DiploNews – Issue 297 – 4 April 2016
Upcoming study opportunities
May 2016 online courses
Starting on 2 May 2016, we offer courses on diplomacy topics, both classic and contemporary:
The application deadline has been extended: apply by 18 April 2016 for Diplo certificate courses. Partial bursaries are available for qualified applicants from developing countries. For further information or to apply, click on the titles of the courses above, or visit our courses webpage. Register now to reserve your place.
Infographic: Social media factsheet of foreign ministries
The number of active users on social networks has increased exponentially over the past few years. Throughout this time, DiploFoundation has been following the trends in social media use by foreign ministries, embassies, international organisations, and diplomats. These trends include the pace at which foreign ministries jump on board; the way in which e-tools are being integrated into institutions’ online presence; the most popular platforms over time; and the level of engagement with citizens.
Diplo's new infographic summarises current findings related to foreign ministries from the ongoing study of e-diplomacy trends, and reveals interesting tendencies. Learn more.
WebDebates: a new series of online discussions on the future of diplomacy
DiploFoundation announces a new series of WebDebates, aimed at discussing key topics related to the future of diplomacy. The era of connectivity brings many challenges for diplomacy. How relevant is the diplomatic service? What changes can we expect to see in diplomatic training? Many more challenging questions will arise. The first WebDebate, on Tuesday, 5th April at 11:00 UTC/GMT, will discuss: 'Is the diplomatic service still needed?' with Ambassador Kishan S. Rana and Dr Jovan Kurbalija marshalling the main arguments for and against the future of diplomacy. Learn more about the new series and register for the first WebDebate.
Cybersecurity Competence Building Trends: Presentation of study and follow-up discussion on 8 April
DiploFoundation's study Cybersecurity Competence Building Trends, commissioned by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, sets out the various measures that ten OECD countries applied to promote competence-building measures in the field of cybersecurity. Examples of confidence-building measures include the development of cybersecurity curricula at universities, the creation of hubs and innovation centres at universities in cooperation with the private and public sector, the evolution of professional education programmes, and the use of knowledge frameworks. The study will be presented on Friday, 8th April, from 9:50 to 10:30 CEST during the two-day Cyber 9/12 Student Challenge hosted by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and the Atlantic Council. The session, organised by Diplo and the Geneva Internet Platform, will take place at the Maison de la Paix, Chemin Eugene-Rigot 2D, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland. Learn more and register to join.
Join us on 25 April: Technical Innovation for Digital Policy Issues
Data protection, freedom of information, and cybersecurity are increasingly in the focus of digital policy. Can technology provide adequate solutions to important policy issues? What are the options? The conference on Technical Innovation for Digital Policy Issues, organised by DiploFoundation and the Geneva Internet Platform, will gather leading Internet innovators and policy experts to discuss technical innovation and potential solutions to critical areas affecting Internet users worldwide. Learn more and join us in Geneva or through online participation.
Issue 9 of the Geneva Digital Watch newsletter
Issue 9 of the Geneva Digital Watch newsletter, published on 31 March, features the main developments in digital policy, including the latest on the Apple/FBI case, updates from ICANN's 55th meeting, the IANA stewardship transition proposal and ICANN accountability proposals in detail, and a look at the first report of the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Privacy. The Brazilian version of the newsletter, in Portuguese, will be available soon. Download your copy.
Discussing Internet governance
The Apple/FBI case, triggered after a US federal judge ordered Apple to assist the FBI in unlocking an iPhone, escalated to a global debate especially after Apple’s strong reaction. On 17 March, DiploFoundation and the Geneva Internet Forum organised a just-in-time webinar on the case. The lively debate during the webinar evolved into a Socratic dialogue on the core concepts and underlying assumptions of the case, and inspired us to create a series of posts that argue the main dilemmas, played out by three fictional characters, Privarius, Securium, and Commercias. The posts were the following:
- #1 A Socratic Dialogue on Privacy and Security
- #2 It's Just One Phone – Or Is It?
- #3 A Case for Encryption
- #4 A Matter of Trust
- #5 Towards an Internet Social Contract
The concluding thoughts were published in Issue 9 of the Geneva Digital Watch newsletter (page 7). Join us in the debate with your comments and questions.
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