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PRESS RELEASE

First anniversary

United behind the International Declaration for a healthier world, major international communication groups and over 100 hundred organisations worldwide seek a new wave of solidarity across the globe.

February 23, 2021 − After one year of a global mobilization bringing together a worldwide community of communicators, the International Declaration of Communications Professionals and Researchers for a Healthier, Viable, Better World calls for the continued expansion of solidarity. With major international partners, it is now launching a second wave of commitment inviting communication groups across the globe to use their expertise and bonds of solidarity to address the biggest threats of our time: the pandemic and the climate crisis. This is the announcement made on February 23, by INTERDECOM, the organisation behind the Declaration, and ORBICOM, the international Network of UNESCO Chairs in Communication, its official sponsor, along with major international partners: IPRA, GLOBAL ALLIANCE, EUPRERA, ICCO and BLEDCOM.

"ORBICOM is proud to be closely associated with this ongoing mobilization of communications specialists and academics. In the face of multiplying global crises, all our synergies and solidarity are needed to help in building a healthier world,” declared Oumar Kane, Secretary General.

A worldwide mobilization, first of its kind in communication 

Since January 2021, over 130 organisations, both professional and scientific, from over 40 countries in both hemispheres, have endorsed the Declaration, rallying the importance of unity in communication to tackle the global crises relentlessly attacking our world. Among them: 15 major international and global communication societies, over 25 national and regional associations, chairs in communication, consulting agencies, research groups, institutions, specialized networks, information platforms, observatories, advocacy groups. This diverse mobilization demonstrates the relevance and importance of the Declaration as a ‘one voice’ commitment at a time of major global upheavals and vulnerabilities affecting the communication capacities in many regions. With its unifying pledge, its humanistic and ethical principles that guide all communication practices, the Declaration was quickly supported by 15 international and global organisations: an unprecedented agreement between this many leading scientific and professional communication organisations on a common commitment declaration.

Major Partners

The mobilization was indeed swiftly inspired by the leadership set by the major international organisations. And among them, the International Public Relations Association (IPRA), the GLOBAL ALLIANCE for Public Relations and Communication Management, the European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA), the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) and BLEDCOM (International Public Relations Research Symposium) have become major partners:  "Alongside ORBICOM, the international Network of UNESCO Chairs in Communication, our official sponsor, their active involvement since the very first months of this far-reaching mobilization has had a vibrant and direct role on the continuous growth of the Declaration at the global scale,” stressed Solange Tremblay, INTERDECOM President.

"Faced with global issues of such a magnitude, this unifying mobilization must expand in every part of the world. We encourage our larger communication community to show their solidarity to all the signatories that have joined us from Latin America, Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Australia during this first year. Strength in numbers remains a determining factor," added Oumar Kane, ORBICOM Secretary General.

Partners’ comments

Etsuko Tsugihara, IPRA President: "One year on, we are proud to have supported this Declaration. Public relations professionals have a clear responsibility to commit to transparent communication and support a better post-pandemic world. Communicators are by nature bridge builders, door openers and enablers of mutual understanding. That's why we are embracing these commitments and salute the success of this initiative of the international team behind the Declaration and the immediate support of our UNESCO colleagues."

Justin Green, Global Alliance President & CEO: “It is essential to unite the global public relations and communications community when taking an active role in leading public information campaigns, helping people understand and share knowledge on the major global risks of our time, such as the pandemic and the climate crisis. Together, we can build a new global community of respect, truth, knowledge, peace, inclusiveness, and justice for all. For this every reason, is why Global Alliance and I as President fully support this Declaration.

Stefania Romenti, EUPRERA President: "Current challenges, from pandemic to climate change, require a new and strong awareness of the role of communication. Of a clear, competent, truthful communication. EUPRERA will continue to strongly support the Declaration, because it is in line with its mission to educate to quality communication with solid scientific foundations."

Nitin Mantri, ICCO President: "As our fragile world is fighting the ongoing pandemic and the continuous assault of the climate crisis; accurate, fact-based, sound and inclusive communications need to be advocated on a daily basis in all parts of the world. In these unprecedented times, a strong, unified voice, echoing ethical and humanist values, must mobilize and strengthen our communication forces throughout the globe. ICCO is proud to embrace this ‘one voice’ Declaration.

Dejan Verčič, BledCom Co-founder: "Trustworthy, ethical, inclusive, and respectful communication is a critical daily issue in our hypercomplex world that faces the major global threats of our time: climate change, pandemics, migrations, as well as infodemics and misinformation. Scholars, teachers and practitioners in communication have a shared responsibility to address them in a unified way and the Declaration articulates our commitment. BledCom fully supports this major call for unity."

 

Circulating in nine languages ─ English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Italian, Turkish, Dutch and Greek, the Declaration and more information are available on the INTERDECOM’s website: www.interdecom.org. Professional and scientific communication groups are invited to rally this worldwide mobilization by endorsing the Declaration on the online form.

Lists follow (Appendices): Overview, International/Global Societies, National/Regional Associations, Chairs in Communication, People behind the Declaration.

