The World e-Democracy Forum, organised in Issy-les-Moulineaux, rewards those who have made a commitment to affecting meaningful political change through use of the Internet and new technologies. PoliticsOnline has partnered with the World e-Democracy Forum since its inception and each year publishes its ‘Top 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics’, a list co-written with the help of Internet users themselves. In 2009, Diplo was among the top 10. Through online training, online policy research and policy immersion, Diplo has helped many developing countries, organisations and individuals to participate meaningfully in the global governance of the Internet. At the ceremony, Dr Jovan Kurbalija said, ‘Inclusive and diverse governance is the only way to address global issues such as climate change, migration and the Internet.’ He added: ‘Diplo’s capacity development programme assists small and developing countries who are often absent from global negotiations.
