Tag Archives: Great Decisions

World Affairs Council’s virtual Great Decisions series coming soon, but special event offered Jan. 14

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President Donald J. Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, shake hands as they meet for the first time, June 12, 2018, at the Capella Hotel in Singapore. (state.gov)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

The World Affairs Council of West Michigan (WACWM) knew all about virtual discussions long before the pandemic, so you would expect nothing less than a stellar series of “Great Decisions Global Discussions” in 2021.

The Monday night series starting in February and running through March will include in-depth discussions on hot-button topics ranging from “The Melting Arctic” to “North Korea: Getting Diplomacy Back on Track” on the schedule.

While the Great Decisions series will be available to the general public for a modest series and individual event cost, a prelude to the series will be presented Thursday, Jan. 14, with a free special mid-day event, “The Korean-U.S. Alliance”.

Scheduled for noon to 1 p.m., the virtual discussion will offer expert information from Mark Tokola, vice president or the Korea Economic Institute, and Dr. Jennifer Brannan, Office of Korean Affairs at the U.S. Dept. of State. The webinar will be viewable live and as an archive, and while the event is free it does require registration.

The scheduled topics are relevant: A new forthcoming administration in the U.S., historic elections in South Korea, persistent global challenges including nuclear security issues and the COVID-19 pandemic — “For these reasons and more, focusing on one of the allies of the United States in East Asia is a timely conversation,” according to WACWM website.
 

The World Affairs Councils of America, in partnership with the Korea Economic Institute, will provide “a wide-ranging presentation on the relationship between the U.S. and the Korean Peninsula” and will  “dive deep into politics, trade, and the economy, and the many ties that bind these two countries together.”

For more information and registration for this event visit worldmichigan.org/futureofkorea2021.

Great Decisions series starts in February

The WACWM’s Great Decisions Global Discussions series will be live-streamed to YouTube Mondays from 6-7:15 p.m., starting Feb. 8 and running through March 29. The public is invited and the webinars will be viewable live and as archived on-demand. The cost to the public is $10 per discussion, $60 for a series pass, with prior registration required.

“Diplomats, policy makers and practitioners, think tank specialists and journalists lead conversations on global issues that impact us locally,” according to the WACWM website.

The series dates, topics and guest speaker are as follows: 

Feb. 8, “North Korea: Getting Diplomacy Back on Track” with Susan DiMaggio, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Feb. 15, “Have We Learned Anything about this Pandemic?” with Andrew Natsios, director of the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs, The Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University.

Feb. 22, “The European Union: The New Agenda Post-Brexit” with Tomas Baert, Head of Trade and Agriculture, European Delegation to the U.S.

March 1, “The Future of Business and Global Supply Chains” with Judy Samuelson, founder and executive director, Aspen Institute Business and Society Program, with moderator Brian Kraus, vice president of global manufacturing at Amway.

March 8, “Sustainable Globalization Post COVID-19” with Julia Luscombe, managing director of strategic planning at Feeding America.

March 15, “The Melting Arctic” with Kaare Sikuaq Erickson, North Slope science liaison, Ukpeaġvik Inupiat Corporation, and Bob Hollister, Leader of the Arctic Ecology Program (AEP) at Grand Valley State University.

March 22, “China in Africa and the Case of Ghana” with Elizabeth Asiedu, Professor of Economics, University of Kansas.

Mar. 29, “The Saudi-Arabian-U.S. Relationship: Decades in the Making” with Thomas W. Lippman, author, consultant, and lecturer.

Those persons and companies wishing to support the series can do so through the Friends of Great Decisions campaign.

“Now in its 71st year, the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan continues its mission to empower the people and organizations of West Michigan to engage thoughtfully with the world,” according to the WACWM website. “All general donations between now and the start of our Great Decisions series will go towards sponsoring one of our speakers, through the Friends of Great Decisions campaign.”
 

For more information and to register, visit worldmichigan.org/greatdecisions2021.

Local World Affairs Council’s 2020 Great Decisions discussion series begins Feb. 10-11

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Marisa O. Ensor, center, has worked in in countries around the world and will talk on “Green Peacebuilding: Justice in the face of Climate Change”. (Courtesy)

WKTV Staff
ken@wktv.org

The World Affairs Council of Western Michigan’s 2020 Great Decisions series of local discussions will again tackle this year’s “issues of national an international importance” — the India and Pakistan powder keg, China’s power in the Americas, the present and future of American immigration policy, and the human impact of climate change, to name just a few.

The line-up of discussions, to be held Monday evenings at Aquinas College and Tuesday noontimes at Calvin University, will begin Feb. 10-11 with a discussion titled “Kashmir: Flashpoint between India and Pakistan” and will continue through the week of March 30.

