UAE forum to explore how human development can spark change

Dubai - The upcoming edition of the IGCF will seek to elevate and empower community participation in government practice.

The secret of a successful government is the communication between people. And during the upcoming edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) in Sharjah, human development will be at the heart of the discussion.
With the human aspect crucial to positive change models adopted in government communication strategies globally, the upcoming edition of the IGCF will seek to elevate and empower community participation in government practice.
"For the eighth edition, we dove into a main goal - the human being. We want to create a dialogue that looks to provide humans with self-development tools. We must have professional government communications teams who understand society, so that they can adopt appropriate messages and strategic plans for long-term success," Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, chairman of Sharjah Media Council, said on March 4.
When you read about the development journey of some countries, you read about how they adopted long-term strategies to achieve positive change. The efforts towards achieving that behavioural change was and is at that centre of that journey, he said.
The Sharjah forum is set to assert that the responsibility of overcoming developmental challenges does not solely lie with governments: It is now a shared responsibility with citizens and strategic partners, particularly the media.
With 24 sessions, three main workshops and 70 speakers from 15 countries attending this year's forum on March 20-21 at Expo Centre Sharjah, this year's theme is 'Behavioural Change Towards Human Development'.
"Our message is simple. We aim to plant seeds of sound development in human behaviour. We want to know what the relation between behavioural changes and positive practice is. The human being is at the heart of all development practices and goals. Our leadership focuses on investing in human beings, and projects have to start and end with humans at the centre of change," Al Qasimi said.
New to this year's edition is the introduction of the hashtag campaign #Sharjah_asks. With the aim to reach a global audience, the hashtag will focus on questions that look at different topics, such as new dimensions for change in communication; how to be a responsible human being; and the key to facing the challenges of the future.
The social media campaign will create an international dialogue and see participation from global policymakers and citizens, with each open to put forward their ideas for better government practice.
"We are open to hearing ideas from all. In the past seven editions, about 90 per cent of the recommendations received during this forum were implemented by the Sharjah Media Council, including the Sharjah Government Communications Award and the Arab Network for Government Communications. This is a platform and we want to hear what you have to say."
Some of the key speakers at this year's forum include Richard Williams, a famous cinematographer from the US, who will focus on the need to invest in personal skills.
American television and radio host Larry King will also address the attendees, giving insights on how governments can effectively communicate with societies through leveraging media.
Platforms to be launched
Sharjah 2071 - a behavioural change e-game platform was put together in collaboration with Sharjah's Department of e-Government. It will be launched alongside a special Sharjah Government Media Bureau release themed 'Government Communication. Practices and Studies'
Researchers Platform - a digital database on government communication, which features academic and research materials, books on government communications and other topics. The objective is to provide the UAE's media and communications students with a rich repository of study materials, a platform to discuss their projects and theses, and host top academics and government communication experts at local and federal entities
Panel discussions on 'change communication'
1-Day 1
>'Human Behaviour: New Dimensions for Change Communication'
>'Responsible Individuals: A Key Solution for Future Challenges'
>'Challenging the Lack of Capacity in an Era of Change Communication'
 Day 2
>'Education Through the Lens of Tomorrow: Changing the Norm'
>'The "Skills of the Future" Culture: Addressing the Expected Disappearance of Jobs'
>'Fostering Positivity and Sustainable Approaches to Happiness: A Road Map'
>'Pioneering Thought of Women Advancement'
kelly@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai