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In 2006, at the height of the Israel-Lebanon war, former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice famously remarked that the world was witnessing the 'birth pangs of a new Middle East'. In this Wednesday Lowy Lunch Club, Anthony Bubalo, director of the West Asia program, critically examined Secretary of State Rice's prediction by exploring what has changed and what is changing in the world's most economically and strategically vital region.

After Copenhagen, attention is moving away from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and towards a new climate multilateralism, one that more actively engages other global forums such as the G20, WTO and the Major Economies Forum alongside the UNFCCC. This requires a deft balancing of newly aligned geopolitical forces and continued investment in building fragile trust between developed and developing countries. It also requires continued policy reform at the domestic level, leading to real and internationally verified cuts in carbon pollution. John Connor, Chief Executive Officer of the Climate Institute, discussed these issues at the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 31 March.

The Lowy Institute for International Policy was pleased to host as a part of its Distinguished Speakers Series the renowned French scholar of the Islamic and Arab worlds, Professor Gilles Kepel. Professor Kepel spoke on the future of political Islam, examining the trajectory of both al-Qaeda’s brand of violent extremism as well as the challenges faced by mainstream Islamist movements seeking democratic openings in parts of the Islamic world. Gilles Kepel is Professor at the Institut d'Études Politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris and Director of its doctoral programme on the Muslim World. He also currently holds the Philippe Roman Chair in History and International Affairs at the London School of Economics.

Economic globalisation and universal human rights both have the ability to improve and enrich individuals and communities. However, their respective institutions, methods, practices and goals differ, with both positive and negative effects. At the Wednesday Lowy Lunch on 7th April, Professor David Kinley discussed how human rights intersect with the trade, aid and commercial dimensions of global economic relations. He will argue that, while the global economy is a vitally important civilising instrument, it itself requires civilising according to human rights standards. Professor David Kinley holds the Chair in Human Rights Law at Sydney University.

Diplomacy should matter – particularly for anyone who prefers talking over fighting and dialogue over diktat. At the Wednesday Lunch on 24 March, Daryl Copeland argued that diplomacy has been sidelined by globalisation and is facing a crisis of relevance and effectiveness. Mr Copeland is an analyst, writer and educator on international policy, global issues, diplomacy and public management. His book, 'Guerrilla Diplomacy: Rethinking International Relations', was released in July 2009.

Difficult and dangerous work, covering wars with TV cameras has become a core component of modern conflict - so much so that a 'military-media' nexus has arisen alongside what US President Eisenhower famously termed the 'military-industrial complex'. From Vietnam to Iraq and beyond, televised coverage of battle has impacted strongly on public support for wars and on strategic policy. It has also met barriers: from embedding and censorship to the deliberate targeting, kidnapping and cold-blooded murder of journalists.

On 30 April at the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy, Professor Hugh White examined why Australia needs a new defence white paper, outlined the proper aims of such a project and identified the pitfalls that need to be avoided. He drew upon his experience in managing the development and drafting of the 2000 white paper to argue against any process which does not align strategic objectives, military capability plans and projected budgetary realities. Professor White's lecture was based on his new Lowy Institute Perspective, 'The new defence white paper: why we need it and what it needs to do'.

On Wednesday 18 February 2009, as part of the Institute's Distinguished Speaker Series, the Lowy Institute hosted the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, the Hon Peter Garrett MP, who outlined the Australian Government's forward agenda on international whale conservation. With the nations of the International Whaling Commission meeting in March and June of 2009 to discuss the future of the organisation, the Minister set out the Australian Government's approach to transforming the IWC into a modern, conservation-focused body, and to advancing the Government's objective of bringing an end to commercial whaling in all its forms.

On Wednesday 18 February 2009, as part of the Institute's Distinguished Speaker Series, the Lowy Institute hosted the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts, the Hon Peter Garrett MP, who outlined the Australian Government's forward agenda on international whale conservation. With the nations of the International Whaling Commission meeting in March and June of 2009 to discuss the future of the organisation, the Minister set out the Australian Government's approach to transforming the IWC into a modern, conservation-focused body, and to advancing the Government's objective of bringing an end to commercial whaling in all its forms.

On 6 October, Pakistan, a nuclear power of over 160 million people riven by political and religious passions, goes to polls. At the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy on 3 October, Whit Mason provided a preview of the elections and the challenges faced by incumbent President Pervez Musharraf, examining what is at stake in this strategically critical country. Whit Mason is a writer and consultant on international affairs, who recently returned from Pakistan following a year-long assignment with USAID. Together with Lowy Institute Program Director Anthony Bubalo and ANU Indonesia specialist, Dr Greg Fealy, Whit is currently writing a new Lowy Institute Paper exploring the relationship between Islamism and democracy.

Africa is usually in the news for all the wrong reasons: civil conflict, endemic disease, even terrorism. Yet, in viewing Africa as no more than a blighted continent, are we missing some of the important and more positive developments that are taking place? To help us understand the outlook for Africa, the Lowy Institute hosted an address by Philip Green OAM, Australian High Commissioner to South Africa. Philip is a career foreign service officer with a strong background in Africa. He has been Australia's High Commissioner to South Africa and neighbouring countries since August 2004. He has previously served in Australian High Commissions in Tanzania, Zambia and the UK.

On 16 May at the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy, Sir Richard Feachem reflected on his term at the Global Fund and whether the Global Fund PPP model might be more broadly applied across the spectrum of development assistance finance and program delivery. The Global Fund was established in 2002 as a radical departure from previous multilateral development assistance agencies. It is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) tasked with administering and allocating funds provided by both governments and private sector donors to countries to combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.

Western militaries in the early 21st century find themselves busy with land-based stabilisation and counter-insurgency missions. Yet at the same time, many countries are embarking on major new investments in naval capabilities. Australia, for instance, recently announced its selection of three air warfare destroyers and two large 'strategic projection' transport ships. This week at the Wednesday Lunch at Lowy, Dr Norman Friedman, a leading U.S. expert on strategic and naval affairs, explored why naval power still matters.

On 5 December at a Tuesday Lunch at Lowy, Dr Ron Pundak, Executive Director of the Peres Center for Peace, spoke on the topic, 'The role of an NGO in the Middle East'. The Peres Center was founded in 1996 by Nobel laureate Shimon Peres with the aim of building peace by promoting socio-economic cooperation and people-to-people relations in the Middle East.

On 23 October, as part of our Distinguished Speaker Series, the Lowy Institute for International Policy hosted a panel discussion with three of America's leading experts on terrorism, Marc Sageman, Steve Coll and Daniel Benjamin. They discussed future trends in global terrorism, providing unique insights into how this international threat is likely to evolve over coming years.