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Thu, 16/10/2008 - 09:25 — Warren Reed
 The term ‘Asia-Pacific Century' is already dated as the geopolitical centre of the world is moving west. On the linguistic front alone, this means that for Australia, the Asian language domain now has to embrace Russian and Arabic, as well as many others.
The Australian reported in mid-October that three out of four heads of Australian diplomatic missions in Asia can't speak the language of the country they're posted to. And the shortage of suitably skilled diplomats is likely to continue, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade recruiting two new trainees with European languages for every one with an Asian fluency. This is partly a reflection of the lack of concern that Australian school and university students have for the languages and cultures of our region, which is a growing national problem. That's not to say our society is devoid of younger people equipped with the appropriate skills, who could be attracted to our Diplomatic Service and to other government agencies that act as the eyes and ears of the nation. It's just that they don't see themselves serving the national interest in that way. Question most Australians on where the country's destiny lies and they'll readily acknowledge that the Asian region is crucial to our future. But ask them what they, or those closest to them, should personally be doing to make a contribution, and awareness levels drop off fast.
Thu, 18/09/2008 - 09:59 — Warren Reed
Immortalised by Kipling in 1901, at a time when Central Asia was seen by many strategists as the geopolitical centre of the world, now, in the early part of another century, 'The Great Game' is on again. The first "Great Game" between Tsarist Russia and Britain was never cricket. It was a battle of wits and wills, and often a deadly one. For much of the 19th century, these two powers fought a secret war across Central Asia, vying for the allegiance of powerful khans. Russia was expanding its empire and Britain was determined to protect the jewel in its colonial crown - India. Espionage came into its own at this time, and every imaginable disguise was put to use, whether that of a mendicant monk or camel trader. The British writer, Rudyard Kipling, immortalised the term "Great Game" in his novel Kim in 1901, at a time when Central Asia was seen by many strategists as the geopolitical centre of the world. Now, in the early part of another century, the battle's on again. But this time it's not so much for control of territory as it is for access to the region's rich reserves of oil and gas, as well as to its abundance of minerals. Also tantalising are its markets and huge reserves of petro-dollars, which more and more are being pumped into infrastructure projects as large numbers of people move into urban areas and demand electricity, water, transportation and telecommunications. The axis that runs through the region extends from Shanghai to Istanbul, and for much of its length follows the route of the ancient Silk Road. Nowadays it is increasingly crisscrossed by pipelines and railways, for which reason some call it the "Iron Silk Road". The Stans - once part of the underbelly of the old Soviet Union - straddle this corridor, with a resurgent Russia across the top, China at one end and India below. Symbolic of the new dialogue in the region is the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) that was set up in 2001 by Russia and China, with Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as members. India, Iran, Pakistan and Mongolia have observer status. Originally a loose security alliance, it now covers energy, nuclear power, the fight against organised crime and terrorism, plus health and education.
Mon, 25/08/2008 - 11:20 — Warren Reed
Scratch most Australian organisations and you'll discover a productive diversity that's too good to miss. The most useful ideas that think tanks produce are those that are not only practical and applicable, but imbued with easy logic. Sometimes they provide a new slant on things so that existing processes can be made more efficient. Other times, they reveal hidden assets that few have identified, though they're right in front of our face. One such example was a project undertaken nearly 15 years ago by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), in conjunction with the then Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), which was part of the Department of Prime Minister & Cabinet. Sandy Hollway, who later went on to manage the Sydney Olympics ran OMA. The project looked at ways of making business more aware of the repository of skills, talents and contacts buried inside the country's multicultural workforce. It is not uncommon in Australia to find firms scouring the globe for new markets for their products when, say, the brother of a foreign-born employee in the HR section is looking to import that very thing into their home country.
Wed, 16/07/2008 - 15:10 — Warren Reed
While chatting at a business function recently, my colleagues and I were joined by a transport expert fresh back from a fact-finding mission in Asia. That's where the rest of us had spent much of our professional lives, so conversation quickly turned to useful things we had observed there that could be adopted in Australia. Raised first was the helpful Japanese custom on railways across the country - whether subways, suburban or long-distance trains - of marking each station's name board with not only the name of the station you've just arrived at but underneath it, the name of the one preceding and the one following. That's handy for anyone on an unfamiliar line, whether Japanese or foreign, and encourages passengers to move to the door in advance of the train stopping where you're going to get off. It's a simple and logical triangulation that not only increases efficiency but also makes some passengers a little more relaxed that they might otherwise be. The transport expert had visited Japan but hadn't noticed this. He'd had a short trip on the Bullet Train but used the time to catch up on sleep. We pushed the point but it went right over his head. ‘I can't see how this is relevant to Australia,' he said, with an air of petulance. ‘Because it's so damn functional,' one of my colleagues, Simon, persisted. ‘Maybe so,' the expert replied, ‘but that doesn't mean we should change all of our station signs here.'
Mon, 16/06/2008 - 10:27 — Warren Reed
Let's face it, you ever only realise how fundamental your home grammar is when you study another language, especially one from a vastly different cultural or civilization bailiwick. Prime Minister Rudd's personal interest in Asia and his two recent trips to the region have highlighted the importance to Australia of understanding why people think and act the way they do there. In Japan in mid-June, Mr. Rudd mentioned that he'd like to see Australia become, over time, the most Asia-literate country in the world. That's an admirable aim, especially after the damaging slippage in Asian studies over the past decade. But we have a lot of work to do even to point in the right direction, let alone come anywhere near to achieving such a reasonable goal. A key shaper of public opinion on these matters is the media. If reporters and commentators don't bother to get the names of the region's top people and places correct, opting instead for their own imagined pronunciation, then Australians will be left feeling that it's not a challenge worth taking seriously.
Mon, 07/04/2008 - 10:28 — Warren Reed
Would an 'Asia Daily' news bulletin help Australia to better understand its closest neighbours? Despite Australia becoming increasingly enmeshed with the Asian world - whether economically, politically or culturally - we are experiencing a serious decline in the numbers of young Australians studying the region's languages, as well as its history and thought patterns. This leaves us with a growing information gap, and one that has little to do with major events. If an aircraft crashes in Indonesia, a bridge collapses in Vietnam, or floods devastate much of China, it's more than likely you'll see it on the nightly TV news. You'll also find coverage in the following day's newspapers. But the things that regularly impact on the lives of our Asian neighbours - in the way that interest rates, mortgage payments and skyrocketing rents do with us - receive scant, if any, attention here. You might see some analysis in a specialist journal, but that's about all. Most Australians, for example, would have no idea how a shortage of onions and potatoes in northern India can impact on the life of a citizen there. Australians, whether locally born or from overseas, who are fluent in regional languages, can already access much of this information via the excellent news services provided by say, SBS TV and radio. But that's a relatively small part of our population.
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