PIVOT

“Diplomacy, first and foremost, is about influence”: former Australian diplomat Jane Hardy steps through her journey in foreign affairs

In an exclusive interview with Pivot, former Australian diplomat goes through her three-decade long career within diplomacy and the Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Having been involved in high-level discussions around areas such as arms control, trade and the US-Australia relationship, Jane gives an insider view into how the culture of Australian diplomacy operates … Continue reading“Diplomacy, first and foremost, is about influence”: former Australian diplomat Jane Hardy steps through her journey in foreign affairs

The Web We Were Promised and the One We Got: Power, Control and the Future of the Internet

Few inventions have simultaneously united and divided human society as profoundly as the internet and it is unsurprising that it inspires such intense debate. Modern social interaction and community formation are now deeply dependent on it, with an estimated 63.9% of the world’s population utilising social media in some capacity in 2025. Control of the internet therefore, whether by government or private interests, represents an avenue of unprecedented societal influence in human society.
… Continue readingThe Web We Were Promised and the One We Got: Power, Control and the Future of the Internet

A Very Short History of Balkanisation – and What It Means for Iran

The early months of 2026 have seen renewed discussion of multipolarity, nationalism and the risk of wider conflict.
Another term associated with 20th century politics has re-entered online political discourse:
Balkanisation.
The term is often used to describe fears of an ethnically or culturally diverse state fragmenting into smaller, weaker, political units. Both the Ottoman Empire and Yugoslavia ‘Balkanised’ in the 20th century, and now Iran faces the same threat today.
… Continue readingA Very Short History of Balkanisation – and What It Means for Iran

Left on Delivered: How Iran’s Protestors Fight in Darkness

Since gaining power in 1979, the Islamic Republic of Iran has spent nearly 50 years methodically impeding in the lives of 90 million people, enforcing compulsory headscarf laws, discrimination against ethnic minorities and engaging in torture, executions and arbitrary detention against political dissidents. As Iranians navigated the start of 2026 in total darkness, it is important to understand the real-world impact historic protests have had on Iranian society, and to not relegate them to the abyss of internet obscurity. … Continue readingLeft on Delivered: How Iran’s Protestors Fight in Darkness

Too Much of a Good Thing? The Optics and Economics of Overtourism in Japan

Australians love to travel, but are we really the ‘good tourists’ we believe ourselves to be? Governments of popular destinations are increasingly responding to local anti-tourist sentiment with measures to control or reduce overtourism. In Japan, the skyrocketing number of foreign visitors, which included more than one million Australians last year, has elicited strong backlash and become a major domestic political issue. If tourism strengthens international influence, how are responses to overtourism affecting countries’ soft power? … Continue readingToo Much of a Good Thing? The Optics and Economics of Overtourism in Japan

All Art is Uncommitted Crime: The Intersection of Art, Activism and Social Media in the 21st Century

German philosopher Theodor Adorno famously praised the inherent political nature of art, declaring that “every work of art is an uncommitted crime”. Art should not only allow us to think critically about society, but should galvanize radical action. If the goal of protest is to correct injustices in the world, and the goal of art is to inspire activism, then it comes as no surprise that art-inspired protest is so prevalent in both history and the modern day. … Continue readingAll Art is Uncommitted Crime: The Intersection of Art, Activism and Social Media in the 21st Century

Evolve or Die: How drones are reshaping conventional assessments of military power

Recent reports of drone warfare in Ukraine and Iran have illuminated the unprecedented humanitarian disconnect in modern conflict. Images and videos of operators conducting fatal drone strikes with nothing but VR goggles and video game controllers have been particularly shocking to global audiences, inspiring discussion about the gamification of warfare. However, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have arguably been in use in conflict since the 1950s. Why has it taken until now to see this drastic change?
… Continue readingEvolve or Die: How drones are reshaping conventional assessments of military power

When strategy turns toxic: the ecological and civilian price of state power

From the toxic waste sweeping into rivers to the carbon footprint of global armed forces rivalling that of entire nations, states involved in conflict are not just some of the largest disruptors of global supply chains, but they are also some of the planet’s most destructive polluters. The question is no longer whether global conflicts harm the environment, but whether the world can survive the ecological cost of conflict. … Continue readingWhen strategy turns toxic: the ecological and civilian price of state power

Blowing the whistle: The beautiful game’s ugly underbelly

Two competing narratives exist alongside one another: the World Cup as a space for unity, in which multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism are celebrated, and the World Cup as a spectacle for nations to promote nationalism and sportswash. From the inception of the Association Football rules in 1863 to the 2026 World Cup, the World Cup and football more broadly are inherently interlinked with the histories of empire, nationalism and conflict. … Continue readingBlowing the whistle: The beautiful game’s ugly underbelly

Asia’s Energy Crisis: Ramifications of the Iran War and Fossil Fuel Dependency

The energy crisis across Asia due to the Iran war has exposed the region’s fossil fuel dependency and vulnerability to geopolitical shocks, and should serve as a wakeup call for countries to transition towards renewable energy. Renewable energy is the self-sufficient and sustainable solution that strengthens Asia’s energy security and shock resilience by reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels. … Continue readingAsia’s Energy Crisis: Ramifications of the Iran War and Fossil Fuel Dependency