Leyla Fazleeva: “We have created a psychological service, and the first place where we should be is Telegram”
The 3d Russian forum of youth self-government bodies Youth Team of the Country started with a discussion about new challenges for politicians and officials
The 3d Russian forum of youth self-government bodies Youth Team of the Country has taken place in Kazan, which brought together about 200 novice politicians and managers who want to join the legislative and executive authorities of Russia in the nearest time. The four-day forum started with a panel discussion on the new realities of the information environment. Read about the cases of interaction between the authorities and the people from the deputy prime minister of Tatarstan, planting a positive agenda, global challenges of the age of information openness — in the material of Realnoe Vremya.
“This is a challenge of today: it is impossible not to react, to react absolutely hysterically — it is impossible, too”
It is quite difficult to position oneself competently and purposefully in the increasing information flow, in which both the authorities and the entire population are forced to exist one way or another, but they have to, Deputy Prime Minister of Tatarstan for Social Affairs Leyla Fazleeva started the discussion in this vein, telling about the methods of work in the Network of the Republican Cabinet of Ministers:
“It is very precisely noticed that if people don’t speak about you — you are not present, you have done nothing. If in the Network, you haven’t been liked, then you as it don’t exist in space. This is the challenge of today: it is impossible not to react, it is impossible to react absolutely hysterically. Accordingly, it is necessary to develop a balance: what I react to, when I react, how I react. Today, trolling is taking place, and we can’t escape it. Accordingly, our task is to form a positive agenda.” she stressed. “It's very, very difficult to do.”
Leyla Fazleeva explained that the “threads of interaction” with the new platforms of the government of Tatarstan are connected with the republican agency Tatmedia, which unites state media throughout the republic. Each ministry and department, according to her, has its own specialists who “lead” the theme of social policy in terms of interaction with the media and analysis of social networks — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube. The deputy prime minister decided to illustrate the dynamism of their work with an entertaining case about finding suitable sites for psychological services.
“Today I have a task for all my colleagues who represent social policy. We have created a psychological service and have set a task for our colleagues: the first place where we should be represented is the Telegram channel. We all know that everything seems to be there. We immediately receive a message: ‘Set aside!’ It is no longer a Telegram channel, it is already necessary there,” she said. “We have taken another channel as a basis. It is a secret so far, and we are not sure, including that we will be able to do it qualitatively.”
“It is impossible to plant any agenda”
“I will allow myself to quote the chairperson of the State Duma (Vyacheslav Volodin — editor’s note), who always says: the solution of the issue is always a two-way road. It is impossible to impose some kind of agenda. While our meeting was going on, we all saw how colleagues took pictures, made stories and sent to social networks not just because they wanted to take a photo but because there were 250-300 people here, and there are 20,000-30,000 people who want to keep up with the agenda. We should respond very clearly to the request of society, to the request of young people. If there is a need for communication through a gadget, through social networks, we should work here, but at the same time, to have a very sober, sensible and competent approach, including to the content that today is on the Internet sites,” said State Duma Deputy Natalia Kuvshinova.
She illustrated her claims with a short sketch about e-sports and the discussions against or in defense of it unfolding in recent years. According to Kuvshinova, just a few minutes before the discussion, the members of the presidium of the forum had discussed this issue over a cup of tea and did not come to a consensus. She asked the forum participants present in the hall to demonstrate their attitude to this new industry for Russia by raising their hands — about half of young managers and novice politicians voted for the active promotion and development of e-ыports.
“Even, it would seem, on the topic of e-sports, we have not found a common understanding in the youth environment,” the deputy summarized. “Not to mention the fact that there are both supporters and opponents in the State Duma, in federal and regional authorities. But it is also dangerous and wrong to close your eyes, to say that it doesn’t exist. Today we work on the Internet, use social networks and, of course, it is important that the content was right and necessary. Because in any case, the youth will be there, and the question of what they will read, perceive — fake news or verified information, is a question to us, the legislators, and to the youth themselves.”
Young politicians will be taught to play ‘House of Cards’
The Russian forum Youth Team of the Country takes place in Kazan on November 30. The participants of the third session are representatives of youth self-government bodies from all over the country, regional youth parliaments and governments from 18 to 30 years old. Novice managers submitted to the organizing committee of the forum about a thousand applications, only about two hundred of the most worthy have the opportunity to take part in it in two directions: Young Managers and Young Politicians.
The forum agenda consists of meetings with honoured guests, lectures, master classes, discussions and business games. They will be conducted by leading experts in the field of public administration and political management, including Deputy Chairperson of the State Duma Committee on economic policy, industry, innovative development and entrepreneurship Alfiya Kogogina, Chairperson of the Association of Youth Governments of Russia Dina Gayzatullina, Head of the Youth Parliament at the State Duma of Russia Maria Voropaeva and Minister of Youth Affairs of Tatarstan Damir Fattakhov.
The organizing committee promises to pay special attention to the transfer of skills to young managers that can help them in building a career in the civil service and in politics, for example, the programme of the forum includes a master class on maintaining personal social networks for civil servants.
