PR Voice

Public relations, democracy and human rights in our 60th year

When asked to post during Lis’s break I thought I’d focus not on day to day CIPR stuff. But reflect instead on a few days I spent last week in the company of 40 remarkable people – human rights lawyers and activists, think tank directors, business leaders, and Ivy League academics, to name but a few, led by the formidable young Mexican diplomat Shamina de Gonzaga – when I represented the CIPR and Global Alliance in Paris at one of the pre-seminars for October’s 60^th anniversary of the signing of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Pure chance that CIPR and the Declaration share a 60th anniversary? No. Faced with the horrors of concentration camps and atomic bombs the post war world could only choose idealism. And indeed the idealism of the Declaration, its near-naivety, is still stunning. But it was also an idealism that was shared in 1948 by the IPR founding fathers (they were all men). They saw in professional and ethical communication a key to a more equal post-war society.

The world has lost much innocence and idealism since then. Theories of Government have failed, big declarations no longer appeal and the UN itself has been, and is, responsible for some terrible setbacks. Equally some would say that the practice of public relations has come a long, cynical way from the idealism of the IPR in 1948.

Faced also with economic downturn and continuous setbacks to the cause of freedom, no wonder we may want to turn inward and focus on us, ourselves, alone.

So, pessimistic we can all be. It is fashionable to be so – and is probably the mode into which I have now fallen back faced with those day to day intractable issues of business, finance and personnel management that to some degree affect us all.

But I also found cause for optimism in Paris.

First, the very nature and reputation of modern communication. We can all take heart at how absolutely central communication and dialogue is seen to the achievement of human rights ambitions and development – a point already made by several of our speakers at the World Conference last month, including Paul Mitchell of the World Bank and reflected in the London Manifesto. This was re-iterated by me and accepted by all (even if some activists see big business as misusing forms of public relations to disguise or misdirect). It means in practice that, at the least, cruelty and abuse, wherever in the world, be it in North Korea, Guantanamo or Zimbabwe, cannot be hidden. The last bastions of secrecy are falling.

Second, (and the very basis of my presence in Paris, representing a ‘non-governmental’ organisation to talk about our and businesses/entrepreneurs’ responsibilities in implementing the principles of the Declaration – always intended as a blueprint for ‘civil society’) everyone accepts that these are matters on which we cannot – or should not – defer to Governments alone. We are all involved and need to accept our organisational and personal responsibilities.

I will report further...

 

COLIN FARRINGTON

holiday madness

It’s that time of year again when we work frantically burning the candle at both ends to ensure that we’re able to go away on holiday.

And when we’re on holiday we then just worry about all those things happening back at the office knowing that we’ll be playing catch up when we return. Surely it has to be worth it all?

I’m currently on holiday in the South of France. I delayed it a day so that I could attend (make a last minute appearance) at the CIPR Fellows’ lunch.

I sadly view holidays as a necessary evil, finding it hard to switch off at the best of times. But the stark reality has hit – with my eldest son now eight years old, I probably only have a few more family holidays left when he’ll actually want to come away with us. So, alas the call of Mickey Mouse can be put off no longer and I need to re think the holiday planning.

My view of holidays has changed with age, with children and with my career. Everyone needs a break – to recharge and review and within the fast moving 24/7 world of PR……even more so.

And so with this in mind – it’s time to hit the pool!

Pressure

It’s hard enough juggling the pressures of work and parenthood with out the added complication of the end of term.

It seems almost a test for parents to see if we’re able to cope with the disruption to the normal schedule that some of us have only just got to grips with.

This week it’s the end of term for my eight year old son. Despite going to the same school as his younger brother, he finishes a week earlier. That’s the first test – to see if we can manage the expectations of both children and the child care issues around this.

Then on Wednesday it was ‘book day’ where children were asked to dress up as their favourite book character. As I dropped my son off at school, I was taken aback to see children entering as though they’d just been to the costume department at the RSC. My son had gone as Charlie out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – a pair of old, torn jeans that were too small, a check shirt and of course, a home made Golden Ticket. It was nothing compared to the stage make up, the carefully crafted outfits that would have looked quite at home on a west end stage.

