Statecraftiness - Investigating Influence in the Pacific

In the latest episode, we discuss the pressing issue of climate change, exploring the critical role in statecraft and the unique challenges faced by the Pacific. How does the Pacific balance immediate infrastructure needs with the long-term threat of climate change in their diplomacy with major powers? With the global and existential threat of climate change, we feature insights from key figures, experts and activists highlighting the challenges and realities of climate diplomacy, negotiations, and sustainable development solutions in the Pacific. Through these diverse perspectives, the episode sheds light on the complexities of climate diplomacy in the Pacific and the urgent need for global action to address climate change. This episode features: - Gordon Peake - Host - Satyendra Prasad - Climate Lead at Abt Associates  - Oliver Nobetau - Pacific Research Fellow at the Lowy Institute - Richard Gorkrun - Executive Director at Tuvalu Climate Action Network  - Romitesh Kant - PhD Candidate at Australian National UniversitySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, we shift our focus from state influence to the intriguing process of independence movements in the Pacific.  We delve into the complexities of law and politics, particularly in Bougainville and West Papua, where experts and activists shed light on their independence efforts.  We discover how these regions navigate the intricate paths to independence, often balancing international appeal and support from other nations.  How do we make independence attractive to the world when recognition is driven by a whole host of factors, including the interests of existing states, and there’s no such thing as a ‘free lunch’? This episode features: - Gordon Peake - Host - Anthony Regan - Professor and Constitutional Lawyer at Australian National University  - James Tanis - President of Office of the Bougainville and Former President of Bougainville Autonomous Government   - Gezim Visoka - Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Dublin City University  - Ronny Kareni - Free West Papuan Activist, Trained Diplomat, and Vocational Specialist  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At the end of our soft power journey, we examine two key Australian government documents - the Defense Strategic Review and the New International Development Policy. How do the words we choose in government documents shape our understanding and influence our actions? Professor Joanne Wallis sheds light on how the term 'statecraft' is used in these documents and how it has evolved over time. We also hear from lead authors and expert analysts, exploring their views on how these documents are perceived and their impact in the Pacific region. This episode features: - Joanne Wallis - Professor of International Security at University of Adelaide and Executive Producer of Statecraftiness - Gordon Peake - Host - Peter Dean - Director of Foreign Policy and Defence at United States Studies Centre - William Waqavakatoga - Pacific Research Fellow at University of Adelaide - Heather Murphy - Head of Analysis and Engagement at Development Intelligence Lab - Henry Ivarature - Deputy Director of Strategic Engagement at Australia Pacific Security College - Maureen Penjueli - Coordinator at Pacific Network on Globalisation - Dame Meg Taylor - Former Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode walks through the nuanced responses of countries in the Pacific region and Timor-Leste, exploring the perspectives of key figures who wielded substantial influence in government and healthcare during the COVID-19 era. This narrative unfolds by examining the dynamics that shaped each nation's approach to the Pandemic, such as the subtle pressures and preparations that influenced their responses.  How did these factors play a role in determining the strategies adopted by different nations, and what lessons can we draw from their experiences? We discuss the importance of working together and having pre-existing relationships in determining the efficacy of these responses. This episode features: - Gordon Peake - Host - Jack Niedenthal - Former Secretary of Health for Marshall Islands - Josh Francis - Principal Research Fellow and Pediatric Infectious Diseases Specialist at Menzies School of Health Research - Fidelis Magalhaes - Former Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers of East Timor - Stephanie Williams - Australia’s Former Ambassador for Regional Health Security at Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and TradeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pacific Food Island Revolution (PIFR) continues to be televised to record numbers of people in the Pacific Islands. But do Australia and New Zealand harvest the soft power benefits of the show? And to what extent has PIFR influenced healthier eating in the region? In this episode we explore the soft power of television through the program often referred to as the MasterChef of the Pacific.   Henrietta McNeill, a key contributor to Professor Joanne Wallis's Statecraftiness project, suggests a shift from insecurity-inducing TV to content that truly feeds and nourishes the soul.   Mele Mauala guides us through traditional Samoan cuisine such as seafood, root crops, and fruits while discussing the transition of Western foods, like wheat, into mainstream diets.    Enid Westerlund takes us on an heart-racing tour of Samoan restaurants   Our own Mark Panayiotis Notaras shares his experience of partnering with the show through his work as Co-Founder of the Timor-Leste Food Lab in a collaborative dinner for the then Timor-Leste Prime Minister.   We learn how the Pacific Food Island Revolution has impacted behaviour and food consumption patterns, by exploring diverse perspectives from industry insiders.   This episode features:   - Gordon Peake - Host - Henrietta McNeill - Pacific Security Researcher at Australian National University - Mele Mauala - Country Programme Coordinator at Samoa Women's Association of Growers #SWAG - Enid Westerlund - Business Consultant and Ambassador Oceania International Students House UK - Mark Panayiotis Notaras - Executive Producer of Statecraftiness, General Manager at CulturalPulse, and Co-Founder of the Timor-Leste Food Lab and Agora Food Studio  - Barney Higgins - Voicing the words of Robert Louis Stevenson See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to a new season of Statecraftiness! While the podcast took a brief hiatus, the world of statecraft continues to evolve and like Santa, doesn’t sleep at this time of the year. In this episode we look at how states are using the popularity of sports in their statecraft. The second series starts with Host Gordon Peake and Executive Producer Mark Panayiotis Notaras from CulturalPulse discussing the hidden realms of statecraft. We kick off with an exploration of the impact of sports like the FIFA Women’s World Cup, and National Rugby League (NRL). We meet former sports