Australia S Arc Of Instability

The idea for this book emerged from a conversation between Vivian Forbes and Charles Eaton following two seminars held in the Department of Geography at the University of Western Australia given by Trevor So?eld and Christopher Grif?n more than ?ve years ago. One seminar involved papers from Charles Eaton and Christopher Grif?n on the recent Speight coup in Fiji; the other, given by Trevor So?eld, was on the Solomon Islands. The seminars were attended by, among others, Dennis Rumley, who on getting involved in the conversation, suggested the idea of a book and then followed through on its scope, structure, planning, and possible contributors. Looking back now, we owe a special debt of gratitude to Charles Eaton both for his enthusiasm and his ideas then, and for his continued support throughout the whole project. Since that time ?ve years ago, many people have boarded and have left the Arc. Indeed, the very project itself exhibited a degree of instability. At times, it even looked as though it might not stay a?oat. Thankfully, several early boarders remained ?rmly anchored. Other authors were co-opted later, some at relatively short notice, one or two of them under mild duress. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of these contributors for remaining patient, enthusiastic, and keeping faith with the project. Naturally, a project like this, dealing with such a large and dynamic region, will always be out-of-date.

The idea for this book emerged from a conversation between Vivian Forbes and Charles Eaton following two seminars held in the Department of Geography at the University of Western Australia given by Trevor So?eld and Christopher Grif?n more than ?ve years ago. One seminar involved papers from Charles Eaton and Christopher Grif?n on the recent Speight coup in Fiji; the other, given by Trevor So?eld, was on the Solomon Islands. The seminars were attended by, among others, Dennis Rumley, who on getting involved in the conversation, suggested the idea of a book and then followed through on its scope, structure, planning, and possible contributors. Looking back now, we owe a special debt of gratitude to Charles Eaton both for his enthusiasm and his ideas then, and for his continued support throughout the whole project. Since that time ?ve years ago, many people have boarded and have left the Arc. Indeed, the very project itself exhibited a degree of instability. At times, it even looked as though it might not stay a?oat. Thankfully, several early boarders remained ?rmly anchored. Other authors were co-opted later, some at relatively short notice, one or two of them under mild duress. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of these contributors for remaining patient, enthusiastic, and keeping faith with the project. Naturally, a project like this, dealing with such a large and dynamic region, will always be out-of-date.

This book comprises six informed contemporary narratives and historical commentary by a group of distinguished regionals scholars writing in the context of growing concern about an emerging "arc of instability" in the Southwest Pacific region.

Debates on security became more intense following the unanticipated end of the Cold War conflict and took on added force after the terrorist attacks on the US on September 11, 2001. Generally viewed as a part of the wider 'West' despite its separation by enormous geographical distances from both Europe and the United States, Australia is a regional power in its own right. It has been an active and loyal member of the US-led coalitions of the willing, first in Afghanistan and then in Iraq. The terrorist attacks in Bali one year after the attacks in the United States brought home to Australia the direct nature of the new global terrorist threats to its own security. This volume brings together leading experts on international security and Australia's foreign and security policies in a critical examination of Australia's adaptations to the new security challenges. It is the first in-depth and comprehensive analysis of Australia's defence and security policies as well as the country's role in countering regional and global challenges to international security since the war on terrorism began.

This book maps the seascape borders of Australia's insular imagination. It explores how the boundaries and contours of the nation were made and remade in the first years of the war on terror, offering a striking reassessment of the territoriality of 'the island continent'.

This volume identifies those issues that affect Australia and New Zealand’s maritime security, evaluating the issues from legal and political perspectives, as well as examining the issues within the broad framework of international law and politics. The book also addresses considerations in the Pacific, Asian and Antarctic regions.

The last few years, dominated by the wake of the global economic crisis and the marginalization of the old Western powers, have by contrast witnessed the political and economic growth of Australia. This vast country, sparsely populated and with a light influence in global affairs, has managed to carve out an important place within growing Asian powers, supported by strong economic growth. How did this happen and what path has this peculiar country followed? This agile essay traces the country’s history, economy and geopolitics, from early colonial years to the present day, showing its strengths and weaknesses, key decisions of the past and possible outlooks for the future. A starting point for looking at the geopolitics of Australia and its remarkable complexity which, against all odds, has enabled this Western country to avert the effects of the global economic crisis and, at the same time, has allowed it to embark on growth that is not merely economic.

Since the 1960s Neville Meaney has been asking probing questions about social change and the rise of nationalism, especially as found in the making of Australia's self-image and its engagement with the world. His efforts to unravel what he once called 'the riddle of Australian nationalism' have raised important, and often unsettling, challenges for Australians. Bringing together the cultural, intellectual, political and diplomatic dimensions of the national experience, Meaney's work has been dominated by two overarching and interconnected questions: how Australians should resolve the tension between the 'community of culture' and the 'community of interest' and how they should reconcile their British heritage with their Asian moorings?