David Dickens

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Dr David Dickens is best known as one of New Zealand’s leading security and defence analysts who made his name as deputy director (1996-1999) and then director (1999-2003) of the independent government funded Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand. He is now a senior manager with New Zealand’s largest telecommunications company.[citation needed]

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[edit] Background

Dickens, a former soldier (7th Wellington and Hawkes Bay Regiment, and 2nd/1st Battalion of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment), Ministry of Defence official (1990-1996) graduate of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Senior Command and Staff College Course (1993), who earned a BA (Hons) with First Class Honours (1989), and a PhD (1996), from Victoria University. His PhD involved official policy advice to the government during the Vietnam War. He visited the United States under the auspices of the United States State Department Visitor Programme in 1997 and India as a guest of the Indian Foreign Ministry in 2001.

[edit] CSCAP and Track Two Diplomacy

Dickens was deputy head and then head of New Zealand’s Council for Security Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific (CSCAP). He represented New Zealand at CSCAP meetings and Co-Chaired the CSCAP Comprehensive Security and Cooperation Working Group with Malaysia’s Jawhar Hussein and China’s Ambassador Chi Chun Li. Dr Dickens co-edited and edited many of the Working Group papers and conference proceedings.

[edit] Views

Dickens argued that New Zealand, with an economy 50 per cent dependant on external trade, has a permanent and serious interest in maintaining the security of markets and trade routes in concert with friends and allies. He said, New Zealand should uphold global responsibilities including the promotion of human rights and peace keeping and needed to be able to protect its borders from low-level threats. Dr Dickens argued that New Zealand should respond to the post-2001 world in concert with friends and allies and that New Zealand needed to rethink its defence against possible terrorist threats within its borders.

[edit] Promotes defence

Dickens argued New Zealand should invest seriously in defence and needed military capabilities of the sort that would usefully complement the capabilities of friends and allies. He suggested New Zealand’s defence stance relations with other states directly impacted on the country’s standing. He argued Wellington should take defence seriously and contribute to regional security as the country was in a unique position to make a positive difference. Dr Dickens also argued that New Zealand’s security relationship with the United States could be deepened and strengthened in ways that would promote both nations interests. He also observed that New Zealand’s failure to negotiate a free trade agreement with the United States was a direct consequence of Wellington’s inability to negotiate a new security relationship with Washington.

[edit] Research

His research was published by thinks tanks including the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre of the Australian National University, the Washington based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology), and the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis, New Delhi. Dr Dickens researched Asia-Pacific security issues included the analysis of the implications of defence technology and the revolution in military affairs, India and Pakistan’s nuclear weapons programme, the influence of the ASEAN Regional Forum, Five Power Defence Arrangements, the impact of the United States military presence in the Asia-Pacific, as well as the implications of global terrorism for New Zealand’s security and interests and detailed work on capability and force structure options for New Zealand.

[edit] Promotes home grown debate

Dr Dickens consistently stood for an open, informed, and respectful exchange of views on security and defence issues. To this end Dickens hosted regular seminars and conferences attended by subject experts, foreign affairs, defence and security officials, government ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs) from across the political spectrum, journalists, retired officials, NGOs, and political advocates including left wing critics including Chris Trotter, peace advocates including Kevin Hackwell and Green Party MPs. His advice was sought by politicians from across the politician spectrum as well as by government officials, diplomats, and the media. Dr Dickens maintained close relations with a wide range of politicians, officials, serving military, analysts and commentators across the Asia-Pacific, South Asia, the United States and Europe.

[edit] Attacked by politicians

Dickens was the subject of sustained personalised political attacks with the most serious made by a small number of politicians using parliamentary privilege from 1998 to 2003. Dickens has consistently refused to be drawn on these attacks. The attacks on Dr Dickens were similar to those directed at one of New Zealand’s most respected diplomats, Gerald Hensley, in the late 1980s. While Dr Dickens was rudely treated by some politicians he was treated with courtesy and respect by most politicians and their advisors including leading members of the Labour Party.

[edit] Standing in defence circles

Dickens was respected in defence circles in New Zealand and abroad. Former New Zealand Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Carey Adamson described him as a “thoroughly dedicated professional who exercises a high degree of leadership. He can be trusted to complete any task.”[citation needed] Australian Strategic Policy Institute Director High White said, “Quite simply, David’s voice is the key NZ presence in regional and international debate on strategic issues, and so far as can be judged from the other side of the Tasman is also the best-informed and most balanced contributor to NZ’s public debate.”[citation needed]

While retired New Zealand Defence Secretary Gerald Hensley writing to the head of a New Zealand university in 2003 said “Dr Dickens has been a regular and respected voice for New Zealand at regional conferences. Some of this has attracted controversy, for it is right that an academic centre should not be afraid to test strategic orthodoxies, but I am not aware that [his] … research has ever been faulted.’’[citation needed]

[edit] External links