World Public Relations Forum lines up global experts to examine Afghanistan

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‘Communication without borders’—World Public Relations Forum in Melbourne, 18–20 November 2012.

   

The 2012 World Public Relations Forum will open with an extraordinary panel discussion examining Afghanistan, the most dangerous place in the world, from a communication perspective.

Following his keynote address former Al-Jazeera Director General, Wadah Kanfar, will join a panel of ActionAid Australia’s Archie Law, Médecins Sans Frontières‘s Afghanistan Communication Officer, Jehan Bseiso, and Amnesty International’s Andrew Beswick. The panel will explore the forum’s theme, ‘communication without borders’ and the realities of communicating the complexities of Afghanistan.

Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) Chief Executive, Jon Bisset, said “Delegates can look forward to a thorough analysis of Afghanistan’s communication challenges that reach beyond the two minute news story. The forum’s theme ‘communication without borders’ is most evident in the geographical, technological, and cultural barriers posed by Afghanistan.”

Panel members will explore this theme through their organisation’s communication perspective:

  • Al Jazeera has played a significant role in providing an alternate media service focused on the Middle East and North Africa over the past ten years.
  • ActionAid’s operational teams work closely with Afghans to find solutions to the major issues that hinder them. These programs specifically address violence towards women and children.
  • Amnesty International is a global advocate for human rights in Afghanistan.
  • Médecins Sans Frontières has hospitals and medical facilities operating across some of the most extremely dangerous areas in Afghanistan.

The panellists will participate in a 30 minute Q&A session moderated by respected Australian broadcaster and ABC News journalist Virginia Trioli. They will also answer questions from the floor and the forum’s social media feed.

The World Public Relations Forum is the signature program of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management. Held every two years, it brings together thought leaders, practitioners, researchers and educators from around the world, who use this opportunity to discuss, debate and set directions for the profession.

“At the World Public Relations Forum, the Global Alliance and PRIA aim to assemble leading thinkers on how communication is changing our world, and how the world is changing communication,” said Daniel Tisch, Chair of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management.

“Wadah Khanfar is among the world’s most insightful and influential voices on the evolution of journalism and its interplay with citizens through social media. This panel session will be one of the forum’s many ‘can’t miss’ moments,” concluded Daniel Tisch.

More information can be found at www.worldprforum.com or the World Public Relations Forum can be followed on Twitter and Facebook.