In our new series of The Readout, we sit down with long-time friends of The Lab, Jo Choe and James Gilling to discuss budget, capability and the imminent development policy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to our one-off special episode of The Readout. Recent events have put aid, China and the Indo-Pacific squarely on the map for many Australians. So there was no better a time for The Lab to host Anka Lee, USAID’s acting Deputy Assistant Administrator and Senior Advisor for the PRC, at our Situation Room just last week. He was in Australia on behalf of USAID who are creating a policy on countering China’s growing influence.The Situation Room is a Chatham-house style discussion with 25 provocateurs from the region, academia, development practice and Government. So we didn’t record the whole event. But with his permission, we’re bringing you Anka Lee’s opening address and a flavour of the discussion in this special episode.He dives into the challenges that USAID is trying to solve when it comes to China and development, and what principles they’ll take into developing a response. The Lab's own Bridi Rice then tackles what all of this means for Australia and how our own narratives determine where to from here.To learn more about The Readout and the work of the Development Intelligence Lab, head over to devintelligencelab.com and find us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Part Five of our Democracy Series, with Blake Chrystal (USAID). We’ve heard a lot about the different approaches of the US compared with Australia. So how does the US go about democracy promotion? Series host Bridi Rice shares her conversations with Blake, including what’s on the agenda for USAID as they look to the future. Want to learn more? Find our essay publication on this issue, here. To learn more about The Readout and the work of the Development Intelligence Lab, head over to devintelligencelab.com and find us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Happy listening.- The Lab. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Part Four of our Democracy Series, with Dr Nicola Nixon and Peter Yates (The Asia Foundation). What exactly does ‘democracy promotion’ mean in real terms? How do practitioners approach the work? And critically – what’s the challenge with adopting a US-style approach to the issue? Series host Bridi Rice shares her conversations with Nicola and Peter, where she gets stuck into the gnarly issue of being loud about democracy in the region. Want to learn more? Find our essay publication, including an essay from Nicola and Peter, here. To learn more about The Readout and the work of the Development Intelligence Lab, head over to devintelligencelab.com and find us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Happy listening.- The Lab. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Part Three of our Democracy Series, with Professor John Blaxland (Australian National University). So we’ve heard why governance support is critical for prosperity in the region. But just how seriously should Australia take this? According to one of Australia’s top security experts – very. Series host Bridi Rice shares her conversations with John, where she learns that governance challenges in the region is one of the top threats to our national security. Want to learn more? Find our essay publication, including an essay from John, here. To learn more about The Readout and the work of the Development Intelligence Lab, head over to devintelligencelab.com and find us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Happy listening.- The Lab. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.