star-turned-statecrafter, and discuss the Pacific Games with some Solomon Islander academics. University of Adelaide Professor Joanne Wallis unearths the subtle workings of soft power in the Pacific, and we delve into sports diplomacy with experts and former rugby league coach. Journalist Clyde Kaila is sent off on a quest to explore public views in Papua New Guinea on Australia's influence and the NRL, capturing intriguing perspectives. This episode features: - Joanne Wallis - Professor of International Security at University of Adelaide and Executive Producer of Statecraftiness - Gordon Peake - Host - Mark Panayiotis Notaras - Executive Producer of Statecraftiness and General Manager at CulturalPulse - Shana Ryan - Executive Producer of Statecraftiness and Project Coordinator at CulturalPulse - Luther Canute - Sound Designer and Producer - Maima Koro - Pacific Research Fellow at University of Adelaide - Priestly Habru - PhD Candidate at University of Adelaide - Derek Futaiasi - Pacific Research Fellow at University of Adelaide - Stanley Tepand - Former Coach of Papua New Guinea Kumuls and SP Hunters - Clyde Kaila - Papua New Guinean JournalistSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the final episode of Joanne Wallis's quest, Gordon Peake asks photojournalist Ben Bohane to examine defence training as a tool of statecraft and how it's responding to the new geo-strategic climate. Reporting during a major cyclone in Vanuatu, they discuss how climate change is the biggest security issue and navigating geopolitical storm clouds that is defence cooperation. Gordon speaks with Tokam Kalele - Retired Colonel from the Papua New Guinea Defence Force and Louis-Alexandre Berg - Assistant Professor of Political Science at Georgia State University. Lastly, Gordon recaps the first season with University of Adelaide Professor Joanne Wallis and they look ahead for Statecraftiness season 2.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode seven we delve into the sector that has the biggest pieces of statecraft in budgetary terms - governance and public administration programs. These programs showcase the inner works of bureaucracy and have ubiquitous influence in the Pacific. Gordon Peake has been trying to explain to his parents, in laws and kids what he does for a living all the time seized with worry as to whether all the governance programs he has been involved in add up to much. He goes to find out more about governance and whether it influences by talking with Graham Teskey - Governance Technical Lead at Abt Australia, Graeme Smith - Associate Professor at the Australian National University, Paula Torres - Reporter, Godfree Kaptigau - Freelancer, Joseph Nobetau - Former Papua New Guinea Chief Migration Officer and Ruth Kissam - Community Organiser. Special guests include Charles and Patrick Peake.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In episode six we dive deep into the crypts of financial management to unearth which statecraft dividends accrue when money is given as loans to governments in the Pacific. Influence is notoriously slippery and crafty in the finance sector - which raises the question of who has the most influence, those who give the money or those who receive it? Gordon Peake speaks with Godfree Kaptigau - Freelancer, Peter Heijkoop - Owner, Senior Consultant at Universal Financial Management Solutions, and Maholopa Laveil - FDC Pacific Fellow at the Lowy Institute, seconded from the University of Papua New Guinea.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the fifth episode of our investigation into statecraft in the Pacific, we take a closer look at education scholarships as a tool of soft power. What impact do they have - on the individuals who receive them, and on the nations involved? The University of Adelaide Professor Joanne Wallis talks with Gordon Peake about their Statecraftiness story map. Gordon Peake speaks with Godfree Kaptigau - Freelancer, Hugh White - Professor at the Australian National University, Susannah Patton - Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, Dionísio da Costa Babo Soares - Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Adérito Soares - Member of Timor-Leste’s Constituent Assembly and Inaugural Commissioner of Timor-Leste’s Anti-Corruption Commission. Reporter Paula Torres talks with Denilson da Costa Doutel and Adérito do Rosario da Cunha Mambares.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, an army of gender advisors toiled across the Pacific. Gender advisors work in a system they eagerly want to change, swerving their way through atmospheres of complex bureaucracies and evolving cultural norms. In episode 4, Gordon Peake speaks to Anna Gibert, Hugh White, Jennifer Kalpokas Doan, Fremden Yanhambath, Mereani Rokotuibau, Graeme Smith, and Sevu Waqa. We ask them about the effectiveness of their Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) work and in return receive some candid and intriguing answers.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the next part of our voyage to understand statecraft in the Pacific, Gordon Peake phones in expert views on the race to build and control telecommunications infrastructure in the Pacific. Along the way, somewhat ironically, he encounters the very obstacles to communication that these same telecommunication infrastructure initiatives are meant to be addressing.  With Maureen Penjuli; Coordinator of the Fiji-based Pacific Network on Globalisation, Amanda Watson; Research Fellow at the Department of Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University, and Graeme Smith; Australian National University Associate Professor.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We kick off University of Adelaide Professor Joanne Wallis's quest by examining one of the most ubiquitous tools of statecraft in the Pacific - police reform - and the extent to which it has garnered influence in Solomon Islands.Gordon Peake speaks with academics, on-the-ground observers and police officers to show that we may never reach 'peak police reform' and discovers the human casualties of this seeming process of forever reform. With ANU Associate Professors Sinclair Dinnen and Graeme Smith; Former Commander of Participating Police Force in Solomon Islands Denis McDermott; Solomon Islands journalist Dorothy Wickham, Kane Johnson and the Agora Food Studio, Dili See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There are so many announcements of new programs and projects in the Pacific these days but how much impact and influence do all the efforts actually bring? University of Adelaide Professor Joanne Wallis sends writer and podcaster Gordon Peake on a quest to find out. He talks with academics, policy makers and a senior East Timorese minister to discover that, for all the mechanistic and bloodless language of diplomacy and aid, this is a profoundly human story.  With Joanne Wallis, Bridi Rice, Hugh White, Fidelis Magalhaes and the Agora Food Studio, Dili.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.