Dyason House Podcast: Recent Episodes
Australian Institute of International Affairs - Victoria
Speaking with experts on real issues in international affairs and how you can get involved in the fields that change the world.
What is it like to see your city in flames? Where do you draw the line between terror and freedom? In this episode of Safe Harbour we take you behind Hong Kong's frontlines and into the lives of protesters fighting at all costs for what they believe in.
Caution: Strong Language
Written, recorded, edited and mixed by: Elliot Goodyer
Hong Kong protest illustrator Kai Lan Egg: https://www.instagram.com/kai_lan_egg/
Music attribution: https://pastebin.com/embed_js/4qExm4G5
In this episode, Thenu discusses the common experiences of young women in International Affairs with two accomplished youth advocates: Caitlin Figueiredo and Yasmin Poole. Will it ever be normal to see multiple women in positions of power? How should current leaders handle systemic inequalities? How can women support each other to create change?
After disasters, especially those related to health, the response that we put forward is of vital importance. Mass amounts of death create emotional and logistical problems, and have far-reaching ramifications on global health security. In this final episode, join James Cafferky for an interview with Professor Stephen Cordner AM FAIIA on forensic pathology.
Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, speculation has been rampant on the potential changes it could bring in international relations. Join James Cafferky in this second double-feature interview episode, to hear from Drs Angel Alcade, and Daniel McCarthy, stepping us through, first, the relationship between the pandemic and globalisation, and secondly, the relationship between the pandemic and IR more broadly.
Climate change is a broad-reaching and dangerous threat, one which is no longer avoidable. Its impacts range from the environmental to the political, and intersect with international affairs on many fronts. Join James Cafferky in a double-feature interview of Professors Kathryn Bowen, and Tony Capon, in unpacking how they conceptualise the multi-faceted relationship between climate change and global health security.
Curious about what diplomats actually experience? AIIA Victoria invites you to the next instalment in the Meet the Diplomat series. In it, James Carey interviews former Australian Ambassador, Colin Heseltine. Colin had a career with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade that included numerous senior positions and postings. He has served as Deputy Head of Mission in the Australian embassy in Beijing from 1982 to 1985, and from 1988 to 1992; as director of the Australian Commerce and Industry Office in Taiwan, and as Australia's Ambassador to the Republic of Korea from 2001 to 2005. He was appointed by the Australian government to head the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Secretariat in Singapore during Australia’s host APEC year in 2007.
The World Health Organization (WHO)has been in the news recently; its profile was heightened following its leadership in the Covid-19 response - or perceived failure to lead - and in the US's withdrawal after criticisms of bias. Join James Cafferky in an interview of WHO expert, and recent WHO retiree, Professor Vivian Lin, in walking through what the enigmatic multinational organisation actually does, the challenges it faces, and the importance of health systems thinking.
Global Health Security is a term that has been much used in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. What it actually means, though, is not readily apparent - beyond this ambiguity, what is the field's exact relevance today? Join James Cafferky in an interview of Professor Helen Evans AO FAIIA in unpacking the phrase, and exploring some of the crises of today's implications for the future.
Following President Donald Trump’s so-called Middle East 'Peace to Prosperity' Plan, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu recently highlighted Israel’s intention to annex parts of the West Bank. In this episode, Dr Michelle Lesh at the University of Melbourne discusses the significance of this move and her experience working in the area.
Diplomacy is the most important institution of our society of states. Diplomacy’s main aim is to enable states to secure their foreign policy objectives without resorting to force. Its primary tools are international dialogue and negotiation. Its success for any country is influenced by both the country’s hard and soft power with diplomats playing an important role in the projection of soft power. Based on a career spent promoting Australia’s interests overseas, John Richardson, former Ambassador to Brazil, discusses with James Carey what it means to conduct diplomacy, what a diplomatic negotiation looks like, and his experience of bridging cultural gaps.
