Fourth Mondays, beginning September 23, 6 p.m., Orcas Library
— from Mary Pugh for Orcas Library —
The Library is pleased to announce a new series based on the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions program. Join America’s largest discussion series and be part of a nation-wide, non-partisan program intended to broaden public understanding and involvement in foreign affairs by investigating a range of contemporary foreign and domestic policy issues.
The Discussion Group will meet at 6 p.m. on the 4th Monday of each month from September 2019 to April 2020. Click here to download the 2019 schedule and details.
The program model involves reading a chapter topic in the Great Decisions Briefing Book, meeting to watch an associated video, and discuss some of the most critical global issues facing America today. Each discussion will be facilitated and may include guest speakers who have relevant knowledge and insight on each topic.
Attend the entire series or just one; no registration is required. However, seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Briefing Book can be purchased through the Foreign Policy Association. To order a copy of the book which includes all eight topics, and for more information, visit www.fpa.org/great_decisions/?act=gd_materials. A limited number of the 2019 Briefing Book will be available at the Circulation Desk for $10 each. In addition, one briefing book will be available for use ONLY in the Library.
The first meeting and topic is:
Monday September 23 @ 6pm
State of the State Department and Diplomacy
During the Trump administration, the usual ways of conducting diplomacy have been upended. Many positions in the State Department have never been filled, and meetings with foreign leaders such as Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin have been undertaken with little advance planning. What effect are these changes having now, and how will they affect ongoing relationships between the United States and its allies and adversaries? (From the FPA website)
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