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

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

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.