THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA’S PUBLIC DIPLOMACY: THE FORMATION OF REGIONAL ASSISTANCE MISSION TO SOLOMON ISLANDS (RAMSI) TO INCREASE POLITICAL STABILITY IN SOLOMON ISLANDS AND REGIONAL STABILITY IN THE SOUTH WEST PACIFIC (2003-2010)

Abstract

This study is conducted to explain about Australia’s public diplomacy to Solomon Islands through the formation of Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) as a military package. This study stresses on the public diplomacy as a means to achieve political stability in Solomon Islands, regional stability as well as Australia’s national interests; protecting its national security from external threats. The external threats refer to Solomon Islands’ ethnic tension which posed a menace to Australia and other neighboring states. Australia’s public diplomacy was also intended to assist Solomon Islands government to avoid the state from failing. This study will also look upon complex interdependence theory and public diplomacy theory to help assessing the main agenda of Australia’s public diplomacy to Solomon Islands. This study looks at this case study from 2003 until 2010. The main purpose of this study is to show that public diplomacy could be used as a hard power instrument to help another state in dealing with its serious issues. The result of this study shows the importance of Australia’s public diplomacy to overcome Solomon Islands’ ethnic tension and uphold the political stability as well as regional stability at the same time.