James Blackwell is a proud Wiradyuri man from Boorowa in regional NSW. He is a PhD Candidate within the Department of International Relations at the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, The Australian National University. 

James’ PhD and broader research work is focused on exploring how First Nations peoples across this continent understand, practice, and participate in diplomacy & international relations, and whether First Nations practices and knowledges can be better utilised in International Relations theory and Foreign Policy practice.

His work also has a focus on advancing Indigenous knowledges and perspectives into spaces within policy, higher education, and International Relations, that have previously been built around the exclusion of Indigenous voices, to hopefully create a greater presence for his community.

He is a member of the Uluru Dialogue at UNSW, and worked extensively to support the Uluru Statement From the Heart, campaigning/educating across regional NSW, Victoria and the ACT during the 2023 referendum campaign.