By Namira Salim, Founder and Chairperson, Space Trust. As Mr. Donald Trump stands as the Republican nominee, long time democrat and women’s rights champion, Mrs. Hillary Clinton will face a challenge unlike she, nor any politician, has faced before.‎ However, facing and overcoming adversity is inherent in Mrs. Clinton’s DNA.  She, like so many women before her and undoubtedly those to come, is hard-wired to buck what has been deemed ‘tradition’ and to break trends and barriers; be these related to ethnicity, creed or gender. In this new age of space exploration, which we call the advent of the ‘Commercialization of Space’ Mrs. Clinton’s efforts are timely; they ensure that the next generation of world ‎leaders and especially, women leaders, are given equal and ample opportunity to succeed. However, since I was born in Pakistan, I have no partisan bias in the U.S. voting process. Yet, despite my nation being a developing one, with its own burden of geopolitical crises in recent history, it remains the first Muslim nation in the world to have democratically elected the First Female Prime Minister, Ms. Benazir Bhutto in 1988. And so today we see a paradigm shift – a U.N. Secretary General campaign is currently spearheaded by talented women candidates such as Ms. ‎Natalia Gherman‎,  former ‎Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova, and Ms. Irina Bokova, Director General UNESCO originally from Bulgaria; we have long looked to the stewardship of Ms. Angela Merkel, German Chancellor and Ms. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund. Inspired by such women leaders, I have ventured to break down ‘man-made barriers’, having become the First Pakistani to have undertaken pioneering Peace expeditions to the North Pole in 2007 and South Pole in 2008, ‎as well as the first Asian to Skydive (tandem) over Mount Everest in 2008 and next, to become the first Pakistani to go to Space as Founder Astronaut of Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, the first private Space-line in the world. My dream of ‘breaking orbits’ is one shared by many. And it is worth remembering that politics was not always Mrs. Clinton’s choice of career. As a young girl, she too dreamt of becoming an astronaut and in fact, even wrote to NASA regarding her ambition.  In her 2003 Memoir ‘Living History’, Mrs. Clinton quoted NASA’s response as the following – ‘We are not accepting girls as astronauts.’  While today, ‘Gender Equality and Women Empowerment’ is regarded as a fundamental human right under the United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals and remains a necessity for a peaceful and prosperous world, this was not always the status quo. To date, 59 women have flown in space, out of a total of 536 space travelers. Russia’s Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in Space in 1963, less than two years after‎ fellow Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.  While Mrs. Clinton’s dreams of space flight were stifled then by the societal restrictions of the period, there were many who championed women’s rights before her to help secure all of our future ambitions, in arenas Mrs. Clinton would come to be known for championing.‎ Victoria Woodhull, for example, was also an activist, politician and author, much like Mrs. Clinton and was arguably, the first woman to run for the Presidency of the United States. A free thinker, Ms. Victoria Woodhull created ‘Claflin’s Weekly,’ a radical publication, in 1870 alongside her sister. The journal gave them a soapbox to stand on, a platform to express their ideas on social reform, including women’s suffrage. The journal was also and controversially, the first to publish an English translation of Karl Marx’s ‘Communist Manifesto.’‎ No doubt a strong supporter of women’s rights, Ms. Woodhull, who had already broken the ‘rules’ by becoming the first woman stockbroker, later established the Equal Rights Party, and shortly thereafter, became the first female candidate in history to seek the United States Presidency on the political group’s ticket. No matter the result, Ms. Woodhull stands as a pioneer; a ‘Founder’ of an ideology that has driven American society to astronomical heights.  She would eventually live long enough to see women be given the right to vote in 1920. And today, her efforts have had a trickle down effect the world over, where we see a diverse array of women vying for prestigious roles in unprecedented competitions.‎ ‎ As a Founder Astronaut of Virgin Galactic, which will also make me the first (future) South Asian Space Tourist, I have pursued dreams that would have been unthinkable for women less than a generation ago; I trust my story has inspired women internationally and I hope to continue to encourage the Space generation of women leaders to reach for the stars.

I am particularly sensitive to those regions where women and girls continue to be victims of discrimination and violence; where hope is an invaluable commodity and too often, in short supply. Perhaps, female leadership with an ample dose of sensitivity is the answer?  Can the first female President of the United States and the first female Secretary General of the United Nations work hand in hand to accomplish such humanity, for example?

