As the Arab Spring stretches into the Arab Summer it has become harder and bloodier for each dictator to fall. The speed with which Ben Ali was deposed shocked the world, Hosni Mubarak’s downfall took a little longer and now, after months of fighting, Muammar Gaddafi’s days appear numbered. Bahrain […]

It is no secret that ‘good governance’ and democratisation are top priorities of development agendas in the Pacific region. While numerous Pacific nations have made the transition to ‘democracy’, at least in technical terms, its realities have proved less than ideal and far from participatory. Perhaps not surprisingly, given the […]

As it becomes clear that western culture is ill-equipped to adequately respond to climate change, demand for alternative forms of climate data is growing. In Australia the knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) peoples is attracting particular attention for its capacity to provide rich information about local level […]

One of the key motivating factors for many of the refugees and migrants I know to make the (often treacherous) journey to Australia is the hope that in the future, they will be able to send money home to support relatives left behind. Some may call it “brain drain” and […]

Image: www.abc.net.au Australia has vast wealth in non-renewable resources. This has obvious potential for economic returns for the Australian people but it also poses some threats. Extractive industries are Australia’s primary industry and appear to have a very bright future, but what are the social and environmental repercussions of resource […]