DiploNews – Issue 238 – 15 October 2013

Diplo’s activities at the upcoming Internet Governance Forum in Bali

The 8th Internet Governance Forum is around the corner. The meeting, which this year is taking place in Bali on 21-25 October, will convene government representatives, civil society, academia, and the private sector, to discuss issues related to digital policy.

Diplo will once again organise a host of activities during the IGF. These include a flash session on Diplo’s Emerging Language of Internet Diplomacy which will provide an update on the project and demonstrate the ongoing analysis (we have been asking: What is the most frequently used word in IGFs? Who is most 'talkative' stakeholder? And how often do developing countries actually make their voices heard?); and a workshop on E-participation in IG processes (WS 67), which will focus on ways to improve full year-round participation and inclusion in regional and global IG processes.

Other activities include informal get-togethers and participation in other co-organised workshops. The full programme is available here.

Participating at the IGF: If you plan to travel to Bali or to participate at the IGF remotely, read Virginia (Ginger) Paque’s post on how to prepare for your IGF participation and interventions. Deirdre Williams writes about the ‘joys’ of engaging remotely – remote participation does have many advantages!

Capacity development in the Pacific

On 26 October, Diplo will officially launch CD Pacific – Capacity Development Prorgamme in Multilateral Diplomacy for Pacific Island States. The launch event will take place in Vanuatu, on the occassion of a visit by the Swiss Minister of Foreign Affairs. If you wish to attend the event or to participate in a broadcast to other Pacific Island states, please contact Tereza Horejsova at terezah@diplomacy.edu

Deadline extended

We have had a number of requests for additional time to apply for the Master/PGD in Contemporary Diplomacy (DiploFoundation/University of Malta). We know that getting an application package together takes a lot of time and effort, so we are extending the application deadline to 28 October 2013.

The Master/PGD in Contemporary Diplomacy (with an option to specialize in Internet governance) is a unique programme which includes a 10-day residential workshop in Malta followed by 16–20 months of online learning. Please visit the Master in Contemporary Diplomacy webpage to read more and to apply. The programme starts at the end of January 2014. Please note that we offer partial scholarships (20% fee reduction) to applicants from developing countries. Flexible payment plans are also available.

If you are considering to apply or have any questions, please contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu.

Looking ahead to 2014

Now is the right time to plan ahead for 2014. We've opened applications for our first set of online courses next year, starting the week of 17 February:

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

Apply by 16 December 2013 for University of Malta accredited courses and by 13 January 2014 for Diplo Certificate Courses. For further information or to apply, click on the titles of the courses above, or visit our courses website. These courses are always popular, so register now to reserve your place.

Sign up for our courses mailing list to be informed about upcoming courses.

What's new in Diplo's blogosphere?

In Public diplomacy: How should diplomats respond to questions and requests received via the Internet we look at an issue that poses a problem for many. Do we need formal policies or would informal guidelines suffice when it comes to reply to our publics?  

In the first part of a two-part blog, Jovan Kurbalija takes us back to cable geo-politics as news of the laying of a BRICS-cable triggers public attention just as news of laying telegraph cables did a century ago. The ‘cable rush’ by Britain, Germany, and France – then major industrial and colonial powers – heralded the start of cable geo-politics which still exist today.

A guest blog by Shujaat Wasty asks: Are phones still phones?  Shujaat looks at  the twenty-first-century behavioural culture shock often experienced in the difference in screening phone calls as opposed to picking up the phone, regardless of the setting. Continuing along this vein, Liz Galvez explores Email Etiquette … just how long can you leave an email unanswered without causing offence to the sender?

Remember, you too can have your say by commenting on these or any of our blog posts. And, if you’d like to be a guest blogger, let us know.

Discussing Internet governance

Have you ever surfed the Net aimlessly? They call it ‘wilfing’. Mary Murphy writes about it, and asks why have we only come up with the word now.

Multistakeholderism has been touted as an institutional solution to many of the world’s problems, including Internet governance. But is multistakeholderism truly democratic and efficient? Aldo Matteucci has serious doubts. Read why, in Stakeholders? On tap – not on top!

In Empowerment is the key factor, Taiwo Peter Akinremi argues that real action, and not plain words, is need to empower youth, while Luca Belli shares an article he co-authored with Matthijs van Bergen on  A Discourse-Principle Approach to Network Neutrality: A Model Framework and its Application.

Follow more IG-related news and discussions on Diplo’s Internet governance channel, and on Diplo’s IG community blog roll.