Events

On the Pulse: Explorations in the Social Sciences

Virtual , Australia

UNSW

On the Pulse : Explorations in the Social Sciences We are excited to invite you to a program of talks and Q&As showcasing innovative and interdisciplinary research in the social sciences hosted by Associate Professor Mary Zournazi. "Radical Right Populism and the Politics of Cruelty: The Case of COVID-19 in Brazil Under President Bolsonaro" In this paper, we explore cruelty under populism, focusing on radical right populism. We develop our argument by introducing a two-dimensional model of cruel behaviour in politics, in which cruelty is conceptualized as a dependent variable defined in terms of empathy (how the leader addresses those who suffer) and action (how the leader acts to alleviate suffering). This framework provides a nuanced understanding of how cruelty and populism connect, providing an original and cutting-edge contribution to both bodies of work. We use our two-dimensional model of cruel behaviour to shed light on the different ways radical right populists (RRP) embrace cruelty as part of their political strategies. We have come to three “ideal” types of RRP cruel behaviour: downplaying, blaming, and conspiring. In order to advance our ideas, we rely on the qualitative analysis of Brazil's far-right populist President Jair Bolsonaro and his (in)actions regarding COVID-19, […]

Launch of an Age, Gender and Diversity Training Package – Intersectionality in Practice: Meeting needs and utilising strengths

Virtual , Australia

UNSW

This online event will launch a film and training materials that have been developed to introduce and explain the concepts of ‘Intersectionality’ and the UNHCR ‘Age, Gender and Diversity’ (AGD) framework and policy to all stakeholders, including refugee-led organisations, UNHCR staff, service providers and volunteers working with refugees, forcibly displaced and stateless persons. These materials aim to assist people to apply these principles in their own practice and organisations. The materials are designed to build knowledge on the concepts of ‘Intersectionality’ and ‘Age, Gender and Diversity’ (AGD) and their importance in all aspects of policy and service provision. The film was written by Eileen Pittaway, Linda Bartolomei and Andrea Ayala and funded by UNHCR and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). It is narrated by Andrea Ayala and was produced by Art Resistance. The one-day training session was developed as part of a suite of training materials which are a key output of a DFAT funded research project, Refugee Women and Girls, Key to the Global Compact on Refugees. The training package includes: • A 17 minute video divided into sections • A training manual, which provides information and suggestions for facilitators. • Training slides for each module […]

Book Launch: China-Russia Strategic Alignment in International Politics

Virtual , Australia

UNSW

BOOK LAUNCH: China-Russia Strategic Alignment in International Politics By Dr. Alexander Korolev About this event This book launch will be held as a Hybrid event. If you wish to attend online via Zoom, please click the Zoom link to join at the time of the Event: Join here How closely aligned are China and Russia? Why won’t China condemn Putin’s Ukraine war? How to define and measure strategic alignments between states? This book talk for China-Russia Strategic Alignment in International Politics (Amsterdam University Press, 2022) bridges area studies and International Relations theory to answer these questions. Post-Cold War China-Russia strategic cooperation has developed significantly and become an increasingly important factor in international politics. However, there has been no theory-grounded framework and corresponding measurements that would allow an accurate and systematic assessment of the level of China-Russia alignment and its progress over time. This book develops a set of objective criteria to measure and explain the development of strategic alignment in post-Cold War China-Russia relations. The book establishes that on a range of criteria, China-Russia alignment has been moving towards a full-fledged alliance, showing a consistent incremental upward trend. There are strong structural incentives for furthering the China-Russia alignment and the […]