussed topics. It will also allow policy-makers to use the indicators as reference points for exploring solutions that address community issues in the context of government communication.

The innovative Green Seat concept will additionally help advance the mandate of the second Government Communication Forum in developing enhanced communication mechanisms between governments and all segments of the society.

Osama Samra, Director of Sharjah Media Centre (SMC), said: "Green Seat is a space that the Government Communication Forum has earmarked for the youth of our country. Apart from representing a significant segment of the UAE society, students have an important role to play in contributing to developmental endeavours with their creative skills and strength of purpose. It is imperative for policy-planners and decision-makers to accord special attention to this segment of the society for ensuring their smooth integration into the national developmental initiatives."

Samra further explained that the colour "green" was selected to distinguish the seat for its symbolic connotation of freshness and pristineness. He added: "Our choice of the colour exemplifies the energy that young people bring. It also fittingly describes their mind-set while preparing to enter the labour market and offer their engagement in community activities."

Taking place from February 24-25, GCF 2013 will feature four panel discussions, two case studies, two special discussion sessions, four workshops, along with an influential speech headlined by around 40 speakers and moderators from the Arab region and the world.

Themed 'Effective Communication...Unified Message', the Government Communication Forum 2013 will seek to highlight the need for governments to change the rules of communication.

The event will also underscore the importance of demonstrating flexibility while communicating with the public, given the turmoil witnessed by the world at large and the Arab world in particular.