Great Decisions 2011 Topics
Full series for members: $50
Full series for non-members: $60
Individual sessions: $10
Teachers enrolled for continuing-education credits and students: Free
Great Decisions will be held on Saturdays at the Contemporary Arts Center of Virginia. Dates TBD
Come join us for stimulating lectures and an audience-driven question and answer period with coffee and pastries served before the lecture and during intermission.
Rebuilding Haiti
U.S. National Security
Horn of Africa
Responding to the Financial Crisis
Germany Ascendant
Sanctions and Nonproliferation
The Caucasus
Global Governance
More information forthcoming
Great Decisions 2010
Held at Contemporary Art Center of Virginia
January 23rd to March 20th (Eight Consecutive Saturdays)
10 AM to 12 PM
Peacebuilding and conflict resolution: Jan 23rd, 2010
Ms. Renee Acosta, CEO Global Impact
U.S campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistand have shown that military force alone cannot ensure peace in all conflicts. How can the U.S. successfully integrate the tools of peace building into its statecraft? At what point do poverty, disease and climate change threaten national security? What role can non-governmental actors play in supporting government led efforts?
Preventing genocide: CANCELED. Rescheduled Program March 20.
U.S- China security relations: Feb 6, 2010
Dr. Jie Chen, Professor of Political Science, Old Dominion University
China's influence is growing, along with its military expenditures. How will this growth affect China's relations with its neighbors and with the U.S.? Will China's expanding military and economic power affect traditional U.S. roles and U.S. alliances in East Asia? How will countries like Japan, South Korea and India respond?
The Persian Gulf: February 13th, 2010
Ms. Farhana Ali, Writer and Terrorism Expert, Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc.
& RADM Harold J. Bernsen, USN ret.
Now more than ever, the Persian Gulf region offers many difficult challenges to the U.S. policymakers. How will Obama's direct appeal to Arabs and Muslims impact U.S. foreign policy in the region? What will the fallout of withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq be? Can the U.S. and its allies prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons?
Global financial crisis: February 20th, 2010
Dr. Gilbert Yochum, Professor of Finance, Old Dominion University
The global financial crisis that began in late 2007 revealed all major deficiencies in the regulation of markets and institutions- all of which came perilously close to the collapse. Emergency measures to prevent a full collapse of the global financial system have led to mixed results. How will governments and the world community respond to this challenge?
Russia and its neighbors: February 27th, 2010
Dr. Eric Duskin, Assistant Professor of History, Christopher Newport University & Dr. David Meyer, Assistant Professor of Government, Regent University
Russia's policy of maintaining a "sphere of influence" in former Soviet satellites has been challenged in recent years by movements against pro-Russia regimes. Russia has pushed back by cutting Ukraine's natural gas supply and intervening in Georgia's campaign in South Ossetia. Will Russia regain its traditional leadership role in the region?
Global crime: March 6th, 2010
Dr. James Finckenauer, Distinguished Professor, School of Criminial Justice, Rutgers University
From the booming sex trade in Eastern Europe, to online fraud syndicates in Africa and the drug cartels of Asia and Central America, crime is becoming increasingly organized and globalized. How can countries better protect citizens seeking the benefits of a globalized world from being exploited? What international actors can effectively fight global organized crime?
Special Envoys: March 13, 2010
Ambassador James R. Bullington
Special envoys can help bring attention and diplomatic muscle to resolve conflicts and global challenges but they also bring with them their own "special" problems. Will the Obama administration's reliance on special envoys increase the ability of the U.S. to deal with major international issues or complicate our diplomatic options?
Al-Qa'ida in Context: Origins, Ideology, and Structure: March 20, 2010
Bill Braniff, Director of External Education and Instructor at Combating Terrorism Center, West Point.
Al-Qa'ida is the vanguard organization of the global Salafi-jihadi movement. To fully understand al-Qa'ida and this broader movement, it is important to understand the context in which al-Qa'ida exists. This lecture will provide conceptual frameworks to describe the historical roots of al-Qa'ida, the political landscape and the theological context in which it operates, and the structural characteristics that enable its resiliency. These frameworks can then be used to help answer questions about al-Qa'ida and the global Salafi-jihadi movement.