DiploNews – Issue 203 – 2 May 2012
Upcoming study opportunities
Thematic courses in Internet governance
Diplo is accepting applications for the following thematic courses, which form part of the Advanced Phase of the Internet Governance Capacity Building Programme:
- Cybersecurity
- E-participation
- History of Internet Governance
- ICT Policy and Strategic Planning
- Infrastructure and Critical Internet Resources
- Intellectual Property Rights
- Privacy and Personal Data Protection
The courses run from 11 June to 3 August 2012 and will be conducted entirely online. The deadline for applications is 15 May 2012. A limited number of VeriSign fellowships will be awarded based on qualifications and need; a limited number of partial Diplo scholarships will be available for applicants from developing countries. More information is available here.
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
With growing calls to make the process of nuclear disarmament comprehensive and irreversible, the resurgence and the need to sustain nuclear arms control diplomacy, the persistence of unresolved nuclear proliferation issues (including in Iran and North Korea), and the desire for nuclear energy, coupled with safety and security concerns, the 40-year old Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) remains central to the prospects for disarmament, arms control and international security. Familiarity with the NPT is increasingly indispensable for practitioners and analysts to navigate their way through current and future nuclear issues. The Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), in collaboration with DiploFoundation, is pleased to offer a unique opportunity to learn more about the NPT and disarmament through this online course.
The course runs from 16 July to 16 September 2012. The application deadline is 11 June 2012. Partial scholarships are available for applicants from developing countries. Please visit our website for more information and to apply.
Summer online courses in diplomacy
We are now accepting applications for our interactive summer online courses:
Courses start the week of 23 July 2012. Apply by 21 May for University of Malta Accredited Courses and 18 June for Diplo Certificate Courses. For further information or to apply, click on the titles of the courses above, or visit our courses website. Register now to reserve your place.
What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogosphere
It’s been a busy two weeks in Diplo’s blogosphere with guest blogger Steven Nelson kicking off the party with a piece on how the USA is using e-diplomacy. Discussing Fergus Hanson’s report on the matter, Steve highlights some eye-popping statistics that show why the US is leading the world in e-diplomacy. He also reviews Michael Joseph Gross’s article in Vanity Fair on the War for Control of the Internet and comments on Rebecca McKinnon’s article on the inherent tension between the US State Department openly advocating Internet Freedom and the reality of the actions of the US government on this issue.
Pete Cranston, in his post I share therefore we are, reflects on a couple of pieces recently published in the Sunday Observer, that ‘as well as going some way to explaining the fanatical following of celebrities on Twitter and other social media it underscores the importance of personalised content for engaging followers and audiences, something which is always going to be difficult for public officials in embassies and MFAs’.
Jovan Kurbalija wonders if it is time for a review of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations? and comments on the need to improve image of diplomacy.
Aldo Matteucci, in his post When in doubt – scare reviews Charles A. Kupchan’s No one’s world: the West, the rising Rest, and the global coming turn (Oxford University Press, 2012). In his post Making the inevitable happen, Aldo notes how enamored we are of ‘heroic history’ and always look for the hero who ushered in the ‘new’. In his commentary on the French Election, he makes his ‘wild conjecture’: HOLLANDE will become President of France. The ensuing legislative elections will confirm a majority for SARKOZY’s center right UMP party. On TV Alain JUPPÉ is already jockeying to become Prime Minister. Marina LE PEN will succeed is evicting SARKOZY, but will fail in destroying UMP.
Interesting stuff indeed!
Jovan Kurbalija on the challenges for organisations to integrate social media
A new form of influencing policy-making is emerging thanks to the Internet. The Arab Spring, anti-ACTA protests, the Occupy movement, and pirate parties have at least one thing in common: they all share the Internet as an enabler. On the Internet, protest movements coordinate activities and manage to reach out to the global public. Governments and international organisations cannot ignore this substantive change. Jovan’s guest blog for the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation discusses challenges facing governments and organisations in getting involved in the social media space.
Discussing Internet governance
Our community members have been particularly engaged in Internet governance events and discussions during the past two weeks. ISOC’s Global INET conference, which took place last week, gathered delegates from all over the world, including many Diplo alumni. Listen to Dr Jovan Kurbalija’s intervention on jurisdiction, enforcement, and implementation, during Session 1.2 on the Rule of Law and the Internet (intervention is at 2hr 16min). ISOC’s Next Generation Leader Karim Attoumani Mohamed talks about his hopes for the future of the Internet during ISOC’s Internet Wishing Tree campaign.
The Multistakeholder Advisory Group for the IGF was renewed. Virginia Paque congratulates outgoing members, as well as the new members, many of whom are Diplo associates and alumni.’ Stephanie Borg Psaila tells the story of Walid Al-Saqaf, an activist on freedom of expression who found a unique way of circumventing censorship.
On our community platform, Jorge Jose Lawand explores the possibility of making digital wills, and discusses guidelines and solutions. Robert Kikonyogo shares information on an upcoming seminar on African-European Research Infrastructure Co-operation, while Gameli Adzaho writes about the upcoming BlogCamp Ghana, a day of workshops and networking by Ghana's biggest group of bloggers and social media enthusiasts. In a separate post, ‘How Many African Women are Online?’, Gameli explores the limited access that African women, and those in other parts of the developing world, have to the Internet.
Last but not least, Vladimir Radunovic hosted our April Internet governance webinar on Illegal online content and liability of Internet intermediaries: Why not shoot the messenger? The podcast, PPT, and summary are available here. Join our IG webinars group to receive the latest announcements and updates.
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