Oil Palm and Agrarian Transition on the Indonesian and Malaysian Frontiers. Challenges to peace and security in Southeast Asia emerge from uneven economic development and agricultural and environmental changes that marginalize vulnerable communities, exacerbate tensions and lead to endemic local level conflicts. This project will explore the linkages between agrarian and environmental change, governance systems and conflict by studying how policy and economic developments are affecting rural co ....Oil Palm and Agrarian Transition on the Indonesian and Malaysian Frontiers. Challenges to peace and security in Southeast Asia emerge from uneven economic development and agricultural and environmental changes that marginalize vulnerable communities, exacerbate tensions and lead to endemic local level conflicts. This project will explore the linkages between agrarian and environmental change, governance systems and conflict by studying how policy and economic developments are affecting rural communities. It will produce a comparative study that will be relevant to policy discussions and scholarship and of interest to donor agencies and practitioners as well as educational institutions and the wider international research community.Read moreRead less
Sentiments of the City: An Ethnography of Transformations in Urban Life and Intimate Relations in India. Australian scholarship has a long and illustrious history of intellectual engagements with India. Through exploring two specific sites of the momentous changes taking place in Indian cultural and social life, viz. those in the spheres of intimacies and urban life, this project will reinvigorate this history. It will also add to our understanding of the effects of globalization upon a major -- ....Sentiments of the City: An Ethnography of Transformations in Urban Life and Intimate Relations in India. Australian scholarship has a long and illustrious history of intellectual engagements with India. Through exploring two specific sites of the momentous changes taking place in Indian cultural and social life, viz. those in the spheres of intimacies and urban life, this project will reinvigorate this history. It will also add to our understanding of the effects of globalization upon a major -- and increasingly important -- Asian country. The findings will be of interest to anthropologists, historians, urban studies scholars, and scholars interested in changing ideas of gender and power in the current era.Read moreRead less
Masculinity, men and development: A critical analysis of violence, conflict and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevention measures in Melanesia. Australia is making great efforts to improve the situation in the Melanesian countries of our region through large amounts of development aid. Despite this, economic and social conditions continue to deteriorate. Widespread conflict, violence and the AIDS epidemic are significant factors in this decline. This project will critically examine ....Masculinity, men and development: A critical analysis of violence, conflict and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) prevention measures in Melanesia. Australia is making great efforts to improve the situation in the Melanesian countries of our region through large amounts of development aid. Despite this, economic and social conditions continue to deteriorate. Widespread conflict, violence and the AIDS epidemic are significant factors in this decline. This project will critically examine the programs set up to encourage more constructive behaviour, particularly among men. It will contribute significantly to making Australia's efforts to address these profoundly destabilising problems more effective. The Australian Government recognises that it is strongly in our national interest to bring about an improvement in the wellbeing of our neighbours and friends in the region.Read moreRead less
Waiting For Law: Land, Custom and Legal Regulation in East Timor. The project contributes to a national research priority: safeguarding Australia. Conflicts over customary lands have played important roles in the 'arc of instability' to our North, including in relation to natural resources (Aceh, West Papua, Bougainville) and land alienated or leased to "outsiders" (Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji). Developing an effective model for regulating customary lands in East Timor will (1) safeguard ou ....Waiting For Law: Land, Custom and Legal Regulation in East Timor. The project contributes to a national research priority: safeguarding Australia. Conflicts over customary lands have played important roles in the 'arc of instability' to our North, including in relation to natural resources (Aceh, West Papua, Bougainville) and land alienated or leased to "outsiders" (Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji). Developing an effective model for regulating customary lands in East Timor will (1) safeguard our considerable aid and military assistance contributions to East Timor, (2) serve Australia's interest in regional stability and sustainable development, and (3) offer potential comparative lessons for land and resource-related conflicts in Indonesia and the South Pacific.Read moreRead less
Cultural and Environmental Shifts in Late Holocene East Timor: Evidence for Climate Change? This project will address the NRP goal of responding to climate change and variability by advancing our knowledge and understanding of recent climate change in our region. An investigation of climate change, environmental impact and human adaptation in East Timor over the last 1000 years will improve our understanding of such issues in neighbouring tropical Australia. Our climate is already highly variabl ....Cultural and Environmental Shifts in Late Holocene East Timor: Evidence for Climate Change? This project will address the NRP goal of responding to climate change and variability by advancing our knowledge and understanding of recent climate change in our region. An investigation of climate change, environmental impact and human adaptation in East Timor over the last 1000 years will improve our understanding of such issues in neighbouring tropical Australia. Our climate is already highly variable and we can expect future climate change to have significant influence both on Australia's environment and her communities. This project has policy development implications and will further enhance Australia's international reputation as a research base for environmental studies. Read moreRead less