By Nicolas Boeglin. A collective open letter signed by a great number of professors of international law and researchers entitled « A plea against the abusive invocation of self-defence as a response to terrorism » is circulating on the web for a few weeks. Among the signatories, of which there are more than 230 professors and 50 assistants/researchers (see the list available here at July 29, regularly updated by the Centre de Droit International de l´Université Libre de Bruxelles, ULB) , we find distinguished members of international law community as well a younger researchers and assistants. The objective of this collective initiative is to challenge the invocation of the legal argument of self-defence by several States in the context of the so called “war” against ISIL or ISIS. As well known, the United Nations Charter is extremely clear on the unique exception to the prohibition of the use of force since 1945: self-defence (and military operations authorized by Security Council under Chapter VII of the Charter). However, since 9/11, interpretations made by United States and its allies have tried to legally support unilateral military operations in the territory of a State without previous consent of its authorities. In a recent note published on the website of the prestigious European Journal of International Law (EJIL), we read that: “Particularly since 9/11, several States have supported a broad reading of the right to use force in self-defence, as allowing them to intervene militarily against terrorists whenever and wherever they may be. A consequence of that conception is that any State could be targeted irrespective of whether that State has ‘sent’ the irregular (in this case terrorist) group to carry out a military action or has been ‘substantially involved’ in such an action” (Note 1). The use of force in self-defence must be exercised in conformity with the conditions laid down in international law, and particularly the UN Charter. On this very particular last point, it must be recalled that France presented to the Security Council a quite surprising draft resolution after Paris attacks of November 13, 2015 (see full text of the « blue version » circulated among delegations) avoiding any reference to the Charter in its operative paragraphs: it is possibly a great “première” of French diplomacy at the United Nations (Note 2). The text of this global call (available here ) in French, English, Portuguese, Spanish and Arabic) considers, among others arguments, that: « Thus, numerous military interventions have been conducted in the name of self-defence, including against Al Qaeda, ISIS or affiliated groups. While some have downplayed these precedents on account of their exceptional nature, there is a serious risk of self-defence becoming an alibi, used systematically to justify the unilateral launching of military operations around the world».   «Without opposing the use of force against terrorist groups as a matter of principle — particularly in the current context of the fight against ISIS — we, international law professors and scholars, consider this invocation of self-defence to be problematic. In fact, international law provides for a range of measures to fight terrorism. Priority should be given to these measures before invoking self-defence ». For the signatories of this collective letter, « …. we consider that terrorism raises above all the challenge of prosecution and trial of individuals who commit acts of terrorism. A variety of legal tools are available in this respect. They relate first and foremost to police and judicial cooperation (chiefly through agencies such as INTERPOL or EUROPOL), aiming both at punishing those responsible for the crimes committed and preventing future occurrence of such crimes. Although there is certainly room for improvement, this cooperation has often proved effective in dismantling networks, thwarting attacks, and arresting the perpetrators of such attacks. By embracing from the outset the « war against terrorism » and « self-defence » paradigms and declaring a state of emergency, there is a serious risk of trivializing, neglecting, or ignoring ordinary peacetime legal processes”. It must be noted that this document is open for signature by international law scholars and researchers around the world until next September 1st. The text recalls a certain number of very clear rules that diplomats and judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, and diplomats in New York know better than anyone, despite the ambiguous interpretations made by some of their colleagues at the Security Council, in particular since the beginning of airstrikes in Syria, without the consent of its authorities (Note 3). This document also refers that: « …, the maintenance of international peace and security rests first and foremost with the Security Council. The Council has qualified international terrorism as a threat to the peace on numerous occasions. Therefore, aside from cases of emergency leaving no time to seize the UN, it must remain the Security Council’s primary responsibility to decide, coordinate and supervise acts of collective security». « Confining the task of the Council to adopting ambiguous resolutions of an essentially diplomatic nature, as was the case with the passing of resolution 2249 (2015) relating to the fight against ISIS, is an unfortunate practice. Instead, the role of the Council must be enhanced in keeping with the letter and spirit of the Charter, thereby ensuring a multilateral approach to security /…/ However, the mere fact that, despite its efforts, a State is unable to put an end to terrorist activities on its territory is insufficient to justify bombing that State’s territory without its consent». «Such an argument finds no support either in existing legal instruments or in the case law of the International Court of Justice. Accepting this argument entails a risk of grave abuse in that military action may henceforth be conducted against the will of a great number of States under the sole pretext that, in the intervening State’s view, they were not sufficiently effective in fighting terrorism». It must be noted that in February 2016, Canada new authorities decided to cease airstrikes in Syria and Iraq. We read on this official note produced by Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) that: “ In accordance with Government of Canada direction, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) ceased airstrike operations in Iraq and Syria on 15 February 2016. From their first sortie on 30 October 2014 to 15 February 2016, the CF-188 Hornets conducted 1378 sorties resulting in 251 airstrikes (246 in Iraq and 5 in Syria), expended 606 munitions and achieved the following effects: 267 ISIL fighting positions, 102 ISIL equipment and vehicles, and, 30 ISIL Improvised Explosive Device (IED) factories and ISIL storage facilities”. In 2015, a Canadian scholar concluded an extremely interesting article on airstrikes in Syria and Iraq in the following terms: “However, there is a further legal hurdle for Canada to overcome. Unless Canada can attribute ISIS´ attacks in Iraq to Syria, then the question becomes whether Canada may lawfully target ISIS, as a nonstate actor in Syria’s sovereign territory, using the ‘unwilling or unable’ doctrine to prevent ISIS’ extraterritoriality attacks against Iraq. This justification moves significantly away from the Nicaragua, Congo and Israeli Wall cases’ requirement for attribution. There appears to be a lack of consensus on whether opinion juris and state practice have accepted the “unwilling or unable” doctrine as customary international law. There is no escaping the conclusion that Canada’s air strikes on Syria are on shaky, or at least shifting, legal ground ” (Note 4).

