GREAT DECISIONS 2025
Wednesday evenings at 6:30PM
February 5 – March 12, 2025
(No program on February 19)
February 5 American Foreign Policy at a Crossroads Speaker: John Katzka, Retired Senior Foreign Service Officer
This lecture is a great starting point to FPL’s 2025 Great Decisions Discussion Series. We will explore the contours of the U.S. foreign policy debate as it plays out in a world of multiple and escalating crises and domestic polarization.February 12 International Cooperation on Climate Change Speaker: Pablo Toral, PhD – Beloit College
The 2015 Paris Agreement established a UN-sponsored framework for negotiations on climate change and global warming. In subsequent COP meetings, experts and political leaders have come together seeking common cause for this growing global crisis. What is the future of these efforts, and what have they yielded? What is the U.S. role in fostering cooperation on climate change? In a divided country, what are the possible futures for American policy leadership?February 26 American Foreign Policy in the Middle East: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead Speaker: Beth Dougherty, PhD – Beloit College
The war in Gaza has brought the region to a crossroads. What are the possible outcomes of the war, and how might the United States use its influence to shape a long- term settlement that leaves both Israel and the Palestinians in a better position? How might Arab states in the wider region be brought into a settlement? What are America’s interests in the Middle East and how can it advance them? March 5 India: Between China, the West, and the Global South Speaker: Peter Kranstover, Retired Foreign Service Officer with USAID in Latin America, Africa, Washington, D.C., and Pakistan
India is an emerging major power in world affairs, occupying a pivotal position between China, the United States, and the Global South. Its population size, economy, and geopolitical location ensure that it will be an influential voice in debates and political struggles over global order. What are India’s choices and opportunities for regional and global leadership? How will it maneuver between China and the United States, and what is its role as a voice of the Global South? What opportunities exist for Washington to work with India?March 12 U.S.-China Relations Speaker: Rick Rocamora, Former VP and GM of Cooper Power Systems in Shanghai, China
Washington’s relations with Beijing have reached an ominous low ebb. Both American political parties have identified China as the country’s preeminent geopolitical challenger and, in the eyes of many, a systemic threat. What is driving this deterioration of Sino-American relations, and what are America’s strategic options in the face of Chinese power and ambition?