DiploNews – Issue 212 – 17 September 2012

Last call for applications: 2013 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, starting at the end of January 2013. This blended learning programme offers a valuable opportunity for diplomats and other international relations professionals to continue studies without leaving work. The programme consists of a 10-day residential workshop in Malta followed by 16 to 20 months of online learning.

New for 2013: Applicants may select Internet Governance as an area of specialisation within the Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy. Candidates for this area of specialisation will attend several required courses in the area of Internet governance (Introduction to Internet Governance, eDiplomacy, Cybersecurity, and Infrastructure and Critical Internet Resources) and select their remaining courses from the wide list of diplomacy topics. Candidates will write their dissertations on Internet governance-related topics. Please check our announcement of this new specialisation option for more information.

The application deadline for the Master/Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy is 30 September 2012. For more information and to apply please see the course webpage.

What’s happening in Diplo’s Blogosphere?

As the world appears to become even more complicated, Diplo’s bloggers continue their quest to make sense of it all. In light of recent attacks on diplomatic missions in the Middle East, Jovan Kurbalija questions Embassy buildings: fortresses or bazaars? Aldo Matteucci also visits Libya as he worries about the infinite hidden consequences […] of freedom of opinion and speech. In an interesting pair of blogs – Don’t shoot the “rotten” compromise – it’s all we have! (Part I) and (Part II), Aldo follows up on Jovan’s blog on compromise. He also follows up on Hannah Slavik’s piece on mass-participation online courses as he questions the process of Learning as teaching. As well as exploring The Darker side of Twitter, Aldo also wonders Where did democracy emerge?

Guest blogger Deirdre Williams writes about eParticipation and wonders about Being there: where’s there? Pete Cranston interviews Jovan Kurbalija on his piece ‘The Impact of the Internet and ICT on Contemporary Diplomacy’ in the publication Diplomacy in a Globalizing World (2012, Oxford University Press).

Over in Budapest, Mary Murphy wonders whether 'unfriending' on Facebook is a new feature of diplomacy? Katharina Höne continues her blogversation with Aldo on metaphors in Bridges for donkeys and some other metaphors … relating mind and world.

You, too, can join the conversation and have your say. Check out our blog and leave a comment.

Discussing Internet governance

A recent proposal by the European Telecommunications Network Operators’ Association (ETNO) to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to create a kind of multi-tiered Internet, sparked controversy. Diplo’s Vladimir Radunovic examines the proposal and talks about possible implications in Net neutrality debate goes to the ITU WCIT.

‘Balkanisation through regulation’ is a popular term. Is it a contradiction? How does it translate to the 'regulation' of the Internet? Jovan Kurbalija explores this notion in The Internet and ‘balkanisation through regulation’.

On our Internet governance community portal, Juan Manuel Rojas shares some concerns about cybercrime and DNS Security Extensions. Despite the advantages it offers, what are its shortcomings? In Fibre Optic Cable Cutting disrupting Internet Usage in developing nations, Mayengo Tom Kizito reflects on the frequent incidents of damaged optic cables, and asks whether alternative options exist.

Naveed Ul-Haq has traced the hard-fought battle between Apple and Samsung – but the battle continues. Read his blog post on Apple vs Samsung – The battle fought with Patents – Who is the real loser?

In Internet evolution at the crossroads, Arzak Khan goes through the key stages in the evolution of the Internet, and reflects on the latest developments. These have brought the evolution at a crossroads between the economic, social, and technical advances on one hand, and efforts to regulate the Internet in various ways on the other.

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Persuasion in Diplomacy

Persuasion is one of the threads that connect ancient diplomats with the diplomacy of the twenty-first-century digital age. Today, as ever, to persuade and/or be persuaded is one of the diplomat’s key concerns. Social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook may have changed the playing field a little, but the essence of diplomacy remains the same. Persuasion – language-mediated influence, a peaceful and sincere change of diplomatic view, and the congruence of attitudes – has been and will continue to be a valued skill, a characteristic that we share with the earliest diplomats, our predecessors.

We are compiling and publishing a volume on Persuasion The Essence of Diplomacy to honour the work of Prof. Dietrich Kappeler in the area of diplomatic scholarship and education. We invite you to contribute by reflecting on your experience with persuasion and its importance in diplomacy. You can write a contribution of between 3000 and 4000 words, or provide an interview by telephone or e-mail which will be transcribed and edited for your review. Alternately, you may simply make suggestions concerning the topic, or forward information to others you think may be in a position to contribute. To send your contribution or set up an interview, contact us at persuasion@diplomacy.edu.

Workshop on Public Diplomacy for South African diplomats

The South African Directorate of International Affairs and Cooperation (DIRCO) has a large, beautifully designed and very green building some way outside Pretoria. From 10 – 14 September, 2012, Diplo faculty members Dr Alex Sceberras Trigona, Ms Liz Galvez and Mr Pete Cranston ran a five-day workshop at DIRCO on Public Diplomacy. The group of training participants was diverse – including senior staff who had played important roles in the transition process from apartheid to democracy, a strong, experienced group from the armed forces and police, and a group of energetic middle and more junior managers. Presentations and discussions around traditional public diplomacy topics were interspersed with sessions focusing on eDiplomacy. The workshop led up to a group exercise developing outline strategy and plans for South Africa’s imminent chairing role in the African Union. The overall response from the participants was very positive, on both the traditional public diplomacy material and the eDiplomacy component. From 18-20 September, Alex and Liz will be running a similar three-day workshop for South African parliamentarians and their staff in Cape Town.