Opening Gambit

I am launching this blog 'On Communications' as an experiment. First of all, I want to introduce this practice to our company, Trans-Arabian Creative Communications (TRACCS), to gauge what, if any, impact the act of blogging will have for the region we work in, which is the Middle East and North Africa. I was introduced into the practice by my colleagues from Fleishman-Hillard International Communications and was impressed at the apparent effectiveness of this new form of communications.

Secondly, I have an agenda, something I have been mulling over and speaking about for some time. Living and working in the Middle East, particularly since 9/11, I have seen how critical communications are for the world today.

We live in a world that is inundated by media, where communications determine the course of local, national and world events on every level, everywhere. We as communicators are in possession of critical tools that can either help tear the world apart or bring people closer together; that can either lead us to violent confrontation or toward understanding, peace and reconciliation. And I have to say I don’t think we’re using what we know very well and I think that it is because we tend to trivialize what we do.

We as communicators do have a role to play in bringing religions and cultures together and it is an important one. We need to take what we do more seriously and see that the disciplines we have acquired and are learning are not just about promoting products or spin control but can promote understanding and reduce tensions that can lead to violence, war and suffering.

My interests are eclectic. My experience is variegated. I have strong views on a wide range of issues. I hope that this blog may stimulate a healthy discussion that will enrich and deepen our profession as communicators and explore issues that have been largely overwhelmed by the demands of our business.

I am a proud representative of my company, Trans-Arabian Communications Services, and our affiliate Fleishman-Hillard International Communications, but the views expressed in this column are completely my own and don't reflect the views of either company.