International Organizations and Legislative Oversight: Improving Governance in Asia and the Pacific. This project will provide a better understanding of what makes legislative oversight of government effective. It will study the success of specific oversight bodies, such as Public Account Committees and Audit Offices, to determine whether their success depends on how they are institutionalised, or rather, on the ethical standards of the individuals who are expected to perform the oversight tasks ....International Organizations and Legislative Oversight: Improving Governance in Asia and the Pacific. This project will provide a better understanding of what makes legislative oversight of government effective. It will study the success of specific oversight bodies, such as Public Account Committees and Audit Offices, to determine whether their success depends on how they are institutionalised, or rather, on the ethical standards of the individuals who are expected to perform the oversight tasks. This project will contribute to the strengthening of what are currently regarded as fragile states and create the conditions for the further consolidation of their democratic systems and for sustainable socio-economic development in the Asia-Pacific region.Read moreRead less
Impediments to Security Sector Reform in Southeast Asia. This project investigates the impediments to security sector reform in Southeast Asia. It applies an original framework of analysis that identifies five types of impediment to security reform in four critically important regional case studies: Thailand, Malaysia, The Philippines and Indonesia. Because effectively implemented security sector reform will enhance regional peace and security by creating armed forces that are democratically con ....Impediments to Security Sector Reform in Southeast Asia. This project investigates the impediments to security sector reform in Southeast Asia. It applies an original framework of analysis that identifies five types of impediment to security reform in four critically important regional case studies: Thailand, Malaysia, The Philippines and Indonesia. Because effectively implemented security sector reform will enhance regional peace and security by creating armed forces that are democratically controlled, transparent and professional, understanding the impediments to reform has the potential to significantly enhance Australia's domestic and international security position. This research will provide the first theoretically informed empirical analysis of security sector reform in Southeast Asia.Read moreRead less
A Place to Call Home: expediting repatriation and ending the practice of warehousing refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Half of the world's 12 million refugees and 25 million IDPs have been living in camps for five to ten years (and longer). The proposed model for refugee and IDP repatriation and reintegration will: significantly increase their human security; alleviate the economic burden on host countries; contribute to the development goals of the countries of origin; facilitat ....A Place to Call Home: expediting repatriation and ending the practice of warehousing refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Half of the world's 12 million refugees and 25 million IDPs have been living in camps for five to ten years (and longer). The proposed model for refugee and IDP repatriation and reintegration will: significantly increase their human security; alleviate the economic burden on host countries; contribute to the development goals of the countries of origin; facilitate the targeting of humanitarian assistance for resolving protracted refugee and IDP situations; and reduce the threats to regional stability. The research will also enhance both Australia's reputation in this humanitarian sector and its institutional capacity to successfully repatriate and reintegrate refugees and IDPs.Read moreRead less
The Impact on the Human Rights of Asylum-Seekers and Host Communities of Australia's Border Control Cooperation with Indonesia and PNG. Australia regards border control cooperation with Indonesia and PNG as vital for preventing irregular entry into its own territory. Little is known, however, about the implications of cooperation for asylum-seekers or their host communities in Indonesia and PNG. This project is of national benefit because it advances knowledge by investigating whether Australia ....The Impact on the Human Rights of Asylum-Seekers and Host Communities of Australia's Border Control Cooperation with Indonesia and PNG. Australia regards border control cooperation with Indonesia and PNG as vital for preventing irregular entry into its own territory. Little is known, however, about the implications of cooperation for asylum-seekers or their host communities in Indonesia and PNG. This project is of national benefit because it advances knowledge by investigating whether Australia can more effectively safeguard the human rights of asylum-seekers and others affected by its regional border control cooperation. The results of this study will enhance the capacity of policy makers to deal with mixed flows of irregular migrants and asylum-seekers consistently with human rights and thus Australia's ability to play a positive leadership role in its region.Read moreRead less
Peace Building and Responsive Governance in Asia and the Pacific. War causes not only human suffering; it threatens the health and education of generations of children, sets back regional economies and encourages warlords to become transnational criminals who traffic in drugs, people, money laundering, guns and terror across Australia's region.
Fresh insights will be obtained from the successes and failures of attempts to build peace in failing states that Australia sees as a threat to our sec ....Peace Building and Responsive Governance in Asia and the Pacific. War causes not only human suffering; it threatens the health and education of generations of children, sets back regional economies and encourages warlords to become transnational criminals who traffic in drugs, people, money laundering, guns and terror across Australia's region.
