Have you heard of Public Relations Without Borders (PRWB)? It was not until this semester, that I was introduced to PRWB when the organization was mentioned at a Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) event. I knew I had to learn more.
My investigation led me to Julien Baudry, an experienced public relations practitioner and Director of PRWB, based in Montréal, Québec. Baudry is employed by the Port of Montréal and lectures at the University of Montréal. Baudry joined PRWB in 2019 and was elected chairman in June 2022.
In 2007, NATIONAL Public Relations founder Luc Beauregard had a new idea for public relations practitioners and began bringing members from the Montréal business and university communities around the table to discuss how communications professionals could use their skillset to support others in developing countries.
In 2009, PRWB was launched, and the organization has since completed 40 missions. Presently, the organization has a board of directors, a management team, and additional volunteers—all working pro bono. The mission of PRWB is to “help partner organizations that work with populations facing development challenges by reinforcing their ability to use public relations to leverage social and economic progress.”
To prepare for a mission, public relations practitioners undergo six months of preparation to travel abroad for up to three weeks to support public relations efforts in underdeveloped countries, including Senegal, Bolivia, Cameroon, Tunisia, Tanzania and many more. PRWB partners with and support community organizations that may not have the resources to hire a public relations consultant.
Baudry explained that PRWB supports building an ethical foundation and two-way communication—and is not a voluntourism organization. PRWB strives to support local organizations in developing a public relations toolbox that will allow them to learn strategic communications strategies to reach stakeholders. PRWB teaches the public relations “dos” and “don’ts”, the RACE formula, and shares tactics to get the attention of the local press.
Hit by the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, PRWB had to pivot their tactics to reach community organizations when international travel was shut down. The organization developed a digital public relations mentorship program to support community organizations globally, which has successfully continued since the pandemic. As Baudry said, “The new normality is that there is no normality.”
Baudry stated that his wish is for every public relations practitioner to give one per cent of their time, which works out to just two days per year, pro bono. With platforms like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, it is easier than ever to connect with organizations in need around the world.
PRWB is currently undergoing a relaunch. To learn more about PRWB and updated information, please visit http://rpsansfrontieres.org/en/.
Article By: Megan Savary
Edited by: Co-Editor-in-Chief, Emma McCluskey
