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Post by Flash on Apr 19, 2008 2:33:32 GMT -5
Australia by 2020 will be an independent, confident, prosperous and just nation deeply engaged with and demonstrating a close understanding of regional nations.
That's a big picture vision outlined today by participants in the future security stream of the 2020 Summit.
Despite the presence of high profile military figures, including former defence chief General Peter Cosgrove, there was little consideration of traditional security matters.
The 90 delegates gathered in small groups to hammer out their vision, which was in turn presented to the larger plenary sessions.
Presenting the views of his group, the retired general said it was understood only imperfectly how Australia's circumstances would change.
"So we have to build an independent international relations policy. This is not code for no more alliance (with the United States)," he said.
"We have to have an Australian view which is specific to our own future.
"To have our voice heard, we have got to earn the leadership.
"We believe that we should aim for a cultural step where we are the most open and the most diverse culture in the world."
General Cosgrove said there could be no prosperity without security but the issue of security was not the hard security of the military response.
"It is very much the engagement on every plane of nation states, one with the other," he said.
International relations expert Alan Dupont said climate change, pandemic disease, food, water and energy scarcity and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction were the key issues.
"While it is less likely that states are going to use nuclear weapons these days, the general consensus in the field is that if terrorists were to get hold of them they would probably use them," Professor Dupont said.
Terrorism expert David Wright-Neville said he would like to be able to describe Australia of 2020 as a good international citizen, a culturally diverse and cohesive state.
"It seems to me too often we underplay our status. Too often do we undervalue the extent to which what we already have is valued by others," he said.
"We should be able to utilise that to gain more influence. If we play our part right in this area, we can be friends and influence people."
ACTU president Sharan Burrow saw Australia of 2020 as a republic and a good neighbour to regional nations with a deep understanding of their cultures.
"I would like to see a good neighbours program in more than the nature of defence and security, a civil society dialogue nation to nation," she said.
"That I think will do more for our security and our confidence than most other things we could do out of this."
Human rights lawyer Fiona McLeod said she saw a nation where inequality was a thing of the past.
In her future Australia, women filled quotas for a third of senior positions in the public and private sectors, there had been a female prime minister and an Aboriginal woman had been president.
AAP
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Post by Flash on Apr 19, 2008 13:54:07 GMT -5
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Post by Flash on Apr 20, 2008 16:26:00 GMT -5
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Post by Flash on Apr 20, 2008 16:31:33 GMT -5
2020 summit wrap
2020 summit wrap
Updated: 06:56, Monday April 21, 2008
After wrapping up the 2020 summit yesterday, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has compiled a list of 100 ideas - and says he'll address each of them individually over the next 6 months.
Among some of the recommendations made were calls for Australia to become a Republic, a Bill of Rights, a review of the entire tax system, and the development of a bionic eye.
Also raised in discussions was a proposal that would allow students to pay off their HECS debt by doing community service.
The one thousand delegates cheered as Mr Rudd received the final report of the two day summit from co-chair Glyn Davis.
'This has been a very Australian gathering,' Mr Rudd told the closing session.
'Can you think of another country in the world where this could happen?'.
'I think the reason it's worked is because it's been characterised by a whole lot of good humour, a whole lot of mutual respect, and a whole lot of very classical, undeniable Australian directness'.
'We can either take command of the future or we can sit back and allow the future to take command of us', Mr Rudd said.
'For me the message is clear.'
'Let's look beyond three-year cycles, let's look beyond the next few years, let's look to the decade ahead and the decade plus and let's have the courage to be farsighted.'
The PM has promised to report back by the end of the year, in the meantime, all Australians can have their input, via a 2020 website.
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Post by Flash on Apr 20, 2008 16:49:18 GMT -5
NEWS.com.au reader ideas for 2020 Summit debate | NEWS.com.au 2020 Summit. Too easy ... NEWS.com.au readers give Kevin Rudd something to chew over this .... Make sure it's accredited by visiting GreenPower.gov.au ... www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,23559965-2,00.html |
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Post by Flash on Apr 21, 2008 21:17:16 GMT -5
I'm extremely impressed with the Summit, and the recommendations.
After reading a lot of the submissions, the terms for each focus areas plus supporting documentation, although I don't agree with a number of the recommendations I can appreciate the direction taken to get to them.
I'm not sure some of the other respondents have spent much time at all understanding the process taken. For example, Mr Price's comments about the attendees influencing society seems to miss the point that the 1000 people were representative of their focus area, and would read and take into account the thousands of submissions so they can select the best ideas. Aussie Lad's comments about a failed republic vote fails to take into account not only the historical reason for the failure, but also the numerous submissions that outlines the reasons for (and against) a republic.
The summit spent a lot of time looking at climate change. I am surprised there was little focus on reducing consumerism. Although it can be argued reduced consumerism would mean less production, I'd contend that it would mean less imports.
Watching the summit sessions on the net and on television, reading submissions, then seeing the output, gives me great hope that Australia is finally moved into the 'active participation' phase of Government-citizen engagement maturity.
Another great success for our elected leaders.
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Post by Flash on Jan 17, 2009 23:35:42 GMT -5
So the Labour government has a year or two in office..time for their report card, any takers?
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