This paper explores contemporary official and scholarly thinking on aid, development, conflict prevention and strategic shaping to try to identify promising avenues to promote regional growth and stability in a tight budget environment. Overview As Australia focuses on its global interests in a changing and challenging international environment, there’s a danger that we’ll lose sight...

The Sudan conflict has been one of the longest running in contemporary African history. This paper provides an update on the current crisis in South Sudan. Executive summary In mid-December 2013, the newly formed country of South Sudan erupted into violence, creating a significant humanitarian crisis. Violence spread rapidly across the country, mainly along ethnic...

This paper looks at how political power in Aceh is moving away from the old Free Aceh Movement government-in-exile. Introduction Political dynamics within the top ranks of the former rebel Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM) suggest that a generational transfer of power is underway. The old diaspora elite, led from abroad by Malik...

This paper investigates state-sponsored memorialisation and commemoration in Timor-Leste and what effect that it has on nation building efforts. Introduction Among policy-makers working in the field of peace-building, there is growing interest in how initiatives to memorialise or commemorate the violent past might contribute to peace. Monuments, memorials, museums and commemorative rituals are now conceptualised...

This speech discusses the 'new model' of great power relations between China and the US, potential threats to this model, and what additional steps could be taken to increase the likelihood of achieving it. Introduction In June of this year, I gave a speech on “The New Model of Sino-US Major Power Relations” at the...