Central Indiana Great Decisions Series in Spring (by topic & organization)

• The Indiana Council on World Affairs meets at 7:30-8:45 PM at Butler University, Pharmacy room 150
• The Church of the Saviour meets at 7:00-8:30 PM at 6205 Rucker Road Indianapolis 46220
• The Mid-North Shepherd's Center meets at 11:00 AM - noon at the North United Methodist Church, 3808 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208

The special envoy in American foreign policy
Special envoys can help bring attention and diplomatic muscle to resolve conflicts and global challenges but they also bring with them their own "special" problems. Will the Obama administration's reliance on special envoys increase the ability of the U.S. to deal with major international issues or complicate our diplomatic options?

• ICWA: Feb. 2 John Clark
• Church of the Saviour: Feb. 3 Susan Erickson
• Mid-North Shepherd's Center: April 14, Ray Haberski
  

Halting atrocities in Kenya
Post-election rioting in Kenya in December 2007 brought pressure on Nairobi, from international and regional diplomats, to end tensions and avert bloodshed on a massive scale. What lessons can be learned from the intervention in Kenya? What does it mean for the UN's emerging responsibility to protect doctrine?
 

• ICWA: Feb. 9, Pierre Atlas
  
• Church of the Saviour: Feb. 10, Dick Fredland
  
• Mid-North Shepherd's Center: April 7, Dick Fredland

Transnational crime: globalization's shadowy stepchild
From the booming sex trade in Eastern Europe, to online fraud syndicates in Africa and the drug cartels of Asia and Central America, crime is becoming increasingly organized and globalized. How can countries better protect citizens seeking the benefits of a globalized world from being exploited? What international actors can effectively fight global organized crime?

• ICWA: Feb. 16, Andrew Norton
  
• Church of the Saviour: Feb. 17, Thomas Christenberry
  
• Mid-North Shepherd's Center: April 21, Rafia Zakaria
  

China looks at the world; the world looks at China
China's influence is growing, along with its military expenditures. How will this growth affect China's relations with its neighbors and with the U.S.? Will China's expanding military and economic power affect traditional U.S. roles and U.S. alliances in East Asia? How will countries like Japan, South Korea and India respond?

• ICWA: Feb. 23, Xan Xiaorong
• Church of the Saviour: Feb. 24, Joseph Yu
  
• Mid-North Shepherd's Center: April 28, Susan Erickson
  

The global financial crisis and its effects

The global financial crisis that began in late 2007 revealed major deficiencies in the regulation of markets and institutions, all of which came perilously close to collapse. Emergency measures to prevent a full collapse of the global financial system have led to mixed results. How will governments and the world community respond to this challenge?

• ICWA: March 2, Bill Rieber
  
• Church of the Saviour: March 3, Steve Akard
  
• Mid-North Shepherd's Center: May 5, Steve Akard
  

Europe's "far east": the uncertain frontier
Russia's policy of maintaining a "sphere of influence" in former Soviet satellites has been challenged in recent years by movements against pro-Russia regimes. Russia has pushed back by cutting Ukraine's natural gas supply and intervening in Georgia's campaign in South Ossetia. Will Russia regain its traditional leadership role in the region?

• ICWA:  March 23, Martin Spechler
  
• Church of the Saviour: March 10, John Clark
  
• Mid-North Shepherd's Center: May 12, Ed DeLaney
  

The US and the Persian Gulf
Now more than ever, the Persian Gulf region offers many difficult challenges to U.S. policymakers. How will Obama's direct appeal to Arabs and Muslims impact U.S. foreign policy in the region? What will the fallout of withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq be? Can the U.S. and its allies prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons?

• ICWA:  March 16, Milind Thakar
  
• Church of the Saviour: March 17, Pierre Atlas
  
• Mid-North Shepherd's Center: May 19, Milind Thakar
  

Enhancing security through peacebuilding
U.S. campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown that military force alone cannot ensure peace in all conflicts. How can the U.S. successfully integrate the tools of peace building into its statecraft? At what point do poverty, disease and climate change threaten national security? What role can non-governmental actors play in supporting government led efforts?

• ICWA: March 30, Rafia Zakaria, Tim Nation, Charlie Wiles, Shehzad Qazi
  
• Church of the Saviour: March 24, Sheila Kennedy
  
• Mid-North Shepherd's Center: May 26, Marshall Gibson

US Responses to the Haiti Earthquake Crisis: Relations with Countries, NGOs and Other Aid Organizations

Despite being preoccupied by two wars, an economy in recession, and partisan paralysis, the US government responded quickly to the catastrophe in Haiti. So did American people. Half of all households in the US donated money to Haitian relief. But the true test of American leadership will come over the long haul, as we work with international organizations and with Haitian people to build a Haiti that is better than it was before the earthquake. How is the government in Washington doing, and what can we in Central Indiana do to help?

• Mid-North Shepherd's Center: June 2, John Clark