The election will only be the first step in Fiji’s transition to democracy after eight years of Voreqe Bainimarama’s military rule. Australia should use its influence to assist the workings of the Fiji Parliament, the development of an unfettered civil society and media and an independent judiciary.
In 2015 Australia will host the Asian Football Confederation’s Asian Cup, providing opportunities for government, business and community groups to strengthen their engagement with Asia.
The Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) held a one-day seminar in Canberra on 15 February 2012 entitled The Smart Power Capability Requirements of Australia as a Middle Power. The aims of the seminar were to discuss the concept of smart power in the context of Australia as a middle power, identify Australia’s smart power capability requirements across the peace/conflict spectrum and report its findings to government.
The Australian Institute of International Affairs was established with a simple aim: to promote public understanding of and interest in international issues. Not surprisingly, this is a province for the young as much as the old: it is the younger members of our society who must live with the impact of the foreign policy decisions made by leaders today.