FRANKLIN, WI – Franklin Public Library is proud to announce the return of the Great Decisions Discussion Series in 2019. This fifth annual event will be Wednesday evenings February 6 through March 27 at 6:30pm in the Fadrow Room.
A project of the Foreign Policy Association (FPA), Great Decisions is a grassroots, face-to-face series designed to bring international issues to our attention and highlight how they affect our lives here in America. Tens of thousands of participants take part in these discussions nationwide each year.
To offer the community a comprehensive educational program, the library will host all eight foreign policy topics provided by the FPA in a combination of guest scholar lectures and documentary viewings followed by roundtable discussions. The Great Decisions Discussion Series is possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of Franklin Public Library Foundation, the Jerome J. and Dorothy H. Holz Family Foundation, and Wisconsin Public Radio.
February 6: Nuclear Negotiations: Back to the Future? with Uk Heo, PhD – University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Distinguished Professor
Nuclear weapons have not gone away, and the Trump administration has brought a new urgency, if not a new approach, to dealing with them. The first presidential summit ever with Kim Jong-un occurred in 2018 to discuss denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula; President Trump has decertified the Obama nuclear deal with Iran; and the New Start Treaty with Russia comes up for renewal in 2021. What does the future of nuclear arms control negotiations look like? Can the art of the deal apply to stabilizing our nuclear future? (fpa.org)
Dr. Uk Heo is a University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He specializes in International Relations, Comparative Politics, Asian Politics, particularly the Korean peninsula. He received his B.A. from Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. He then went on to earn his MA degree from the University of Wyoming and finally his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University.
February 13: The United States and Mexico: Partnership Tested with Pablo Toral, PhD – Beloit College, Department Chair, Associate Professor of International Relations and Environmental Studies
The United States and Mexico have a long, intertwined history with both countries prominently featured in each other’s politics and agendas. The war on drugs, immigration, and trade issues have taxed the relationship over the years. What impact will new leadership in both countries have on this crucial partnership? (fpa.org)
Pablo Toral is Associate Professor of International Relations and Environmental Studies at Beloit College. His scholarly interests include international political economy, environmental politics, international relations theory, international governance and development, with a focus on Latin America and Europe. Pablo received his PhD in International Relations from Florida International University. (Beloit.edu)
February 20: Cyber Conflict and Geopolitics – DVD and Roundtable Discussion Event
Cyber conflict is a new and continually developing threat, which can include foreign interference in elections, industrial sabotage, and attacks on infrastructure. Russia has been accused of interfering in the 2016 presidential elections in the United States, and China is highly committed to using cyberspace as a tool of national policy. Dealing with cyber conflict will require new ways of looking at 21st century warfare. Is the United States prepared to respond to such threats? (fpa.org)
February 27: Refugees and Global Migration with Beth Dougherty, PhD - Beloit College, Department Chair, International Relations Professor.
Today, no countries have open borders. Every state in today’s global system has its own laws and policies about who is permitted to cross its borders and how they may do so. Who determines whether someone is a refugee or a migrant? How have different countries, including the United States, reacted to migration? How effective are the international laws, policies and organizations that have evolved to assist and protect refugees and migrants? (fpa.org)
Dr. Dougherty is Manager Professor of International Relations and Professor of Political Science at Beloit College. She received her MA and PhD in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia. She has chaired the Beloit College’s international relations program since 1996 and is currently the chair of the African Studies minor program.” (Beloit.edu)
March 6: The Rise of Populism in Europe – DVD and Roundtable Discussion Event
Mass migration and the problems associated with it have directly abetted the rise of populist parties in Europe. Opposition to immigration was the prime driver of support for Brexit: it brought a far-right party to the German Bundestag for the first time since the 1950s and propelled Marine Le Pen to win a third of the vote in the French presidential election. In addition to calling for stronger borders, however, these parties are invariably illiberal, anti-American, anti-NATO, and pro-Kremlin, making their rise a matter of serious concern for the national security interests of the United States. (fpa.org)
March 13: State of the State Department and Diplomacy with John Katzka, PhD – retired Senior Foreign Service Officer
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? (fpa.org)
John Katzka is a retired Senior Foreign Service Officer with 37 years of federal and foreign service experience. He is also a Wisconsin native, UWM graduate, and regular on UWM's TV program "International Focus."
March 20: Decoding U.S.-China Trade – DVD and Roundtable Discussion Event
Though arguably the most advanced economy in the world, the United States still uses centuries-old numbers to measure trade. These antique numbers mangle understanding of the U.S.-China trade relationship, shrinking America’s true economic size and competitiveness while swelling China’s. Bad numbers give rise to bad policies that ultimately kill U.S. jobs and cede market share to China. What other tools can the United States employ to counter China’s unfair trade practices? There are several available, yet they remain mostly unused. (fpa.org)
March 27: The Middle East: Regional Disorder with Doug Savage, PhD – University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Director of the Institute for World Affairs
As the presidency of Donald J. Trump passes the halfway point, the Middle East remains a region in turmoil. The Trump administration has aligned itself with strongmen in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt, which along with Israel have a common goal of frustrating Iranian expansion. What will be the fallout from policy reversals such as withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear accord and moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem? Does the United States see a path forward in troubled states such as Syria, Yemen, Libya and Iraq? Is the United States headed toward war with Iran? (fpa.org)
Douglas Savage is Director of the Institute for World Affairs at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he serves as producer and host of the weekly International Focus TV program on Milwaukee PBS. He previously was Midwest Regional Director of the National US-Arab Chamber of Commerce. He has also held senior positions with the National Council on US-Arab Relations and Builders for Peace, a Middle East economic development initiative based in Washington. Mr. Savage holds a Master’s Degree in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago, and has done graduate study at Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan.
To supplement each topic, Franklin Public Library will have Great Discussion Briefing Books available for check out and for purchase. As with all Franklin Public Library programs, this event is free and open to the public. For more information on the series or how you can help sponsor the program, visit the library at 9151 W. Loomis Rd., call 414-425-8214, or log on to www.FranklinPublicLibrary.org.
About Franklin Public Library:
Franklin Public Library is open seven days a week: Monday thru Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Programs at Franklin Public Library are open to all members of the public, and all Milwaukee County residents are eligible to receive a Franklin Public Library card. For more information about Franklin Public Library’s programs and services, visit the library at 9151 W. Loomis Rd., call 414-425-8214, or log on to FranklinPublicLibrary.org.