5th World PR Conference & Festival (London) Manifesto
Our conference has illustrated that public relations, where practised professionally, is a force for good.
At its best public relations is fully inter-active: by facilitating communication between and within organisations, in whatever sector, and their customers and clients, the practice of public relations creates bonds and bridges between peoples.
Public relations practitioners respect diversity and help minorities access public and other services. We encourage understanding and access to all levels of Government and can give a voice to those who would otherwise not be heard.
This vision of public relations can function fully only in democratic societies that respect human rights. It is thus a key role of all who work in public relations to respect and to promote structures of government that are truly democratic.
Public relations skills must also not be the preserve of big organisations: those techniques and skills, including the evaluation of all public relations activities, can be understood and available to all. They need of course to be progressively honed and developed to include the handling of new, especially electronic, media.
All these claims have been illustrated during the conference by case studies focusing on the role of public relations in promoting and giving confidence to international organisations, countries, regions and cities; in celebrating diversity and social inclusion; and in helping companies and organisations in ‘difficult’ sectors to communicate their case to the public and to inter-act with them.
With this focus on acting ethically and professionally, practitioners across all areas, whether in consultancy/ counselling, in-house in public and private sectors, non-profit or independent, have drawn from this conference a greater understanding of the unique roles our profession can play at the business, social and economic level nationally and internationally.
The values underlying our claims are also inherent in the work of the public relations associations represented at the conference from our Global Alliance. The lessons of this conference are thus particularly relevant to those who are members of such associations and who are committed to the highest standards. But they apply to all who work in our profession.
Colin Farrington
Chairman, Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management
London, 25 June 2008