A workshop with as theme Social Media and Citizens’ participation: What is your strategy?, took place at Divi Little Bay Beach Resort.
Since a lot has changed in the last decade in regard to society and the rise of social media, it was deemed necessary to organize a workshop for communication representatives within government, as the effects are not only limited to society, but also affect governments around the world.
The workshop, which was funded by USONA and organized by the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers, was intended to increase the understanding and the possibilities of Social Media.
The focus of the workshop was on how social media can be used to increase the participation of the citizens in government and the democratic process in general.
The workshop was attended by PR-officers from the Tourism Office, press officers of the Ministers’ Cabinet, communication specialists of the Department of Communications (DCOMM) and the spokesperson of the Police Force St. Maarten.
The Workshop was facilitated by Tetyana Lokot.
Lokot has a M.A. in journalism from the National University Kyiv Mohyla Academy in Kiev, Ukraine and a B.A. in management from International Christian University.
Currently Lokot is a researcher at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. Some of her research interests are digital activism and political participation online, impact of internet communities on political decisions, social media platforms and social/political change.
The content for the workshop was specifically developed for St. Maarten. The full day was divided in four sessions. The first session dealt with the possible content choices and rules of the game.
The second session focused on planning a social media strategy for different scenarios including crisis management. The third session emphasized how to engage the citizens.
The last session concentrated on developing a tailored social media strategy. The participants were generally satisfied with the outcome of the workshop.