  Concerning airstrikes in Syria and Iraq by coalition member States (see for example the detailed report for July 2106 prepared by the NGO Airwars.org), the systematic registry of every single airstrike give a more complete idea on how tasks are shared inside the coalition: illustrative charts realized by Airwars.org clarify the fact that bombs exploding in those two States are mainly dropped from United States aircrafts . In particular, a careful reading of Chart 9 of the before mentioned link (see the column corresponding to July 2016) shows that at July 25st, in Syria 4414 airstrikes from United States have took place in July 2016, while 249 were realized by other coalition members (officially 10 States are part to the coalition in Syria, to which Canada cannot be included anymore concerning airstrikes (nor in Syria, nor in Iraq), and that since February 2016). With regard to civilian harm in Syria caused by airstrikes, a recent report of June 2016 states that: ”This raises concerns that important, corroborating information was either never identified or discounted with little justification, a concern confirmed by a comparison to an investigation by Airwars into one of the strikes involved, which demonstrates that open source data was overlooked. As a result of these apparent shortcomings, it is highly likely that there is a significant amount of information regarding civilian harm and its strategic impact that the United States simply does not know”(p. 55). The signatories of this collective call, whose number increase from day to day, including scholars from different continents and age, conclude reaffirming that: « The international legal order may not be reduced to an interventionist logic similar to that prevailing before the adoption of the United Nations Charter. The purpose of the Charter was to substitute a multilateral system grounded in cooperation and the enhanced role of law and institutions for unilateral military action. It would be tragic if, acting on emotion in the face of terrorism (understandable as this emotion may be), that purpose were lost ». —— About the author: Nicolas Boeglin is professor of International Law, Law Faculty, Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR).   Note 1: See CORTEN O., « A Plea Against the Abusive Invocation of Self-Defence as a Response to Terrorism”, European Journal of International Law (EJIL Talk), July 14, 2016, available here . Note 2: See ou modest note published in France, BOEGLIN N., «Attentats à Paris : remarques à propos de la résolution 2249 », Actualités du Droit, December 6, 2015, available here . See also, after parliamentary debate in United Kingdom authorizing airstrikes in Syria, BOEGLIN N. «Arguments based on UN resolution 2249 in Prime Minister´s report on airstrikes in Syria: some clarifications needed », Human Rights Investigation, December 4, 2015, available here . Note 3: On the notion of « unwilling or unable » State, justifying, for some diplomats, military operations on its territory without its previous consent, see: CORTEN O., “The ‘Unwilling or Unable’ Test: Has it Been, and Could it be, Accepted?”, Leiden Journal of International Law, 2016. Absrtract of this article available here . Note 4: See LESPERANCE R.J. , “Canada’s Military Operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria and the Law of Armed Conflict”, Canadian International Lawyer, Vol. 10 (2015), pp. 51-63, p. 61. Full text of the article available here .    

By Barçın Yinanç. ‘The EU loves to portray itself as a pan-European project. However, it stubbornly rejects and systematically demonises the only two European countries that have steady economic growth, Russia and Turkey. Is the EU on its way to end up as the League of Nations – pretending to be universalistic project, but by excluding major powers, derogating itself to the margins of history?’ – asked prof. Anis H. Bajrektarevic, well before the Brexit vote, in his enlightening piece ‘Geopolitics of Technology’. What is the new dynamics in this triangular equitation? Let’s examine the Turkish take on this fundamental question. *          *          *          * Ever since the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power, members of the Foreign Ministry have had ample opportunity to witness the deeply-rooted relations established between political Islamic movements all over the world and the ruling party. One of the strongest one is with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.  That’s why, it is not surprising to hear President R.T. Erdogan put Egypt in a different category from Israel and Russia. Frankly, I am horrified by the brutal campaign against dissidents led by the military rule in Egypt. I am equally disgusted by the West’s indifference to gross violations of human rights in that country. It seems that the fear and terror of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has frightened Western capitals so much that they see no problem in selling arms to that brutal regime. Yet, the fact that the country’s former military chief, current President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, has presided over the flagrant abuse of human rights since taking office cannot justify the current strain in Turkish-Egyptian relations for the simple reason that, while the tension in relations has harmful consequences on Turkey, it has zero effect on Egypt.  While Turkey has suffered economically due to the loss of trade with Egypt and the region, it has lost any leverage that could have helped the victims of human rights violations. So, one of the consequences of normalizing ties with Israel will be a mediation effort on the part of Israel that will involve a negotiation based on the situation of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. To what degree Egypt’s el-Sisi will agree to prioritize “rule of law” in case of dissidents remains to be seen, especially when that demand comes from a leader who is not himself very fond of the concept. At any rate, Turkey’s ruling AKP elites will at least see that making a difference comes not via contention but via engagement, and that contention makes a difference when you have allies on your side to support your policy. Prioritizing engagement over contention has proven to be a lesson learned the hard way for AKP elites. And let’s face it, that lesson has been taught by Russia.  The call for a reset on foreign policy has been made for a long, long time. You did not need to be an opponent of the ruling party or a foreign policy genius to see that need. And the change in foreign policy formulated by the new prime minister – “We will increase our friends and decrease our enemies” – came as a result of the crisis with Russia. And if there will be some sort of reset in Turkey’s policy on Syria, it will come not as a result of ISIL terror, but as a consequence of normalization with Russia. Let’s face it, economic measures taken by Russia have hurt millions in Turkey. The Kremlin did not choose to punish millions of Turks because of the humiliation it suffered after its jet was downed by the Turkish Air Force on the Syrian border and to avenge the pilot who lost his life. There was an accumulated anger in Russia due to Turkey’s policies in Syria.  “We thought we could contain our differences in Syria, just like we used to do with other issues we were in disagreement, and continue with business as usual. Each time we talked to the Russians, we would say, ‘Relations are fine,’ while they would tell us ‘things are not good.’ We did not quite understand why they use to talk like that,” a Turkish foreign policy pundit told me. The situation in Syria will undoubtedly be on the agenda of normalization with Moscow. And there, too, Turkey will see that engagement, not contention, will serve Turkish interests better.   ******** Barçın Yinanç is an Ankara-based journalist and notable author. She is engaged with the leading Turkish dailies and weeklies for nearly three decades as a columnist, intervieweer and editor. Her words are prolifically published and quoted in Turkish, French an English. *          *          *          * This is a modified version of the text Turkey learns the value of engagement against contention (Daily Hurriyet), republished as per author’s consent.

