IGCF 2019 Calls for Youth-led Government Campaigns for Positive Behaviour Change

Friday 22 March 2019Published: Sharjah Government Media Bureau

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The eighth edition of the International Government Communication Forum (IGCF 2019) came to a successful close on Thursday, after engaging 70 international speakers and communication experts from 15 countries, 500 media figures and journalists, and 6,000 visitors and attendees, who came together to deliberate on a packed two-day discussion agenda – all centred around the Forum’s theme, ‘Behavioural Change Towards Human Development’.

The forum featured 37 panel sessions and allied side-line events, including inspirational speeches, workshops and interactive forums, and was organised by the International Government Communication Centre (IGCC), a Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB) subsidiary.

The central focus of this edition was on the mechanisms of human behaviour analysis, and the discussions sought to shed light on awareness strategies for influencing positive behavioural change in individuals geared towards achieving national sustainable development plans.

At the closing ceremony on Thursday evening (March 21), Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council (SMC), asserted that the success of IGCF 2019 has signalled the start of a new journey of advancement in the government communication field. He revealed that the Forum’s discussion outcomes have been transformed into actionable recommendations, which will see the utilisation of communications more strategically for stronger citizen engagement and higher trust in public policy.

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi thanked participants who flew from around the world to Sharjah to contribute to the Forum’s discussions, and expressed gratitude to the event’s partners and sponsors, as well as to members of the organising committee for making another edition of IGCF a great success.

Jawaher Al Naqbi, Manager of International Government Communication Centre (IGCC): IGCF recommends people-centric government communications; strong focus on youth-led campaigns for positive behaviour change

The Forum has put forth a list of 13 recommendations, applicable to both private-sector entities and government bodies operating in various fields, to optimise their communication strategies by successfully harnessing latest communication technologies and achieve organisational objectives in a more transparent way through enhanced public participation, especially by the youth.

The recommendations call on:

Enhancing cooperation and partnership between civil society institutions and academic, official and media institutions to design and implement communication campaigns to keep influencing behavioural change that instils Arab values and Islamic ethics.
Involving youth in the design and implementation of behavioural change campaigns, as this will play a pivotal role in raising awareness of future generations about their civic duties and responsibilities towards their country.
Designing rich and interactive behavioural change campaigns on social media platforms, including games or videos that instil positive behaviour in individuals, and highlight wrong behaviours.
Creating charters aimed at stopping negative commercial ads that present inappropriate behaviour to promote products.
Developing programmes to raise the youth’s awareness of the dangers of fake news, and social media sharing that negatively affects the social fabric of communities.
Conducting regular workshops for the youth to simulate critical thinking, constructive analysis, and personal development.
Developing specialised programmes to activate the role of the government departments’ official spokespersons.
Developing programmes to advance the skillsets of government employees in order to provide exceptional services and consequently ensure the satisfaction and happiness of clients.
Developing programmes to promote national identity and self-confidence in children and youth.
Involving students, parents and teachers in the development of academic curricula related to education, and behavioural and social sciences.
Involving the family unit in the development of comprehensive and sustainable development plans and strategies.
Involving experts and psychologists in government communication departments to study society and develop behavioural change programmes.
Utilising modern statistical programmes to analyse the contents of social media platforms in order to come up with accurate data that will assist in creating targeted behavioural change campaigns.

Recognition of speakers, sponsors and partners of IGCF 2019

Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi honoured speakers, sponsors and partners of the Forum’s eighth edition at the closing ceremony. The list of partners included key national and international institutions, including strategic partners Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), Sharjah Commerce & Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA), Sharjah Broadcasting Authority (SBA) and Sharjah Media City (Shams), NAMA Women Advancement Establishment (NAMA), Sharjah Department of eGovernment, Rubu’ Qarn Foundation; international media partners, ENEX, Sky News Australia, and The New York Times; regional media partner, Al Arabia Network; local media partners, The National, Emirates News Agency,Abu Dhabi Media and finally, official carriers, Emirates Airlines and AGMC.

The Forum also honoured graduates of the first batch of Professional Government Communication Diploma. The Diploma was developed by previous recommendations of the Forum, in cooperation with the University of Sharjah, with the aim of consolidating the concepts and practices of government communication at the level of the Emirate and the UAE.

The Chairman of SMC also honoured winners of ‘Tomorrow’s Sharjah…How Do You See It?’ initiative, organised by Sharjah Events website, in partnership with Sharjah Youth. It was a competition for members of the community to build the city’s future on an electronic gaming platform.

Since its inception in 2012, the IGCF has been successful in highlighting the importance of government communication in creating optimal communication channels between governments and communities, as per clear and transparent standards and professional rules, thereby keeping up with the spirit of the age. IGCF has made a series of significant accomplishments that have helped strengthen government communication in the UAE, and the greater region.

Two-day experts-led forum sees participation of over 70 international guests and 6,000 visitors

The recommendations call on:

Enhancing cooperation and partnership between civil society institutions and academic, official and media institutions to design and implement communication campaigns to keep influencing behavioural change that instils Arab values and Islamic ethics.
Involving youth in the design and implementation of behavioural change campaigns, as this will play a pivotal role in raising awareness of future generations about their civic duties and responsibilities towards their country.
Designing rich and interactive behavioural change campaigns on social media platforms, including games or videos that instil positive behaviour in individuals, and highlight wrong behaviours.
Creating charters aimed at stopping negative commercial ads that present inappropriate behaviour to promote products.
Developing programmes to raise the youth’s awareness of the dangers of fake news, and social media sharing that negatively affects the social fabric of communities.
Conducting regular workshops for the youth to simulate critical thinking, constructive analysis, and personal development.
Developing specialised programmes to activate the role of the government departments’ official spokespersons.
Developing programmes to advance the skillsets of government employees in order to provide exceptional services and consequently ensure the satisfaction and happiness of clients.
Developing programmes to promote national identity and self-confidence in children and youth.
Involving students, parents and teachers in the development of academic curricula related to education, and behavioural and social sciences.
Involving the family unit in the development of comprehensive and sustainable development plans and strategies.
Involving experts and psychologists in government communication departments to study society and develop behavioural change programmes.
Utilising modern statistical programmes to analyse the contents of social media platforms in order to come up with accurate data that will assist in creating targeted behavioural change campaigns.