Improving effectiveness of Australian aid to the island-Pacific. Improving the effectiveness of aid to the island Pacific so as to secure peace and prosperity within our immediate neighbourhood is in Australia's own national interest. This research investigates issues of state functioning and state failure with a view to improving the effectiveness of external interventions and of bolstering state capacity in the South Pacific. It is now widely acknowledged that ?failed states? can generate ref ....Improving effectiveness of Australian aid to the island-Pacific. Improving the effectiveness of aid to the island Pacific so as to secure peace and prosperity within our immediate neighbourhood is in Australia's own national interest. This research investigates issues of state functioning and state failure with a view to improving the effectiveness of external interventions and of bolstering state capacity in the South Pacific. It is now widely acknowledged that ?failed states? can generate refugee flows and create havens for organised crime or terrorist groups, thus becoming a threat to neighbouring states. Such cross-border spillovers have major implications for Australia's national security and have been the primary rationale for the recent interventions into Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands.Read moreRead less
Clarifying transparency: Chinese aid and trade in Latin America. Consensual understandings of transparency and good governance are crucial to the international accommodation of China's economic rise. Through a quantitative survey and qualitative case studies, this project aims to clarify how these terms generate misunderstandings and hinder potential for dialogue between key U.S., Latin American and Chinese actors.
The uneasy alliance between democracy and justice. This project will make a significant contribution to the understanding of our commitment to democratic values and practices, and what it entails for our local, regional and international obligations. It will directly address the challenge of maintaining social cohesion in an era of rapid social, economic and political change. And it will offer a fresh perspective on important public debates to do with Australian national identity and the relatio ....The uneasy alliance between democracy and justice. This project will make a significant contribution to the understanding of our commitment to democratic values and practices, and what it entails for our local, regional and international obligations. It will directly address the challenge of maintaining social cohesion in an era of rapid social, economic and political change. And it will offer a fresh perspective on important public debates to do with Australian national identity and the relation between democratic rights and individual responsibility. The project will also contribute to helping maintain and develop Australian research excellence and innovation in the field of political philosophy.Read moreRead less
Securing Freedom. Political Speech in Australia. This project will strengthen Australians' ability to secure their own freedom through enhancing and maintaining a stronger civic culture. Political speech is vital to the health of Australian democracy. By considering political speech in practice, this project will show the wide extent of political freedoms and thus democratic practice in Australia today. It will also outline some areas where the freedom may be at risk. In an era where political f ....Securing Freedom. Political Speech in Australia. This project will strengthen Australians' ability to secure their own freedom through enhancing and maintaining a stronger civic culture. Political speech is vital to the health of Australian democracy. By considering political speech in practice, this project will show the wide extent of political freedoms and thus democratic practice in Australia today. It will also outline some areas where the freedom may be at risk. In an era where political freedoms can be perceived to be at risk due to the need to ensure national security, this project will harmonise and reconcile national security needs with the democratic values of Australian society.Read moreRead less
Multilateral Development Bank Accountability: Who Benefits? In 1994 the World Bank adopted an "external accountability mechanism" to assess claims by people all over the world that they were negatively affected by Bank financed development projects. Within a decade this mechanism would become a global model of accountability. Adopted by the African, Asian, European and Inter-American Development Banks, hundreds of claims have now been filed. In probing the creation, proliferation and operations ....Multilateral Development Bank Accountability: Who Benefits? In 1994 the World Bank adopted an "external accountability mechanism" to assess claims by people all over the world that they were negatively affected by Bank financed development projects. Within a decade this mechanism would become a global model of accountability. Adopted by the African, Asian, European and Inter-American Development Banks, hundreds of claims have now been filed. In probing the creation, proliferation and operations of these external accountability mechanisms, this project investigates who benefits from them: project affected people, the Banks, or the Banks' member states, some who pushed for greater accountability, and some who opposed these infringements on their sovereign right to borrow.Read moreRead less
