DiploNews – Issue 395 – 19 May 2020

Upcoming study opportunities

Summer diplomacy courses

Applications for our next course sessions on diplomacy and Internet technology, starting on 20 July, are now open:

• 21st Century Diplomacy
• Diplomatic Law: Privileges and Immunities
• Multilateral Diplomacy
• Internet Technology and Policy

Apply by 15 June for Diplo certificate courses. For further information or to apply, click on the titles of the courses listed, or visit our courses webpage.

Need financial assistance? Scholarships are available

Thanks to support from the government of Malta, partial scholarships are available for applicants from developing countries to attend upcoming Diplo online courses. These scholarships cover 30%-60% of course fees and can be applied to most online courses in 2020. Browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu for further information. You can also sign up for our courses mailing list to be informed about upcoming courses.

Upcoming events

How to prevent COVID-19 becoming a humanitarian disaster in the context of conflict situations, refugee, and IDP populations? – Right On Web Chat

The Coronavirus pandemic and the counter measures taken by governments are already exacerbating the situation of persons living in regions in armed conflict, and in particular, those trying to escape – whether within or across national borders. In our next Right On discussion, we will discuss ways to prevent the pandemic becoming a humanitarian disaster for these vulnerable populations. Join us on Wednesday, 20th May at 13:00 UTC (15:00 CEST). Register for the event.

IG Briefing – May

What were the main Internet governance updates in May? How will recent updates influence the developments in upcoming months? Join us for our next monthly briefing on Tuesday, 28th April, at 11:00 UTC (13:00 CEST), for a round-up of the major global IG and digital policy developments. Register for the event.

Recent online events: Our main takeaways

The Future of Meetings

An optimal balance between onsite and online interactions, resulting in a hybrid approach, will positively change the future of meetings and, to a large extent, diplomacy. The Future of Meetings conference searched for a balanced formula by exploring five main aspects of the future of meetings: technology, security, moderation, behaviour, and diplomacy.
Read the report.

Contact tracing and challenges to privacy – Right On Web Chat

Many agree that using technology for the tracking of COVID-19 is an essential tool – not only to understand the virus, but also to protect the population and control the pandemic. On the other hand, human rights, privacy, and our comfort may be challenged with surveillance of this kind. In the Right On Web Chat, we discussed these issues, including the deployment of mass surveillance tools for public health, transparency, and public trust. Access the summary and recording.

Technology at the service of global health crises: Threats and opportunities

DiploFoundation’s Dr Katharina Höne participated in SciTech DiploHub’s event, discussing – amongst other things – the threats and opportunities of new technologies.
Access the recording:

Blogs and publications

For the benefit of our French speaking followers, the latest GIP Digital Watch Newsletter has been translated into French. Get your copy!

Governments around the world began targeting those they feel are responsible for COVID-19. Enemies were numerous. Some were invisible, some were foreign citizens coming from Coronavirus hotspots, and others were disobedient co-nationals. In her blog post, Katarina Andjelkovic writes about How disease shapes political narrative.

Small island states are already facing huge problems regarding the post-COVID-19 economy. Tracy Hackshaw offers a detailed analysis in Waking up to the ‘new normal’ or What does a post-COVID-19 world look like in small island developing states (SIDS)?

Where have all the health attachés gone?, asks Prof G R Berridge. By looking back in history, Prof Berridge analyses the current pandemic and the diplomatic and embassy responses to COVID-19.