By Florence Olara. I am the Chair and Co-Founder of the Peace, Justice and Security Foundation . As a foundation, we want to promote the Sustainable Development Goals and help educate for conscience change. Our focus is goal 16 – peace and justice – because we believe lack of security, conflict and lack of accountability are the root cause of other global issues, and it is only when we effectively work towards a more peaceful environment, address insecurities and hold perpetrators to account, that we can address the entire enterprise of the sustainable development goals. We will create a platform that enhances awareness across all age groups and beyond the legal community on the many issues that the city of The Hague stands for. The inclusion of children and youth is a fundamental element of our work. Gandhi once said “if we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we shall have to begin with the children.” So this is our starting point. I have written a children’s book series called “Wings of Change” which is currently being illustrated and translated into 8 different languages including Dutch, Swahili, Russian, Japanese, Acholi, Hindi, French and German. More languages will follow. Wings of Change tells the story of Oscar the Owl and Max the Mouse who attend the same school. Max, a child refugee recently joined the school and Oscar wants to know more about what drove Max to flee his country. As Oscar learns more about war and its consequences, and starts asking questions about ways to correct such wrongs, their teacher tells them about The Hague and what it stands for. This triggers a visit to The Hague and a tour of the various institutions. This is only the beginning. Oscar and Max would travel the world to learn more about global issues including the dangers for children in cyber space. When ready, money raised from the sale of the book will be used to distribute free copies to community libraries and schools in developing countries. As a powerful tool to create awareness among youth, we will also use sports, which children are passionate about. This will be a means to educate about peace, justice and security; and encourage them to relate to others and be agents of change from a young age. To begin with , the Foundation has teamed up with A.E. Ramassà football club in Spain to organise children’s tournaments and encourage them to donate books, clothing and toys for other children who love football just like they do, but live in parts of the world that are not as privileged. Once a year, together with A.E. Ramassà, the Foundation will organise a match somewhere in the world to play a professional and a children’s club. The first game will be held in West Africa next year. As a long term project, the Foundation, in association with partners, aims to create regional interactive educational centres. The Hague is the city of peace, justice and security and yet the work done by institutions here is often geographically remote from the affected communities, and the reality on the ground. This distance unfortunately translates into certain communities not knowing and not understanding the work being done in The Hague on international peace, justice and security and how it applies to them. Not everyone can afford to come to The Hague and such centres would bring what this city stands for, closer to the global community it serves. As part of the Foundation, we also have The Hague Justice Portal which is a website that promotes, and provides greater access to, the institutions, courts and organisations in The Hague, working in the field of international peace, justice and security. In the last twelve months the Portal has received more than 8 million hits. To promote knowledge of the Foundation and it initiatives, each year we will host an international gala, starting this year in The Hague on the 5^th of September and hopefully in different parts of the world in the future. The gala will assemble international guests and speakers from different backgrounds to highlight not only the work of the Foundation but to also recognise the work of individuals who work hard for peace, justice and security on the ground; the people who don’t make the news headlines and yet whose daily work has a great positive impact on many lives. For additional information: www‎.peaceandjusticefoundation.net 

By Sunday Oyinloye, West Africa Editor. Africa commonly referred to as the cradle of civilization has its own challenges just like other continents. In the face of these challenges however are the continent’s rich cultural heritage and fashion which literally are hidden treasures. The continent has a lot to offer the world, but the problems confronting Africa seem to have over-shadowed its potentials. To many who are not familiar with the continent, the story of Africa is all about war, famine, disease, crime, illiteracy, corruption and underdevelopment. Yes Africa is faced with these challenges but great things are also coming from the continent many of which are not reported or under-reported. The birth of what is today known of Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam (AFWA) could be traced to a conscious effort to correct misconception about the continent and also showcase her brand in the fashion world in a manner that will appeal to the rest of the world. Behind this is Diana Tambe Blackpearl, award-winning fashion designer, model, stylist who Fashion Tv has named “The blackpearl of the fashion world”. In 2011 Diana Tambe launched her first Red carpet clothing line under the label Blackpearrl’s Secrets. In the same year, she introduced the first and sole Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam because of her dream to create a platform for Africa and African inspired fashion, culture and art in the Netherlands and Diaspora. This she did because she believes there is always room for new talents and innovative minds. She designs high-end designs mostly for celebrities but occasionally also designs for the general public and retailers. Turning dream into reality, Diana Tambe and her team organized the first Africa Fashion Week, Amsterdam in 2014 at the World Fashion Centre which was hosted by a foremost African Actor, Ramsey Nouah. Since then the 26 year old who became a model at the age of 16 has never looked back as she successfully organized the second edition of Africa Fashion Week, Amsterdam in 2015 while preparation is in top gear for the third edition. The Cameroon born Diana who has lived in the Netherlands since 2004 spoke with Diplomat Magazine about her motivation as well as what should be expected at this years Africa Fashion Week, Amsterdam. According to her AFWA is an event focused on exhibiting the beauty of African couture, art and fashion to a European and global audience. AFWA is helping fashion designers at every stage of their career to showcase their creativity and talent on a global stage, thereby boosting the intercultural exchange between Africa and the Dutch She explains further: “it strives to support designers, primarily through event management of fashion shows, catwalk displays, workshops and network meetings. It allows designers to express their creativity within a professionally produced event environment.” “Like the previous fashion weeks we had in 2014 and 2015, the 2016 edition of Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam will bring together African designers, models, stylists and stake holders in the African fashion industry in and outside Europe to showcase the best that Africa has to offer in the fashion industry.” “Visitors and media can expect to see a multi-cultural and talent rich celebration of African lifestyle and talent. From networking events and press days to over twenty-two fashion shows, the 2016 Fashion Week will culminate with an interactive award ceremony which will celebrate new talents and launch Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam’s affiliated magazine publication.” She disclosed that the event will contribute a percentage of its profit towards her foundation known as The Diana Tambe Foundation, a charitable body seeking to promote, maintain and improve levels of healthcare, education, training and provision of facilities within the African community. The Chief Executive Officer of Africa Fashion Week Amsterdam believes it is time for Africa to showcase whatever she has to the rest of the world in order to “correct many negative thoughts about the continent” Diana’s dream and efforts may be the right step in the right direction. The reason for this is simple .The image of Africa needs to be showcased in a positive way and the best people to make this happen are the youth ,under which category this model and designer falls. For now, the world continues to wait for a new and emerging Africa.  

