Geneva Engage is an initiative of DiploFoundation aimed at fostering effective links between International Geneva and communities worldwide that are affected by the policies discussed and negotiated in Geneva.
The initiative kicked off in January 2016 with a two-day conference which included included sessions about the effective use of social media, the introduction of different e-participation and e-diplomacy tools, and how to implement remote participation. It continues in 2017 with a series of events, including an awards ceremony, and a line-up of lectures.
[Upcoming] Join us for the 2017 Geneva Engage Awards Ceremony, on Wednesday, 8th February.
Geneva Engage 2017 builds on Geneva Engage 2016, and will dive deeper into the social dynamics of digital communication, whether it is the communication through social media, e-mail, or new technologies. How do the unwritten rules governing offline communication apply and adapt online? The 2017 edition will also feature a more sustained engagement throughout the year, with dedicated lecture series and blog posts. Join us for Geneva Engage 2017:
- Geneva Engage Awards 2017, followed by panel discussion | 8 February 2017
- Geneva Engage lecture series: Protocol in the online world, with Mary Murphy | TBA
- Geneva Engage lecture series: The power of the unsaid in diplomacy, with Dr Biljana Scott | TBA
- Geneva Engage Conference 2017 | TBC
Join us for the 2017 Geneva Engage Awards Ceremony, on Wednesday, 8th February
The Geneva Engage Awards are awarded to actors in recognition of their effectiveness in their social media outreach and engagement.
There are three Geneva Engage Award categories: (a) International Organisations, (b) Non-Governmental Organisations, and (c) Permanent Missions. The selection for the award is based on DiploFoundation's analysis and external analysis on the innovative and effective use of social media.
The 2016 Geneva Engage Awards were awarded to:
- The World Health Organization, in the International Organisations category
- The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and Child Rights Connect, in the Non-Governmental Organisations category
- The Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations and Other International Organisations in Geneva, in the Permanent Missions category
Read: How WHO’s ‘Twitter First’ Strategy Amplifies Communication In Real-Time (audiense.com)
‘Innovative e-participation can increase the visibility and inclusiveness of the important work done across International Geneva, raising awareness about its direct impact on people everywhere and enabling us to listen to the voices outside of Geneva.’
This was how Michael Moller, Director-General of the UN Office at Geneva, summed up the aims of the Geneva Engage conference during his keynote address. Participants at the Geneva Engage conference, which took place on 27 - 28 January 2016, looked for ways to foster effective links between International Geneva and communities worldwide that are affected by digital, climate change, migration, human rights, trade, and other policies discussed and negotiated in Geneva.
Ambassador Alexandre Fasel, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN in Geneva, stressed that ‘E-tools need to be adjusted to a wide range of scenarios. They can support the work of a select and focussed group, for example twelve negotiators around the same table. They can also support creating a highly inclusive environment, for example reaching out to the more than three billion mobile users worldwide and helping them to voice their views.’
Olivier Coutau, Delegate for International Geneva of the Republic and State of Geneva, asked participants: ‘How do we make sure that the farmer growing rice in Matara (Sri Lanka), the combatant in Kunduz (Afghanistan), the teacher in Juba (South Sudan) and the factory director in Zenica (Bosnia and Herzegovina) are all aware of the decisions taken in Geneva?’ He concluded that ‘e-participation can help to make international Geneva more accountable, more impactful, more relevant and, at the end of the day, more sustainable.’
Jovan Kurbalija, Director of DiploFoundation, suggested that ‘Lac Leman can become the ‘European Bay Area’.’ He explained: ‘With a unique blend of scientific, business, and policy institutions concentrated in a small space, Geneva can become a magnetic pool for the creative industry, think-tanks, and policy actors worldwide. The use of e-tools, including e-participation, can reinforce the local and physical relevance of Geneva, very much like what happened in the San Francisco Bay Area.’
During the first day more than 100 participants conducted a real-life experiment in e-participation by having both presenters and participants both online and in situ. A particularly lively session was on the way how e-participation tools can help persons with disabilities. With close to a billion people with some form of disability, their inclusion in global policy is one of the important challenges of global policy.
During the second day, the conference will focus on ways of widening and broadening participation. It will also be attended by the first ‘robot e-diplomat’. The Geneva Engage Conference is organised by DiploFoundation and the Geneva Internet Platform in co-operation and with the support of the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN in Geneva, the Canton of Geneva, and with the support of ICANN.
Learn more about the 2016 conference: visit the conference website, read the final report Menu for Innovative E-participation, and view video recordings and the photo gallery.
We invite you to join us in the Geneva Engage process:
- Participate in any of our upcoming events
- Join the online discussion on e-diplomacy
- Subscribe to our e-diplomacy mailing list
- Follow us on Twitter or visit our Facebook page
For more information, contact Ms Barbara Rosen Jacobson at barbarar@diplomacy.edu