Hazardous Waters – The New Great game and the need for de-escalation
Russia and NATO are on a collision course and de-esclation is required to prevent greater hostility, Vladimir Pejovic writes.
Australia and The Regional Battle for the Heart and Soul of Islam
Professor Damien Kingsbury argues Australia is facing a new regional challenge as its northern neighbours increasingly join a global trend towards a more fundamentalist form of Islam.
Locating the Myth of European Nationalism : One Identity in a Diverse Collective
With a current collective of 28 member states, the European Union embodies an innate sense of European nationalism. However, as the author, Mazida Khatun discusses, there is a deep element of doubt in this, particularly from Britain. This is a discussion of one identity in a diverse collective.
Why Authoritarian Regimes Love Social Media and Smart Phones?
The use of ‘advanced’ technology to suppress dissent can be seen as far back as Britain’s Licensing of the Press Act of 1662, specifically targeted at “frequent Abuses in printing seditious treasonable and unlicensed Books and Pamphlets” or German Volksempfänger radios, designed only to receive those messages pre-approved by Goebbels. However, since the widespread adoption of the internet, and more recently the smartphone, repressive authorities have increasingly had the means not just to control the message, but to stymie any activists trying to promote one.
China’s Growing Influence: The Role of its Soft Power
Global public opinion surveys continue to show that China is perceived fairly favorably by large swathes of the world’s populace, from the Asia-Pacific to Africa and Europe. China has garnered cooperation from a diverse group of states in areas such as trade, tourism, education and infrastructure development, and Chinese statesmen are sure to be given a warm welcome in almost any foreign capital. These developments are both causes and effects of Chinese soft power.
Alochonaa (Dialogue) 