Presented by the Foreign Policy Association
Sponsored by the University of North Georgia and the Forsyth County Public Library
Discussions:
The Future of Europe
Trade and Politics
Conflict in the South China Sea
Saudi Arabia in Transition
U.S. Foreign Policy and Petroleum
Latin America's Political Pendulum
Prospects for Afghanistan and Pakistan
Nuclear Security
Prepare to discuss the world.

Great Decisions is America's largest discussion program on world affairs. Forsyth County Public Library and the University of North Georgia will present information and lead discussions on a range of fascinating geopolitical topics (see list at left).
 
Each session will be held at the Cumming Library, 585 Dahlonega Street, Cumming and will be led by a member of the UNG faculty.
 
Admission to each session is free, but advance registration is requested. Please use the links provided below to register.
 
If you'd like to study the topics in advance of the discussions, copies of the Great Decisions 2017 Briefing Book can be purchased online. A Great Decisions 2017 DVD is also available and includes eight 30-minute documentaries.
The Future of Europe 
Thursday, February 2 at 7:00 p.m.
Cumming Library
Free Admission | Click to Register
 
The outcome of the United Kingdom referendum on EU membership sent shockwaves across the globe. It even caught British voters by surprise. The European Union has helped secure peace in Europe for the past 70 years. Now it faces an uncertain future. Amid a refugee crisis, lingering financial recession and the constant specter of terrorism, unity seems more imperative than ever. But the Brexit vote underscores the complexities of integrating an extremely diverse continent. What will post-Brexit Europe look like, and how can U.S. foreign policy adapt?
 
Presented by Dr. Craig Greathouse, Associate Department Head and Professor, Department of Political Science & International Affairs, College of Arts & Letters, University of North Georgia
 
Trade and Politics 
Thursday, February 9 at 7:00 p.m.
Cumming Library
Free Admission | Click to Register
 
The U.S. political mood toward trade has gone sour. One need look no further than the 2016 presidential contest for the popular narrative: trade means that China wins, at America’s expense. But do the numbers support that conclusion? The metrics used to gauge economic strength—Gross Domestic Product and balance of trade—have not kept up with the realities of modern manufacturing. Obtaining an accurate picture of U.S. economic stature requires a critique of those numbers. Only then can the U.S. develop appropriate policy solutions for the challenges at hand.
  
Presented by Dr. Michael Gove, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, Mike Cottrell College of Business, University of North Georgia
 
Conflict in the South China Sea 
Thursday, February 16 at 7:00 p.m.
Cumming Library
Free Admission | Click to Register
 
The South China Sea is a locus of competing territorial claims, and China its most vocal claimant. Beijing’s interest has intensified disputes with other countries in the region in recent years, especially since China has increased its naval presence. Despite rising international pressure, including an unfavorable ruling by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, China staunchly defends its policies in the region. Preventing tensions from boiling over is a matter of careful diplomacy.

Presented by Dr. Sung Shin Kim, Associate Professor, Department of History, Anthropology & Philosophy, College of Arts & Letters, University of North Georgia
 
Saudi Arabia in Transition 
Thursday, February 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Cumming Library
Free Admission | Click to Register
 
As Saudi Arabia struggles to adjust to the drastic decline in oil revenue, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman attempts to boldly transform the country and shift more power to the younger generation. At the same time, many countries such as the U.S. point out the lack of democracy, women’s rights and human rights in Saudi Arabia, and blame its promotion of Wahhabism, an extremely conservative version of Islam, for creating jihadists. Bipartisan criticism of Saudi Arabia is rising in Congress. Both countries need each other, but they are at a crossroads in bilateral relations.

Presented by Dr. Victoria Hightower, Associate Professor, Department of History, Anthropology & Philosophy, College of Arts & Letters, University of North Georgia
 
U.S. Foreign Policy and Petroleum 
Thursday, March 2 at 7:00 p.m.
Cumming Library
Free Admission | Click to Register
 
What is the effect of U.S. petroleum security on foreign policy? For 45 years, the country has alternated between periods of energy security and insecurity, sometimes able to wield petroleum as a useful instrument of foreign policy, sometimes not. Despite the so-called “energy revolution,” the U.S. today is by no means disentangled from foreign dependence and global trends. In order to be successful, policymakers must recognize both petroleum security circumstances and patterns in the relationship between petroleum and foreign policy.

Presented by Dr. Jonathan Miner, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science & International Affairs, College of Arts & Letters, University of North Georgia
 
Latin America's Political Pendulum 
Thursday, March 9 at 7:00 p.m.
Cumming Library
Free Admission | Click to Register
 
The pendulum of Latin American politics is swinging rightward once again. Yet as the “pink tide” recedes, the forces of change have more to do with socioeconomics than ideology. Dramatic economic and political crises have coincided in countries like Brazil and Venezuela. Still, the final result for Latin America may be the emergence of centrist, pragmatic modes of governance, and with them, opportunities for the U.S. to improve relations. The new administration must look beyond the neoliberal model of the 1990s, and develop an approach to relations fit for the 21st century.

Presented by Dr. Tamara Spike, Professor, Department of History, Anthropology & Philosophy, College of Arts & Letters, University of North Georgia
 
Prospects for Afghanistan and Pakistan 
Thursday, March 23 at 7:00 p.m.
Cumming Library
Free Admission | Click to Register
 
Major internal conflict has plagued Afghanistan for four decades. The U.S., for its part, has conducted military operations in the country nearly continuously since 9/11. Today, war with the Taliban persists, and tensions between the U.S. and Pakistan have gradually deteriorated. As his time in office drew to a close, President Obama limited further withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. The incoming administration has a choice: will it maintain the status quo, completely reverse the Obama administration drawdown or withdraw completely? Does the U.S. face a no win situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan?

Presented by Dr. Timothy May, Associate Dean, College of Arts & Letters, University of North Georgia
 
Nuclear Security 
Thursday, March 30 at 7:00 p.m.
Cumming Library
Free Admission | Click to Register
 
Nuclear nonproliferation was a top priority for the Obama administration. While the Iran Deal was a diplomatic victory toward this end, major threats persist from both state and non-state actors. Countries like North Korea, Russia, and India and Pakistan continue to challenge nonproliferation efforts. The possibility that terrorists will carry out an attack using a “dirty bomb,” made from captured nuclear materials, looks increasingly real. In a fractious world, which way forward for U.S. nuclear security policy?

Presented by Dr. Seyed Hamid Serri, Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science & International Affairs, College of Arts & Letters, University of North Georgia
 
 
Forsyth County Public Library
585 Dahlonega Street
Cumming, Georgia 30040
770-781-9840
www.forsythpl.org/