The wise men from the east
Issuemakers were invited to participate in the OECD international conference 'Effective Public Communication: Better Connecting with Citizens' in Paris on 26 and 27 September. The central theme during this conference was the relationship between public trust and public communication. OECD research shows that more than 40% of citizens have little confidence in their own government. The way in which the government communicates with its citizens has a major influence on (restoring) that trust. A number of important insights: always seek connections with citizens, actively involve them and give them a voice, listen sincerely and have integrity. And be innovative in the resources you use, so that they fit well with the local situation. In short: put the citizen at the center of your approach/communication!
A nice and successful case presented during the conference concerned Indonesia's communication approach during the Covid-19 pandemic. The country faced a gigantic challenge with almost 275 million inhabitants, 17,500 islands and 800 languages. How do you achieve that? And how do you convince everyone? First of all, there was an immediate investment in digital communication. That helped, but it turned out not to be enough. Indonesia then decided, based on initial experiences in the city of Jakarta, to fully appeal to society: social organizations, religious leaders, local initiatives and many volunteers. And that was a huge hit.
The most important factor was that people now received the information through people who were close to them and whom they trusted. In addition, it had a strong mobilizing effect. Combating Covid-19 was no longer just a matter for the government and the medical sector, but for society as a whole. It became a collective, enthusiastic approach under the motto 'Vaksinasi Merdeka' or 'Freedom through vaccination'. Reference was also made to national unity. Ultimately, almost 75% received at least 1 vaccine and the infection rates were much lower than, for example, in the United States. Indonesia has focused on the perspective of its residents, appealed to unity and positive forces and that has worked. An interesting example for other countries, including the Netherlands.
