Global Politics

Alongside China and India, Brazil is an emerged economic giant. It is also custodian of a large part of the environmentally sensitive Amazon Basin. Home to an extraordinary hybrid culture that unites Indigenous, European and African influences, Brazil is world-renowned for its dynamic music, dance and food. Soon, Brazil will play host to the World Cup and then Rio will be home to the Olympics in 2016. These two sporting events are historically significant but they also highlight the social issues that plague Brazil, including poverty, crime and inadequate social services. Dr Ralph Newmark (Director, Institute of Latin American Studies, La Trobe University) uses Brazilian music to illustrate his award‑winning teaching and research methodology of 'aural history'. Introduced by Professor Tim Murray as a public lecture for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at La Trobe University. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Please contact for permissions.

North Korea is one of the region's most enigmatic states. It is one of the poorest states in Asia, yet is well on its way to developing a nuclear weapon. It has long sought isolation from the outside world, yet it is opening up more special economic zones. And its cult of personality around the Kim family dynasty seems at times almost a self-parody. The transition of power to the third generation of the Kim family was completed with the public purging of Jang Son-thaek in December 2013. Six months on, with signs that North Korea is likely to conduct a further nuclear tests in the coming month it is timely to take stock of the current state and likely future trajectory of North Korea. Dr Benjamin Habib (Politics and International Relations, La Trobe University) considers the aims, ambitions and possible futures of one of Asia's least well understood societies. Is North Korea finally going to acquire nuclear weapons? And how destabilizing would this be? Is economic reform a realistic prospect? Is any kind of reconciliation with South Korea possible? A La Trobe Asia podcast. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Please contact for permissions.

Narendra Modi won a landslide victory with the BJP in the 2014 Indian election. In this La Trobe Asia podcast, Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director of La Trobe Asia) and Dr Ian Woolford (Head of Hindi and South Asian Studies, La Trobe University) present a wrap-up of Indian politics focussing on: - The outcome of the election and the position of the previously ruling Congress Party - The kind of government and direction that India can expect under Modi - The role of social media in the election - What international relationships the global community can expect from India Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Please contact for permissions.

In contemporary South Asia, conflict is an all too frequent feature of life. As in other parts of Asia, increasingly these are intra-state conflicts which present distinctive challenges for policy-makers and citizenry. Perhaps the greatest of these is how to transform a situation of protracted conflict into a lasting and sustainable peace. There have been many efforts to negotiate settlements but these often fail either to bring about a cessation of violence or to create the foundations of a stable peace. Why do these negotiated settlements regularly fail? Is the problem in their design or their implementation? Or are participants negotiating in bad faith? What can we learn from experiences in South Asia about how to make better peace accords? To examine these questions join Australia India Institute Emerging Leaders' Fellow, Nirupama Subramanian in conversation with La Trobe University's Dr Jasmine Westendorf. Introduced by Professor Nick Bisley as a seminar for La Trobe Asia. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Please contact for permissions.

Professor Nick Bisley (Executive Director of La Trobe Asia) and Dr Benjamin Habib (Politics and International Relations, La Trobe University) present an update on North Korea, covering three recent events: - The usefulness and relevance of the United Nations report of the commission of inquiry on human rights in North Korea, authored by Michael Kirby. - The UNSC Panel of Experts report on North Korean sanction-busting regime. - North Korea’s recent weapon developments and missile testing. A La Trobe Asia podcast. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Please contact for permissions.

In 2014 Asia's two biggest democracies, India and Indonesia, go to the polls to elect new governments. Both countries look destined for major political change, with potentially far-reaching consequences for domestic and international politics. In India, the leader of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, has emerged as a front runner in the polls, but the nature of the coalition he would need to form to take power is impossible to predict. In Indonesia, Jakarta governor Joko Widodo is the most popular politician, but his party is yet to endorse him as a presidential candidate and it is possible that the controversial former special forces general Prabowo Subianto could become president. Speakers are Dr Dirk Tomsa (Politics and International Relations at La Trobe University) and Dr Ian Woolford (coordinator of La Trobe University’s Hindi language program). Introduced by Professor Nick Bisley as a seminar for La Trobe Asia. Copyright 2014 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Please contact for permissions.

Erdem Koç (Journalism, La Trobe University) on how social media triggered protests in Turkey the mainstream ignored. In May, what started as a 50-person protest against the re-development of one of Istanbul’s smallest parks turned into a nation-wide resistance against police brutality and what protestors claimed is an oppressive regime. As Turkey’s mainstream media refused to show the protests, the resistance gained momentum, and social media became the only way to communicate. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Please contact for permissions.

Dr Luca Anceschi (Politics and International Relations, La Trobe University) on the 2013 Egyptian coup d'état. So soon after the 2011 revolution, was it really in the best interest of the people? Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Please contact for permissions.

Dr Luca Anceschi (Politics and International Relations, La Trobe University) on the 2013 protests in Turkey: how the protest about a park redevelopment can grow to be about an oppressive regime and police brutality. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Please contact for permissions.

Dr Ben Habib (lecturer in Social Sciences, La Trobe University) discusses recent political developments in North Korea, which has recently placed their “strategic rocket units and long-range artillery units” on their highest alert status, and made threats on striking on targets in South Korea. Copyright 2013 La Trobe University, all rights reserved. Please contact for permissions.