DiploNews – Issue 262 – 15 October 2014

On the way to the Geneva Internet Conference

With the Geneva Internet Conference only one month away, share your views with us in online forums discussing How to overcome IG policy silos on national and global levels? and Whom do I contact if I want to raise my IG concern? On 28 October, we will kick off the third pre-conference debate on Evidence and measurement in IG. What sort of data are we talking about? Join us online or in Bern. Have you registered for the conference yet? Online participation is also possible. Or be part of one of our remote hubs – in Argentina, Bangladesh, Brazil, Malta, Nigeria, Russia, and Tunisia. For more information please contact gic@diplomacy.edu
 

Event in Geneva: Jurisdiction in the Internet Era

Jurisdiction is one of the most controversial issues in the Internet governance debate: under what conditions can a court in a given country decide on an Internet-related dispute? Join us for a discussion on questions such as: how far can the application of domestic law extend in the online environment? Under what conditions can local courts claim jurisdiction to decide on Internet-related disputes? Is there (or should there be) a single legal standard for accepting jurisdiction for all types of private Internet disputes (i.e. privacy, defamation, intellectual property, etc.)? How can the online ecosystem offer solutions in order to avoid fragmentation, conflicts of jurisdiction, and competition between national courts and legal systems? Join the event on 6 November.
 

Webinar Briefing on Internet Governance – November

Cyberspace Resurection? See the recording of October's webinar briefing on IG. You receive hundreds of pieces of information on digital politics. We receive them, too. We decode, contextualise, and analyse them. Then we summarise them for you. Our November briefing will take place on 4 November. Register here.
 

DiploFoundation Policy Brief: There is a solution for the inviolability of the root zone

Privacy and Surveillance: an update (event in Geneva)

After the public denunciation of the widespread surveillance of our online activities, heated discussions have taken place in forums ranging from the UN General Assembly, through the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly, to NETmundial in Brazil. Where are we now regarding surveillance? What are the next steps? Where do private companies stand on this battlefield? How can we ensure the right balance between the privacy of Internet users and the legitimate surveillance of unlawful activities? Where does Switzerland stand in the surveillance and privacy debate? More information, and registration for the 7 November event is available here.
     

Capacity Development online course

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, the UNDP, LenCD, and Learn4Dev. Visit the course webpage to read more about this unique course, and apply online. The next session starts on 19 January 2015; please apply by 10 December 2014.
 

What's been happening in Diplo's blogosphere?

Technology and social media are changing the diplomatic environment, but what is the impact on press conferences? Mary Murphy discusses this topic in Press conferences in the twenty-first century. The concept of education eiplomacy is also evolving. In Education Diplomacy Day – Developing an emerging concept for sustainable development, Katharina Hone talks about a recent event in Geneva which helped map the emerging field through discussion, presentations, and networking. Although education diplomacy is an emerging concept, are we already familiar with the challenges? 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

Developments around Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are taking place at a face pace, and Diplo is following them closely. In Bitcoin: boom or bust?, Diplo’s Simona Cioroiu reports from a recent debate hosted at the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Lausanne, Switzerland. In The Internet Balkanization Fragmentation, Sergio Alves Jr explores the issues around the use of the term, while the importance of human rights and cybersecurity issues in IG were discussed by Diplo director Dr Jovan Kurbalija at the recent Torino symposium on the evolution of the IG ecosystem. Looking ahead, the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2014 will be held in Busan from 20 October to 7 November. Read the call for crowdfunding, aimed at funding neutral reporting from this event.

Diplo’s IG community has been particularly active following the recent IGF in Istanbul. Davis Onsakia explores the reasons for Africa’s disinterest in network neutrality, while Baudouin Schombe reports on network neutrality discussions during last month’s IGF (blog post in French). Poncelet O. Ileleji discusses mindsets and balance in creating a national dialogue on IG from a Sub-Saharan African perspective; Momodou Salifu Jatta talks about empowering the youth on the Internet; Fundi Etelembongo Serge and Aguessy Hermann Thibaut write about the Internet as an engine of growth and development (blog posts in French).

Grace Mutung'u discusses the African Declaration on Internet Rights and Principles; Robert Achieng discusses ICANN’s reform towards an international body; and Ade Ed Camngca talks about options to connect Africa one country at a time. Guylaine Mootoo explores the role of stakeholders towards a safe, secure, and sustainable Internet; Simon Mbugua talks about harmonising cybersecurity legislation, in view of the recent African Union Convention on Cybersecurity and Personal Data Protection; while Octavia Kumalo discusses leadership as one of the ingredients for universal access. Avis Momeni discusses public access to the Internet in remote parts in Cameroon, while Foncham Denis Doh discusses child online protection from an African perspective.