The Book Posits That The India-Australia Relationship Has Greater Significance Than Previously Recognised, As The Largest Democracy In The World (One Of The Few In The Region That Has Steadfastly Clung To A Robust Democracy In The Face Of Considerable Challenges, Including Early Western Pessimism About Its Future Viability), India, In View Of Some, Is On Course To Become A Major Player In Global Trade And Regional Politics In The New Century.
In 1941, in the midst of British defeats in Greece and the Middle East, a bitter conflict was taking place between two of the most charismatic leaders of the time, Winston Churchill, Prime Minister of Britain, and Robert Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia. At issue were the conflicting demands of prosecuting the war while protecting the Empire--yet in later years both leaders sought to gloss over their violent division over the best course of action. Drawing on meticulous and original research into private papers and diaries, David Day outlines in highly readable fashion their fascinating struggle for power.
For the last thirty years Somalia has experienced violence and upheaval. Today, the international effort to help Somalis build a federal state and achieve stability is challenged by deep-rooted grievances, local conflicts and a powerful insurgency led by Al-Shabaab. Consisting of forty-four chapters by conflict resolution specialists and the world's leading experts on Somalia, this volume constitutes a unique compendium of insights into the insurgency and its impact. War and Peace in Somalia explores the legacies of past violence, especially impunity, illegitimacy and exclusion, and the need for national reconciliation. Drawing on decades of experience and months of field research, the contributors throw light on diverse forms of local conflict, its interrelated causes, and what can be done about it. They share original research on the role of women, men and youth in the conflict, and present new insight into Al-Shabaab--particularly the group's multi-dimensional strategy, the motivations of its fighters, their foreign links, and the prospects for engagement. This ground-breaking volume illuminates the war in Somalia, and sets out what can and should be done to bring it to an end. For policymakers and researchers covering Somalia, East Africa, extremism or conflict resolution, this is a must-read.
These proceedings carry some of the papers delivered at the 14th Biennial Labour History Conference, 11-13 February 2015. Titled Fighting Against War: Peace Activism in the Twentieth Century, the conference was held at the University of Melbourne. A conference book of refereed papers has been published under that title and these proceedings carry the non-refereed papers received for publication. There is one exception to that rule: the paper written by Warwick Eather and Drew Cottle, published below, which underwent double-blind refereeing. It is an important paper, which demonstrates with compelling evidence that the rabbit was anything but a curse to the many men, women, and children who took advantage of the rabbit industry’s resilience during the economic storms for much of the twentieth century. It exemplifies how meticulous research in labour history can provide an entirely new understanding of an otherwise much-maligned animal in Australia. The next three papers all concern opposition to nuclear testing, from the 1950s to the 1980s. When read together, they provide a convincing argument for the importance and efficacy of the diverse anti-nuclear movements in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Whilst there are inevitable overlaps, these papers emphasise different and often neglected dimensions: the struggle for recognition of and compensation for the devastating effects of nuclear testing; the internal dynamics of the various nuclear disarmament organisations; and an evaluation of their impact on government policy, culminating in the Rarotonga Treaty of 1985. The last three papers cover aspects of World War I, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. The first focuses on the role of one redoubtable woman, Ettie Rout, in challenging popular misconceptions about venereal disease held by military authorities and the soldiers themselves. The next paper examines the life of a Czech Lutheran pastor, Professor Josef Hromádka, who visited Australia twice during the 1950s. Hromádka attempted to juggle Christianity with Socialism, which – in the prevailing climate of strident anti-communism – provoked hostile receptions and Cold War invective. The final paper in this collection brings to life, through the reflections of a “participant observer”, the preparations, conduct and impact of Adelaide’s largest anti-war demonstration: the protest against the invasion of Iraq in 2003 organised by the NoWar collective. Its efforts, undertaken by a broad range of rank and file activists, is a fitting reminder, and exemplar, of the theme of our conference: peace activism in the twentieth century.
