Australian Foreign Policy and the RAMSI Intervention in Solomon Islands
Date
2005
Authors
Contributor
Advisor
Department
Instructor
Depositor
Speaker
Researcher
Consultant
Interviewer
Narrator
Transcriber
Annotator
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Hawai'i Press
Center for Pacific Islands Studies
Center for Pacific Islands Studies
Volume
Number/Issue
Starting Page
Ending Page
Alternative Title
Abstract
The Australian government’s decision to lead a Pacific Islands Forum regional
intervention into Solomon Islands marked a dramatic change in Australian policy
toward the Solomons in particular and the Pacific Islands region in general. It
demonstrated Australia’s willingness to play a more assertive role in the domestic
affairs of Pacific countries. The decision also reflected fundamental changes in
the global security environment following the 11 September 2001 attacks on the
United States and the perception that international terrorism has made it difficult
to separate external and internal security. Canberra was influenced by the idea
that terrorists could use “failed states” to pose security problems for Australia
(and other western countries). While Australia’s concerns about its own security
as well as the influence of Anglo-American security policies have led the Regional
Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands to concentrate on rebuilding the Solomon
Islands state, this paper argues that the post-conflict nation building process must
include other institutions besides the state—such as churches, community leaders,
nongovernmental organizations, women’s groups—that already have an influence
on society. This is particularly important for Solomon Islands, a country
where there have always been multiple centers of power, with the state not always
the most important. Further, post-conflict nation building must also involve the
mending and rebuilding of relationships between peoples while ensuring that foreign
assistance does not create a culture of dependency.
Description
Keywords
conflict, peace, intervention, development, security, terrorism, leadership, Oceania -- Periodicals.
Citation
Kabutaulaka, T. T. 2005. Australian Foreign Policy and the RAMSI Intervention in Solomon Islands. The Contemporary Pacific 17 (2): 283-308.
Extent
Format
Geographic Location
Time Period
Related To
Related To (URI)
Table of Contents
Rights
Rights Holder
Local Contexts
Email libraryada-l@lists.hawaii.edu if you need this content in ADA-compliant format.