A message from our chair, Samantha Seewoosurrun
Hello everyone,
As we approach the end of the year, we would like to share an update on our activity and to thank you for all your support. It was truly a year to remember as the CIPR celebrated its 75th anniversary and CIPR International was delighted to play an active role as we reached this important milestone.
The highlight of our year was the Maggie Nally lecture, where we welcomed Melissa Fleming, Under Secretary General for Global Communications at the United Nations, for an insightful webinar where she shared her perspectives on communications in global crises, the success of the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs) and much more with an audience of almost 300.
In terms of sharing best practices across different markets, our webinar series took us around the world, from Doing PR in the Caribbean to India. We also hosted two webinars as part of Africa Communications Week on building digital bridges and communicating the successes of women in Africa, which have all been added to our CPD database.
At our AGM, we also launched a ground-breaking report led by Emeritus Professor Anne Gregory on ‘Humans needed more than ever’, looking at the promise and potential pitfalls of the use of AI in our industry.
We have issued flyers and blogs to our members around the world, some of which have featured in Influence magazine. The blogs have covered a diverse range of topics, including common values between WHO and CIPR - both celebrated their 75th anniversary – navigating cultural minefields, mental health in crisis management and Jacinda Ardern and how domestic issues have an international impact, among others.
We held a special 75th anniversary networking event in Mauritius, hosted by the British High Commissioner H.E. Charlotte Pierre, which brought together PR professionals from across the island and reminded us of the strategic importance of our industry.
Our committee members have continued to strengthen relations both within the CIPR, through participation in the CIPR Council, Board, the Coordinating Committee, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and externally through our engagement with the Global Alliance.
We were also proud to see the talents and dedication of some of our committee members recognised in CIPR awards. Shirley Collyer won an award for Outstanding Long Service and Taazima Kala-Essack became one of the Unsung Heroes of the Year at the Volunteer Awards, while Emma Duke was crowned Independent PR Practitioner of the Year 2023 in the Anglia, Thames & Chiltern Region PRide Awards. Congratulations once again!
All in all, with the support and commitment of our committee colleagues, this has been a very special year and one where we have seen real growth in CIPR International membership. We are one of the CIPR’s largest sectoral groups, with almost 1000 members, out of which 174 are new this year, which is a great testament to the committee’s work. I would like to warmly thank all of our committee members for their time, energy and dedication in this exceptional year!
As we look ahead to 2024, we would like to thank you, our members worldwide, for being part of CIPR International, for joining our events and supporting our social activity. If you have any ideas for activities, or if you would like to write a blog for us, please get in touch! We’d love to hear from you!
On behalf of everyone on our committee, we wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2024 and look forward to seeing you at our events in the New Year!
