Election 2010
Read Media Release [PDF, 3 pages]
Asialink Asia Society Statement of Priorities for the next Federal Government
To assure Australia’s future prosperity, security and social harmony, the next Federal Government must commit to:-
Greater investment in developing broad Australian public support for Asian engagement.
Achieving an Australia capable of fully engaging with its region requires a serious investment in creating demand for Asia engagement. The wider Australian public still needs to be brought into a national “conversation” about the imperative of Australia-Asia engagement.
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A National Asia Literacy Action Plan for both the school and higher education sectors that is adequately funded. For the schools sector alone, this means a minimum investment of $100 million annually over 10 years.
Advancing Australia’s increasingly complex relationships in the countries of the Asian region requires more qualified Australians. Governments and all sectors must invest long-term in equipping Australians for the Asian Century. This means increased support for both Asian studies and Asian languages. Young Australians need knowledge, skills and understandings of the histories, geographies, societies, cultures, literatures and languages of the diverse countries of Asia in order to help solve common problems and to benefit fully from the economic growth of the region.
- Working with business to articulate a clear vision for enhancing Australia's economic engagement and growth in the region.
The Vision would include promoting a broad understanding of the national benefits of greater two-way economic engagement between Australia and Asia, fostering an open environment for investment from Asia and supporting a more Asia literate/Asia ready workforce, recognizing the value of cultural intelligence.
- Strengthening people-to-people links, non-government alliances, and “Track II” endeavours – as well as cultural, scientific, research and sporting cooperation.
Over reliance on government-to-government relationship building can lead to “hollowness” in engagement with the region. The antidote is to give more power to the non-government sector, enabling and facilitating the development of collegial and collaborative relationships between countries across all sectors.
- Expanding – not reducing – our diplomatic resources to manage Australia’s increasingly complex relationships with countries in the region.
A greater priority must be given to Australian diplomacy. The global trend away from the primacy of “defence” toward the notion of “security” - with its much broader agenda addressing such problems as pandemics, climate change and issues related to the movement of people - means agencies such as AusAID and DFAT require far greater resources.
Efforts to project Australia more positively in Asia must also be given greater priority. Cutbacks in expenditure on diplomacy are against the national interest.
- Insisting that existing and future regional forums include Health and Development as a central plank for dialogue
“Asia’s health is our health”: Future prosperity and on-going development in Australia and the Asia Pacific are inextricably linked to the economic, social and political stability of our region. Health and development sectors must work closely with national security policy makers and the diplomatic sector to reduce the burden of disease and poverty in the region.
- Supporting the development of a 10-year strategic plan for increased and advantageous arts and cultural engagement between Australia and Asia.
Such a plan should map the current status of Australia’s arts and cultural activities in the region, identify key issues, goals and projects, and recommend an agenda for greater interaction and integration into the arts communities of Asia to 2020. The arts have a crucial role to play in improving Asia literacy in both the cultural and other sectors, in promoting Australia abroad, and in building a sense of community between Australia and Asia.