I had the pleasure of presenting Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty, with the CIPR 2010 President's Medal this evening, during an 'in conversation with' event at the CIPR's offices.  Below is the text of my introduction (short and to the point) about why I chose Shami and her colleagues at Liberty as the recipients of the medal.  Whatever your political persuasion, or indeed if you agree or disagree with Liberty's stance on issues of justice and equality, the work of communicating and engaging audiences on often complex issues to do with fundamental democratic principles is a challenge. Public relations is at the heart of the campaigning work of organisations such as Liberty, including education campaigns to dispel myths and promote a better understanding of human rights issues.

There will be a podcast of the conversation (hosted by the excellent Rhoda MacDonald) posted to the CIPR website soon, but there was one key take away point from the discussion - which in many ways is Liberty's biggest challenge - that can be summarised as follows:

As the merits of the Human Rights Act are debated, it is important to focus on the essence of the Act.  As Lord Bingham of Cornhill commented during the keynote speech at Liberty’s 75th Anniversary Conference, referring to those who would like to remove or dilute rights within the Act such as the right to liberty, the right to a fair trial:

Which of these rights, I ask, would we wish to discard? Are any of them trivial, superfluous, unnecessary? Are any of them un-British? There may be those who would like to live in a country where these rights are not protected, but I am not of their number.

For those considering the introduction of a British Bill of Rights, Liberty asks that we consider that the Human Rights Act already provides (to paraphrase): an "...uniquely British Bill of Rights, balancing Parliamentary Sovereignty with the Rule of Law."

Something for us to think about as we grapple with such issues.

Below is my introduction this evening:

One of the greatest privileges of being CIPR President is that you can recognise the achievements of outstanding individuals, who contribute so much through their communications skill.

In 2010 it was my honour to award the CIPR President’s medal to Shami Chakrabarti and her colleagues at Liberty, an organisation that campaigns tirelessly for individual human dignity, equal treatment and fairness. Shami's ability to engage, communicate and campaign on behalf of all sections of society is a perfect example of how public relations can be a force for good, not just for profit.

Liberty’s message is simple and powerful: every human being has a right to dignity, equality and justice and these rights must be protected by law.  This is a message that must be constantly contextualised, defended and promoted.  And, despite its simplicity, the supporting debates are often complex and nuanced, with detractors as well as supporters. The recent headlines on privacy and freedom of speech highlight the communications challenge.

But, the fact that we are able to debate freely, to agree, disagree and to question is a right that Liberty protects and I am grateful for that.