Fresh insights will be obtained from the successes and failures of attempts to build peace in failing states that Australia sees as a threat to our security. These national and regional diagnoses will enhance the quality of Australia's contribution to security and stability in our part of the globe and enhance national capacity to contribute to global peace strategies. Read moreRead less
Restorative Justice and Responsive Governance: Fresh Challenges, New Theory, Global Networks. War causes not only human suffering; it threatens the health and education of children and children's children. It sets back economies, encourages transnational crime through trafficking drugs, people, money laundering, guns and terror across our region in ways that directly affect Australians. This research will provide fresh insights from the successes and failures of peacebuilding in the Pacific and ....Restorative Justice and Responsive Governance: Fresh Challenges, New Theory, Global Networks. War causes not only human suffering; it threatens the health and education of children and children's children. It sets back economies, encourages transnational crime through trafficking drugs, people, money laundering, guns and terror across our region in ways that directly affect Australians. This research will provide fresh insights from the successes and failures of peacebuilding in the Pacific and Asia. The effectiveness of new restorative and responsive strategies for improving the performance of our health system, strengthening the knowledge economy, improving competition and preventing crime will be tested and developed. Australia will grow as the dominant locus of research on restorative and responsive strategies that work.Read moreRead less
New Concepts of Human Security and AIDS. This project recognises that the AIDS pandemic is a significant example of non-military threats to international security, and that different national responses to AIDS are a product of different political, economic and cultural factors. It seeks to explore the complex relationship between national, international and grass roots responses to HIV/AIDS, with some emphasis on those countries most significant to Australia's security needs. It seeks to use soc ....New Concepts of Human Security and AIDS. This project recognises that the AIDS pandemic is a significant example of non-military threats to international security, and that different national responses to AIDS are a product of different political, economic and cultural factors. It seeks to explore the complex relationship between national, international and grass roots responses to HIV/AIDS, with some emphasis on those countries most significant to Australia's security needs. It seeks to use social theory to illuminate practical issues facing HIV/AIDS advocacy at local, national and international levels, in particular how does one assure effective responses from all stakeholders.Read moreRead less
Humanitarian intervention and the conflict between national and international responsibility. The project will address the question of how the Australian government can maintain its reputation as a good global citizen without compromising its ethical standing with the Australian people. It will provide valuable insights into the privatization of military force and the increasingly common use of civilian contractors, and may provide information to the Australian Defence Force on the ethically app ....Humanitarian intervention and the conflict between national and international responsibility. The project will address the question of how the Australian government can maintain its reputation as a good global citizen without compromising its ethical standing with the Australian people. It will provide valuable insights into the privatization of military force and the increasingly common use of civilian contractors, and may provide information to the Australian Defence Force on the ethically appropriate level of force protection for future humanitarian and peace-keeping missions, in addition to motivating the more efficient use of ADF resources. Finally, the project will further Australia's reputation as the source of high quality innovative research in applied philosophy, and especially military ethics.Read moreRead less
Contestation or Regulation - New Politics in Southeast Asia. By providing a greater understanding of the region's polities and societies the study can enhance all forms of Australian engagement with Southeast Asia. It offers insights into differential intra-regional capacities and orientations of political systems to absorb diverse social forces into the political process. This knowledge provides a basis for strategies to promote effective governance reform and other Australian aid programs. It ....Contestation or Regulation - New Politics in Southeast Asia. By providing a greater understanding of the region's polities and societies the study can enhance all forms of Australian engagement with Southeast Asia. It offers insights into differential intra-regional capacities and orientations of political systems to absorb diverse social forces into the political process. This knowledge provides a basis for strategies to promote effective governance reform and other Australian aid programs. It will also assist policymakers seeking to influence the management of, or resolution to, conflicts threatening stability in the region. Read moreRead less
Testing Court Reform Projects in Cambodia and Vietnam. Financial assistance for court reform projects in ASEAN countries is among Australia's foreign aid priorities, consuming highly sought-after aid dollars. This research will make recommendations aimed at increasing the efficacy of aid-assisted court reform projects. By paying particular attention to indigenous perspectives of successes and failures of such projects, the research will contribute to Australia's understanding of the legal and ju ....Testing Court Reform Projects in Cambodia and Vietnam. Financial assistance for court reform projects in ASEAN countries is among Australia's foreign aid priorities, consuming highly sought-after aid dollars. This research will make recommendations aimed at increasing the efficacy of aid-assisted court reform projects. By paying particular attention to indigenous perspectives of successes and failures of such projects, the research will contribute to Australia's understanding of the legal and judicial contexts in two of its Southeast Asian neighbours. The research will inform Australia's aid investments in Cambodia and Vietnam, the region and internationally. It will enhance Australia's ability to achieve more effective design, implementation and evaluation of court-related aid interventions. Read moreRead less