Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs\, created by the Foreign Policy Assoc iation. \;Each year\, eight topics are chosen by a panel of exp erts. See the Foreign Policy Association \;for more information about the progr am.
\nThis is the current discussion schedule. If a topic changes fo r a given day\, it will be updated here:
\nFebruary 7: Energ
y Geopolitics
Access to oil and gas has long held an influen
ce over the politics of individual nations and their relations with others
. But\, as more countries move toward sustainable energy\, and supply chai
n shortages affect the availability of oil and gas\, how will this change
the way in which the United States interacts with the outside world? By Ca
rolyn Kissane
February 21: War Crimes
Russia
's invasion of Ukraine has resulted in widespread charges of war crimes an
d calls for justice. But what exactly are war crimes? Opinions of what con
stitutes a war crime have evolved\, as have ways to identify and punish th
e perpetrators. How will the war crimes committed in Ukraine be dealt with
? \;By Francine Hirsch
March 7: China and the U.S.
For the past ten years\, the United States and China have been
locked in a competition for who has the greatest global influence. One maj
or point of contention is the status of Taiwanese sovereignty\, which has
become even more relevant recently with the possibility that Russia&rsquo\
;s invasion of Ukraine may prompt China to take similar action regarding T
aiwan. How will the United States engage a China which is increasingly see
king to expand its sphere of influence? \;By David Lampton
\
;
March 14: Economic Warfare
Waging economic wa
rfare consists of a variety of measures from implementing sanctions to fom
enting labor strikes. Such tools are utilized by states to hinder their en
emies\, and in the case of the United States have been used as far back as
the early 19th century. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022\, e
conomic warfare has been the main means for the west to challenge Russia.
How effective will these sanctions be at convincing Russia to cease its wa
r? \;By Jonathan Chanis
\;
April 4: Politics in
Latin America
Electoral results in Latin America over the p
ast four years have led many observers of the regional/political scene to
discern a left-wing surge in the hemisphere\, reminiscent of the so-called
&ldquo\;Pink Tide&rdquo\; that swept the area some 20 years ago. But how
much do these politicians actually have in common? What implication does t
heir ascendency have for the region? \;By Jorge Castañ\;eda
\;
April 18: Global Famine
Fears of global f
ood shortages have followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine\, which has disru
pted grain shipments from the major grain producer. But what about countri
es and regions that were suffering before this impending shortage? How is
famine defined\, and how is it different from simple food shortages? What
if any remedies are there? \;By Daniel Maxwell
May 2:
Iran at a Crossroads
By the fall of 2022\, Iran was in a sta
te of turmoil due to widespread protests against government-enforced weari
ng of the hijab\, a failing economy\, an ineffective new president\, and t
he looming succession of the country&rsquo\;s leader\, Ayatollah Khamenei.
Abroad\, renewal of the Iran nuclear deal seemed doubtful and tensions re
main high between Iran\, Israel\, and Arab states. Many Iranians have lost
hope of a better future\, and the country seems at a crossroads. How shou
ld the United States deal with it? \;By Lawrence Potter
\;May 16: Climate Migration
As climate change acce
lerates and drought and rising sea levels become more common\, millions of
people in affected regions must uproot themselves and seek safety elsewhe
re. Who are these affected individuals\, and how might the United States a
id them\, and be affected by the migration? \;By Karen Jacobsen
The late Edwin O. Wilson\, one of the great scientists of our time\, an ticipated AI's potential \;challenges when he wrote: The real problem of humanity is the following: We have Paleolithic emotions\, medieval inst itutions and godlike \;technology. And it is terrifically dangerous."< /p>\n
Contact the Ask Us Desk at as kus@dglibrary.org \;with questions.
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