DiploNews – Issue 143 – 1 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
- Language and Diplomacy
These courses are available as University of Malta Accredited Courses (application deadline 10 August) and 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.
Capacity Building Cooperation with UNODC and INTERPOL
Building on successful cooperation over the last two years, Diplo is cooperating with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and INTERPOL to offer a new online capacity building course entitled “International Cooperation in Criminal Matters: A Key Tool in the Fight Against Terrorism.” The course 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.
Guerrilla Tactics for Diplomats
Review of Daryl Copeland: Guerrilla Diplomacy: Rethinking International Relations Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2009, 320 pp. Paperback edition available for $25 US from Amazon.
In a previous review, Petru Dumitriu described G. R. Berridge’s Theory and Practice of Diplomacy as Robinson Crusoe’s legacy to diplomacy. Suppose one is left on a deserted island and allowed only one book to study diplomacy; in that case, Dumitriu recommends Theory and Practice of Diplomacy. Suppose now, after twenty years, our Robinson Crusoe is found and brought back into civilisation. He will be glad to be saved and eager to apply his knowledge, but some parts of the diplomatic system he is thrown into will seem incomprehensible. A returning Robinson Crusoe would benefit from a study of Copeland’s Guerrilla Diplomacy: Rethinking International Relations. It offers a conceptual framework and practical guide for navigation through a globalised world, altered by science and technology, with transnational communities and global threats to security. (For the full review, please see Diplo’s book review page). Review by Katharina Höne.
UN Conference: Global Solutions for the Financial Crisis?
From 24 to 26 June the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and Its Impact on Development took place in New York. Its purpose was to identify responses to and possibilities for mitigation of the effects of the present world wide financial crisis. Important topics included the restructuring of international financial bodies and support for developing countries to avoid delays in their development. Background and further information can be found at the United Nations conference page.
Climate Change Hopes: UN Initiates Social Media Platform
The UN, the International Advertising Agency, and others have established a new website for posting short comments regarding the upcoming climate change negotiations in Copenhagen this December. The website, called Hopenhagen, is based on the goal of creating a global community to influence positively the decisions of world leaders at Copenhagen. Upon launching the website, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, “Climate change is one of the epic challenges facing this and future generations. World leaders will come together for the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December and every citizen of the world has a stake in the outcome. It is time to seal a deal. We need a global movement that mobilizes real change.” People can participate on the website by answering the question: “What gives you hope for a better planet?”
Subscribe to Diplo's News