Emmy-nominated Australian Journalist, Karishma Vyas, discusses her career as an international reporter. In doing so, this episode unravels the phenomenon of fake news and political polarisation while debating the importance of press freedom and equal representation in the media.
After an introduction to the series, this special edition of the Dyason House podcast begins with Gillian Triggs. Leaving behind a very successful career as an international lawyer and academic, the former President of the Human Rights Commission has recently become Assistant Secretary-General of the UNHR. With Gillian’s exclusive insight into the UN Refugee agency, this episode sheds light on the interplay between current refugee crises and the COVID-19 global pandemic.
In this episode we spoke with long-term watcher of Kurds, Monash University's Will Gourlay, about the Kurdish struggle for political equality in Turkey. As President Erdogan moves to consolidate his support, he appears increasingly likely to forsake the Kurdish cause for Turkish nationalist support.
Since coming to power in 2002, President Erdogan has slowly dismantled Turkey's democracy, suppressing press freedoms and concentrating constitutional authority in his hands. The Turkish people are split with ‘Black Turks’ lionising his conservative credentials while 'White Turks' bemoan the slide to authoritarianism. However, Erdogan-aligned candidates faltered at recent municipal elections, inspiring fresh hope for change. Has the President's pyramid begun to crumble?
With America's global influence in decline and China steadfast in its pursuit of regional dominance, Australia sits at the cross-roads of an uncertain future. This week we spoke with national security expert Dr Euan Graham about whether Australia is prepared for the Asian Century or doomed to conflict with China.
Tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir have reignited after India stripped the contested border region of its long-standing autonomy. We spoke with India expert Dr. Pradeep Taneja to understand why Kashmir is beset by instability and uncertainty over its political future.
For the first episode of Season 4, we spoke with Prof. John Burns about the evolving political crisis in Hong Kong. Frustrations over Chief Executive Carrie Lam's handling of the proposed extradition bill has pushed millions onto the streets and led to wider calls for fully democratic elections.
Today we spoke with Dr. Sebastian Kaempf, Senior Lecturer in Peace and Conflict Studies at the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland, to discuss the role a transforming global media landscape is playing in contemporary conflicts, the visualisation of warfare in popular culture and what this means for traditional media institutions.
Today we had a discussion with Zara Kimpton OAM, National Vice President of the Australian Institute of International Affairs and the head of the Australian delegation for the Women20, an official G20 engagement group forming a transnational network of women’s organizations, female entrepreneurs associations and think tanks. Zara talked us through the key areas of engagement for the W20, how we can turn ideas into effective action on gender equality, and the role Australia is playing in supporting the W20 agenda.
India, the most populous democracy in the world, is asserting itself as a force on the world stage at an impressive rate. With a development this rapid, there are bound to be complications. This episode saw us sit down with Professor Craig Jeffrey, Director of the Australia India Institute, to discuss some of the challenges facing youth in India, the surprising innovations employed to overcome them, and the social phenomenon of ‘time-pass’.
For today’s episode we were joined by Alexey Muraviev of Curtin University, an Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Social Sciences & Security Studies and a leading academic in Australia on Russia. We discuss the role that Russia plays in the Pacific, the ways in which soft and hard power can be asserted, and why we should never forget that Russia never gave up its title of super-power.
Today Dr Ben Wellings, senior lecturer in International Relations at Monash University, Clayton, talked us through the rise of Euroscepticism, what the Anglosphere is and how the challenges of Brexit may stem from an identity crisis within the UK.
In this episode we sat down for a chat with Dr Charles T. Hunt, a Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow at Social & Global Studies Centre, RMIT to discuss what constitutes the success of a peacekeeping mission, the challenges that a “robust turn” in UN missions poses, and what it takes to construct conditions for lasting peace. Dr Charles T. Hunt will be giving a talk on the protection of civilians in UN peace operations at the Australian Institute for International Affairs Victoria on May 29th, 2019.
