Public understanding - simplicity is genius (part 2) - dec 2009

Getting the message out

about NATO’s new Strategic Concept

will be crucial to its success.

Jean-Francois Bureau is

NATO’s man in charge of the task.

The development of the social media

is really changing

the information environment.

The social media is really changing

the framework of work we have,

and we must work on the basis

that instead of having

something to say to the people,

we must show that what we're doing

and saying, is of interest for them.

The new challenges, terrorism,

cyber attacks, energy security,

maybe climate change,

they are really threats

which have a huge significance

for the daily life of our citizens.

So we need to get

their views and their questions.

How do you plan on keeping

these processes more transparent…

and giving the public

access to the decision-making?

Thanks,

that’s quite a challenging question.

I think that they key audience,

is the young generation.

We are preparing

the NATO of the next decade.

The NATO which will be useful

for the new generation.

The one which was born

after the end of the Cold War.

So then I have to say that in this

open discussion we want to have,

we’ll try to engage as much as

possible with the young generation.

This process is really an inclusive one

and then we shall come with

some answers and some decisions

from our Head of States

and chiefs of government next year.

But first, we must get the feelings

and questions from the people

before beginning

to think about the answers.

So how do you plan on getting

the information out to the public,

in what you want to do and achieve?

It doesn’t come without work.

If you want to include the people

in a process like this one,

you must build tools to reach them,

to get their feelings and questions,

to receive their comments.

If we don’t get your views

about what NATO is supposed

to do in 2015 or 2020,

how can we build this?

You have the social media,

the new media which can reach

a lot of people at the same time,

but you also want a personal view,

you want to get

some personal assessment,

and personal contacts take place

to understand how people think.

But do the mainstream media see

what the Strategic Concept is about?

The press is getting

more and more interested.

From the Strasbourg/Kehl summit,

where we had

3500 journalists present,

they have understood

that it is a key discussion.

I’m sure that the way

the Secretary General Mr Rasmussen

has showed himself

since he came to the building,

his strong commitment

to engage with the people,

to discuss this issue with the people,

has been of interest for the press.

Isn’t there a danger that national

press cover national interest stories,

rather than international ones,

like the new Strategic Concept?

The way the press

can be interested with this story

about the Strategic Concept has to

go beyond the national perspectives.

NATO is 28 nations today,

more than 50 partners in the world.

So, if we can help the press

to reach a level of interest

which is wider than the national

perspective, it would be the best.