A naturalistic approach to rights, norms and practices of freedom. We offer a naturalistic account of the dynamic relations between rights, norms and freedom. Case studies of the emergence of new rights for women and indigenous peoples will show how this approach generates new ways of understanding human rights, cultural norms and the interactions between them. Further outcomes will include a multidimensional approach to moral cosmopolitanism which provides a distinctive pluralistic alternativ ....A naturalistic approach to rights, norms and practices of freedom. We offer a naturalistic account of the dynamic relations between rights, norms and freedom. Case studies of the emergence of new rights for women and indigenous peoples will show how this approach generates new ways of understanding human rights, cultural norms and the interactions between them. Further outcomes will include a multidimensional approach to moral cosmopolitanism which provides a distinctive pluralistic alternative to current theories.Read moreRead less
Autonomy, Liberalism and the Right to Culture. The question of whether or on what terms cultural diversity may be reconciled with liberal citizenship and national identity is among the most pressing issues confronting liberal democracies today. Australia, long committed to multiculturalism, faces this challenge daily in its law- and policy-making. This project tackles this question by offering a new way of thinking about the place and import of the core liberal value of individual autonomy. Now ....Autonomy, Liberalism and the Right to Culture. The question of whether or on what terms cultural diversity may be reconciled with liberal citizenship and national identity is among the most pressing issues confronting liberal democracies today. Australia, long committed to multiculturalism, faces this challenge daily in its law- and policy-making. This project tackles this question by offering a new way of thinking about the place and import of the core liberal value of individual autonomy. Now under considerable attack in political theory and from some groups for being "too sectarian", the project defends the importance of autonomy to liberal citizenship, while elaborating its moral and political implications for liberals and cultural minorities alike.Read moreRead less
Improving the International Response to Regime-Induced Displacement. This project examines why governments increasingly use force to deliberately displace their own populations on a massive scale, which is termed regime-induced displacement. Through a mix of quantitative and case study research, this project aims to explain why such actions have become rational strategies for regimes to respond to ethnic groups which may be a threat to them and how these regimes try to justify their behaviour in ....Improving the International Response to Regime-Induced Displacement. This project examines why governments increasingly use force to deliberately displace their own populations on a massive scale, which is termed regime-induced displacement. Through a mix of quantitative and case study research, this project aims to explain why such actions have become rational strategies for regimes to respond to ethnic groups which may be a threat to them and how these regimes try to justify their behaviour in order to thwart or delay international action. This is a critical issue as beyond its human cost, regime-induced displacement can lead to state fragility and regional instability as cases from Darfur to Syria demonstrate. Consequently, it directly affects Australia's security interests and international responsibilities.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101468
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$363,379.00
Summary
State formation and external finance: a case study of Somaliland. Somaliland's government receives no direct budgetary support and yet its peace building and developmental achievements dwarf those of Somalia despite the fact that Somalia's government is almost entirely propped up by external assistance. Why does external financial assistance affect the ability of local actors to create peace and prosperity?
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101540
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$331,000.00
Summary
Waves of Democracy and Secessionist Conflict. What is the relationship between democracy and secessionism? This project aims to investigate the theory that democratisation unleashes secessionist forces that are likely to turn violent in the absence of mature democratic institutions. Thus, waves of democracy yield waves of secessionist conflict. Through a statistical analysis of secessionism combined with case studies in three countries with dissimilar regime types - Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, an ....Waves of Democracy and Secessionist Conflict. What is the relationship between democracy and secessionism? This project aims to investigate the theory that democratisation unleashes secessionist forces that are likely to turn violent in the absence of mature democratic institutions. Thus, waves of democracy yield waves of secessionist conflict. Through a statistical analysis of secessionism combined with case studies in three countries with dissimilar regime types - Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, and Spain - the project aims to study the relationship between democratic institutions and secessionist outcomes. The project aims to contribute to our understanding of the unintended consequences of democratisation and inform policy choices regarding the introduction and sequencing of democratic institutions.Read moreRead less