Inaugural 2025 Langmore Oration
The Initiative for Peacebuilding is proud to present the Inaugural Langmore Oration, honouring the vision and achievements of Professor John Langmore, in developing the concept of the Initiative for Peacebuilding, and his lifelong advocacy for peace, equity, and global cooperation. His public service, parliamentary leadership, and international diplomacy have shaped Australia's engagement in development, government, and global cooperation. The Langmore Oration will be an annual event where John's commitment to revitalising questions of conflict prevention and peacebuilding in Australian Foreign policy are taken forward.
The inaugural Langmore Oration will be delivered by Sam Roggeveen, with an address titled War and Peace in Asia's New Order: Australia's Duty. Sam is Director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute, and author of The Echidna Strategy: Australia's Search for Power and Peace. Before joining Lowy, he served as a senior strategic analyst at Australia's Office of National Assessments, focusing on North Asian strategic affairs, nuclear strategy, and regional forces. He has also held roles in arms control policy at DFAT and as an analyst with the Defence Intelligence Organisation. Sam is a frequent commentator in Australian and international media and was founding editor of The Interpreter.
The lecture will explore Australia's role in advancing peace and security amidst intensifying strategic competition between the United States and China. As Beijing seeks greater regional leadership and Washington resists ceding influence, questions arise about how peace and stability can be sustained without conflict escalation. In this address, Sam will consider how Australia can contribute to managing this evolving regional order and preventing confrontation between the two powers, an issue central to the advancement of peace in our time.
The Oration will be moderated and will include a Q&A session followed by drinks and canapes in the Atrium.