All discussions are open to the public, with a $10 admission fee for non-Council members and collegiate partners, but free parking on each campus. No reservations are needed, and discounted series passes are available.

With the 2020 Great Decisions series, the World Affairs Council “continues its mission to empower the people and organizations of West Michigan to engage thoughtfully with the world,” according to supplied material. “Our largest community event, which we have been hosting since the mid-1950s. Diplomats, policy makers and practitioners, think tank specialists and journalists lead the conversation on some of the most pressing global issues of our time.”

The Monday lectures will run from 6 to 7:15 p.m., at the Aquinas College Performing Arts Center. The Tuesday lectures will run from Noon to 1 p.m., at the Recital Hall in the Covenant Fine Arts Center at Calvin University.

Raza Ahmad Rumi (Supplied)

The opening lecture, “Kashmir: Flashpoint between India and Pakistan” will be led by Raza Ahmad Rumi, Director of the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca (N.Y.) College. Rumi has been living in the United States since 2014, and is editor of Daily Times and founder of the Nayadaur Media digital platform. He is also a visiting faculty at Cornell Institute for Public Affairs.

Drawing on his deep background as a journalist and policy analyst, Rumi will “contextualize the factors that play into India and Pakistan’s actions and the U.S. response to these countries,” according to supplied material. Asking and discussing the questions “How do we de-escalate conflict between these two nuclear powers? India and Pakistan have a long history of conflict. How has escalation within the Kashmir region changed the stakes for the U.S. and the world?”

The other lecture dates, titles and speakers are:

February 17-18, “Mirror to the World: The Philippines under Duterte”, with Julie McCarthy, international correspondent with Manila Bureau of NPR.

February 24-25, “Regional Security in the Red Sea”, with Steve Dalzell, senior defense policy researcher at RAND Corporation.

March 2-3, “Green Peacebuilding: Justice in the face of Climate Change”, with Marisa O. Ensor, Justice and Peace Studies Program & Institute for the Study of International Migration, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University.

March 9-10, “Human Trafficking: Global and Local Perspectives”, a panel discussion moderated by Rachel VerWys, co-creator of Solutions to End Exploitation (SEE).

March 16-17, “The Future is Now: Artificial Intelligence and National Security”, with Lindsey Sheppard, fellow at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS).

March 23-24, “China’s Road into Latin America”, with Margaret Myers, director of Asia & Latin America at Inter-American Dialogue.

March 30-31, “Central American Immigration and U.S. Foreign Policy”, with Sonia Nazario, Pulitzer-winning journalist and author of “Enrique’s Journey”.

Of particular interest, for many, will be Ensor’s discussion on world justice in time of climate change. She describes herself, on her website, as “a gender and youth specialist with a background in forced displacement, environmental peacebuilding, humanitarian intervention, and post-conflict justice.”

Marisa Ensor (Courtesy)
Marisa O. Ensor (Courtesy)

She holds a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Florida, a Master’s in Law in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex (UK), and a certificate in Forced Migration Studies from the University of Oxford (UK). She has over a decade of international experience in “the design and implementation of gender- and youth-inclusive projects in conflict-affected and fragile states, and those confronting forced migration and environmental insecurity” in 19 countries so far in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and Europe.

In her discussion, Ensor “maps the relationship between climate change, conflict and fragile states and the lessons we can learn from those fighting for human rights and peace within their communities,” according to supplied material. Specifically she will discuss “What can young activists teach us about peace and climate change? … Climate change has become one of the defining issues of our time.”

For more information on the Great Decisions 2020 series visit here.

Threats to democracy, closed borders, free trade on World Affairs Council lecture schedule

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A Border Patrol agent drives past new vehicle barriers near Deming, N.M., built by U.S. Army soldiers. (U.S. Army historical photo)

By K.D. Norris
ken@wktv.org

 
After President Donald Trump gives his State of the Union speech on Jan. 29, the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan’s 2019 Great Decisions global discussion series will debut with a discussion on the “State of the State Department” on Feb. 4-5.

Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, president of American Foreign Service Association (Supplied/World Affairs Council)

With Ambassador Barbara Stephenson, president of American Foreign Service Association, will be talking about the “State of the State Department” on both days, and will pose and then discuss the question: “Is the State Department currently equipped to do its diplomatic work?”

“Our organization’s perspective on this series is that to change the world — or to even begin to understand global issues — one first must know about the world, and that’s what we attempt to do with Great Decisions,” Michael Van Denend, executive director of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, said to WKTV.

