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SHARJAH / WAM
The International Government Communication Forum (IGCF), which kicked-off on Wednesday at the Expo Sharjah Centre, hosted an introductory lecture for chairmen, heads of government departments and local authorities in Sharjah about the basic concepts of a nation’s reputation and how to create it, as well as to highlight the importance of competitiveness.
The workshop was attended by Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Sharjah Media Council; Sheikh Majid bin Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Director of the Department of Districts and Villages Affairs; Tarek Alay, Director of the Media Office of the Government of Sharjah, and Dr. Abdulaziz Al Mussalam, President of the Sharjah Heritage Institute, as well as chairmen and directors of local government institutions and authorities.
Simon Anholt, founder of the Good Country Index, author and advisor on the reputation of nations, conducted the workshop, which discussed a range of topics on a nation’s formation and its reputation, as well as ways of measuring and managing it while highlighting its importance as a key factor in building a country and maintaining its international leadership, in light of the current economic and social realities and their impact on advanced countries. He also presented examples and factors that promote the regional and international position of countries.
Anholt explained his vision of a special criteria for the reputation of countries, based on six key pillars – governance, including governance systems, foreign and internal policies and their effect on international public opinion; culture and its role in forming the country’s general personality; population structure and the role of individuals in creating their country’s image; tourism; economic exports, and immigration, including the targeting of investors and innovative minds.
Countries are not assessed by their words, but rather by their actions, which play a key role in promoting a nation’s reputation and presence among the world’s leading and advanced countries, he said.