Perspectives from Melanesia: Aboriginal relationalism and Australian foreign policy

Taylor, Meg and Habru, Priestley and Middleby, Solstice and Naupa, Anna and Tarai, Jope V. (2023) Perspectives from Melanesia: Aboriginal relationalism and Australian foreign policy. Australian Journal of International Affairs, 77 (6). pp. 649-655. ISSN 1035-7718

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Abstract

The Coral Bell School’s inaugural lecture in Indigenous Diplomacy considers Aboriginal relationalism and suggests implications for Australian foreign policy and diplomacy. Revealing a multi-polar and multi-generational lateral political order in Aboriginal cultures, the lecture emphasises the significance of landscapes and individual autonomy intricately woven with group identities that manage and counter rather than institutionalise the
survivalist impulses of humans. This response reflects on the lecture from the perspectives of Indigenous Melanesians. We reflect on the strong resonance between Aboriginal relationalism and our own notions of relationality, as well as divergence around our response to what the lecture terms the survivalist impulses of humans. We contemplate what the lecture might offer the emerging field of Indigenous Diplomacy and the broader decolonisation of hegemonic diplomatic practices. Finally, we consider how the Australian state may respond, arguing that embracing reciprocity, respect, and interdependence will improve Australia’s ability to navigate diplomatic relations in the Pacific region, and that honouring Indigenous peoples and cultures must start at home.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform J Political Science > JA Political science (General) J Political Science > JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration
Divisions:	School of Law and Social Sciences (SoLaSS)
Depositing User:	Jope Tarai
Date Deposited:	14 Mar 2024 00:41
Last Modified:	14 Mar 2024 00:41
URI:	https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/14439

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