I have been wondering how/why venues are chosen for global meetings. Obviously, a host country must offer, and not every country will be willing to invest the time, money and energy into the work involved, so options may be limited. There are so many pros and cons for the topics/principles, the host and the participants--it is mind-boggling. <br>
<br>A (more or less) recent blog post 'No such thing as bad publicity' <a href="http://www.diplomacy.edu/blog/no-such-thing-bad-publicity#comment-2258">http://www.diplomacy.edu/blog/no-such-thing-bad-publicity#comment-2258</a> by Liz Galvez explored this question from a slightly different angle: why would prospective hosts expose their vulnerabilities to public discussion? With Azerbaijan on the horizon, I have revisited the topic, and you may find it interesting as well.<br>
<br>Does the choice of Azerbaijan as the venue for IGF 2012 affect your decision to attend/not attend?<br><br>An excerpt from Liz's post:<br>"It seems the temptation proves irresistible for the leaders of some
countries which are seldom in the global eye to push ahead with staging a
grand event to showcase their country’s assets. Their population can
bask in an orgy of nationalist sentiment and propaganda while the media
will be so carried away by the spectacular organisation, or the beauty
of the hostesses, or the excitement of the event itself, that they will
ignore the political context and any nasty goings-on beneath the
surface. They hope the mismatch between official image and reality
remains hidden. Or they may simply underestimate the media’s appetite to
ferret out bad news. But in what world would anyone with even a remote
understanding of independent media expect a high-profile sports or
cultural event to be covered purely for its own sake, particularly when
the host country does its best to smother controversial stories?
Credibility is an essential element in any image-building endeavour.
Where it is missing, it is difficult to regain, as the US Administration
have learnt the hard way."<br><br>Ginger<br><br><br clear="all">Ginger (Virginia) Paque<br><br><div><a href="mailto:VirginiaP@diplomacy.edu" target="_blank">VirginiaP@diplomacy.edu</a><br><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:small">Diplo Foundation<br>
Internet Governance Capacity Building Programme<br><a href="http://www.diplomacy.edu/ig" target="_blank">www.diplomacy.edu/ig</a><span style="padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><br><span style="padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><span style="padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><span style="padding-right:16px;width:16px;height:16px"></span><div>
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