The Great Decisions (GD) Program is produced by the Foreign Policy Association. Coordinated locally by the International Relations Council of KC, the LWVJoCo chapter was established approximately 20 years ago and is one of several chapters in the KC metro region. The LWVJoCo chapter consists of 22 current members who meet bi-weekly February through May on Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Led by League member Rebecca James, the virtual bi-weekly sessions are facilitated by group participants. Rebecca notes that she joined the group in 2018 because “I felt that I was not receiving adequate global news from my usual news sources. With my increasing realization that global effects on our local everyday lives are broad and deep, I went looking for learning opportunities”.
The Foreign Policy Association (FPA) who produces the program nationally provides an annual “Briefing Book” which serves as the focal text for each season of Great Discussion with an article and suggested additional resources for each topic. The LWVJoCo group operates as a discussion group without a presented program. Questions included with each article serve as a starting point for each topic discussion. Each discussion is facilitated by an individual participant who has chosen a topic of interest to them.
Examples of covered topics from the last five years include refugees & global migration, the rise of populism in Europe, modern slavery & human trafficking, supply chains & US security, the WHO response to COVID, Putin’s Russia, and the potential end of globalization.
The group meets virtually biweekly starting in February 2023 on Monday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.
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MONTH
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DATE
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TOPIC
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February
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06
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Energy Geopolitics
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20
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War Crimes
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March
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06
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China & the US
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20
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Economic Warfare
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|
April
|
03
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Politics in Latin America
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|
17
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Global Famine
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May
|
01
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Iran at a Crossroads
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15
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Climate Migration
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If you are interested in participating in the program, contact Rebecca James (rebecca@abovokc.com).