London Public Relations Manifesto
The 'London Manifesto' will be a permanent record of the outcomes and commitments from the 5th World PR Conference & Festival London meeting. Delegates are invited to comment on the draft.
DRAFT London Manifesto – a delegates' statement 24 June 2008
To comment on this Manifesto, please email ColinF@cipr.co.uk
'Our conference has illustrated that public relations, where practiced professionally, is a force for good.
At its best public relations, unlike other forms of marketing communications, is interactive: by facilitating communication between organisations, in whatever sector, and their customers and clients, the practice of public relations creates bonds between peoples.
Public relations practitioners respect diversity and help minorities access public and other services.
Public relations and public affairs practitioners encourage understanding and access to government and can give a voice to those who would otherwise not be heard.
Our vision of public relations can function fully only in democratic societies that respect human rights. It is thus a key role of all who work in public relations to respect and to promote structures of government that are truly democratic.
Public relations skills must not therefore be the preserve of big organisations: those techniques and skills can be understood and available to all. They do, of course, need to be progressively honed and include the handling of social media, which are in themselves more interactive.
All these claims have been illustrated during the conference; by case studies that have focussed on our role in promoting and giving confidence to countries, regions and cities; in celebrating diversity and social inclusion; and in helping companies and organisations in 'difficult' sectors to communicate their case to the public and to interact with them.
With this focus on acting ethically and professionally practitioners across all areas, whether in consultancy, in-house or independent, have drawn from this conference a greater understanding of the unique roles our profession can play at the business, social and economic level both nationally and internationally.
The values underlying our claims are also inherent in the work done by the public relations associations represented at the conference in our Global Alliance. The lessons of this conference are thus particularly relevant to those who are members of such associations and who are committed to the highest standards.
Let our messages, however, also go to those who are not members of associations working under ethical codes and apparently not so committed to professional standards: so that they can be urged to accept their responsibilities and join in the tasks that we as delegates have accepted.'
London 24 June 2008
To comment on this Manifesto, please email ColinF@cipr.co.uk