Accelerate your career with this online diplomacy programme, offered by DiploFoundation and the University of Malta. Join experienced practitioners, working diplomats, and other international relations professionals to learn about the theoretical and practical building blocks of diplomacy, with a focus on contemporary issues and challenges. How the programme works First, you attend a 10-day residential workshop in Malta. Here you will get a clear overview of the programme, meet your classmates and some of the faculty members, and develop skills in critical areas of diplomacy including negotiation, protocol, and language. Next, you participate in five online courses, each lasting ten weeks. You select your courses from our extensive catalogue which includes Bilateral Diplomacy, Multilateral Diplomacy, E-Diplomacy, Development Diplomacy, Language and Diplomacy, Diplomacy of Small States, and more. Courses are kept up-to-date and relevant through discussion of current events and trends. Online study involves reading and discussing lecture texts with course lecturers and fellow participants, completing learning activities and assignments, and joining online meetings. Once you have completed these courses, you are eligible to receive a Postgraduate Diploma in Contemporary Diplomacy awarded by the University of Malta. You can get a head start by attending one or two of your online courses in 2016 – read more about this option below. If you continue to the Master’s degree, the final part of the programme is writing your dissertation under the personal guidance of a faculty member. On successful completion, you will receive a Master in Contemporary Diplomacy awarded by the University of Malta. Faculty members include practising and retired diplomats and academics with both theoretical expertise and practical experience in the field. Online learning takes place in small groups and is highly interactive, drawing on the experience and knowledge of participants as well as lecturers. Course work is flexible: within a weekly schedule, you decide when and where to study. The programme requires 7-10 hours of study per week. The Master in Contemporary Diplomacy is recognised worldwide and has European postgraduate accreditation through the Faculty of Arts at the University of Malta. Graduates of the Master programme work in ministries of foreign affairs around the world, as well as other government bodies and international organisations. Who should apply Practising diplomats, civil servants and international relations professionals, postgraduate students, journalists, and staff of international and non-governmental organisations hoping to gain deeper insight into the world of diplomacy. How to apply The next programme begins on 1 February 2017. Apply by 1 October 2016 (international applicants); 15 November 2016 (Maltese applicants) For further details and application instructions, please visit the programme website or contact admissions@diplomacy.edu Scholarships covering 20% – 50% of Postgraduate Diploma fee available to applicants from small and developing states. Get a head start Enrol in an online course during summer and autumn 2016 for academic credit towards the 2017 Master in Contemporary Diplomacy. Available courses include:   Summer 21st Century Diplomacy Diplomatic Law: Privileges and Immunities Multilateral Diplomacy Autumn Consular and Diaspora Diplomacy Development Diplomacy Language and Diplomacy Economic Diplomacy For additional information: http://www.um.edu.mt/arts/int-relations/diplo

A new musical composition for the Peace Justice and Security Foundation The Hague. In the summer of 2015 composer, artist and writer Dario Poli, received a communication from Florence Olara of The Hague Justice Portal introducing herself to him and inquiring if he could be interested in writing a new musical composition, especially for the Peace Justice and Security Foundation. Her friendly, warm but professional manner of conversing with him, created a good impression and an immediate friendly bond was established. She informed him that the Foundation planned a number of events and activities to create and promote awareness about peace, justice and security across all age groups and communities. After hearing the details of what she was trying to achieve, and realising it was truly an ambitious plan to create awareness, Dario accepted the challenge and readily agreed. Florence asked if the new song could be ready to be presented publicly at one of the Foundation events sometime in the future and wrote, “I therefore write to invite you to write an original song which captures the essence of The Hague as a city of peace, justice and security and for the need for peace justice and security to be applied uniformly and globally for all.”

