League of Women Voters of Benicia is sponsoring eight “Great Decisions” discussions on U.S. international relations.  The series begins Monday, Feb. 15.

Each session features a 30-minute DVD lecture on that evening’s topic at 7:00 PM, with discussions following at 7:30 PM.  Meeting dates are all on Mondays:  2/15, 2/22, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22, 3/29 and 4/5, at St. Paul's Church.

Participants must purchase a briefing book, which costs $12 for LWV Benicia members and $20 for non-members.  (Participants who join LWVB on or before Feb. 15th will qualify for the discount.)  To register and reserve briefing books, please call 747-0213 before Monday, Feb. 1. 

"Great Decisions" is published annually by the Foreign Policy Association. Briefing books provide 10 pages required advance reading per topic.  Topics follow (red indicates our next topic):

Special envoys - 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.

Preventing genocide - Rioting in Kenya in December 2007 brought pressure on Nairobi, from international and regional diplomats, to end tensions and avert bloodshed. What lessons can be learned from the intervention? What does it mean for the UN's emerging "responsibility to protect" doctrine?

Global crime - From the sex trade in Eastern Europe to online fraud syndicates in Africa and the drug cartels of Asia and Central America, crime is increasingly organized and globalized. How can countries better protect citizens from being exploited?

U.S. - China security relations - China's influence and military expenditures are growing. How will this affect China's relations with its neighbors and with the U.S?

Global financial crisis - The global financial crisis reveals major deficiencies in the regulation of markets and institutions. How will governments respond to this challenge?

Russia and its neighbors - Russia's policy of maintaining a "sphere of influence" in former Soviet satellites has been challenged by movements against pro-Russia regimes. In return, Russia has cut Ukraine's natural gas supply and intervened in Georgia's campaign in South Ossetia. Will Russia regain its traditional leadership in the region.

The Persian Gulf - Now more than ever, the Persian Gulf region offers difficult challenges to U.S. policymakers. What are some solutions?

Peacebuilding and conflict resolution - U.S. campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown that military force alone cannot ensure peace. How can the U.S. integrate peace building and statecraft? At what point do poverty, disease and climate change threaten national security? What role can non-government actors play?