DiploNews – Issue 180 – 2 May 2011
Summer Courses
Advance your professional education this summer with one of our courses starting the week of 25 June:
Apply by 23 May for University of Malta accredited courses or by 20 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 early to reserve your place!
I found it [the course on Diplomatic Law: Privileges and Immunities] very useful, constructive and also practical towards my line of work. As a diplomat, it gave me an
understanding of the essential components and awareness of the entire
armoury a diplomat possesses through privileges and immunities under the
VCDR.
–Luciano Fonoti, Ministry of Foreign Affairs
and Trade, Samoa
‘Permanent Error’: A Reminder of the E-waste Problem
This month, we introduce a book that is quite different from our usual ‘books on diplomacy’ recommendations.
Pieter Hugo. Permanent Error. Munich: Prestel Art, 2011.
Permanent Error, by South African photographer Pieter Hugo, is a collection of photographs taken on a dump site in Ghana. What is being dumped there is e-waste, mainly old computers coming from the developed world. When it is burnt to extract sellable metal parts, the e-waste is a toxic threat to the soil as well as to human health.
The theme of this book lies at the crossroads of two of Diplo’s main interests: the potential of new technology to enhance diplomacy and other areas of global policy, on the one hand (for example, our courses on E-diplomacy and our capacity development programme on Internet governance), and international efforts to protect the environment on the other hand (for example, our course on Climate Change Diplomacy). The haunting pictures serve as a reminder that the potential of new technology can only be fully realised if we find a sustainable solution for dealing with the e-waste resulting from innovation. Many of the photos, as well as further information, can be seen on the photographer’s website.
Libya: A New Beginning or the End for the ‘Responsibility to Protect’?
Will European countries be able to keep their promises and provide adequate support for the Arab democratic revolutions? Join Richard Werly, Diplo fellow and Brussels-based correspondent for Le Temps, for another Brussels e-briefings webinar on Thursday, 5 May, at 15:00 CET. Participants will be able to ask topic-related questions. Registration is required. Visit the Brussels e-briefings page for further information.
Diplo’s African Tour (April 2011)
In April, Diplo’s main focus was on Africa. Between 5 and 21 April, we delivered 5 workshops involving 150 participants from many African countries. Each workshop inspired participants to explore new policy options and use new tools in their work. The end of each workshop saw the beginning of online interaction. All the elements are now in place for the emergence of new policy communities. You can read more about the workshops on our Reflections on Diplomacy blog.
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