We speak with Professor Jacqui True and Assoc. Professor Katrina Lee-Koo, Director and Associate Director of The Monash Centre for Gender Peace and Security, to shed some light on what gender, peace and security studies entail, what happens when women are given full agency and meaningful participation in the peace process and why we need to continue standing up for under-represented groups impacted by violence.
In the final episode of series 2, we're joined by Associate Professor Barbara Keys of the University of Melbourne. Barbara is an historian of international affairs, and the author of two books - Reclaiming American Virtue and Globalizing Sport. In 2019, she will serve as the president of the Society of Historians of American Foreign Relations. This week, we discuss human rights and sports diplomacy.
This week we’re joined by award winning expert on North Korea, Jean Lee. Jean currently serves as Director of Hyundai Motor Korea Foundation Centre for Korean History and Public Policy at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars. She also led the Associated Press’ coverage of the Korean Peninsula between 2008 and 2013, becoming the first American Reporter granted extensive access on the ground in North Korea, and opened the Associated Press’ Pyongyang bureau in 2012. This week, we discuss her experiences, and the North Korean economy.
In episode 7 we are joined by Walkley Award Winner Rowan Callick. Rowan has worked as a China Correspondent and Asia-Pacific Editor to the Australian Financial Review and the Australian, and was awarded an OBE in 2014. This week we discuss his experiences as a foreign correspondent, and the rise of China.
This week’s episode features Jean Dunn, currently Director Indo-Pacific of the Centre for Political and Diplomatic Studies and formerly Australia’s ambassador to Turkey and Azerbaijan, Lebanon, Poland, the Czech Republic, Lithuania and Ukraine. In 2016, Jean was presented with the Public Service Medal by the Governor General for her services during the aftermath of the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 in 2014. We discuss what it takes to be a good diplomat, and the MH17 crisis.
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley
This week's episode features Stephanie Woollard, founder and director of Seven Women. Stephanie began Seven Women at the age of 22 after meeting disabled women working in a tin shed in Kathmandu, Nepal. With her last $200, she paid for trainers to teach the women how to produce products for sale, and has now assisted over 5000 women in this way. She’s also founded a cooking school in Nepal, as well as a responsible travel company named Hands on Development, and in 2016 received the United Nations Rotary International Responsible Business Award. We discuss how anybody can make a difference through social entrepreneurship.
From a Tin Shed to the United Nations: https://sevenwomen.org/new-products/from-a-tin-shed-to-the-united-nations Bringing the Light: The Seven Women Story: https://sevenwomen.org/new-products/bringing-the-light-the-seven-women-story
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley
Professor Damien Kingsbury of Deakin University joins us for episode four of the Dyason House Podcast. Professor Kingsbury is also Deputy-Chair of the Balibo House Trust and a board member with the Australia Myanmar Institute. This week’s episode focuses on his experiences as an adviser to the Aceh peace talks, which democratically ended three decades of war.
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley
Episode three features Dr Kym Brown, a Senior Lecturer at Monash University in the Department of Banking and Finance. Dr Brown has published works relating to Islamic finance, Chinese banking, developing developing country finance, and crytocurrencies. She joins us to discuss cryptocurrencies, the banking system and international trade.
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley
Bart Hogeveen joins us for episode two to discuss the role of cyber affairs in international relations. Bart is currently in charge of cyber capacity-building programmes at the International Cyber Policy Centre at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. Bart has also previously worked at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Department of Defence, as well as a number of NATO and EU missions.
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley
Season 2 begins with Professor John Langmore of the University of Melbourne. Having began his career working in Papua New Guinea in the lead up to its independence, then becoming elected to the Australian House of Representatives, and later working at the United Nations, Professor Langmore provides a wealth of knowledge in international affairs. This week's episode provides an overview of his experiences.
