DiploNews – Issue 384 – 5 December 2019

Upcoming study opportunities

Capacity Development course

Capacity development has been emerging as a central approach within development for more than two decades. To help development professionals better understand and master this paradigm, this interactive online course introduces the key concepts, principles, and values of capacity development. The main focus is on building practical skills for better design, planning, implementation, and assessment of capacity development initiatives. The next session starts 17 February 2020 and the application deadline is 13 January 2020. Please visit the course webpage to read more and apply.

Humanitarian Diplomacy Diploma course

Apply now for the next session of the popular online course Humanitarian Diplomacy, offered in co-operation with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). This highly interactive 13-week course, led by Ambassador Christopher Lamb and a team of experienced practitioners, extends the knowledge base and develops practical skills of current and future practitioners in humanitarian diplomacy and policy. The course familiarises participants with basic definitions, concepts, actors, and institutions in the field of humanitarian diplomacy; introduces international humanitarian law; hones advocacy and negotiation skills; develops participants’ research skills; and, increases their understanding of national and regional humanitarian diplomacy activities.
 The course is offered in English; however, participants have the option of writing and submitting major course assignments and the final research paper in French or Spanish.
 The next session starts 17 February 2020 and the application deadline is 13 January 2020. Please visit the course webpage to read more and apply.

February 2020 online diplomacy courses

Start the new year with one of our most popular online courses:

• Diplomatic Theory and Practice
• Public Diplomacy
• Introduction to Internet Governance

Apply by 16 December 2019 for University of Malta accredited courses and by 13 January 2020 for Diplo certificate courses. For further information or to apply, click on the titles of the courses listed, or visit our courses webpage. Register now to reserve your place.

Malta scholarships

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.


Graduations

2019 Graduation – Master in Contemporary Diplomacy

Nine students graduated with a Master in Contemporary Diplomacy from the University of Malta and DiploFoundation on 22 November at the Jesuit’s Church in Valletta, Malta. Four of the students undertook a specialisation in Internet Governance. Read the blog entry, and view the photo gallery.

The graduation was the culmination of months of study. DiploFoundation congratulates the students on their graduation, and thanks its faculty members who supervised the work of these graduates.

Graduation ceremony Digital Commerce (just-in-time Geneva-based course)

The course was jointly offered by DiploFoundation, CUTS International Geneva, the International Trade Centre (ITC), and the Geneva Internet Platform, from 9 October to 2 December 2019. It benefited diplomats who follow digital trade negotiations on the multilateral and bilateral levels, and other professionals working in the field of digital trade.

The course covered a wide range of issues, including: digital flows, digital payment systems, taxation, competition and anti-monopoly policies, digital commerce discussions and negotiations in regional trade agreements (RTAs) and at the World Trade Organization (WTO), the interplay between digital commerce and Internet governance, and emerging technologies and issues (the Internet of things, big data, artificial intelligence, and 3D printing). Participants received their certificates at the graduation ceremony that took place on 2 December.

IGF 2019

IGF2019

DiploFoundation and the Geneva Internet Platform participated actively in the IGF 2019 by reporting from the vast majority of sessions.

Follow the dedicated space: https://dig.watch/igf2019 for all the session reports, daily briefs, and soon, the final IGF report.

A Diplo/GIP booth was also set up at the IGF to explain current and future projects.

Part of DiploTeam present at the IGF 2019 in Berlin

IGF debrief in Washington, DC

Join us on Wednesday, 11th December, 16:30-18:00 (EDT) in Washington, DC to discuss IGF 2019. This debrief is intended to be a useful forum for anyone interested in this year’s IGF, whether they attended or not. Remote participation will be available. This event is hosted by ISOC-DC, IGF-USA, and Diplo US.

humAInism

The IGF was also a good occasion to offer a taste of Diplo/GIP’s new project humAInism.

While introducing the ‘former coffee maker and future AI policy expert’ IQ’whalo, Executive Director of Diplo and Head of the GIP Jovan Kurbalija presented a session on humAInism.

Read more about the humAInism project on our dedicated page.

Jovan Kurbalija presenting a session on humAInism during the IGF 2019 in Berlin

Upcoming events

Webinar: How is water protected during armed conflicts?

Armed conflicts affect water in several ways: destruction and damage to water facilities, attacks against power plants providing water supplies, and the collapse of water treatments and sewage systems are some of these aspects. Moreover, continued hostilities and protracted armed conflicts may undermine the efforts to repair, maintain, and operate water pumping and treatment facilities.

The webinar will be held on Monday, 9th Decebmer, 13:00-14:00 (CET) at the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva, and online.

Read more about the event on our dedicated page and register to join the event.

Past events

Diplo takes part in session at the WTO Global Trade and Blockchain Forum

The event took place on 2-3 December, at the WTO headquarters. It discussed the transformative potential of blockchain in the field of trade by presenting use cases related to finance, transportation and logistics, border procedures, and agriculture. The role of international organisations in promoting regulatory and policy frameworks conducive to the deployment of blockchain technology while mitigating the risks was also analysed.

Diplo’s Digital Policy Senior Researcher Marilia Maciel moderated the session ‘From lagging behind to leapfrogging: Ensuring inclusive tech in the developing world’. The session focused on the opportunities and challenges for strengthening the use of blockchain in developing countries and the LDCs. It provided an opportunity to explore regulatory precedents, discuss the different roles of stakeholder groups and partnerships, and the alliances required for LDCs to benefit more fully from digital technologies.

[WebDebate] Exploring innovative teaching methodologies: Digital tools for teaching diplomacy

Digital tools have garnered substantial interest in the context of teaching and training in diplomatic practice. Tools such as video conferences, small online courses, and massive open online courses are changing the landscape of what is possible in the field. The WebDebate engaged in this conversation with the aim to keep diplomatic teaching and training up to date, to offer the best possible experience for participants, and to reach those that might have been excluded previously.

Cybermediation conference

The Cybermediation conference on the 19th of November allowed CyberMediation partners and event participants to share their findings in a number of areas including social media, data for peace, and artificial intelligence, and their links to prevention and the peaceful resolution of conflicts through the use of mediation.

This event saw the launch of the report ‘Mediation and artificial intelligence: Notes on the future of international conflict resolution‘ by DiploFoundation’s Katharina Höne.

Cyber-diplomacy web discussion

The cyber-diplomacy web discussion: Norms and confidence building measures (CBMs): Are we there yet?, organised with the support of Microsoft, looked at the importance of norms and confidence building measures (CBMs), went over already existing norms and CBMs in cyberspace, and debated the need for new ones. Read the digest and watch the recording.

Briefing November

In November’s Internet Governance briefing, we looked at the digital policy updates during November, and took an extended look at the IGF 2019 which was underway during the briefing.

What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogosphere

In the last few weeks, the Executive Director of DiploFoundation and Head of the Geneva Internet Platform Jovan Kurbalija published two blog posts: How Bauhaus can help build a digital home for humanity and 13 Dialogues on humAInism.

For those who missed the Cyber-diplomacy web discussion ‘Traceability and attribution of cyber-attacks: Who did it?’, the digest and recording are now available.

Diplo’s cybersecurity lead, Vladimir Radunović, prepared an update on the ongoing diplomatic battle for cyber-peace (or rather limiting the chances and effects of cyber-conflicts) in a two-part blog. Read Part 1 and Part 2.