Amanda Christensen, ideaXme guest contributor, socio-digital researcher and Marketing Manager at Cubaka, interviews Simon Anholt, political scientist, policy advisor, and Founder of The Good Country.
Amanda Christensen Comments
The Information Age has quite literally brought the world to our fingertips, at a moment’s notice we’re now able to tap into major global events, like the U.S. election, Brexit negotiations, protests in Poland, and COVID vaccines being trialed and approved by numerous countries. Not only are we able to witness the news the world over, we’re able to take part in the conversation, transforming local and national news and issues into global movements, as we’ve been seen with the likes of Greta Thunberg and the sustainability movement, Black Lives Matter, and The Facebook Ad Boycott.
The digital era has given us a wealth of insight into national events around the world, from global leaders to news broadcasters to first-hand accounts shared to social media.
Armed with this data, how do we both perceive and define what is a “good” country, and how do behavioural shifts like rapid digitisation and the concept of global “netizens” affect this perception?
Simon Anholt: The Good Country
Today I have the pleasure of being joined by political scientist, policy advisor and Founder of The Good Country, Simon Anholt.
Anholt has spent the past twenty years advising the Presidents, Prime Ministers, monarchs and governments of fifty-six countries, helping them to engage more productively and imaginatively with the international community.
In 2014, he started the Good Country Index, a system which ranks how much a country is contributing to the greater global good, factored against a number of socioeconomic and cultural benchmarks.
Simon has written six books about countries, their images and their role in the world. His latest book, The Good Country Equation: How We Can Repair the World in One Generation, explores how his findings in both his research and professional experience can be used to ensure we equip the next generation with the tools to repair and improve the world.
On this episode you’ll hear from Simon Anholt about:
His background, and his journey from advertising to advising world leaders. His research project, The Good Country Index, and The Good Generation project. His latest book, The Good Country Equation: How We Can Repair the World in One Generation, and if we can indeed repair the world in one generation. His Nations Brands Index project, and an overview of the concept of nations as brands. His thoughts on if rapid digitisation is altering the perception of borders and nations as a whole.
If you liked this interview, be sure to check out our interview How Good Is Your Country?
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