This is the final report of the 3-year evaluation of the Australian Government’s Stronger Families and Communities Strategy 2000-2004 and summarises the achievements and learnings from the Strategy. These have implications for future policy and practice in early intervention, holistic family support, integrated family and community strengthening projects, playgroups, community capacity building, community leadership, mentoring...

Calculating the cost of Australian Defence Forces (ADF) operations in Afghanistan is not straight forward. Defence portfolio budget papers and Department of Defence Annual Reports provide data on actual, estimated and planned expenditures on defence activities, including current operations. Defence department practice for discrete activities such as Operation Slipper is to provide data for "Net...

Clinton Fernandes of the Australian Defence Force Academy outlines the history of successive forums for investigation of crimes committed in East Timor by Indonesian military forces and militia forces under Indonesian control between 1975 and 1999 and reviews the work of courts and inquiries under UN, East Timorese and Indonesian auspices.

Australian journalist and researcher Nic Maclellan writes that following public protests in the Kingdom of Tonga in recent years, the re-election of key pro-democracy figures in elections last month ensures that “reform of existing political structures will remain high on the agenda”.

This report discusses what has been learned from the Stronger Families and Communities Strategy 2000–2004 about how to strengthen Indigenous families and communities. These lessons have implications for future interventions funded through the Strategy 2004–09, and through other funding initiatives and programs. The report provides insights into critical factors that explain the success of some...