WHEATON-GLEN ELLYN BRANCH

Home About AAUW and Our Branch Branch Meetings Membership Interest Groups Twigs Newsletter Twigs Sponsors Used Book Sale Scholarships Conferences and Conventions On-line Scrapbook Members Only How to Reach Us	International Relations/Great Decisions For several years, the International Relations Interest Group has been discussing topics from the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions series.  From September through May (excluding December), the group meets monthly at member’s homes.  Meetings are usually scheduled for the 4th Monday at 7:00 PM.   2011-2012 Program:  The topics for Fall 2011 through January 2012 are the final four topics from the 2011 Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions series.  The topics for February 2012 through May 2012 will be the first four topics from the 2012 Foreign Policy Association Great Decisions series (unless the group decides to go in another direction).  If you don’t have the 2011 study book, please email Winifred Creamer before the meeting for a copy of the article.  Each reading is about 4 to 6 magazine-sized pages.   For some topics, updates are available for download at Foreign Policy Association: Homepage. Click on “Great Decisions”. The 2012 study book is available from the Foreign Policy Association website, www.fpa.org, for about $18.00 plus shipping.  Or you can call 800/477-5836.  The 2012 study book can be ordered beginning in November 2011. Scheduled dates and topics are listed below.  Locations are announced monthly by email.  To sign up for the Great Decisions email distribution, email Winifred Creamer or call her at 630/462-9289.
	Meeting Dates*	Discussion Topic
	Mon., September 26, 2011	2011 Topic 5 GERMANY ASCENDANT Is it time for the U.S. to declare a "special relationship" with Germany? Germany has emerged from both the financial crisis and the Eurozone crisis as the dominant economic and political power in Europe, in particular, setting the tone for dealings with Russia, Eastern Europe and Iran. How important is it for U.S. interests to enhance relations with Germany, and how should the U.S. react when German and U.S. interests fail to align?
	Mon., October 24, 2011	2011 Topic 6 SANCTIONS AND NONPROLIFERATION Do Sanctions Work? Sanctions have been created to curb nations in violation of international law, especially agreements concerning nuclear nonproliferation. How successfully have sanctions been applied against past violators? Is there any chance sanctions can curtail North Korea and Iran from continuing to develop nuclear weapons?
	Mon., November 28, 2011 **	2011 Topic 7 THE CAUCASUS Should Americans care about the Caucasus? The countries and regions of the Caucasus all have strong national identities but have long lived in the shadow of their larger neighbors: Russia, Iran and Turkey. How does this influence the Caucasus of today? How do the region's energy resources play into its relations with the outside world?
	Mon., January 23,2012	2011 Topic 8 GLOBAL GOVERNANCE Is American power in decline? International cooperation subjects political leaders to an ongoing test: balancing national needs with a commitment to building a durable international order. How has an increasingly interconnected and shrinking world affected the viability of existing agreements and institutions? What economic, social, political and security concerns are currently on the agendas of intergovernmental bodies, and what is the future U.S. role?
	Mon., February 27, 2012	2012 Topic 1 MIDDLE EAST REALIGNMENT The popular revolts and upheaval of the Arab Spring have radically changed the face of the Middle East. What lies ahead for the Middle East’s transition to democracy? What are the prospects for the governments that have held out in this new order? With many longtime U.S. allies ousted, how will the U.S. recalibrate its relations with the new regimes?
	Mon., March 26, 2012	2012 Topic 2 PROMOTING DEMOCRACY The U.S. has had a history of advancing and supporting democracy around the world. What place does democracy promotion have in U.S. foreign policy today? With a choice of tools ranging from economic aid to military force, what are the appropriate yet effective methods that the U.S. should use to promote democracy?
	Mon., April 23, 2012	2012 Topic 3 MEXICO Mexico’s border with Central America, as well as the border it shares with the U.S., has been a pathway for people, goods, crime and contraband in both directions. How can Mexico address these trans-border challenges? What is the future of Mexico’s relations with its northern and southern neighbors? How will Mexico’s foreign relations affect its domestic politics?
	Mon., June 4, 2012***	2012 Topic 4 CYBERSECURITY The securitization of cyberspace has caused a sea change for both governments and the private sector, faced with new threats, new battlegrounds and new opportunities. Faced with challenges such as international cybercrime and authoritarian control of networks, how will the U.S. and its democratic allies approach the cyber frontier? How does this new domain figure in U.S. strategic interests?
	Summer break June, July August. Meetings resume in September.
	* Dates may be subject to change. Each month, Winifred Creamer will send an email with final date, topic and hostess. ** 5th Monday due to Thanksgiving. *** Postponed to June 4 due to Memorial Day.