Dr. Deepak Gupta has over 28 years of experience as a program and strategic communication advisor for various UN agencies - including UNFPA, UNODC, UNICEF and WHO. He has designed and managed numerous large strategic communication interventions and advocacy campaigns on various development and health issues. His work on risk communication strategies in emergency situations, such as post-tsunami situations and avian influenza contexts, is particularly well noted. He is also a master trainer and expert faculty member at a number of different Institutes, where he leads courses related to strategic communication for development, and has also published extensively on strategic communication issues. He speaks to us about:

• The difference between C4D and corporate marketing
• Rejecting the prescriptive approach to development  
• Participatory methods 
• The importance of interpersonal communication and human touch
• Overcoming challenges through catalytic change agents 
• The pros and cons of social media
• Misinformation and rumours 
• Contextualizing communication programs within local cultural settings
• COVID-19 strategic communication failures - and more!

He joins us from New Delhi, India.