Category: Australia

AUSTRALIA ISOLATED ON CLIMATE POLICIES IN THE LEAD UP TO COP26

The 2019-2020 summer bushfires depicted the extreme and devastating impacts of climate change already here now. The subsequent toll on human and animal life generated public concern over the necessity to act early in order to prevent future consequences. This distress was largely pushed aside in the public sphere as the concern shifted to the more immediate issue of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in August the IPCC (International Panel on Climate Change) released a report predicting a global warming of 1.5oC as early as 2030. This landmark report reinforced the urgency of responding to the climate crisis. This is why COP26, held in Glasgow from early November will be critically important in preventing a runaway climate catastrophe. … Continue readingAUSTRALIA ISOLATED ON CLIMATE POLICIES IN THE LEAD UP TO COP26

Climate Change and the IPCC Report: What Is to Be Done?

‘On August 9th 2021, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the first instalment of its Sixth Assessment Report, AR6. This landmark document will be the subject of deliberations during the COP26 Summit this November in Glasgow. It confirms what scientists have been saying for decades; that human activity is unequivocally responsible for the increases in the earth’s temperature.’

Megha Iyer discusses the pressing need for all countries to adopt the recommendations stipulated in the AR6 and the crucial opportunity that COP26 presents to make this a reality.

This article is the first in a series of articles focusing on environmental policy and politics in the lead up to the COP26 Summit. … Continue readingClimate Change and the IPCC Report: What Is to Be Done?

Posted on by Megha Iyer

MIAS Recap: Sports Diplomacy Event

On 11 August 2021, the Monash International Affairs Society hosted an illuminating panel discussion on the world of sports diplomacy and its myriad possibilities as a branch of Australian diplomatic strategy in the Indo-Pacific. In this article, Jerry Nguyen-Schlenker, Winuri de Alwis and Arshiya Merchant review this highly stimulating event and delve deeper into the ideas it presented. … Continue readingMIAS Recap: Sports Diplomacy Event

#HOMETOBILO – A TURNING POINT IN AUSTRALIA’S ASYLUM SEEKER POLICIES?

Successive Australian governments have been no stranger to condemnation for their hard-line stance on asylum seekers. They  make no apology for it, cloaking their policies in a robe of ostensible utilitarianism. However, in recent months, the Coalition  has faced strong backlash both domestically and internationally for its treatment of the Murugappan family, who have come to be known simply as the “Biloela Family”. This is in reference to the Queensland town in which they were working and residing before being placed in detention. This latest bookmark in Australia’s uncompromising approach towards asylum seekers has raised questions about the authenticity of its commitment to various international instruments. … Continue reading#HOMETOBILO – A TURNING POINT IN AUSTRALIA’S ASYLUM SEEKER POLICIES?

Sports: Australia’s Diplomatic Tool

Sports diplomacy has become a feature of international relations that is often brushed aside compared to traditional conceptions of diplomacy. Historically, it has had an important influence in acting as an arm of soft power. Specifically, sport has been used to influence cultural exchanges and political values among nations. Now, Australia has become a frontrunner in recognising the importance that sports can play in soft power. … Continue readingSports: Australia’s Diplomatic Tool

Australia at the G7 Summit

The 47th G7 summit marked an important opportunity for Australia to contribute to solutions to pressing global issues and improve its diplomatic position among the world’s leading democracies. However, while there were some positives that emerged from the summit meeting, Australia appeared isolated on the key issue of climate policy, among others. … Continue readingAustralia at the G7 Summit

Posted on by Jessie Wen

A Diplomat’s Reflections on Melbourne | Departure of Michael Kleine as U.S. Consul General

Since his arrival in August 2018, United States Consul General Michael Kleine has immersed himself in Melbourne’s local community and culture, taking every opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of the place he has called home for the last three years. As his posting comes to an end, Ryan Attard sat down with the Consul General to reflect on his time in Australia and his perspective on key issues. … Continue readingA Diplomat’s Reflections on Melbourne | Departure of Michael Kleine as U.S. Consul General

Posted on by Ryan Attard

FAR-RIGHT EXTREMISM — WHY AUSTRALIA SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS

The January 6 Insurrection, which culminated in the storming of the United States Capitol Building by far-right groups, was termed by FBI Director Christopher Wray as an act of “domestic terrorism”. The Insurrection demonstrated not only the fragility of democracy but also cautioned against misguided beliefs that far-right extremism could never penetrate western democracies. This article will observe the rise of far-right extremism in Australia and consider the possibility of similar acts being committed domestically. … Continue readingFAR-RIGHT EXTREMISM — WHY AUSTRALIA SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS

Posted on by mias

ANTI-ASIAN HATE – IT’S AN AUSTRALIAN ISSUE TOO

BY JESSIE WEN -#StopAsianHate has become one of the trending hashtags on the internet across social media platforms, catalysed in response to the killing of 6 Asian women in a massage parlour at the hands of a 21 year old white male in Atlanta, Georgia. The incident has added lost lives to the growing list of violent Asian hate crimes seen in the United States, and globally including Australia. … Continue readingANTI-ASIAN HATE – IT’S AN AUSTRALIAN ISSUE TOO

Posted on by Jessie Wen