This CDI Annual Address delivered by Dr Surin Pitsuwan, former Foreign Minister of Thailand provides a thought provoking asessment of Islam's ability to promote democracy in the age of globalization and modernity. Dr Surin believes the success of Muslims in Thailand to effectively embrace modernity and globalization was due to the 'openness' and flexibility of...

Outside of the requirement for free, regular, unavoidable, non-corrupt, competitive elections, there is no standard set of rules for defining a democracy. As a result, care needs to be taken not to generalise. This research paper attempts to judge certain aspects of Australia's parliamentary democracy in their own terms. In particular it looks at the...