‘Great Decisons’ starts January 27
Guide book is available
by Mary Lib Hoinkes
The series of eight meetings on issues of foreign policy that goes by the name “Great Decisions” will start Friday, January 27, at 10:30 a.m. Everyone is invited.
With luck, the Deltaville Community Association (DCA) building will be available and the Friday morning sessions, which will continue through March, will afford everyone an opportunity to see the remodeled building in all its glory.
The Foreign Policy Association (FPA) has chosen eight subjects for local groups to consider this year: the Middle East, exiting Iraq and Afghanistan, cybersecurity, promoting democracy, Mexico, the global politics of energy, Indonesia, and the Oceans.
As a means of affording those who have little or no familiarity with these subjects, the FPA publishes a book of background materials, itself titled “Great Decisions.” Each of the topics is covered in easily readable fashion by authors who are deeply knowledgeable and address their subjects in plain English in a factual and unbiased manner. The book is available at the Deltaville Library for $20. Whether or not one participates in the Friday morning discussions, the book is a handy tool for learning about these subjects in a very concise manner.
While the title “Great Decisions” may sound quite formal, the meetings are definitely not. They are casual get-togethers that provide an opportunity to learn and exchange information and opinions. The meetings start with someone introducing the topic and providing a short talk on the subject, usually along the lines set forth in the book. After coffee and cookies, the floor is opened for discussion. Sometimes it has been possible to find people in our community who are real experts on a topic to serve as discussion leaders. On other occasions, individuals have been willing to study up and lead the discussion on a subject that is completely new to them.
For the first meeting of the 2012 season, which will be on Mexico, the discussion leader will be both a neighbor and an expert—Morris Busby. During the course of his diplomatic career, Ambassador Busby served as deputy chief of mission in Mexico, ambassador-at-large for counter-terrorism and ambassador to Colombia. While issues such as drug trafficking and immigration of course affect border regions most strongly, we all know that these issues may hit a bit closer to home than we care to admit.
For anyone who doesn’t know what to think about the “Arab Spring,” who wonders what “cyberspace” includes or what “cloud computing” means, who doesn’t have a good idea of just how threatened the oceans are, or whether U.S. efforts at promoting democracy have been, or can be, effective, the “Great Decisions” book and the Friday morning discussion series may be a good place to start.
