Wild honey

Russian poet Anna Akhmatova wrote that “wild honey smells of freedom” but Vladimir Putin has followed in the dark footsteps of Josef Stalin and other Soviet leaders in ruthlessly suppressing any opposition to his dictatorial rule, forcing artists to choose between leaving the country, silence, imprisonment or death.

Big brother is back

The collapse of Soviet communism seemed to herald victory for democracy over despotism, but the rise of new surveillance states powered by the digital communication which once threatened to defeat them is a threat to us all.

The case for hope

Although global prospects appear bleak, with the return of war to Europe and a growing climate crisis, there remains a case for optimism across a range of social and political issues.

Putin forces the world to take sides

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s growing aggression in Asia and the Pacific may soon force the rest of the world to take sides in an ideological, economic and perhaps military confrontation between freedom and tyranny.

The battle for ideas will shape new global order

The world has a choice to make between the freedom and democracy offered by the West and the aggressive authoritarianism of Russia and China.

Monitoring labour exploitation in the Asia-Pacific

The exploitation of workers is at an all-time high. However, traditional concepts of slavery combined with gendered expectations means that many victims of labour exploitation will not receive the support they need.

Disturbing the peace

The increasing threat which Russian and China pose to their neighbours will only ramp up the threat to world peace in 2022.

The death of the Mekong delta

Millions of people depend on Vietnam’s mighty Mekong Delta, but upstream water extraction and dam building by China and other states is reducing flows to a relative trickle.

Why Europe’s far right sticks with Putin

European leftists instinctively sided with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, but now it’s far right populists in the USA, France, Hungary and elsewhere who excuse Putin’s brutal invasion of Ukraine and oppose help for that embattled country.

I came, I saw, I vetoed

The United Nations is supposed to offer a forum to uphold international law, but the vetos wielded by authoritarian states on the Security Council has rendered it impotent to tackle crises like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Social justice for all

February 20 was the World Day of Social Justice. Though it was supposed to celebrate how far we have come in building societies that ensure equality and peace, there is still a long way to go to achieve them.

Looking to South-East Asia

Given the growing risks and opportunities in the region, it’s in Australia’s national interest to engage strongly with Southeast Asia or risk leaving a hole in its Indo-Pacific strategy.