Message from IPRA President 2014, July
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10 years, 4 months ago
Another month has gone by. June proved itself to be the busiest month to date for the communication sector. Projects and events poured in one after another.
It was a very busy month here at IPRA as well. We held a board meeting last week in Amsterdam, capital of The Netherlands, while theGWA grand jury had to choose who made it to the GWA finals. We would like to thank Bart de Vries, member of the board, for hosting both events.
At the GWA jury meeting for the evaluation of the award entries, the jury truly found it hard to pick the best because they were all very good. The entries have been setting the bar for quality higher every year. And it was good to see that this year we have received the highest number of entries ever.
BUSY JUNE
June was a busy month for me too. Having just arrived back from the conference in Riga, I flew two days later to Almaty, Kazakhstan, where I delivered the opening speech for the 10th International PR Forum and made a presentation touching on the way the Olympic Games promotes a country.
Witnessing the development and potential of the Turkic Republics in the field of communication, I felt pretty hopeful about the years to come. On the final day of the Conference, we signed the first step to create an IPRA Turkic Chapter, to cover the six Turkic Republics of Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. My thanks to Assel Karalouva, our colleague from Kazakhstan and an IPRA board member.
I believe that when applied during communication, negotiation and diplomacy can change the outcome for the better. When this is additionally delivered with some common sense, gridlocks become easier to remove.
In my recent travels and the PR conferences I have attended, the one question I have been most often asked is about Taksim Gezi Park in Istanbul. This green space was to be developed into new residences and a shopping mall but was left intact as a park thanks to civil resistance. I have witnessed similar incidents in other countries too. In those countries, communication professionals have reiterated their request for further information on Gezi Park and stated that the success of this civil resistance movement should set an example to the non-governmental organizations in other countries.
AFRICA THIS TIME
As you read those lines, I am packing up for another conference. The road takes me to the African continent this time. I will open the 7th IPRA All Africa Public Relations Congress on 7-11 July in Senegal and will speak at the sessions titled “Strategic Thinking & Strategic Direction” and “Branding and Positioning Countries”. The conference is held in a different African country each year.
Now that I have mentioned Africa, I should also say that the preparations for the IPRA 60th Anniversary Congress continue at full speed. The architect for these substantial preparations is Johanna McDowell, 2012 IPRA President. She deserves our endless thanks. If you ask me, you should apply now for this wonderful PR festival and the 60th anniversary celebrations. You know that I am always open for your questions and suggestions. Do write to me so that we can talk more and discuss.
I embrace all of you in the spirit of IPRA until next month.
Warmest regards
Dr. Zehra Güngör
IPRA President 2014
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