Second Government Communication Forum in Sharjah to host global political leaders and communication experts

To be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, the two-day event is finalizing last minute preparations ahead of its opening on February 24 at the Expo Centre in Sharjah.

Among the most prominent guests that GCF 2013 will host include Recep Tayyip Erdoðan, Prime Minister of Turkey; Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations; Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, UAE's Minister of Foreign Trade; Amr Moussa, former Secretary-General of the Arab League; Andrew Young, politician and human rights activist; Jim Messina, campaign manager for US President Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign; Colleen Harris, former Press Secretary to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry; Gordon Johndroe, Deputy Assistant to former US President George W. Bush, deputy Press Secretary and a spokesman for the United States National Security Council; and Martin Luther King III, human rights advocate and community activist.

More than 40 local, regional, and international speakers and moderators will share their perspectives at the event that will focus on the need to elevate the concept of government communication from 'talking to the public' to 'communicating with the public'. The imperative need for a flexible approach in this area, given the dynamic changes defining the region and the rest of the world, will also come under scrutiny. The solutions articulated by thought leaders at the forum will help draw a blueprint for results-oriented mechanisms in government communication for Sharjah, the wider region and the world at large.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoðan will deliver a speech during the opening ceremony of the second Government Communication Forum. In addition, Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, will narrate his experience of the UN corridors, as well as his impressions on the latest regional and global developments, and the role of effective communication in resolving governance issues.

The forum will feature a live interview session featuring Amr Moussa, former Secretary-General of the Arab League; and Andrew Young, politician and human rights activist. The interaction will be moderated by Najwa Qassem, presenter on Al Arabiya Channel.

Sessions on the first day will revolve around the theme "Have the rules of government communication changed?" Examining the basic structure of conventional government communication units across the world, the participants will study approaches that revolve around observation, listening, engagement, and communication.

The first panel discussion on "Government and People: Perspectives for Mutual Engagement" will host Rawan Al Damen, Producer and Director, Programmes Department, Al Jazeera, Raed Berqawi, Editor-in-Chief, Al Khaleej Newspaper, Gilbert Doumit, Adviser and Managing Partner of Beyond Reform and Development, and Ghassan Hajjar, Managing Editor of Lebanese daily An-Nahar. Nima Abu Wardeh, Presenter at BBC World News, will moderate the session.

The session will seek to identify best communication strategies adopted by governments worldwide, and discuss the viability of replicating the models in the Arab world. Identifying ways to forecast future possibilities by observing incidents as they unfold on ground, the segment will highlight effective tools to listen and communicate with the public more extensively.

The second panel discussion titled: "Government Communication Network: Effective Communication towards Unified Message" will discuss possible solutions for governments to promote a culture of proactive communications. It will also study the need for government bodies to put in place strong strategic communication programmes. Strategies and effective communication tools that governments could adopt to provide a uniform communication mechanism across all government departments will be a part as well. Participants will seek to analyse best ways for conceptualising a unified communication agenda through government networks.

Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, UAE's Minister of Foreign Trade; Her Excellency Maha Al-Khatib, former Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities and former member of the House of the Senate; Noora Al Kaabi, CEO of twofour54 and member of the UAE Federal National Council; Gordon Johndroe, Deputy Assistant to former President George W. Bush, Deputy Press Secretary and a spokesman for the United States National Security Council, and Vice-President of APCO Worldwide in Washington, will lead the session that will be moderated by Turki Al Dakhil, Saudi writer and media person.

The first day will also feature an international case study session titled "Communication in Election Campaigns" will highlight communication principles for electoral campaigns through analysing the 2012 electoral campaign of US President Barack Obama - considered one of the most expensive presidential races in history. The segment will scrutinise the backstage preparations and dynamics involved in electoral campaigns. It will also look into communication strategies and innovative ways of using communication that played a pivotal role in Obama's re-election for a second term. Additionally, the session will examine the key role of the media in influencing or shaping public opinion. It will host Jim Messina, Campaign Manager for Obama's 2012 re-election campaign; and Colleen Harris, former Press Secretary to His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, Prince William and Prince Harry. Randa Habib, Director of MENA AFP Foundation, will moderate the session.

Additionally, the opening day of the forum will run two workshops. The workshop titled "Public speaking: how to get your message across" will see communication experts highlighting techniques on effective public presentation. The workshop on "Introduction to social media for communications" will benchmark local case studies with international best practices to provide an overview of social media, as well as tips for effective outcomes. The first workshop will be presented by David Hardaker, Head of Media Development, twofour54 tadreeb, and Fahed Hussein, Executive Consultant, twofour54 tadreeb, while Khaled Akbik, Social Media Manager.