Barack Obama

Steve Jobs, Apple founder, passes away at 56

editor — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 22:11:15 -0700

Today, Apple and the rest of the world have lost a visionary and a genius, Steve Jobs, the mastermind behind the Macintosh, iPhone, iPad, iPod iTunes and more. In recent years he mixed huge business success with personal turmoil, including surviving a liver transplant in 2009, after battling pancreatic cancer in 2004. "There may be no greater tribute to Steve's success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented," Obama said.

"Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart."

Steve Jobs, the Apple founder and CEO who died today after a long battle with illness, said those words in 2005 after beating back an unusual form of pancreatic cancer.

Among many inspiring statements he has made about his life's lessons, one stands out on the day of his death:

"No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true."

First annual Amandla Forum launches at the Dead Sea

editor — Tue, 04 May 2010 10:27:50 -0700

The Amandla Forum, a training and knowledge-training, is having its first session at the Dead Sea on May 5-6, 2010.

Under the theme, “Communications for Empowerment”, the Amandla Forum has assembled some of the most brilliant minds to train the region’s brightest minds in the latest trends in communication. They include renowned brand transformation strategist, Marty Neumeier, author of bestsellers such as BRAND GAP and ZAG, and Thomas Gensemer, the CO of Blue State Digital, the company that helped organize President Obama’s campaign, as well as many more.

From online strategies to CSR to building communications and media skills, the Forum not only covers all facets of communication by the most brilliant speakers, but also offers hands-on practical training that can literally help you transform your organization.

The Forum will also include a panel to discuss the latest developments in the field of communication in the Arab world. The CEOs of Bayt.com, Yahoo! Middle East, Flip Media and many others will participate in what promises to be an enlightening and animated discussion.

The ultimate aim of the Amandla Forum is to use the latest knowledge in the field of communication for empowerment – of organizations, corporations, individuals and communities. It also aims to build a community of professionals in the region to share knowledge and ideas.

“It is my first time in the Middle East, so I am very excited to share some new ideas about branding and communications. My talk and workshops are about radical differentiation – in a time of increasing noise and clutter in the marketplace, you have to zig when everybody zags,” said Marty Neumeier.

The president of the Forum, Ehab Shanti declared in a press conference held today at the Kempinski Hotel that Amandla Forum has attracted some 250 delegates to share notes about the latest developments in communication. “We believe that understanding the science and art of communication can be an empowering if not liberating experience, so we want to make a contribution however modest to bridging this knowledge gap, and inspiring people to seize the available opportunities,” he said.

“I’ll be talking about how organizations – NGOs, governments and corporations alike – can use technology to mobilize social movements. My agency’s success, ranging from our well known sport of President Obama’s ’08 campaign to our more recent work with global brands and international organizations, helps demonstrate the incredible power of individuals to create dramatic change. Today, organizations across the world have a clear choice to make – to either embrace this power or be left behind,” said Thomas Gensemer.

Harness the power of social media to increase reach

editor — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:07:07 -0700

The power of social media is tremendous. Paris Hilton's recent endorsement for Emirates Airlines is esteemed to be worth US$ 1.5 million.

Social media is more than Twitter, Facebook and MySpace; it's about brands having conversations and engaging with audiences. It's about the permanent change in the region's marketing, PR and news landscape.

IIR's Social Media Forum taking place on 18 – 19 October 2009 in Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, explores how you can use social media more effectively within your overall strategy and discusses what social media can do for your business.

Probably the best and largest social media example comes from Barack Obama's campaign – Obama For America in which he used social networking sites, blogs, video-sharing and Twitter to spread the views and organise supporters.

Andrew Bleeker, Director Internet Advertising for Obama's election campaign and New Media Director, Obama Inaugural Committee, is keynote speaker at the Social Media Forum.

Be ready to explore regional social media case studies as well, with top-notch speakers including:

Martin Newland, Editorial Director, The National, UAE
Khurram Hamid, Global Head Mobile Marketing Innovation, Procter & Gamble, UAE
Husni Khuffash, Country Business Development Manager, Google, UAE
Joel Berger, Managing Director, MySpace, Germany
Arshad Khan, Senior Executive, Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, UAE