DiploNews – Issue 222 – 19 February 2013

May 2013 online courses

Starting on 6 May 2013, Diplo offers a series of important online courses covering essential topics in contemporary diplomacy, including:

• Bilateral Diplomacy
• Diplomacy of Small States
• E-Diplomacy
• Economic Diplomacy (NEW! – available in this session  as a certificate course only)

Apply by 4 March for University of Malta accredited courses and by 1 April 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.

The subject, Diplomacy of Small States, has further strengthened my knowledge and belief that regardless of constraints, some small states have shown their ability to project formidable foreign policy initiatives. The course has to a large extent helped to broaden my horizon at a global level, thanks to the weekly assignments from colleagues, analysing the different perspectives on how small states practice their diplomacy.

Momodu Wurie, Head of Chancery, Embassy of the Republic of Sierra Leone in Tripoli, Libya

From clay to digital tablets
Advanced diplomatic webinars: the evolution of diplomacy and technology

As a follow-up to the January webinar, which dealt with the very early days of diplomacy, our February webinar will focus on the Ancient World. We will start with the emergence of writing, one of the most important communication technologies in the history of mankind. Writing triggered a more sophisticated way of communication both within and between ancient societies. During the webinar on Friday, 22nd February, at 14.00 CET, we will navigate through the rich diplomatic heritage of Babylon, Sumeria, Egypt, the Hittite Empire, India, Persia, and China. In this journey through time we will follow developments from clay to digital tablets and search for insights that should help us understand the future of e-diplomacy. 

When you register for the webinar, you will receive the background document 'Diplomacy and technology in the Ancient World'.  We look forward for your comments and another lively debate.

What's been going on in Diplo's blogosphere?

Where is the year going to? Already six weeks in to 2013 and our bloggers are hard at it. Aldo Matteucci explores the the soft underbelly of ‘soft’ power  and continues to argue against the indiscriminate use of the precautionary principle in his post Kairos and the precautionary principle. He also takes a look at the The future of WTO.

Biljana Scott considers what makes A Winning Story, and later explores the fallacy fest that’s going on in the current UK debate on gay marriage, in her post:  Gay marriage: a Boschian fallacy fest.

Over on the E-diplomacy channel we sum up our picks of the fortnight:  We didn't know *we* existed; National social media volunteers; WMD in social media; Open Data – Open Government: links we liked. Arvin Kamberi offers a Webinar digest: Social Media and Diplomacy – the new normal for those who missed out on the live event. Petru Dumitriu examines his own initial scepticism about the usefulness of tweets and looks at Pope Benedictweet the First. Continuing on the Twitter vein, Andreas Sandre blogs about his new book  Twitter for Diplomats: A Guide to the Fastest Growing Digital Diplomacy Tool (and what a good read it is!)

We hope you haven’t missed the news about Diplo’s recent coup in the polls: Diplo among Top 100 NGOs and also hope that you will join in the conversation and discussion and post your comments on these or any of our blogs at https://www.diplomacy.edu/blog

Discussing Internet Governance

Developments related to net neutrality are starting to take place at quite a fast pace, especially in Europe. Diplo’s Vladimir Radunovic reviews the latest regulatory approaches, including that of European Commissioner for the Digital Agenda Neelie Kroes, who has positioned the EU towards a market-driven and choice-based approach. Read more in Searching for a European model for net neutrality.

On Diplo’s online IG community site, Tom Mayengo Kizito discusses an unconventional topic in relation to the Internet: online dating. To what extent are we ‘automating’ our relationships with our loved ones?

In Ocean-going yachts and social media, Deirdre Williams reflects on the digital divide and the networked world, issues raised during Diplo’s recent webinar on social media and diplomacy hosted by Pete Cranston.

Sarah Kiden encourages community members to respond to the call for nominations for choosing Internet Governance Caucus (IGC) nominees for the Commission on Science and Technology for Development Working Group on enhanced cooperation (CSTD WG-EC).

To read more IG-related blog posts, subscribe to Diplo’s IG blog, and follow blog posts shared by members of Diplo’s IG community.