DiploNews – Issue 229 – 5 June 2013
Upcoming study opportunities
Call for applications: New online course on Capacity Development
Capacity development has been emerging as a central approach within development for more than two decades. This approach has gradually shifted the focus of development practice from simple financial aid and technical cooperation towards a complex new paradigm that encourages and demands active involvement and ownership from the people and communities involved in aid programmes. To help you better understand and master this complex paradigm, this course introduces the key concepts, principles, and practical skills for implementing capacity development activities. The course was developed with the support of the SDC, UNDP, LenCD, and Learn4Dev. Visit the course webpage to read more about this unique new course, and apply online. The first session starts on 2 September; please apply by 22 July.
Applications open for 2014 Master in Contemporary Diplomacy
We are now accepting applications for the 2014 Master in Contemporary Diplomacy, and the Master in Contemporary Diplomacy with an Internet Governance specialization. These unique postgraduate programmes, offered in cooperation with the University of Malta, include a 10-day residential workshop in Malta followed by 16–20 months of online learning. Please visit the Master in Contemporary Diplomacy webpage to read more and to apply. The programme starts at the end of January 2014 and the application deadline is 1 October 2013.
Call for applications: Humanitarian Diplomacy online diploma course
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and DiploFoundation will offer a new session of the Humanitarian Diplomacy online diploma course starting 2 September 2013. This 12-week course, led by Ambassador Christopher Lamb, will extend the knowledge base and develop practical skills of current and future practitioners in humanitarian diplomacy and policy. The application deadline is 22 July 2013. For more details and to apply, please visit the course webpage.
Call for applications: Specialised courses in Internet governance
Diplo invites government officials, diplomats, and professionals working in the various Internet governance and ICT policy fields, who would like to refresh or expand their knowledge of more technical issues, to apply for the upcoming 10-week courses, starting 22 July 2013. The courses are based on a collaborative approach to learning, involving a high level of interaction and discussion. The deadline to apply is 17 June.
- ICT Infrastructure and Critical Internet Resources (CIRS) presents topics and issues related to infrastructure and CIRs, including infrastructure development, connection costs, regulatory frameworks, IP protocols, network neutrality, the domain name system (DNS), and the roles of the main actors. For more details visit the course webpage.
- ICT Policy and Strategic Planning offers in-depth discussion of national ICT policies and strategies, development, implementation and management, e-readiness assessment and benchmarking, including the analysis of case studies. For more details visit the course webpage.
- Privacy and Personal Data Protection delves into the details of many of the global and local discussions surrounding privacy, the main instruments dealing with data protection and information privacy, their effects on national and regional regulations, emerging privacy issues such as anonymous expression, social networks, and cloud computing, the risks and challenges related to cybersecurity concerns, and the roles that companies play in the privacy protection ecosystem. For more details visit the course webpage.
Summer online courses on diplomacy
This summer, starting on 22 July, Diplo offers the following diplomacy courses:
Apply by 17 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.
Sign up for our courses mailing list to be informed about upcoming courses!
Save the date – E-participation day, 19 June
What is the state of e-participation in international Geneva? Is the use of social media increasing inclusiveness and engagement? Does remote participation help developing countries and small island states influence international decisions? What impact does citizen engagement and open data have on the work of international organisations? Join us for E-participation Day on 19 June 2013 in Geneva – in person or remotely. The full programme is available here. Please note that registration is required.
What's happening in Diplo's blogosphere
In an interesting post on the E-diplomacy channel, Jovan Kurbalija explores Internet etiquette and asks the question: Are you e-polite? Petru Dumitriu looks at when Stalin’s dream came true and in a follow-up post explores another of Stalin's dreams. Guy Giradet talks about E-remote participation in international organisations and also has a look at social media and international organisations. Pete Cranston summarises the best of what he’s seen in the last couple of weeks in his post Mapping States' activities, Tracking the Trackers, the end of Digital Diplomacy and Blogging in the UN (not): links we liked
On the E-tools channel, Mary Murphy looks at the power of blogging and questions her Internet dependency. On the Diplomacy channel, reflecting on the recent renewal of the MoU between Mexico, Malta and Switzerland to support online training, Jovan asks why we succeed in some activities, and fail in others, in Vision – supported by common sense and evidence-based decisions.
Over on Looking Sideways, Aldo Matteucci is in flying form as he poses the question: What if 25% of the French population were vagrants? He has also been arguing recently that the twenty-first century will be the one when we'll bring together what is known (rather than speculated) about man and society. This, he says, will transform societies in way we can barely begin to imagine. Read more in his post: A brain made transparent. Ever wondered whether human rights law is the framework of democracy? Ask no more! Or have you thought about wandering down the winding road to understanding soft power? As for where the world is going – Ask nanotechnology!
Back at home, on Diplo’s Home channel, we take a look at supporting humanitarian diplomacy at the Finnish Red Cross and voicing the 'silent' dimensin of small island states. Biljana Scott explores the diplomatic fall-out from the Eurovision contest which embroiled heads of State and Foreign Ministers: apparently some points assigned to the Russian entry by Azeri televoters have gone missing. Read more in her post: Nul Points!
Remember, you too can have your say by commenting on these or any of our blog posts. And, if you’d like to be a guest blogger, let us know.
Discussing Internet governance
The Swedish Internet Forum 2013 took place recently. Community member Grace Githaiga was on an opening panel on Internet freedom. Read the speech she delivered on the continued need to protect users’ rights, in Attending the Swedish Internet Forum 2013 #sif2013.
In Facial Recognition and Privacy, Kadian Davis argues that while facial recognition technology is beneficial in many ways, including law enforcement, it can also be potentially invasive without clearly defined policies. Read about the pros and cons.
Trevor A. Phipps writes about a recent decision by a local ISP to migrate its e-mail services to the Google Apps platform. Many questions arise, such as where the e-mails will be stored, and which country will have jurisdiction? Read more: Is all disclosure really disclosure?
In From ‘End-to-end’ to the ‘Rule of Law’: Should Network Neutrality be Enshrined into Legislation?, Luca Belli writes about the debates that took place during last week’s Council of Europe’s Multistakeholder dialogue on Network Neutrality and Human Rights. While on the one hand a suitable approach must be found, on the other, legislators and policymakers need to know what is really at stake.
Follow IG-related news and discussions on Diplo’s Internet governance channel, and on Diplo’s IG community blog roll.
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