Dark and Hurrying Days is the text of a diary kept by Robert Menzies, then Prime Minister of Australia, of his experiences during a wartime trip to England in 1941. It was a grim time when British cities were enduring heavy bombing and German invasion seemed imminent. Menzies' Diary reveals the shifting feelings and fears which these experiences engendered in him, and is of prime importance in capturing the brooding spirit of this grim time.
Central to most sociologists’ self-image is the claim that their theories are based on research. However, using a random sample of 680 articles appearing in major American, British and Canadian journals, Dr Menzies shows that in some areas of sociology the wide gap between theory and research means that much of sociological theory is virtually untested. He explains how theory is embodied in eight particular types of research, critically examines these research theories, and contrasts them with the positions of modern theorists. The sample of journal articles also permits a comparison of British, American and Canadian sociology. By contrasting on how researchers us theories, Dr Menzies is able to reassess several theories. For instance, symbolic interactionist research uses embedded causal claims and stands in a dialectical relationship to other sociological research, while the research version of conflict theory depends on external causes to explain social change. The implications of using statistical techniques like factor analysis and regression are also considered in relation to the form of explanation.
In this landmark book, Stuart Macintyre explains how a country traumatised by World War I, hammered by the Depression and overstretched by World War II became a prosperous, successful and growing society by the 1950s. An extraordinary group of individuals, notably John Curtin, Ben Chifley, Nugget Coombs, John Dedman and Robert Menzies, re-made the country, planning its reconstruction against a background of wartime sacrifice and austerity. The other part of this triumphant story shows Australia on the world stage, seeking to fashion a new world order that would bring peace and prosperity. This book shows the 1940s to be a pivotal decade in Australia. At the height of his powers, Macintyre reminds us that key components of the society we take for granted – work, welfare, health, education, immigration, housing – are not the result of military endeavour but policy, planning, politics and popular resolve.
‘Teacher for Justice is a major contribution to the history of the women’s movement, working‑class activism and Australian political internationalism. But it is more than this. By focusing on the life of Lucy Woodcock – an unrecognised and under-researched figure – this book rewrites the history of twentieth-century Australia from the perspective of an activist who challenged conventions to fight for gender, race and class equality, exploring the complex and multi-layered intersections of these aspects. It explores Woodcock’s personal relationships and the circles she mixed in and the friendships she forged, as well as the conventions she challenged as a single woman in possibly a same-sex relationship. The book makes a key contribution to the history of progressive education and the experience of women teachers. Above all, it charts the life of a transnational figure who made connections globally and, in particular, with refugees and with women in India and the Asian region. It is a detailed, thoroughly researched and richly textured history which places Woodcock within the context of the times in which she lived.’ Joy Damousi, Professor of History, University of Melbourne ‘Meet Lucy Woodcock, a complex, undaunted woman in a tough and changing world. From her role as a public school principal in Depression and wartime, to her union and feminist organising, to her transnational engagements for peace, this clear and thoughtful book brings to life forgotten forms of activism. It’s the gripping story of how Lucy navigated the minefields of gender, class, race and coloniality to change her world.’ Raewyn Connell, Professor Emerita, University of Sydney ‘Just over a century ago, the last of the pupil-teachers, Lucy Woodcock, co-founded the NSW Teachers Federation. So many of the principles and traditions that underpin our union today can be traced back to the lifelong work of Lucy Woodcock. She fought for the industrial rights of teachers deep in the knowledge of the broader social and economic context in which she lived and worked. Too often the role of working-class women whose influence is profound is ignored. This biography installs Lucy Woodcock into her rightful place as pivotal player in the history of twentieth-century Australia.’ Maurie Mulheron, President, NSW Teachers Federation ‘A fascinating history of a fascinating woman: Lucy’s interests were so broad and so modern – equal pay, racism, internationalism, Indigenous rights and anti-war struggles were all part of Lucy’s world. She had a vision beyond nationalism, championed the cause of world peace when peace was being treated as a dirty word and saw women as global citizens. Lucy was one of the heroes of our disgracefully unfinished Equal Pay struggle.’ Hon Dr Meredith Burgmann, anti-racism and peace activist, former President of the NSW Legislative Council
