DiploNews – Issue 103 – 16 May 2007

DiploNews – Issue 103 – May 16, 2007

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Inauguration of Diplomacy Island and Virtual Embassy in Second Life

Diplomacy Island and Virtual Embassy will be inaugurated at 18:30 on 22 May 2007 at the World Meteorological Organisation in Geneva and in the virtual space of Diplomacy Island in Second Life (SL latitude/longitude: 150,191,26).

Diplomacy Island, a virtual space in Linden’s Second Life, is the next step in over a decade of research and development in virtual diplomacy. Through Second Life, DiploFoundation will explore new possibilities for diplomatic representation and negotiation. Diplomacy Island will be another channel for Diplo’s main mission to increase the meaningful participation of small and developing countries in international relations.

Diplomacy Island includes the following 'neighbourhoods':

• A Diplomatic Quarter hosting virtual embassies, where, in addition to the present virtual embassy of Maldives, which will be inaugurated on 22 May, other embassies including those of Malta, the Philippines, and Macedonia are under construction.
• A Diplomatic Academy hosting sessions and panels related to modern diplomacy and to specialised topics such as environmental diplomacy, energy diplomacy, and cyber-diplomacy. 
• A Diplomatic Museum highlighting diplomacy as negotiation and dialogue, rather than the use of force, in which visitors will have a chance to communicate “across time” with famous diplomats from the past including Talleyrand and Metternich. 
• An Internet Governance Village hosting panels, round table discussions, and conferences on privacy, security, digital identity, taxation in cyber-space, and other Internet issues pertinent to developing countries. 

Presentations will include:

• Address by Dr. Srdjan Kerim, President Designate of the UN General Assembly


• Opening of the Virtual Embassy of Maldives by Hon. Dr. Ahmed Shaheed, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Maldives


• The Importance of Virtual Diplomacy for Small and Developing Countries by Ambassador Walter Fust, Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation


• Address by Mr. Philip Rosdeale, CEO of Linden Labs and founder of Second Life
  and


• Presentation of Diplomacy Island by Dr. Jovan Kurbalija, Director of DiploFoundation.

For further information, contact diplo@diplomacy.edu.

Blog on Multilateral Negotiations in Disarmament

The project of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, “Disarmament as Humanitarian Action: Making Multilateral Negotiations Work” and the Geneva Forum have established the Disarmament Insight Initiative to help disarmament practitioners think in innovative ways about human security in their work. Disarmament Insight resources are now available online as part of this initiative, including a research blog, links to key resources, and downloadable podcasts from Disarmament Insight events.