[WSIS CS-Plenary] Diplo launching "Internet Governance Village" in virtual world of Second Life tomorrow

[Rik Panganiban]

Hi all,

Don't know if this has been sent around yet, but I just heard news  
about this and thought I would pass along....

The Diplo Foundation, ever the pioneer in online consultations and  
education, is launching an "Internet Governance Village" in the  
virtual world of Second Life (http://www.secondlife.com). This is  
part of Diplo's new "Diplomacy Island" that is being inaugurated  
today both in Geneva and in Second Life. From their website:

> The IG Village will host panels, round tables and conferences on  
> Internet Governance issues. Visitors will also have the chance to  
> consult various books, articles and other materials on Internet  
> Governance. The IG Village will focus on two sets of issues. First,  
> it will address issues of the interest for Second Life citizens  
> such as privacy, security, digital identity and taxation in cyber- 
> space. Second, the IG Village will promote discussion on the  
> Internet and developing countries, tackling questions such as: How  
> can the digital divide be reduced? How can Second Life citizens  
> contribute to this process? What are the governance challenges in  
> the process of digital divide?

For more information or to participate in the inauguration, go to  
http://textus.diplomacy.edu/videovault/secondlife.asp .

You can see some pictures of the Diplomacy Island on my blog at  
http://www.rikomatic.com/blog/2007/05/diplo_foundatio.html . (Note  
that I previously blogged a similar effort to launch an ICANN  
information center in Second Life http://www.rikomatic.com/blog/ 
2006/12/the_real_skinny.html .)

Cheers,

Rik Panganiban

--------------------------------

DIPLOMACY GOES VIRTUAL
INAUGURATION OF DIPLOMACY ISLAND
& VIRTUAL EMBASSY IN SECOND LIFE

         Organised by DiploFoundation in Partnership with
         Government of Maldives
         Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
         Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP)


                       18:30, Geneva - 22 May 2007
           16:30 (GMT),    New York (GMT-4) 12:30,     London (GMT+1)  
17:30,
New Delhi (GMT+5:30) 22:00,    Beijing (GMT+8) 00:30 next day

             VENUE
Place: World Meteorological Organisation
7 bis, avenue de la Paix, Geneva
Space: Diplomacy Island in Second Life (SL latitude/longitude:  
150,191,26)

           PROGRAMME

Ambassador Fred Tanner, Director of the Geneva Center for Security  
Policy: Welcome Address
Dr. Srgjan Kerim, President Designate of the United Nations General  
Assembly: Address from the United Nations – New York
Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director General of the United Nations  
Office at Geneva
Ambassador Walter Fust, Director of the Swiss Agency for Development  
and Cooperation – Importance of Virtual Diplomacy for Small and  
Developing Countries
H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs,  
Republic of Maldives – Official Opening of the Virtual Embassy of  
Maldives
Dr. Jovan Kurbalija, Director of DiploFoundation – Presentation of  
the Diplomacy Island

WHAT IS DIPLOMACY ISLAND?

Diplomacy Island is the next step in over a decade of research and  
development in the field of Virtual Diplomacy. Through Second Life,  
Diplo will explore new possibilities for diplomatic representation  
and negotiation. Diplomacy Island will be another channel for Diplo’s  
main mission to assist small and developing countries to participate  
meaningfully in international relations. Diplomacy Island includes  
the following “neighbourhoods”:

The Diplomatic Quarter will host Virtual Embassies. Along with the  
Virtual Embassy of Maldives, which will be inaugurated on 22 May,  
several other embassies are under construction including embassies of  
Malta, Philippines and Macedonia.

The Virtual Diplomatic Academy will host sessions and panels related  
to modern diplomacy and themes such as environmental diplomacy,  
energy diplomacy and cyber-diplomacy.

The Virtual Diplomatic Museum will be more than a typical museum. Its  
main function will be to highlight the relevance of diplomacy to  
modern society, as opposed to the use of force. The Museum will  
present historical examples of the success of diplomacy. Visitors  
will have a chance to communicate “across time” with famous diplomats  
from the past including Talleyrand and Metternich.

The Internet Governance Village will host panels, round table  
discussions and conferences on two sets of issues. First, of direct  
interest for Second Life citizens, the IG village will host  
discussions on privacy, security, digital identity and taxation in  
cyber-space. Second, the IG Village will promote discussions on  
Internet issues and developing countries, mainly on how to bridge the  
digital divide.


=-=-= -=-=- =-=-= -=-=- =-=-= -=-=- =-=-= --=-=-
   Rik Panganiban   email:  rik at rikomatic.com
                    tel:    +1 917 710 5524
                    web:    http://rikomatic.com



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman-new.greennet.org.uk/pipermail/plenary/attachments/20070521/fb34f122/attachment.htm