Asia Rising La Trobe Asia

The world’s largest display of democracy has just taken place, with close to a billion people eligible to vote in an election across 44 days. Narendra Modi has been sworn in for a rare third term as India’s Prime Minister, after emerging victorious in a tough election with a slim majority.

His party, the BJP, had hoped for a landslide victory, but needed to rely on a coalition to gain power.

Guest: Associate Professor Priya Chako ( International Politics, University of Adelaide)

Recorded on 19th June, 2024.

More than a billion people across Asia have voted so far in 2024, in elections in India, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan and more, but outside of the main results the electoral processes and implications for democracy rarely attracted international headlines.

While voting is a key expression of democratic participation, during elections democratic ideals can be challenged. Many of these elections will have repercussions not just for citizens within these countries and the Asian region, but also for the quality of democracy and human rights across the globe.

What can we learn from these elections in Asia? What can we expect from these countries and the leadership styles they represent? Is democracy healthy in Asia?

Speakers:
Kevin Magee AO (Former Australian Representative to Taiwan)
Dr Priya Chacko (Associate Professor of International Politics, University of Adelaide)
Professor Vedi Hadiz (Director and Professor of Asian Studies at the Asia Institute, University of Melbourne)
Dr Ruth Gamble (Senior Lecturer in History and Deputy Director of La Trobe Asia, La Trobe University) - Chair

Recorded 19th June, 2024.

There’s a theory that’s discussed in many circles of international relations: have we reached peak China? In a post-pandemic age in which it is struggling with development, confronted with an aging population, and a slowing economy, is China on the decline?

Guest: Professor Evan Medeiros (Penner Family Chair in Asian Studies, Georgetown University)

Recorded 28th May, 2024.

Slavery remains a problem in many countries across Asia, and the understanding of what makes a person vulnerable to this kind of exploitation continues to evolve. When it comes to disability, the links are less understood, and more research is needed to understand the barriers survivors with disabilities face when accessing remedies, justice and support.

The report:
Exploring the intersection between disability and trafficking in persons
www.aseanact.org/resources/tip-disability/

Guest: Dr Elisabeth Jackson (Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Human Security and Social Change, La Trobe University).

Recorded on 13th May, 2024.

Australia has drawn closer to many of its Asia-Pacific neighbours in recent years, but ‘when push comes to shove, it continues to look well beyond the oceans and regions that surround it to the distant horizons of Europe and North America for its ultimate security guarantee’.

In Girt by Sea, international-relations experts Rebecca Strating and Joanne Wallis instead turn their gazes to Australia’s near region, focusing on the six maritime domains central to its national interests: the north seas (the Timor, Arafura and Coral Seas and the Torres Strait), the Western Pacific, the South China Sea, the South Pacific, the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean.

In so doing, they reimagine how Australia should understand its strategic challenges and find lasting security.

Speakers:
- Bec Strating (Professor of International Relations, La Trobe University, Director of La Trobe Asia)
- Joanne Wallis (Professor of International Security, University of Adelaide)
- Ali Moore (ABC Radio 774)

Held on 15th May, 2024 at Readings Bookshop, Carlton.

In 2004 Indonesia enacted the Anti-Domestic Violence Law in what has been widely acknowledged as a progressive move, and a major achievement for the women’s rights groups who advocated for it.

Despite the law being in effect for 20 years, domestic violence in Indonesia remains a persistent issue.

Guest: Dr Balawyn Jones (Lecturer and Bendigo Law Convenor, La Trobe Law School, La Trobe University).

Recorded on 1st March, 2024.