Having worked closely with former UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, Professor Langmore has also recently published an article entitled 'Kofi Annan: A Leader with Compassion' which can be found at: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/kofi-annan-leader-compassion
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley
With 42-years’ service in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) former ambassador John Woods has served the interests of Australia in Europe, The Middle East, Asia, North Africa and the Americas. His storied career and wealth of experience makes John one of Australia’s most knowledgeable authorities on life as an ambassador. Full of information on the path to becoming an ambassador and the realities of holding the honour for your country season 1’s final episode is not to be missed. Thank you to all who have followed a long for since April and make sure to check back in August for season 2.
Reporting on the ground in Iraq and Indonesia, and liaising with Fairfax correspondents in the field as Foreign Editor, Michael Bachelard knows every detail of life as a foreign correspondent. Find out what it takes to get a job as a foreign correspondent and to live as one in places as varied as the Middle East to Europe. An essential listen for those with aspirations of foreign correspondence.
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley
Nobel Peace Prize winner Tim Wright talks with the DH podcast on how we as a human race are moving toward complete denuclearisation. Tim works as the Treaty Coordinator for the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), who played the major role in garnering the signatures of 120 nations for the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. We discuss why countries like the UK, US, China, France, Russia and even Australia have refused to sign; along with recent events in North Korea and the Singapore Summit; the US decision to pull out of the UN Human Rights Council; and as always how to start a career as a activist or campaigner.
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley
Politics, it’s at the heart of everything, from persecution to prosperity, war or peace, justice or injustice - how governments govern affects us all. Michael Brissenden is one of the few tasked with holding governments accountable. A Walkley Award-winning foreign correspondent and political reporter, Michael has reported on how the world works throughout Europe, the Pacific, North America, the Middle East and Australia. If you’ve dreamed of being a political reporter, foreign correspondent, politician or have the slightest interest in politics, you’ll enjoy every second of this fast-paced conversation. Michael discusses his career journey, why we should all care about politics and tips for aspiring political reporters and foreign correspondents.
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley
Want to work for the United Nations? Professor Ian Howie details how he achieved his dream of landing a job with the organisation that constitutes humankind’s best effort to make the world a better place. Ian spent 40 years with the UN and he knows what it takes, what to expect and where a career with the United Nations can take you. Make sure to grab a note book and enjoy this week’s episode of the Dyason House Podcast, it might just set you on the path for an international career.
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley
Lessons in humility and the importance of understanding your enemy. In Northern Ireland, Iraq, the Balkans and Sierra Leone, among others, retired British military commander Richard Iron has spent a lifetime in counterinsurgency. In this episode Richard takes us through his role as Chief Mentor to Basra Operations commander in the 2008 battle for Basra, Iraq, and how his military career prepared him to take on a faceless enemy.
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley
ABC Middle East correspondent Matt Brown is a four time Walkley Award winner and courageous front-line journalist. We discuss Matt's journey from a student journalist covering Papua New Guinea, to hiking illegally over the Syrian border during civil war. It's a rare insight into what it's like to report from some of the toughest locations on the planet and how to land a job doing it.
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley
Engineer, scholar, consultant, author, humanitarian aid worker Dr Denis Dragovic has done it all. In this episode we talk about what it's like to be an aid worker in general and in tough situations like war zones. Denis also shares some tips on how to pursue your own career in the aid industry and some of the problems that the industry currently faces.
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley
Former Ambassador to Myanmar Christopher Lamb, Christopher retired from a career in diplomacy spaning over 30 years. He now heads a number of advisory board, working with organisations like the Red Cross and The Australian Mynamaar Instute, and enjoys a post as an Honorary Assosiate Professor at the University of Melbourne.
We discussed the history of the people known as Rohingya and the realities of the current crisis from the perspective of someone who knows the region intimately. It’s an incredibly informative journey with some insights that only a man like Christopher could know. We get into details that don’t often make the mainstream news and covering one of world’s least know crisis.
Music: Jade by Scott Buckley