FAPRA calls on all PROs to mobilise for Africa

Key resolutions emanating from the 19th All Africa Public Relations Conference, held this week in Johannesburg, South Africa from 21 - 23 May, 2006, were that public relations professionals must build bridges with media organisations in the telling of Africa's unique stories; engage with each other in improving the reputation of the profession; and share knowledge in peer networks for the upliftment of their craft and industry organisations which represent them.

This was the first time the annual Fapra conference - with the theme 'Managing Africa's Reputation' - was held in South Africa and the historic occasion marked the beginning of a new spirit of co-operation between public relations practitioners on the continent, and a renewed commitment to involve all public relations professional associations in all countries in Africa in Fapra.

The three-day conference was attended by about 150 participants drawn from 10 African Countries (Ghana, The Gambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, and South Africa - the host Country).

Resolutions

At the end of the deliberations, the Fapra conference delegates considered and recommended the following resolutions:

1. Africa has an image and reputation crises in the world and public relations practitioners on the continent can use their unique skills and expertise to assist in correcting the misperceptions and misrepresentations.
2. Identify the positive features and success stories of African countries and use public relations techniques to present factual, intelligent information in a consistent way to the world.
3. Since technology provides dynamic tools and opportunities for faster, easy, and immediate positive communication, public relations practitioners on the continent should exploit it to position the continent, influence its image and change negative perceptions.
4. Exploit the power of the mass media, establish a continental broadcasting network and encourage the exchange of news stories between journalists and public relations practitioners.
5. Public relations practitioners should know the realities of our organisations, countries and continent, and preach the gospel of trust while seeking to open up our countries to one another, and taking advantage of the many possibilities and opportunities the continent offers.
6. Provide better service to our leaders, organisations, countries through nurturing good governance and sincere/open communication.
7. Public relations practitioners should forge partnerships with NGOs, private and public enterprises and governments to galvanise change on the continent while supporting the several bold and laudable initiatives to influence public debate.
8. Public relations practitioners should seek to improve public perception of its credibility to enable it gain moral grounds and provide the needed strategic communication advisory support, public advocacy, stakeholder dialogue, coalition engagement with the mass media for sustainable development.
9. On social issues and the environment, former President Nelson Mandela once said: "While poverty exists, there is no freedom." There is an increasing need for Africans to take their destiny into their hands and initiate strategic communications to illustrate public relations relevance to improve the lot of Africans.
10. Public relations professionals are enjoined to intensify training, change orientation, update knowledge of current issues, engage in peer review mechanisms, self-critique and assess their contributions to Afro-optimism beyond rhetoric.
11. Public relations academics should seek to become value-added agents to the profession by assisting to build its image through developing enriched and relevant curriculum with African realities, conducting research on the peculiarities of the practice on the continent, undertake to work closer together with PR practitioners, develop case studies and inculcate excellence in students.
12. National public relations associations are enjoined to become more active and impact on the activities and image of Fapra.