As I left him clutching his Golden Ticket I felt as though I’d let him down. Bad parent……..and then it dawned, I’d entered the realm of competitive parenting.  

It’s happened again today. This time, as it’s the end of term it’s party day and children were asked ‘to bring in a small amount of food’. I worked late last night, up this morning to go to the CIPR in London and quickly pulled together fruit, chocolate biscuits and some cake – after all, they do have lunch at school. How foolish was I? Why didn’t I just take a few minutes to think and learn from the assumptions made the previous day? As I pulled up and my son left with his plastic box, I saw professional picnics being unloaded from the back of cars.

The pressure you feel as a working mother is incredible. And I admit that sometimes you do have to just ‘cheat’ on the domestic front.  Has anyone else bought mince pies and then carefully distressed them at home for the Christmas Fayre – rolling pin, bit of icing sugar and hey presto?!

School fayres and end of terms just are not what they used to be. As working parents let’s unite against this competitiveness – I’m sure our children will be stronger and more confident because of it!

Time to Sit Up and Listen

The room is full and there’s a real buzz. For the first time in the UK we’re staging our largest ever public relations conference. Thirty three nations are represented and people have come from afar as Australia, China, Argentina, the States, New Zealand, Russia, Europe and thirty people have made the journey from Nigeria.

Their energy, enthusiasm and in depth knowledge, their questions and desire to learn quite frankly puts the UK in the shade. They think nothing about traveling for 2 days in order to learn. They see the time is takes, the ability to network as an investment in their future.

Having spoken at many CIPR groups in the UK over the last year and highlighted the conference, only to be told – ‘it’s a long way to go, we’re terribly busy you know’ our international guests have illustrated the growing apathy in the UK. It’s time we sat up and listened. With our ever shrinking world and with the growth in international communications we need to understand the unique differences in each market and learn from each other.

And for those UK delegates attending, be they in house, in consultancy or independent they will all leave the conference feeling that they have learnt, made new friends and been inspired. Above all, they have confessed their shock at the growth and complexity of PR outside the UK. They now realise that we need to join together and share views, ideas and processes or we’ll be left behind.

 

Remembering

Over the last few days my house has been full of cut out bits of paper, glue and paints. Yep, it’s father’s day and we’ve been making cards.

It has been hard for my four year old to keep the card a secret. Despite the commercialisation of father’s day, the adverts and shop window displays, it does stop and make you think and appreciate your Dad.

My father died just after I left University – he had been ill while I was doing my finals and passed away in the August. It’s nearly 16 years ago.

I was very much Daddy’s little girl and I worshiped the ground he walked on. I wanted to be an engineer, just like him. I wanted to be able to fly a plane, just like him. Of course, I haven’t followed him down the career path but I have followed his sense of ethics.

My father believed in always respecting people, in putting himself in their shoes. As a child it was a standing joke in our house that he’d only change his car, once he’d agreed his colleagues pay rise. He felt it was important to look after people well and when he decided to sell his company at the end of the 1980s, he made sure that he found everyone – and I mean everyone, a job to go to.

He always said ‘you’re only as good as your last job’. Working in engineering during the turbulent recessions does make you look at the way you behave, how you are perceived and the loyalty you can generate both from a workforce and from your clients.

Although a different industry, the lessons still stand today. With the credit crunch our transparency, working practices and ethics are more important than ever. CIPR members can set themselves apart from the competition by highlighting their adherence to the code of conduct, by profiling their CPD and by taking advantage of the CIPR offering (training, business development, awards etc).

During a credit crunch it is so easy to talk ourselves into a recession and to naval gaze. We must continue to look out and seize on the opportunities available.

I am very much my father’s daughter – in looks and spirit. I truly hope that today he’d be looking down approvingly. He would, at least, appreciate the home made card!