She arranged for Dario to attend the 70th anniversary of the founding of the UN held at the Peace Palace in The Hague, where he was introduced to officials and personalities and heard numerous speeches that evening. As it was such an important task, Dario decided that for this special gala event, he would bring in the best professionals he knew to help create the new song. He firstly wrote the music and experimented with text. But for the lyrics he invited the talented Scottish musician David Mairs, the co–author with Dario, of “Amsterdam the Musical” and his favourite lyric writer, who after hearing Dario’s new music, penned a brilliant lyric to match the music that eloquently evokes the spirit of the song and the inspiration of the Foundation titled “Ever Changing World.” Dario at this point decided that new song for the foundation would require a different level of musical expression, with vocals in English and recording standards that would be better achieved in the UK. So he contacted his long-time friend and renowned British musical director David Redston whose association goes back to the 1970s, when David worked with Dario as his musical director, conductor and arranger. Their careers took them in different directions for many years, until they reunited to collaborate on “Diana – the Musical” in the 1990s. David Redston has had a long and illustrious career in music, working non-stop as a composer, arranger, and conductor with major projects. When approached by Dario to work on the Justice Peace and Security Foundation project, David jumped at the opportunity to work with his old friend once more. When “Ever Changing World” was written, David was a natural choice as his vast experience and theatrical flair enabled him to combine many different influences into one fantastically dramatic song. As David explains: “When I first heard the song, I knew I wanted to work on the project. It is such an inspiring and uplifting piece of Music, that we feel truly reflects the values and aspirations of the Gala.” On Learning that the Foundation was also looking for an original painting Dario contacted two of most creative talents in Andalucía, Mugge Fischer from Denmark and Ose del Sol a Spanish painter from Marbella, the joint owners of Grupo Artenovum, a highly regarded design company. Mugge contacted Florence and an agreement was reached for the two flamboyant artists to produce the painting and create a CD cover for the song “Ever Changing World” when the song is eventually released the following year. They wrote. “For many years we have worked closely together with Dario Poli on many projects, and most recently “Amsterdam the Musical”. The world is ever changing and moving, and so are we. And we are so pleased to have been asked to be a part of yet another project together with Dario. This time for something that we all dream for: Peace, Justice and Security. So when we were contacted by Florence Olara from The Peace, Justice and Security Foundation who asked us to be part of the process, in our field – ART, we took about 1 second to say…”Yes Dear Florence…off course we will”. So we are right now working on a painting, which is going to be a magnificent work of art, for a great cause in which we are proud to be participating…peace, justice and security in an ever changing world”. Mugge & Ose. Dario Poli, David Mairs, David and Joe Redston, Mugge Fischer, Ose del Sol are now looking forward to arriving in the beautiful city of The Hague and present their creative efforts to a very special audience that Florence Olara and her dedicated team have gathered for the inaugural gala to help promote the Peace Justice and Security Foundation’s ambitions, to make this world a better place.   Brief biographical Information. Florence Olara is the Chair and Co-Founder of the Peace, Justice and Security Foundation and the Strategic Director of The Hague Justice Portal. Dario Poli is a composer, writer and artist. David Mairs is an experienced Scottish musician, performer and song writer, working in the genre of popular music with such famous bands as The Searchers, The Easy beats, the Tremelos, Love Affair, Edison Lighthouse and many more and has collaborated with composer Dario Poli on numerous projects including the Marbella campaign. David Redston has had a long and illustrious career in music, working non-stop as a composer, arranger, conductor and has worked on feature films including “Rambo: First Blood” with the legendary Jerry Goldsmith, and “Priest of Love” with Sir Ian McKellen. He has conducted the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios, and worked on the illustrious Royal Tournament. In theatre, David has worked on countless musicals in the West End and beyond, featuring such luminaries as Michael Ball, Michael Crawford, Elaine Paige and up-and-coming starlet, Laura Michelle Kelly and much more. Mugge Fischer from Denmark and Ose del Sol a Spanish painter from Marbella, are the joint owners of Grupo Artenovum, a highly regarded design company in Marbella Spain and well known for their successful “Donna’s del Mundo” art series.                    

By Marion Verboom. On the 9th of September 2016, the second National Entrepreneurs’ Day will take place at the  Plein, in The Hague. The main topics will be International Entrepreneurship and Tomorrow’s Economy. One of the goals of the day is to make the match between Dutch entrepreneurs and representatives of different countries from all over the world. The day will start at 8:00 AM with the opening by H.E. Lilianne Ploumen Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Coordination during an International Breakfast with ambassadors, diplomats from trade and economic departments, entrepreneurs and international organisations. During the day we will have masterclasses about Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurial Economy, workshops with themes like How to do  business with Aruba or How to do  business with Belgium, and many more. Prime Minister Mark Rutte will participate in a debate about the economy with Hans Biesheuvel, founder of ONL;  members of parliament will also attend for discussions about the economy. At the end of the day, we will announce the National Entrepreneur of the year 2016, and will finish the day with a networking reception. What’s in it for you:

• Meet ambitious Dutch entrepreneurs who are ready to grow, invest and export.
• Exchange information with entrepreneurs .
• Discover what Dutch entrepreneurs need.
• Learn how to organise a successful trade mission to the Netherlands.
• The opportunity to visit the National Entrepreneurs’ Day with a trade mission.
• Promote your country among the most ambitious entrepreneurs of The Netherlands.
• Meet several international partners like RVO, WTC, KvK, various banks, the municipalities, etc.
• ONL offers a stage for countries to present themselves.
• The possibility to meet, greet and talk to commercial attachés from various embassies in The Hague.

ONL voor Ondernemers (Entrepreneurial Netherlands) is firmly committed to a robust and decisive economy that is flexible, innovative and sustainable. ONL offers suggestions and recommendations to make this happen. We are the voice of the entrepreneurs and the bridge between entrepreneurs and politics. Together we will improve the business environment in The Netherlands. For more information, please contact: Marion Verboom, m.verboom@onl.nl, 06 52 888 144 ——— About the author: Marion Verboom, is manager external relations ONL  

