GFDD Convenes Regional Experts on Successful Political Communication and Inclusive Government Strategies

Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) hosted an interesting and timely panel discussion with international experts on "Governing for Inclusion: The 10 Golden Rules for a Successful Political Communication and Inclusive Government". To begin the event, Natasha Despotovic, GFDD’s executive director, gave the welcoming remarks and presented the panelists to the audience.

Geovanny Vicente Romero,
Dominican political analyst and commentator, international consultant, professor, and founder of "Centro de Políticas Públicas, Desarrollo y Liderazgo RD", and Gustavo Rojas-Matute, Venezuelan economist, GWU professor, international consultant on politics and economics, and founder of Polinomics, presented the “10 Golden Rules for a Successful Political Communication”. From knowing your target audience to having a clear message and repeating it
as often as needed, the two experts shared with participants more than just ten good practices and lessons learned in political communication. Vicente Romero and Rojas-Matute also emphasized the importance of using new technologies (such as social media tools) to not only communicate but to connect with and learn from the audience; they displayed a series of “capital sins” that show what not to do in order to have an effective political communication strategy.

“A politician is communicating something even when he/she is not saying anything”, said Vicente Romero, stressing the importance of having a clear and consistent message.

Harvey Restrepo, Colombian author, college professor, political campaign consultant and advisor, expert on governmental marketing, participated via Skype from Colombia. He provided
the audience with an insightful perspective of efficient marketing tools and presented a few examples of good practices in the region.

“We need more politicians that inspire and that are able to inspire others”, commented Restrepo, noting that nowadays it is harder than ever to be in power but easier than ever to lose power and see it change hands.

Finally, Venezuelan Betilde (Betica) Muñoz-Pogossian, director of the Social Inclusion
Department of the Organization of American States (OAS), shared why having inclusion as a center element of any political communication strategy is vital for a successful government. Mrs. Muñoz-Pogossian noted the most recent trends concerning inequality and gender disparities in the region and presented the audience with seven rules of thumb to follow in order to successfully incorporate an inclusive approach to political communication strategies. “Socioeconomic asymmetries are
replicated in the political arena”, said Muñoz-Pogossian, also arguing that “glass ceilings are not the only ones in place; women also face other restrictions related to access to resources and time”. She also noted how inter-governmental organizations such as the OAS have worked and continue to work on promoting gender equality in politics and in other societal domains.

Following the presentations, participants engaged in a Q&A
session with the experts.

Presentations:
Harvey Restrepo
Geovanny Vicente Romero & Gustavo Rojas Matute
Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian,
Ph.D.