Greg Earl

Oct 30, 2024 | lowyinstitute.org | Greg Earl

OutmodedWith the US presidential election sparking all sorts of debate about the future of the erstwhile bastion of global democracy, it is little appreciated what a bad year it has been for old guard forces in the region closer to Australia. Sheikh Hasina might have scripted yet another victory against a largely non-competing opposition in Bangladesh in January. But the frustration and ill-feeling that this left behind meant she had to abandon the country within seven months.

Oct 22, 2024 | publicaccountant.com.au | Greg Earl

The Asian Development Bank has certainly not chosen a TikTok-grabbing theme for its latest bout of navel gazing by committing to “Solving challenges together, connecting the region, and empowering people for dynamic economies and a healthy planet.” However, the recently released mid-term review of the ADB’s Strategy 2030 – which was unveiled in rosier global times in 2018 – provides a good summary of how things have changed across all international development agencies after Covid and...

Oct 17, 2024 | lowyinstitute.org | Greg Earl

ADB: Kumbaya no more The Asian Development Bank has certainly not chosen a TikTok-grabbing theme for its latest bout of navel gazing by committing to “Solving challenges together, connecting the region, and empowering people for dynamic economies and a healthy planet.” However, the recently released mid-term review of the ADB’s Strategy 2030 – which was unveiled in rosier global times in 2018 – provides a good summary of how things have changed across all international development agencies...

Sep 18, 2024 | lowyinstitute.org | Greg Earl

Back to the futureThere is a somewhat careworn characterisation of modern Indonesia as a country that keeps on changing in order to remain the same, with the rider that the more it changes the more it becomes familiar. There will be much of this type of circular thinking in the next few months as the first president from outside the dynastic, military or religious elites, Joko Widodo, hands over after ten years in power to a scion of those elites, Prabowo Subianto.

Sep 5, 2024 | lowyinstitute.org | Greg Earl

Pecking ordersIf hierarchies count in diplomatic communication, what are we to make of the duelling lists that Foreign Minister Penny Wong reeled off in a speech this week about why Asia matters to Australia. The speech began with an unremarkable recitation of how medium sized, trade-exposed countries need to rely more on law and norms rather than power and size to make their way in the world.