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  


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