By Sanmaya Rath. India is the fourth ranked country as far as the PPP is concerned. According to the U.S. report on Global Governance India can be considered as the third most powerful superpower around the globe after the United States and China. Foreign Capital can be considered as transmission of many capital resource from the hi tech nations to the upcoming countries to create a qualitative metamorphosis in different economic structures. FDI in Indian Market: A Glimpse Economic Reforms has moved on through two different phases. The First Phase: Initiation In order to give greater velocity to the private sector, a number of amendments in the policy were made in context to industrial licensing, EXIM policy, technology upliftment, fiscal policy,LPG and so on. All these changes were executed to create a congenial climate for private sector so that private sector investment would create rapid modernization and globalization. The New Economic Policy removed many obtacles behind new development. The Government took several steps to draw direct investment. The Second Phase: Reincarnation Economic reforms during the governance of Rajiv Gandhi Ji couldn’t yield the desired outcome. Subsequently the country also suffered from a serious BoP crisis. Of course the World Bank and the IMF came to help India during that point in time. The economy was back on track. The main objective behind the research is to examine the FDI inflow, its trend , growth & link up with GDP during the period of 2010-2016. Review of Literature Many a studies have been made in this particular field of research. Devajit (2012) made a study to trace out the repercussion of foreign direct investments on Indian economy and found out that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is must for sustainable development in different sectors like healthcare, education, R&D. Sharma Reetu and Khurana Nikita (2013) made a critical study on the sector-wise distribution of FDI during post-liberalization period and enunciated the various negativities about the foreign direct investment and suggested many recommendations to combat them. National FDI Policy Framework FIPB approved 18 proposals of FDI worth Rs 5,000 crore (US$ 770 million) approximately. Some of the recent developments through GoI are illustrated below:

• Japan will construct India’s first superfast bullet train by offering a loan of US$ 8.11 billion for the same.
• Chinese cell phone manufacturer, Coolpad Group Ltd. will be investing US$ 300 million in order to start up a R&D centre India by 2017.
• Amazon India expanded its supply chain management system to more than 2,100 cities and towns in 2015.

The Indian government has redesigned the FDI policy related to infra and construction. India will provide most favored nations (MFN) treatment to 15 different countries which are in dialogue with us. Thus we can conclude that the nation will witness a smart format if FDI happens in many sectors especially in retail. ———– About the author:  Sanmaya Rath, Ph.D. (Honoris Causa from Corllins University, USA) Lead Trainer-Domain& Soft skills. Professor Rath is a  Lead Trainer, Black Panther Skills Trainer. Visiting Prof. of Indian Economic Problems, Fazlani Altius Business School, Bhubaneswar. Contact information: Pump Janla, Khurdha Road, Bhubaneswar-752054, Mail:sanmayrath1902@yahoo.com  Phone: 0764-2460260 / 0753-7933302

By  Aine O’Mahony and  Elodie Pichon. Following the recent abduction of five Hong Kong publishers, alleged to have edited books disclosing “inconvenient truths” about the Chinese government, thousands of people took to the streets of Hong Kong to protest and fight for their right to have Freedom of Expression, which had already been enshrined in the Fundamental Law of Hong Kong. The post 80 generation wants to defend civil liberties and young people are concerned by the fact that the Chinese grip on the media could be the potential starting point for the end of the “One country, two systems” policy, agreed on between China and Great Britain for the transfer of sovereignty over this territory. Is it reasonable to believe that this territory could become a simple reproduction of China, as feared by the younger generation? On the first of July, 1997, China resumed control of Hong Kong after 156 years of British colonial rule. The two countries had already agreed on the terms for the transfer of power back in 1984. Britain acquired Hong Kong Island in 1842, following the “Opium Wars” of the 19^th century. It took possession of Kowloon Peninsula in 1886 and obtained a lease on The New Territories for a period of 99 years beginning in 1898. Lawmakers, appointed by Beijing, took over power in 1997, but promised to honor China’s pledge to maintain the Hong Kong way of life for at least another fifty years.

