Legendary Roger Fisk to Speak on Inspiring Change at Sharjah’s International Government Communication Forum

The International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) is to play host to legendary Roger Fisk, who will be speaking on the most effective means to influence human culture and inspire positive change in people’s behaviours, including campaigns based on behavioural analysis studies and psychosociology.

The two-day proceedings of the 8th edition of the IGCF will be held in Sharjah’s Expo Centre on March 20-21, 2019 under the theme, ‘Behavioural Change Towards Human Development’. The event is organised by the International Government Communication Centre (IGCC) and is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, who launched the inaugural edition in 2012.

Fisk has been chosen as one of the IGCF’s main speakers in recognition of his experience as a social influencer who has a nuanced understanding of mass communication as well as marketing and media strategies. 

He has been the political campaigner, marketing and media strategist widely credited with playing a key role in back-to-back electoral victories for US President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012.

Fisk will be opening IGCF’s discussions at a panel titled,“Human Behaviour: New Dimensions for Change Communication”, where he will be joined by a host of local

and international communication experts. Moderated by Mary Jo Jacobi, Founder and CEO of Mary Jo Jacobi Consulting, the session will focus on the role of government communication in changing people’s attitude.

Other topics under deliberation will include how to design and implement a behaviour-changing campaign, assess its impact based on outcomes, and explore innovative ways to forge inter-governmental and public-private partnerships to build cost-effective campaigns with a wide outreach.

Fisk not only has a deep understanding of presidential politics and campaigning, but also of the unprecedented power of information, relationships and marketing. He has successfully engaged millions of people in long, sustained marketing and promotional strategies using social media and the Internet to great effect.

This is one of the main topics Fisk will be tackling during his participation in the Sharjah forum, which discusses the role of human behaviour analysis in understanding the mindset of individuals, obstacles to positive change and solutions to overcome these challenges. He will also highlight the role of government communication in promoting positive attitudes. The forum explores ways of enabling human beings to benefit from global development efforts.

Fisk understands that changing people’s behaviour in any society requires a qualified communication team that understands the human mindset and psychology and can identify the right motivations to usher in required change.

Fisk adopted this approach in his experience with Obama’s game-changing electoral presidential campaigns, when he focused on health care and environmental policies, centred around the one-word slogan “change” to reflect his goals. The campaign was regarded as the best-run presidential campaigns in the history of US politics.

The 2019 edition of IGCF is set to be one of its most specialized yet, tailor-made to assess the role of government communication in promoting positive behaviour around issues of national interest. The event aligns with the government’s mission to enhance people’s awareness and identifying with the larger public interest as part of their own.