 
The eight topics covered by the series were specifically chosen by the Foreign Policy Association in New York as the global issues every American community should know more about and currently be discussing. The World Affairs Council has been sponsoring the series since the mid-1950s.

 
“We’re particularly pleased with the expertise and diversity of the speakers coming to West Michigan this year,” Van Denend said. “There are two ambassadors, a cyber security FBI agent, two journalists reporting on Eastern Europe and Syria, and one of the country’s foremost China experts. Attending these presentations will open up many corners of the world for participants.”
 

The annual series, which bring leaders in international theory and action to Grand Rapids for lectures, will offer two options to attend: Mondays, 6-7:15 p.m., at Aquinas College Performing Arts Center; and Tuesdays, noon-1 p.m. at the Recital Hall in the Covenant Fine Arts Center at Calvin College.

There is a $10 general-public admission fee per discussion, with no reservations needed and free parking.

The series will continue through March 25-26.

The Great Decisions format features a world-class expert leading each conversation, followed by an extensive question-answer session.

 
The reminder of the 201 series will feature:

 
Feb. 11 and 12: “Democracy on the Run: Dispatches from Eastern Europe”, a behind-the-scenes-look at rising anti-democratic efforts abroad, lead by Carol Schaeffer, a freelance journalist.

Feb. 18 and 19: “Immigration Policy beyond the Border”, a talk “shedding light on a complicated and contentious issue with thoughtful dialogue,” according to supplied material, with Ambassador Jim Nealon, former U.S. Ambassador to Honduras.

Feb. 25 and 26: “A New Nuclear Arms Race?”, with Kelsey Davenport, of the Arms Control Association, discussing “Russia. North Korea. Iran. What’s our nuclear future?”

Mar. 4 and 5: “China-U.S. Trade War”, with Amy Celico, Albright Stonebridge Group (ASG), discussing “How will we handle the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century?”

Mar. 11 and 12: “Life After the Arab Uprisings and the Islamic State”, a ground-level report from a brave Lebanese journalist, Rania Abouzeid, author of “No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria”, a New York Times 2018 Notable Book.

Mar. 18 and 19: “Global Cyber Threats” with FBI Special Agent Peter Jolliffe
discussing “Cyber risks are on the rise — can we thwart them?”

And finally, on Mar. 25 and 26: “Mexico and the U.S.: The Economic Ties that Bind”, Carlos Capistran, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, New York City, discussing “What must we do to make certain both countries thrive?”

The Aquinas College Performing Arts Center is located at 1703 Robinson Road S.E., Grand Rapids. The Covenant Fine Arts Center at Calvin College is located at 1795 Knollcrest Cir SE, Grand Rapids.

 
The World Affairs Council of Western Michigan is located at 1700 Fulton Street E., Grand Rapids, For more information on sessions, dates and times, as well as detailed information on speakers, visit worldmichigan.org .

World Affairs Council’s Great Decisions discussion to focus on Putin’s Russia

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WKTV Staff

news@wktv.org

 

Is Russian President Vladimir Putin envisioning a new Soviet Union of satellite countries under the control of Russia? Is a new Cold War brewing?

 

These and other questions will be discussed Monday, March 12, as part of the next World Affairs Council of Western Michigan’s 2018 Great Decisions global discussion series, a series which bring leaders in international theory and action to Grand Rapids for lectures.

 

“Putin, Russia and the New Cold War” will be title of a discussion by Susan B. Glasser, chief international affairs columnist at POLITICO and co-author of “Kremlin Rising: Vladimir Putin and the End of Revolution”.

 

The series will offer two options to attend. There will be a daytime lecture, noon-1 p.m. at the Calvin College Recital Hall in the Covenant Fine Arts Center, and then 6-7:15 p.m. at the Aquinas College Performing Arts Center.

 

There is a $10 admission fee per discussion, with no reservations needed and free parking. For more information on sessions, dates and times, as well as detailed information on speakers, visit worldmichigan.org .

 

 

According to supplied information, Putin has spent years consolidating his leadership, moving the country closer to an authoritarian state. For what end? To bring former Soviet satellites once again into the Russian fold and expand its global influence? Is a new Cold War brewing? How will the U.S. respond?

 

Glasser, who served as founding editor of the award-winning POLITICO Magazine and went on to become editor of POLITICO throughout the 2016 election cycle, has reported everywhere from the halls of Congress to the battle of Tora Bora.

 

The former editor in chief of Foreign Policy magazine, she spent four years traveling the former Soviet Union as the Washington Post’s Moscow co-bureau chief, covered the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and co-authored “Kremlin Rising: Vladimir Putin and the End of Revolution” with her husband, New York Times chief White House correspondent, Peter Baker.

