31. Stephanie Speck - Strategic Communication: A Tool For Change

My guest today is Stephanie Speck, who has lived and worked in more than 20 countries, accumulating almost 25 years experience as a strategy and communications adviser, supporting democratic reform in fragile and conflict-affected settings. Stephanie’s expertise includes the design and programming of cross-government reform strategies, strategic communication, and advocacy initiatives; public policy development; counter-terrorism communication strategies, government public affairs and crisis communications. 

Stephanie has launched TV channels (including the Middle East’s most popular, MBC Action); was Deputy Director of the first Palestine Investment Forum; led a US$1billion governance reform portfolio in Afghanistan; developed maternal health campaigns in the Vietnamese/Chinese border regions; worked to eliminate family voting in Albania; reported on disasters—earning her the Australian Humanitarian Award for her work post the Indian Ocean tsunami; and held several high-level public diplomacy and spokesperson roles, including as Senior Adviser to the Senior Minister of Afghanistan, the President of Somalia and the Prime Minister of Iraq. 

Stephanie has just finished almost three years leading communication and advocacy initiatives for the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, in Geneva. 

Some of the topics we covered include:

• Stephanie’s introduction to mass violence at the age of 9
• Strategic communication as a tool for change
• ‘Those who tell the stories rule society’
• Revolution in communication methods
• Transparency and visibility in communication essential for trust
• When expectations and reality don’t align
• Manipulation vs. Strategic Communication
• Values vs. Interests in international development
• Role of social media in strategic communication
• Holy trinity of government regulation, individual responsibility, and social media companies to tackle echo chambers
• Understanding the local context
• Stephanie’s view on the current situation in Afghanistan  

If you've enjoyed this episode, please share it with your friends and followers. It will help grow the show and allow The Voices Of War to be heard far and wide.