FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION

FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION [FPA]

THE 2024 FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION GREAT DECISIONS DISCUSSION PROGRAM

Great Decisions is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. The program model involves reading the Great Decisions Briefing Book, watching the video and meeting in a discussion group to discuss the most critical global issues facing America today.

Offered In person and virtually, via Zoom
Monthly on Saturdays, 5- 6 PM
Check program calendar for updates

David Rowe, Moderator
Susan Perkins, Facilitator

The 2024 Great Decisions Briefing Book may be purchased at the Quogue Library or digitally at fpa.org

Great Decisions Foreign Policy Association: HIGH SEAS TREATY

Areas of the seas beyond national jurisdiction comprise the high seas, and are facing a degradation of ecosystems due to climate change and increasing human activities, such as shipping, overfishing, pollution, and deep-sea mining. The recently negotiated High Seas Treaty, also known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty, will attempt to address these issues. How difficult will it be to convince nations to participate?

April 13th | 5:00 PM

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COMMUNITY
LINKS

ADULTS

TEENS & TWEENS

CHILDREN

RESERVE
A ROOM

Great Decisions Foreign Policy Association: PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS

Looking back at the COVID-19 pandemic, there are many lessons to take away in terms of domestic and international policies. Although this pandemic seems to have waned, how can we apply these lessons to future pandemics? Will countries cooperate and will a consensus emerge on how to manage global health challenges?

May 11th | 5:00 PM

Great Decisions Foreign Policy Association: CLIMATE TECHNOLOGY & COMPETITION

Will the United States and China, with other powerful countries following suit, approach current and future climate initiatives with an increased commitment to trade protectionism and nationalism, by various measures including trade restrictions? Or could a growing spirit of international accord develop to confront the “common enemy” of climate change?

June 15th | 5:00 PM

Great Decisions Foreign Policy Association: MIDEAST REALIGNMENT

The United States and Middle East are at a crossroads. In spite of a reduced presence in the Middle East, the U.S. still has significant national interests there and the area is a key arena for global power politics. Can the U.S. continue to defend its interests in the Middle East and globally with a lower level of military and political involvement, or should it recommit to a leading role in the region?

July 13th | 5:00 PM

Great Decisions Foreign Policy Association: NATO'S FUTURE

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has come under increased scrutiny, not because NATO troops are involved in the conflict, but because of its role in relations between Russia and its neighbors. Will expanding membership in NATO protect countries or will it further provoke Russia?

august 10th | 5:00 PM

Great Decisions Foreign Policy Association: U.S.-CHINA TRADE RIVALRY

China’s economic rise and its current policies of increasing the role of the state in the economy have led some U.S. policymakers to seek to deny China access to U.S. technology and investment. This is seen as a necessary corrective to decades of predatory Chinese economic policies. Is this a wise strategy and how effective can it be?

September 14th

5:00 PM

Great Decisions Foreign Policy Association: SCIENCE ACROSS BORDERS

Scientific advances benefit from collaboration between researchers, but what happens when material, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) is controversial and important to a nation’s national security? Is there a middle ground between sharing information and denying access? How can we regulate cooperation?

October 19th | 5:00 PM

Great Decisions Foreign Policy Association: UNDERSTANDING INDONESIA

Despite its large size, Indonesia remains virtually invisible to most Americans. But as one of the world’s largest democracies, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation and as an economic driver of ASEAN, why does it fly below the radar? What are current issues in U.S.-Indonesian relations, and what role can the country play in Asia?

November 16th