Contact

Solange Tremblay, President – INTERDECOM
direction@interdecom.org

Oumar Kane, Secretary-General – ORBICOM
kane.oumar@uqam.ca

Philip Sheppard, Secretary General – IPRA
secgen@ipra.org

Mateus Furlanetto, CAO - Chief Administrative Officer – GLOBAL ALLIANCE
cao@globalalliancepr.org

Virginia Villa, Director of PR & Administration – EUPRERA
dpra@euprera.org

Rob Morbin, Deputy Chief Executive – ICCO
rob.morbin@iccopr.com

Dejan Verčič, Co-founder – BLEDCOM
Dejan.Vercic@fdv.uni-lj.si

 

Source: INTERDECOM
www.interdecom.org

 

APPENDICES

Overview

OVERVIEW - 1st Anniversary - without countries - TWITTER SQUARE - LAST - 20 FEBRUARY

Behind the Declaration (Authors & collaborators)

Solange Tremblay, lead author (Canada), Thierry Libaert, co-author (France), Steve Connor, close collaborator (United Kingdom), Christophe Koninckx, close collaborator (Belgium)

Ana Carolina Lins Peliz (Brazil), Céline Pascual-Espuny (France), Andrea Catellani (Italia), Danielle Maisonneuve (Canada), Cristobal Duarte (Spain), Michael Adler (Germany), Simonetta Lombardo (Italia)

Post-Launch Collaborations: Philippe Borremans (Belgium), TÜHİD - Turkish Public Relations Association (Turkey), Marian Ventura (Argentina), İnci Çınarlı (Turkey), Alexander Deliyannis (Greece), Arla Fytrou-Moschopoulou (Greece)

Official Sponsor

ORBICOM – International Network of UNESCO Chairs in Communication

Major Partners

  • International Public Relations Association (IPRA)
  • Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management
  • European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA)
  • International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO)
  • BLEDCOM (International Public Relations Research Symposium

International & Global Societies

ORBICOM (International Network of UNESCO Chairs in Communication) – Official Sponsor

  • BLEDCOM – The International Public Relations Research Symposium
  • Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)
  • European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA)
  • European Public Relations Education and Research Association (EUPRERA)
  • Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management
  • International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR)
  • International Association of Business Communicators (IABC)
  • International Communication Association (ICA)
  • International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO)
  • International Environmental Communication Association (IECA)
  • International Public Relations Association (IPRA)
  • International Public Relations Network (IPRN)
  • Museum of Public Relations
  • Public Relations Global Network (PRGN)

National & Regional Associations

  • ADC (Asociación de Consultoras de Comunicación) | Spain
  • American Women in Public Relations | USA
  • Asociación Mexicana de Comunicadores (AMCO) | Mexico
  • Associação Brasileira das Agências de Comunicação (ABRACOM) | Brasil
  • Association des professionnels de la communication/Nouvelle-Aquitaine (APACOM) | France
  • Ati. Unión agencias de triple impacto | Latin America
  • Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) | Canada
  • Canadian Women in Public Relations | Canada
  • COM-ENT | France
  • Communication Consultancies Association of Turkey (IDA) | Turkey
  • DNS (Do Not Smile) | Europe
  • Federación Iberoamericana de Comunicación Interna (FIDECI) | Latin America
  • FERPI (Federazione Relazioni Pubbliche Italiana) | Italia
  • IABC QC – Québec | Canada
  • Magyar Public Relations Szövetség (HuPRA) | Hungary
  • PR Suisse – Schweizerischer | Suisse
  • ProCom – Finnish Association of Communication Professionals | Finland
  • Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI) | India
  • Public Relations Institute of Australia (PRIA) | Australia
  • Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) | New Zealand
  • Public Relations Institute of Southern Africa (PRISA) | Southern Africa
  • Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) | USA
  • Public Relations Society of Kenya (PRSK) | Kenya
  • Public Relation Society of Slovenia (PRSS) | Slovenia
  • Public Relations Society of Tanzania (PRST) | Tanzania
  • REDIRP – Red Iberoamericana de Relaciones Públicas | Latin America
  • Sveriges Kommunikatörer | Sweden
  • Turkish Public Relations Association (TÜHİD) | TURKEY

Chairs in communication

  • Cátedra UNESCO en Comunicación y Sociedad  |  Mexico
  • Cátedra UNESCO/UMESP de comunicação para o desenvolvimento regional  |  Brasil
  • Chaire Impact Positif | France
  • Chaire UNESCO en communication et technologies pour le développement  |  Canada
  • Chaire UNESCO Université de Strasbourg Pratiques journalistiques et médiatiques  |  France
  • UNESCO Chair for Multimedia in Education | Hungary
  • UNESCO Chair in Data Privacy | Catalonia
  • UNESCO Chair on Community Radio for Agricultural Education – Rongo University  |  Kenya
  • UNESCO Chair on Freedom of Expression, Media Development and Global Policy  |  Sweden
  • UNESCO Chair on Multimodal Learning and Open Educational Resources  |  South Africa
  • UNESCO Chair on Social Practices in Intercultural Communication and Social Cohesion |  Malaysia