[ddj] International Communication Summit in Brussels: Jung Chang, Harper Reed, Mulgan and Zémor debating on transparency and institutional communication

[Giovanni Cellini]

[image: Home]

*For a picture of the event:*

http://www.mediafire.com/?rr5flt0he9a0eb6

*International Communication Summit in Brussels: Jung Chang, Harper Reed,
Mulgan and Zémor debating on transparency and institutional communication *

Can we create a dialogue between citizens and institutions? How does it
change the concept of “citizen-consumer” in the informative cloud invading
our life? Are there ways to rebuild a relationship of trust between
politics and the people? The *International Communication Summit*, in its
first European edition, held in the city of Brussels, Biblioteque Solvay,
has succeeded in creating a debate on these issues, looking for
opportunities of reflection rather than definitive answers. The *ICS
Pomilio Blumm Summit*, created by the communication agency *Pomilio Blumm*,
proposed new ideas on concepts such as the "citizen-consumer" and
"transparency", seen as the only chance to engage european citizens in
institutional communications, as pointed out by *Franco Pomilio*, President
of Pomilio Blumm and ICS chairman. “Transparency is just telling the
truth”, this was the simple and strong advice given by the  bestseller
writer *Jung Chang*, who explained to the audience how her books are full
of truth, of real life, and that’s why they fascinate so many people around
the world (fifteen million copies for her last two books), because
"transparency is at the core of my writing, is its soul". *Harper Reed*,
web strategist of President Obama's re-election campaign, explained that
the president’s staff called him because they "wanted something different”
and that social media and web can give great ways to make powerful
communication such as “the crowdsourcing, that engages the people in such a
way they do the hard work” or “the micro-targeting, which is really
exciting” . Harper Reed also pointed out that “Facilitating community is
the power behind your brand” and that if you create on the web a “good
neighborhood, people will join it”. One of the most authoritative thinkers
on social innovation and the sharing economy, former Head of Policy and
Director of the Strategy Unit for the Tony Blair government, *Geoff Mulgan*,
explained how “one of Europe’s greatest challenges is to grow public
understanding of the need to prioritize  future investment– in R&D,
innovation – rather than current consumption.  Elsewhere in the world fear
has often galvanized that commitment – we also now need to mobilize hope,
but above all direct public involvement in the process of creating the
future”.  One of the most authoritative voices of public communication, *Pierre
Zèmor*, talked about the risks of public communication “ who could be some
times a sort of style exercise, becoming useless to face crisis, that’s why
we need to find a true public communication, engaging real people, and
helping policy-makers”. *Stephen Clark*, responsible for communicating the
activities of the *European Parliament* to citizens  explained that “as an
institutional service we will always need to explain the Parliament. It’s a
complicated place… but in the long run, our job is more and more to open it
up and put citizens in touch with politicians. We need to start the
conversation, and then get out of the way”. According to *Ronny Patz*, EU
Communications & Policy Officer in *Transparency International*'s Liaison
Office to the European Union, “to gain trusts from the citizens all the
policy makers have to not just make good laws on transparency, but be up to
speed with the technical and social reality”. Moderator of the event
was *Barbara
Roffi*, Head of sector Content Production and Audio Visual Unit European
Parliament.

Info 0039 333 2146503

g.cellini at blumm.pomilio.com
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