DiploNews – Issue 144 – 18 August 2009
Upcoming Study Opportunities with Diplo
Autumn Courses
You are invited to apply for the following courses beginning the week of 12 October 2009:
- Development Diplomacy
- International Trade Relations and Diplomacy
These courses are available as Diplo Certificate Courses (application deadline 7 September). For further information or to apply, click on the titles of the courses above, or visit our courses website.
Climate Change Diplomacy
This online course will equip participants to represent and promote the interests of their own countries in the global climate change policy process. In addition, the course will broaden participants’ general understanding of climate change and the global policy response to climate change. Full scholarship support is provided by the Maltese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to diplomats, civil servants, and academics from small and developing states involved in climate change policy processes and negotiations. Please see the Diplo Climate Change Diplomacy website for further information and to apply. We are now accepting applications for the course running from 28 September – 4 December 2009. The application deadline is September 7.
2010 Master / Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy
You are invited to apply for the popular Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy, offered through the University of Malta. This blended learning programme offers a valuable opportunity for diplomats and other international relations professionals to continue studies while remaining on the job. The application deadline is 15 October. For more information and to apply please see the course webpage.
International Cooperation in Criminal Matters: A Key Tool in the Fight against Terrorism
This capacity building course, offered in cooperation with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and INTERPOL, aims to strengthen international cooperation by developing the knowledge and skills of practitioners for effective use of the international cooperation mechanisms envisaged in a series of UN treaties and resolutions adopted over the last 40 years. The 6-week online course will be conducted in French and will begin on 28 September 2009. The course is offered free of charge as a capacity-building initiative on the part of UNODC and INTERPOL. Applicants should be persons involved in international cooperation in criminal matters, in particular extradition and mutual legal assistance. Priority will be given to applicants from developing countries. For further information on course topics, prerequisites, and application instructions, please visit the UNODC website. The application deadline is 1 September 2009.
Workshops on Language and Influence and on Protocol and Etiquette
The workshops Language and Influence and Business Protocol and Etiquette, organised by DiploFoundation, will be held consecutively in Malta between 5 and 10 October 2009. Based on a knowledge sharing methodology the workshops provide training in language and protocol skills, addressing both inter-personal and cross-cultural issues. The workshops are aimed at business executives and professionals in the private and public sector who wish to improve their social and interpersonal skills when dealing with people from different cultural backgrounds. Due to the practical, personal, hands on nature of the workshops only a limited number of participants will be accepted. Applicants may choose to attend one of the two workshops or both. Special rates apply for participants attending both workshops, early bird, or group bookings. Application deadline: 18 September 2009.
Seeing the Effects of Climate Change by Generating Maps
With the Copenhagen Conference in December 2009 approaching, climate change is becoming an ever more present topic. We have seen:
- on July 28, the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the US and China on enhancing cooperation on climate change, energy, and the environment;
- on August 4-5, the discussion at the 40th Pacific Island Forum in Cairns, Australia, on climate change and its negative effects on human security in the Pacific Islands;
- the end-of-August UN Secretary-General’s visit to the Arctic polar ice rim.
With these discussions and events, a tool to visualize climate change can be very helpful. At the recently initiated Climate Wizard, you can see climate changes for yourself. The tool enables one to create a map showing changes in temperature and precipitation due to climate change. Among other things, you can choose the country, the emission scenario, and the time period in which you are interested. The available data ranges from 1901 to a projected 2100. The Climate Wizard results from collaboration between the Nature Conservancy, the University of Washington, and the University of Southern Mississippi.
Books on Diplomacy in August
As we know that diplomats have little time to fit reading and study into their schedules, we hope that a monthly review of new publications may assist in choosing some of the most relevant.
Lisa E. Davenport. Jazz Diplomacy: Promoting America in the Cold War Era. University Press of Mississippi.
In Jazz Diplomacy, Lisa Davenport looks at how jazz has been used in the attempt to win over hearts and minds. The book focuses on the US programme of jazz diplomacy from 1954 to 1968, which aimed at raising the attractiveness of the US and its type of capitalism to the populace of the Soviet Union and the Eastern bloc. Directly or indirectly, the book raises interesting questions: In what way did jazz diplomacy shape superpower relations? Can cultural diplomacy, the attempt to change perceptions and to win hearts and minds, transcend economic and strategic priorities? For more information, please have a look at the publisher’s website.
Jürgen Kleiner. Diplomatic Practice: Between Tradition and Innovation. World Scientific Publishing Company.
Jürgen Kleiner spent over 30 years in the German diplomatic service. His book is the result of this accumulated experience, in which he explains diplomatic institutions, actors, practices, and diplomatic protocol. In its 450 pages, the author offers a comprehensive overview, providing an excellent reference for scholars and practitioners. More information including a table of contents is available from the publisher’s website.
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