>> Publications: Global Governance

Asian Values and Democracy - View PDF (704KB)

In the culture wars the West asserts that there a number of universal values such as human rights, freedom and democracy. The concept of Asian Values challenges this notion suggesting both culture and these terms are less monolithic than the West presents. Conversely, the use of Asian Values may provide a façade behind which some Asian leaders sanction non-democratic forms of government. The paper considers how selected Asian leaders use culture and democracy to govern.

Evolution of the UN - View PDF (436KB)

The United Nations derives from the Atlantic charter of 1942. Anthony Eden declared that the general objective of the Allied Powers was to "form a world system for ensuring the peaceful developments of all people." The United Nations would be at the heart of this system as an international organisation capable of preventing war. The United Nations may have failed on this front but has succeeded on other levels such as contributing to the development of international discourse, international laws and a step towards global rather than statist governance. The paper considers the progress of the United Nations since Eden’s declaration to the end of the last century.

Global Civil Society - View PDF (436KB)

Globalisation challenges the power of the Westphalian state system. The ideas of globalisation from capitalism to consciousness link to the construct of a global civil society. There are a wide variety of responses to global civil society including supporters and rejectionists. Global civil society in some ways represents an aspiration, an ideal and a challenge to accept that, as Theodore Roosevelt said, "No state is above the law and no man is below it."

Israel and Islam - View PDF (340KB)

Israel became state on 14 May 1948. The formation of Israel was an apparent rejection of Palestinian Arab desires for their own homeland, a representation of Arab failure to establish their own nation and an embodiment of continued Western imperialism in the area. Israel provided a fertile common enemy for Arabs. The jihad announced in 1947 against such imperialism continues unabated to today. This paper explores the impact of the creation of Israel on Arab and Islamic societies.

South East Asian Systems of Government - View PDF (492KB)

Democracy is almost universally accepted as the currency of political legitimacy. Authoritarian regimes are often both quick and adept at clothing themselves in democratic garb. Sometimes the clothing may adopt the wearer a la Jim Carrey's The Mask. Consequently, this makes identifying the conditions behind change from authoritarianism to democracy challenging. Central to any shift is the distribution and use of power. This paper considers democracy, authoritarianism and transformation in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Global Governance, Civil Society and the UN - View PDF (164KB)

This essay assesses the prospects for the development of a truly global civil society in relation to the global issues of the environment. What are the obstacles to the creation of such a society? What is the role of the UN in creating this society? What is a truly global civil society?