Event: Navigating Conflict in a Contested World

Event: Navigating Conflict in a Contested World

From Asia Rising by La Trobe Asia

May 12, 2026 · 1h 1m

About this episode

The episode discusses the challenges and strategies for conflict prevention in a contested global environment, focusing on Asia, the Pacific, and the Middle East.

In an increasingly contested global environment, the international community faces growing pressure to respond to current and emerging wars and instability across the full conflict spectrum: from prevention, to managing active conflict, to post-conflict reconstruction. Effective conflict prevention requires states to draw on a broad toolkit of policy levers, including security and defence initiatives, development assistance, and diplomatic engagement. Yet in practice, these tools are often applied unevenly. Focusing on contemporary dynamics in Asia, the Pacific, and the Middle East, this discussion asks: What are the conflicts that Australia should be alert to? And how can diverse levers of statecraft be deployed to prevent and address conflict? A La Trobe Centre for Global Security / Centre for Human Security and Social Change event Panel: Dr Lisa Denney (Director, Centre for Human Security and Social Change, La Trobe University) Anna Naupa (Research and Engagement Fellow, Pacific Security College, Australian National University) Professor Michelle Burgis-Kasthala (La Trobe Law School) Professor Bec Strating (Director, La Trobe Centre for Global Security) Recorded on 4th May, 2026

People in this episode

Guests: Dr Lisa Denney, Anna Naupa, Professor Michelle Burgis-Kasthala, Professor Bec Strating

Topics covered

  • conflict prevention
  • international relations
  • Asia
  • Pacific
  • Middle East
  • statecraft
  • security

Keywords

  • conflict
  • prevention
  • Asia
  • Pacific
  • Middle East
  • statecraft
  • security
  • diplomacy
  • reconstruction

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: La Trobe University, Pacific Security College, La Trobe Law School, La Trobe Centre for Global Security, Centre for Human Security and Social Change

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