However, today idealism is being replaced very quickly by pragmatism in Hong Kong where official statistics show that this special administrative region is becoming more and more politically and economically dependent on China. The Closer Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) set up in 2003 aims at facilitating commercial exchanges between the partners, thus forcing Hong Kong to become more politically integrated into China. Beijing has managed to achieve its goal, because the volume of trade between Hong Kong and mainland China has multiplied by three over the last ten years. In addition, in order to influence the elite of Hong Kong, China has invested extensively there, particularly in finance and real estate. Kai Dai of the United Front of the University of San Yat, of Canton stated that “the CEPA could enable China to use its economy as an axe to reinforce political communication on the two sides and to reconquer the population of Hong Kong”. Beijing relies on Hong Kong’s economic dependence on China to tighten its control over the territory, indicating that the “one country, two systems” principle is more theoretical than real. Back in 2012, in his luminary and farsighted policy paper ‘What China Wants for Asia?’ professor Anis H. Bajrektarevic accurately diagnoses: “To sustain itself as a single socio-political and formidably performing economic entity, the People’s Republic requires more energy and less external dependency. Domestically, the demographic-migratory pressures are huge, regional demands are high, and expectations are brewing… In effect, the forthcoming Chinese military buildup will only strengthen the existing, and open up new, bilateral security deals of neighboring countries, primarily with the US – as nowadays in Asia, no one wants to be a passive downloader.” “Ultimately, it may create a politico-military isolation (and financial burden) for China that would consequently justify and (politically and financially) cheapen the bolder reinforced American military presence in the Asia-Pacific, especially in the South and the East China Sea. It perfectly adds up to the intensified demonization of China in parts of influential Western media.” When speaking with some of residents of Hong Kong during our recent visit there, we realized that many had adopted a fatalistic attitude towards their situation because of their economic dependence on China and their fear of the political powers of Beijing. People feel that China has reneged on its promises and freedom of expression is becoming severely jeopardized. The principle of the two systems framework, regards Beijing as being responsible for the city’s defense and foreign affairs while Hong Kong should be able to enjoy limited self-governance and avail of civil liberties, including an independent judiciary and freedom of the press. China promised that Hong Kong could elect its leaders through universal suffrage, but this is far from reality today when China is slowly but systematically tightening its grip over the territory. The people’s hope for a change in the political system, which would allow democratic elections and civil liberties, is quickly vanishing. Ben, a very pragmatic businessman whom we met, acknowledges that Hong Kong does not have the economic capacity to count without China, but China is not willing to make any concessions. Hong Kong is in a deadlock situation and seems to be doomed under the influence of China. According to Ling, a young activist of the Umbrella Movement, “the Hong Kong population will only protest in the case of a mass violation of the freedom of expression”. Shortly after the transfer of power from Great Britain to Beijing, the post 80 generation could foresee that freedom of expression was going to be threatened. According to Mai Hai, a woman in her fifties, who is politically involved and very concerned about the lack of civil liberties in Hong Kong, “1997 was the beginning of a head-on confrontation with the CCP” and resistance to the government of Beijing has strengthened in Hong Kong. In 2005 Citizen Radio was launched in order to “bravely speak out” and defend the freedom of expression. However, the authorities of Hong Kong, under the command of Beijing, began acts of repression against the radio station. Szeto Wah, and seven of his colleagues were prosecuted for having dared to speak about the Tianamen Square protests on his radio program. Over recent years the situation regarding universal rights has not improved in Hong Kong. In 2014, the journalist, King Lau, was prosecuted for having sharply criticized Beijing. This created public indignation and outraged the newly politicized generation who began protests in Hong Kong to defend the freedom of the press and demand “true universal suffrage”. The Umbrella Revolution, a pro-democratic movement, began in 2014 when students boycotted class in order to protest outside city government headquarters in favor of the restoration of civil liberties. More and more Hong Kongers of all ages and backgrounds joined in these peaceful street protests, eventually paralyzing the city’s central business district for weeks and even months. The humble umbrella became the key symbol of this protest as it was used not only to protect demonstrators from the tear gas and pepper spray used by the police and as a shelter for the night but it was also a symbol of resistance. Unfortunately, it would be naïve to think that these protests, filmed by the cameras of the entire world would have been enough to frighten and threaten the Chinese government. Beijing went from strength to strength in its relentless repression and opposition to the movement. The Umbrella Revolution was no exception to Chinese severe censorship procedure. Lok Yee, one of the remaining protestors who still slept outside under his yellow umbrella several months later, explained how information was controlled and falsified by the authorities in Beijing. At first any “inconvenient truths” related to the Umbrella Movement were either deleted or modified. When this became impossible due to the huge influx of information the government decided to say  that Hong Kongers were only showing support for the CPC. When these first strategies failed they always found new methods of covering over, such as falsifying videos by cutting scenes where policemen launched tear gas. They even paid both Chinese and Hong Kong people to help boost the government’s popularity. These “soft warriors” also known as “50 cents” were paid fifty cents for each positive comment twitted about the government or for each comment against the demonstrators. They even received more money if they demonstrated against the Umbrella Movement. The ten-year judicial sentencing of Yiu Manting, a Hong Kong editor and the recent disappearance of five staff members of the Mighty Current Publishing House (known for frequently criticizing China) shows that Xi Jinping,  Secretary General  of the Communist Party of China,  President of the People’s Republic of China, and Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission, is more determined than ever. Opposing the government and defying censorship is becoming more and more dangerous in Hong Kong. Freedom of expression is severely jeopardized and journalists have no option but to rely on self-censorship in order to avoid retaliation. All types of communication including the state media and social media are strictly controlled on the mainland of China. A lot of information is censored or falsified or in many cases completely deleted if certain words such as ‘democracy’ are detected. The aim of the government is to try to hide information concerning its political policies and its methods of dealing with political dissidents or those who do not yield to the power of censorship. Baidu, the most popular search engine in China, has very limited resources on any subjects which are considered as sensitive by the Chinese authorities. Lence, a twenty-year-old student studying in Hong Kong, explained this to us and showed us that with a Chinese search engine it is impossible to find any facts about Liu Xiabo, the imprisoned human rights activist and Nobel Prize winner, who was absent from Oslo and unable to receive his award because he was kidnapped by the Chinese government. According to Lence, the Chinese government is more and more concerned about the fact that Hong Kong students could bring their “dangerous ideas” to the mainland of China. On his recent visit there, his newspapers and all his academic papers were confiscated at the Chinese border. However this severe treatment is nothing compared to that of some of the leaders of the movement. During demonstrations secret agents are sometimes sent by the Chinese government to follow and list the names of those who are prone to upset the stability of the communist regime. These activists are blacklisted and not allowed reach mainland China. There seems to be no hope today for a better future in Hong Kong, a sensation felt even among the younger generation. What will the implications be for the people who are being progressively denied their civil liberties? Will Hong Kong find democracy? Probably not, because Beijing fears that the election of any pro-democracy candidate could destabilize communist ideology and bring down the regime. A group of students from the University of Hong Kong, that we had the opportunity of speaking to, confessed that they did not think Beijing would change its attitude towards the people of Hong Kong nor loosen its control over the press. Is this fatalism definitive or could the situation in Taiwan bring hope to the people of Hong Kong? Thanks to Taiwanese activists the Umbrella Movement influenced the election of the pro-independent president, Tsai Ing-Wen. Could this in turn bring new energy to Hong Kong in its battle to continue its fight for fundamental rights? ————- About the authors: Aine O’Mahony has a bachelor in Law and Political Science at the Catholic Institute of Paris and is currently a master’s student of Leiden University in the International Studies programme.Contact: aine-claire.nini@hotmail.fr Elodie Pichon has a bachelor in Law and Political Science at the Catholic Institute of Paris and is currently doing a MA in Geopolitics, territory and Security at King’s College London. Contact : elodie.pichon@gmail.com