Announcing “Great Decisions”: An AAUW-Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Collaboration

For years, AAUW Bennington has offered public programs for the community, including our recent programs on Suffrage and a multi-year Middle East series. This year we have decided to move in a new direction. Since many branch members are also UU Fellowship members, the program committee thought that a collaboration would allow both organizations an opportunity to reach a broader segment of the Bennington community. To that end, we are launching “Great Decisions”—America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. AAUW and the UU Fellowship are collaborating on this project. The discussion series will start on February 20 at 2:00 pm and will continue monthly through June, 2022. The first meeting will be on Zoom; if the pandemic subsides, subsequent meetings will be held at the UU Fellowship Meetinghouse. (See schedule and topic descriptions below.)

Begun in 1954 by the Foreign Policy Association (FPA), the Great Decisions Discussion Program is designed to encourage debate and discussion of some of the most important global issues of our time. Great Decisions discussion groups have been formed all across the United States, including at many AAUW branches, retirement communities, libraries, and faith-based organizations. We have registered our group on the Great Decisions group registry site.

The suggested program model involves reading a short passage on a selected foreign policy issue from the Great Decisions briefing book and meeting as a group to view a short video on selected topics, to discuss the issues, and to express ideas and opinions while learning from one another. AAUW and the UU will each purchase a set of briefing books for its members to borrow. If you would like to order your own briefing book or video, you can order copies from the FPA bookstore.

The format of the discussion program is intended to promote thoughtful discourse, and to bring people together to express their ideas and opinions and learn from one another. The February newsletter will include a detailed article about the first program of the series on the topic “Russia and the United States.” This event will be our Branch Meeting for the month. Subsequent meetings will be a supplement to our regular programming: members will be asked to sign up for the series, which will function as a Special Interest Group, much like our Book Group and Scribble Sisters Groups.

Below is the schedule for meetings planned for the next five months. If you have questions about this program or if you would like to be part of the organizing committee and help plan one or more meetings, please write to AAUWBennvt@gmail.com.

Schedule of Meetings and Descriptions (from the FPA website)

February 20  — Russia and the US (Zoom) 

How will U.S. foreign policy engage Russia during the Biden administration? Russia and the United States have many areas of conflict and some possible areas of mutual interest. Arms control, Russian interference in United States elections and support of cyberattacks, the status of Ukraine, the fate of opposition politicians in Russia—all continue to be concerning. How will the new administration in Washington approach these issues?

March 20 — Drug Policy in Latin America

Have harsh drug control policies caused more harm than good? The issue of migration to the United States from Latin America has overshadowed the war on drugs, which has been underway for decades with little signs of progress. What are the roots and the bureaucratic logic behind today’s dominant drug policies in Latin America? Is it time to reconsider punitive drug policies that disrupt supply chains and punish drug possession?

April 24–Industrial Policy in the US

Will a more involved U.S. government help the economy revive? The current discussion of industrial policy in the United States is not simply about whether or not to support specific companies or industries, but about trust or mistrust of the government and its ability to manage the economy and deal with a rising China. The upheaval in supply chains during the pandemic exposed weaknesses in the international economy. What policies can the United States implement to deal with trade and the economy?

May 15—Changing Demographics:

How will changing demographics impact a variety of topics ranging from development to sustainability?  The world experienced remarkable demographic changes in the 20th century that continue today and have resulted in far-reaching social, economic, political, and environmental consequences all over the globe. These consequences are creating mounting challenges to development efforts, security, the environment, as well as the sustainability of human populations.

June 12–Climate Change

How will the Biden administration tackle the challenges of climate change? The ideological divide in the United States on the subject of climate change has impeded progress in curbing greenhouse emissions. But extreme weather events at both ends of the thermometer have focused attention on the consequences of inaction. What role will the United States play in future negotiations on climate?

Note: The Foreign Policy Association, founded in 1918, is an organization whose mission, according to its website, is to “serve as a catalyst for developing awareness, understanding, and informed opinion on U.S. foreign policy and global issues. Through its balanced, nonpartisan programs and publications, the FPA encourages citizens to participate in the foreign policy process.”