I often host or attend events where we begin by saying that the discussion is based on “Chatham House Rules”, ie any comments made cannot be attributed to individuals outside of the meeting.
So it was a great pleasure to host a visit by Lord Williams, the leading Asia scholar from Chatham House (London’s Royal Institute of International Affairs).
Michael Williams has had a very distinguished career: a diplomat for the United Nations, a Special Adviser to former British Foreign Secretaries and an academic and BBC journalist. He is an expert both on Asia, particularly South East Asia, and the Middle East.
We helped to arrange a busy programme for him in Brisbane, Sydney and Canberra. He met officials at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Office of National Assessments, as well as a large number of foreign policy experts at think tanks and universities in the three cities. He gave several well attended lectures. Both Australia and Britain have strong traditions of Asian scholarship, so Lord Williams’ visit attracted much interest here.
Listen to Lord Williams’ public seminar at Griffith University’s Asia Institute: ‘Troubled Waters: Tensions in South China Sea’.
The President’s proposal is designed to stop these unfair hiring practices and hold these companies accountable. The proposal permanently authorizes immigrant visa opportunities for regional center (pooled investment) programs; provides incentives for visa requestors to invest in programs that support national priorities, including economic development in rural and economically depressed regions ; adds new measures to combat fraud and national security threats; includes data collection on economic impact; and creates a pilot program for state and local government officials to promote economic development. John Mc – Cain who was for immigration reform before he was against it, and now is for it again – are amazingly open to the idea of reform.