 

Before that, Glasser worked for a decade at The Washington Post, where she was a foreign correspondent, editor of the Post’s Sunday Outlook and national news sections and political reporter.

 

A graduate of Harvard University, Glasser lives in Washington with Baker and their son. She serves on the boards of the Pew Research Center and the Harvard Crimson student newspaper and is a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institution.

 

Discussions will continue through March 26. The reminder of the 2018 series will feature:

 

Monday, Mar. 19: “South Africa at a Crossroads: Implications for U.S.-South Africa Relations”, with Desirée Cormier, Senior Director, Africa Practice, Albright Stonebridge Group (ASG).

 

Monday, Mar. 26: “Global Health: Equity, Ethics, and Eradication”, with Ambassador Mary Ann Peters (ret.), CEO, The Carter Center.

 

World Affairs Council’s 2018 Great Decisions global discussion series begins Jan. 29

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William Dobson, chief international editor at National Public Radio, will talk on “Are Dictators Getting Smarter?: Media and Foreign Policy”. (Supplied)

WKTV Staff

news@wktv.org

 

Are dictators getting smarter? Is there such a thing as diplomacy in the age of Twitter? Is American global leadership on the wane?

 

These and more important topics will be the focus of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan’s 2018 Great Decisions global discussion series, a series which bring leaders in international theory and action to Grand Rapids for lectures.

 

Starting on Monday, Jan. 29 — with the lecture topic “Are Dictators Getting Smarter?: Media and Foreign Policy”, with William Dobson, chief international editor at National Public Radio — the series will offer two options to attend. There will be a daytime lecture, noon-1 p.m. at the Calvin College Recital Hall in the Covenant Fine Arts Center, and then 6-7:15 p.m. at the Aquinas College Performing Arts Center.

 

There is a $10 admission fee per discussion, with no reservations needed and free parking. A series pass is available for $65 for all eight programs, and pass holders can attend either session for each speaker.

 

In the discussion “Are Dictators Getting Smarter? …”, Dobson’s lecture is described in supplied material as: “Democracy has fallen on tough times. Authoritarian regimes in Russia, China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere are on the march, while the West seems to be taking a back seat. Are the world’s dictators getting more sophisticated in their repression? How do the world’s despots manipulate media to serve their own ends? In the age of Twitter and smart phones, can democracy keep up?”

 

Dobson, in addition to his work with NPR, is the author of The Dictator’s Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy, which examines the struggle between authoritarian regimes and the people who challenge them. He holds a law degree from Harvard Law School and a masters degree in East Asian Studies from Harvard University.

 

Discussions will continue through March 26.

 

“We call this edition of the Great Decisions series ‘Context for a Complex World’ because the amount of information coming our way these days is overwhelming,” Michael Van Denend, executive director of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, said in supplied material. “Through these presentations, we hope to help our community step back for a bit and ponder how we can engage thoughtfully in a complicated world.”

 

The Great Decisions format features a world-class expert leading each conversation, followed by an extensive question-answer session. The World Affairs Council is the local sponsor of these eight current foreign policy topics as determined by the New York City-based Foreign Policy Association. The Council has sponsored the series for more than 50 years.

 

The reminder of the 2018 series will feature:

 

Monday, Feb. 5: “China in the World: Conundrums of a Socialist Market Economy”, with Dr. Badrinath Rao, Associate Professor of Sociology and Asian Studies, Kettering University.

 

Monday, Feb. 12: “Trouble Brewing: Can the U.S. and Turkey Cooperate?”, with Dr. Sinan Ciddi, Director, Institute for Turkish Studies, Georgetown University.

 

Monday, Feb. 19: “The Right Bang for our Bucks: The U.S. Defense Budget”, with Dr. Stephanie Young, defense budget expert, RAND Corporation.

 

Monday, Feb. 26: “Is American Global Leadership Waning?”, with Dr. Amitav Acharya, UNESCO Chair in Transnational Challenges and Governance at the School of International Service, American University.

 

Monday, Mar. 12: “Putin, Russia, and the New Cold War?”, with Susan B. Glasser, Chief International Affairs Columnist, POLITICO and co-author of “Kremlin Rising: Vladimir Putin and the End of Revolution”.

 

Monday, Mar. 19: “South Africa at a Crossroads: Implications for U.S.-South Africa Relations”, with Desirée Cormier, Senior Director, Africa Practice, Albright Stonebridge Group (ASG).

 

Monday, Mar. 26: “Global Health: Equity, Ethics, and Eradication”, with Ambassador Mary Ann Peters (ret.), CEO, The Carter Center.

 

For more information on sessions, dates and times, as well as detailed information on speakers, visit worldmichigan.org .