Great Decisions 2022 begins Feb 23

Great Decisions 2022 begins Feb 23

The community discussion program on world affairs, "Great Decisions," will meet virtually from 11:00am - 12:30pm on Wednesdays cover, briefing book, Great Decisions 2022for 8 weeks beginning February 23, 2022. The Foreign Policy Association provides text and videos to participants for topic overview before the discussions. A local resource person provides additional information and guides discussion via Zoom Webinar's Q/A option.

The League of Women Voters has partnered with the Lifelong Learning Institute at Virginia Tech to offer the program. Participants must join LLI ($50) and pay the LLI course fee of $35. Register at http://www.cpe.vt.edu/lifelonglearning/ . When you register, you will receive the Zoom link for the sessions.

Briefing Books that include a ten-page overview of each topic are available from fpa.org/great_decisions/ and an E-book version is available from online sellers.

Download a PDF icon pdf version of the schedule. (Note that the order of topics varies from that in the briefing book.)

Schedule of topics

Date Topic Resource Person and description
Feb. 23 Russia Aaron Brantly   Russia and the United States have many areas of conflict and some possible areas of mutual interest. Arms control, Russian interference in U.S. elections and support of cyberattacks, the status of Ukraine, the fate of opposition politicians in Russia, all continue to be concerning. How will the new administration in Washington approach these issues?
Mar 2 The Quad Alliance
Paul Avey   As part of the U.S. pivot to Asia, the United States has been in dialogue with Japan, Australia, and India in an effort to contain China. Recently, the Quad countries held joint naval exercises in the South Pacific. How effective will the actions of this alliance be?
Mar 9 Myanmar and ASEAN Max Stephenson   The situation in Myanmar, including the coup by the military in February 2021 and the ongoing human rights crises, coupled with civil resistance by those opposed to the regime, has led to chaos in the Southeast Asian country. How are neighboring countries reacting, and what role will ASEAN play?
Mar 16 Climate Change Todd Schenk   The ideological divide in the United States on the subject of climate change has impeded progress in curbing greenhouse emissions. But extreme weather events at both ends of the thermometer have focused attention on the consequences of inaction. What role will the United States play in future negotiations on climate?
Mar 23 Outer Space Jack Kennedy   The launch of Sputnik I in October 1957 marked the beginning of the space era and of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the 21st century, there are many more participants in space, including countries such as India and China, and commercial companies such as SpaceX. How will the United States fare in a crowded outer space?
Mar 30 Biden’s Agenda Karen Hult   The new administration in Washington promised to reverse many of the policies of the past administration, especially in foreign policy. How will issues such as climate, the pandemic, and alliances be treated under the Biden administration?
Apr 6 Industrial Policy David Bieri   The current discussion of industrial policy in the United States is not simply about whether or not to support specific companies or industries, but about trust or mistrust of the government and its ability to manage the economy and deal with a rising China. The upheaval in supply chains during the pandemic exposed weaknesses in the international economy. What policies can the United States implement to deal with trade and the economy?
Apr 13 Drug Policy in Latin America Ilya Luciak   The issue of migration to the United States from Latin America has overshadowed the war on drugs, which has been underway for decades with little sign of progress. What are the roots and the bureaucratic logic behind today´s dominant drug policies in Latin America? Is it time to reconsider punitive drug control policies that disrupt supply chains and punish drug possession?