<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; "><DIV>Hi all,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Don't know if this has been sent around yet, but I just heard news about this and thought I would pass along....</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV>The Diplo Foundation, ever the pioneer in online consultations and education, is launching an "Internet Governance Village" in the virtual world of Second Life (<A href="http://www.secondlife.com">http://www.secondlife.com</A>). This is part of Diplo's new "Diplomacy Island" that is being inaugurated today both in Geneva and in Second Life. From <A href="http://www.diplomacy.edu/projects/vd/sl.asp">their website</A>:<BR><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">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? </BLOCKQUOTE><BR></DIV><DIV>For more information or to participate in the inauguration, go to <A href="http://textus.diplomacy.edu/videovault/secondlife.asp">http://textus.diplomacy.edu/videovault/secondlife.asp</A> .</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>You can see some pictures of the Diplomacy Island on my blog at <A href="http://www.rikomatic.com/blog/2007/05/diplo_foundatio.html">http://www.rikomatic.com/blog/2007/05/diplo_foundatio.html</A> . (Note that I previously blogged a similar effort to launch an ICANN information center in Second Life <A href="http://www.rikomatic.com/blog/2006/12/the_real_skinny.html">http://www.rikomatic.com/blog/2006/12/the_real_skinny.html</A> .)</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Cheers,</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Rik Panganiban</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>--------------------------------</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">DIPLOMACY GOES VIRTUAL</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">INAUGURATION OF DIPLOMACY ISLAND</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">& VIRTUAL EMBASSY IN SECOND LIFE</DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px"> <BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> Organised by DiploFoundation in Partnership with</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> Government of Maldives</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) </DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px"> <BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> 18:30, Geneva - 22 May 2007</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> 16:30 (GMT), New York (GMT-4) 12:30, London (GMT+1) 17:30,</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">New Delhi (GMT+5:30) 22:00, Beijing (GMT+8) 00:30 next day</DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px"> <BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> VENUE</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Place: World Meteorological Organisation</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">7 bis, avenue de la Paix, Geneva</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Space: Diplomacy Island in Second Life (SL latitude/longitude: 150,191,26)</DIV><P style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px"> <BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></P><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> PROGRAMME</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Ambassador Fred Tanner, Director of the Geneva Center for Security Policy: Welcome Address</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> Dr. Srgjan Kerim, President Designate of the United Nations General Assembly: Address from the United Nations – New York</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> Mr. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director General of the United Nations Office at Geneva</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Ambassador Walter Fust, Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation – Importance of Virtual Diplomacy for Small and Developing Countries </DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "> H.E. Mr. Abdulla Shahid, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Republic of Maldives – Official Opening of the Virtual Embassy of Maldives</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Dr. Jovan Kurbalija, Director of DiploFoundation – Presentation of the Diplomacy Island</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">WHAT IS DIPLOMACY ISLAND?</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">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”:</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">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.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">The Virtual Diplomatic Academy will host sessions and panels related to modern diplomacy and themes such as environmental diplomacy, energy diplomacy and cyber-diplomacy.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">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.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Helvetica; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">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.</DIV><BR><BR><DIV> <SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Geneva" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;; font-family: Geneva; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Geneva; font-size: 11px; ">=-=-= -=-=- =-=-= -=-=- =-=-= -=-=- =-=-= --=-=- </SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Geneva" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;; font-family: Geneva; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Geneva; font-size: 11px; "> Rik Panganiban email: <A href="mailto:rik@rikomatic.com">rik@rikomatic.com</A></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Geneva" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;; font-family: Geneva; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Geneva; font-size: 11px; "> tel: +1 917 710 5524</SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Geneva" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;; font-family: Geneva; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Geneva; font-size: 11px; "> web: <A href="http://rikomatic.com">http://rikomatic.com</A></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Geneva" size="3"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;; font-family: Geneva; "><BR style="font-family: Geneva; font-size: 11px; "></SPAN></FONT></DIV><FONT class="Apple-style-span" face="Geneva"><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV><BR></BODY></HTML>