BOOT: In the Public Interest?

The "BOOT: In the Public Interest?" conference, held on the 20-21 March 1998 was a resounding success by most accounts. The conference was attended by community groups, government representatives, journalists, academics, students, and a smattering of business interests. There were 17 speakers in all, ranging from government representatives and academics to community representatives. Many participants felt that the conference helped open up information and debate around the complex issue of infrastructure funding both in Australia and in the Mekong Region which is little understood by the general public.

The conference was the result of over 10 months of joint planning between the Australian Centre for Independent Journalism, The Australian Mekong Resource Centre (AMRC) and Community Aid Abroad (now Oxfam Australia).