DiploNews – Issue 383 – 18 November 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.


Upcoming events

Diplo and the GIP at the Internet Governance Forum 2019

DiploFoundation and the Geneva Internet Platform (GIP) will be actively engaged at the 2019 Internet Governance Forum (IGF) which will take place on 25-29 November in Berlin, Germany.

As in previous years, DiploFoundation and the GIP Digital Watch observatory will provide just-in-time reporting from the IGF. Make sure to bookmark the Digital Watch space where the just-in-time reports and Daily newsletters will be published.

If you are attending the IGF, make sure to drop by our DiploFoundation and GIP booth!

Cybermediation conference

Technological developments impact all aspects of society. Similarly, they impact the practice of diplomacy. Mediation, the process whereby a third party assists parties, with their consent, to resolve conflicts is no exception.

During the conference, the Cybermediation partners will 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. Through the different thematic panels, practitioners and experts will exchange their experience of how mediators are incorporating digital tools in their work and how they are dealing with the new challenges resulting from the development of new technologies.

Join us in Geneva on Tuesday, 19th November!

Check out the updated programme and register to attend.

 

Round-table on current practices and trends in the use of e-learning platforms

What are the current and potential uses of e-learning platforms? How can learning be made more coherent and co-ordinated?

The round-table discussion is being organised by the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) of the United Nations, together with the Geneva Learning Network and DiploFoundation.

The aim is to share knowledge in regard to the current and potential uses of e-learning. The round-table also aims to compare, analyse, and reflect on the future of e-learning.

The JIU will consider these conclusions and findings as it prepares its official report on learning entitled ‘Policies, programmes and platforms in support of learning. Towards more coherence, coordination and convergence’.

See our page for the full programme and to register.

Past events

Cyber-diplomacy web discussion: Applicability of international law to cyberspace

In our Cyber-diplomacy web discussion: Applicability of international law to cyberspace which took place on 7 November, Robin Geiss (Glasgow Centre for International Law and Security [GCILS]) and Deborah Housen-Couriel (CLO and VP Regulation, Konfidas Ltd.; Adjunct Law Professor, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; Research Associate, ICT Herzliya) joined us to discuss the applicability of international law to cyberspace. The discussion was moderated by Dr Jovan Kurbalija (Executive Director of DiploFoundation and Head of the Geneva Internet Platform [GIP]).

Read the digest and watch the recording.

What’s been happening in Diplo’s blogosphere

The need for informed Internet governance discussions

In this blog post, the author discusses how the current digital reality demands digital policies and local, regional, and global Internet governance discussions that reflect the needs of the local and global communities. In this regard, DiploFoundation offers a selection of courses, including the Advanced Diploma in Internet governance.

Internet governance in October 2019

Renewed call from governments for back-door access and new tools being used for surveillance; facial recognition technology (FRT) facing regulation; and, Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency project facing more scrutiny and setbacks were among the main digital policy trends in October 2019. Check out the recording and summary of the October Internet governance briefing.