In this episode of Lowy Institute Conversations, Ben Bland, Director of the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, sits down with Aye Min Thant and Melissa Crouch to discuss the causes and consequences of the coup in Myanmar, and how protesters are using technology and humour to push back against the military. Aye Min Thant is a journalist based in Yangon who was part of a Pulitzer Prize–winning team at Reuters and has worked for an organisation promoting technological innovation in Myanmar. Melissa Crouch is Professor and Associate Dean of Research at the Law School at the University of New South Wales and is a leading expert on the Myanmar constitution. 
 
Conversations is a new Lowy Institute podcast in which Institute researchers and some of the world's leading experts delve into the big issues in international affairs.

Aye Min Thant and Melissa Crouch on the coup in Myanmar

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In the first episode of this new series of The Director’s Chair, the Lowy Institute’s Executive Director Michael Fullilove is joined by respected Australian journalist Leigh Sales.
They discuss Leigh’s experience as a foreign correspondent in Washington, the shifts in American society that led to the rise of Donald Trump, why she still believes that journalists should be impartial — and she shares her reading and viewing recommendations.
Leigh Sales is host of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Australian Story. She is a former host of the national broadcaster’s flagship current affairs program, 7.30, served as the ABC’s chief Washington correspondent and is the host of her own successful podcast called Chat 10 Looks 3.
The Director’s Chair is a podcast by the Lowy Institute: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/
Twitter:
@LowyInstitute
@mfullilove
Host: Michael Fullilove 
Producers: Josh Goding and Andrew Griffits 
Research: David Vallance See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Leigh Sales on journalism, the United States and not interviewing Trump

In this episode, the Lowy Institute’s Research Director Hervé Lemahieu talks with Ryan Neelam, the Institute’s Director of the Public Opinion and Foreign Policy Program about the findings of the recently launched 2024 Global Diplomacy Index. What do diplomatic networks tell us about superpower rivalry, geopolitical competition, and a more multipolar world order? How do nations use diplomacy to build influence, and where are they targeting their investments? What does Australia’s relative underinvestment in diplomacy mean for its ability to advance its interests? In a broad-ranging discussion, Hervé and Ryan explore the often overlooked role of diplomacy in shaping the modern world.
2024 Global Diplomacy Index: https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/
2024 Global Diplomacy Index – Key Findings Report: https://globaldiplomacyindex.lowyinstitute.org/key_findings
America, take heed — China is winning the diplomacy race:  Financial Times opinion piece by Ryan Neelam: https://www.ft.com/content/2a63a19b-1fed-4c1a-9f75-e09f5708a8c6
Australia’s ‘diplomatic deficit’ harms our global presence: Canberra Times opinion piece by Ryan Neelam and Hervé Lemahieu: https://www.lowyinstitute.org/publications/australia-s-diplomatic-deficit-harms-our-global-presence
Five surprises from Lowy’s Global Diplomacy Index: Lowy Institute Interpreter article by Jack Sato:https://www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpreter/five-surprises-lowy-s-global-diplomacy-index See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Conversations: The Stakes of Diplomacy - 2024 Global Diplomacy Index

A conversation with Admiral John Aquilino on the increasing dangers in the Indo-Pacific, the bilateral relationship between Australia and the United States, and the importance of the AUKUS security partnership. Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove moderated the discussion, which also featured questions from the audience. 
Admiral John Aquilino is the 26th Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command, responsible for all US military activities in the Indo-Pacific, covering 36 nations, 14 time zones, and more than 50 per cent of the world's population. Aquilino graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1984 and earned his wings in August 1986. He served in numerous fighter squadrons, graduated from Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN), and completed Harvard Kennedy School's executive education program in national and international security. Prior to his assignment to US Indo-Pacific Command, Aquilino served as the 36th Commander of US Pacific Fleet. 
RECORDED:
Tuesday 9 April 2024 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

EVENT: In conversation with Admiral John Aquilino, Commander, US Indo-Pacific Command

In this episode of the Pacific Change Makers, the Director of the Lowy Institute’s Pacific Islands Program, Dr Meg Keen, speaks with Dr Anouk Ride from the Australian National University about the upcoming Solomon Islands’ election and its implications for stability and democracy in the region. Anouk draws on over 15 years living in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara and her extensive experience analysing peace, stability and community resilience in the Pacific.   
Solomon Islands elections can coincide with political and civil instability as competing power factions jostle for dominance. “Whether democracy itself survives this vote, and also the years after” is a concern for Dr Anouk Ride.
This election is particularly significant for the country and the global community. All will be watching to see if the current Prime Minister Sogavare returns and continues to draw closer to China. But more than geopolitics is at stake. The country is facing increasing economic pressures and tensions between the capital and provinces.
On 17 April, 50 members of parliament will head to the capital to select the next Prime Minister. This is known as ‘Devil’s Night’, where money and personal interests intertwine in the process to select a new national leader. All hope for a peaceful outcome but that is not guaranteed. As Anouk points out there are several flashpoints over the next six months, and any could trigger unrest if not well managed. 
Join us as we explore what is shaping the processes and issues in this election, and its implications for security and democracy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pacific Change Makers: Solomon Islands - Democracy in the balance?

In this episode, the Lowy Institute’s Sam Roggeveen talks with his colleague, Research Fellow on Transnational Challenges Lydia Khalil, about her new research paper, Overcoming digital threats to democracy. The internet and social media are now our digital public square, yet these spaces are not governed that way. Lydia proposes that tech giants look to “deliberative democracy” practices — where small but representative groups of people make decisions after deliberating on issues in depth — to address issues of fairness and legitimacy in internet governance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aye Min Thant and Melissa Crouch on the coup in Myanmar

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