Four celebrated Arab and international media personalities will share their experience and insights on the role of government communication in human development, during four inspiring and engaging sessions to be held as part of the eighth edition of the International Government Communication Forum,IGCF 2019, scheduled on March 20 and 21, at Expo Centre Sharjah.

Organised by the International Government Communication Centre, IGCC, the IGCF 2019 will host the celebrated personalities, in an effort to provide a platform for influential media figures and inspirational thought leaders to share their opinions and experiences with the audience.

Larry King, the US talk show host, who played a crucial role in shaping the US media landscape during his 60-year-long career, will headline the first inspirational session titled ‘Media as a Driving Force for Human Capabilities Toward Development’, on Wednesday, March 20. The session will be moderated by Sheikh Sultan bin Sooud Al Qassemi, an eminent Emirati author, lecturer, and researcher of social, political and cultural affairs in the GCC King, who over the course of his career, has conducted over 30,000 interviews, including every US sitting president from Gerald Ford to Barack Obama, Hollywood's top celebrities and the day's top newsmakers, will shed light on his unique conversational approach to interviewing. He will also speak about the powerful influence of social media on the behaviours of individuals, groups, and organisations.

Motivational speaker, filmmaker, and social activist, Richard Williams, popularly known by his stage name Prince Ea, will be the key speaker at the second inspiring session to be held on Wednesday, the first day the IGCF 2019. In his session, Williams will address various aspects related to behavioural change in human development, drawing on his experience in making visual content and motivational movies that focus on issues related to environmental conservation, work-life balance and ethnic topics.

On Thursday, March 21, at 9:35 am, Saeed Al Eter, Director General of the Public Diplomacy Office, and Secretary General of the UAE Soft Power Council, will deliver an interactive speech about the impact of soft power on building countries and both its social and economic impacts. He will also highlight the role of media in building soft power and how is soft power measured.

Also, on day two of the IGCF, Michelle Gielan, American expert and researcher of positive psychology, and the author of the best-selling book Broadcasting Happiness, will give a motivational speech chronicling her journey in media since she started presenting the morning news on CBS channel. Gielan will share lessons on positivity and happiness with the audience and explain how positive behaviour can lead to happiness.

Hosting media and communication experts is in line with the IGCF 2019 theme ‘Behavioural Change Toward Human Development’, in an attempt to identify the tools and mechanisms the government communication teams need, in order to understand people’s mentality, psyche, trends, and desires, and motivate them to adopt positive change in their lives and contribute to the development of their countries.

Since its inception in 2012, the IGCF has been successful in highlighting the importance of government communication in creating optimal communication channels between governments and communities, as per clear and transparent standards and professional rules, thereby keeping up with the spirit of the age. The IGCF has made a series of significant accomplishments that have helped strengthen government communication in the UAE, and the greater region.