NORTHAMPTON — The Five Colleges Learning in Retirement organization is kicking off their annual “Great Decisions” discussion series Friday, April 6 at the Northampton Senior Center.
The discussion series is part of a national program organized by the Foreign Policy Association with the goal of creating a public forum to discuss pressing foreign policy issues.
The series will open on April 6 with a discussion lead by Thomas Johnson, a foreign service officer with the United States Agency for International Development. The discussion is titled “The waning of Pax Americana?” and will address the United States’ role in maintaining the liberal world order established in the wake of World War II.
The second installment of the series on April 13 will feature University of Massachusetts Amherst Assistant Professor Paul Musgrave, a former editor of Foreign Affairs magazine who has contributed analysis for the Washington Post and appeared on CNN. His discussion, titled “Media and Foreign Policy,” will address the implications of the rapidly evolving media landscape for U.S. policy.
On April 20, Laura Reed, a visiting lecturer at UMass in the department of political science, will lead a discussion titled “Global Engagement and the Military.” Reed’s discussion will focus on the differing perspectives on American military intervention and engagement around the world.
The final installment of the series will feature UMass professor Tim Forde, who will discuss global inequality in healthcare during a lecture titled “Global Health: Progress and Challenges.”
The Five Colleges Learning in Retirement organization has participated in the Great Decisions program for over 10 years, Rich Parish, a Great Decisions committee member said. In recent years, the series has drawn roughly an average about 100 people per lecture, according to Parish.
“I think it’s a very valuable program for the public to attend,” Parish said. “The topics that we’ve selected are very timely, relevant ones, and we spend a lot of time finding the most authoritative experts in the area to speak about them.”
Founded in 1988, The Five Colleges Learning in Retirement organization serves “intellectually curious individuals who want to pursue new fields of interest or to revisit interests too long neglected,” according to the organization’s website.
The organization has about 300 members, many of whom are retired academics from the five colleges, according to Parish.
In addition to the Great Decisions series, the Five Colleges Learning in Retirement organization organizes dozens of peer-led workshops on a large variety of subjects throughout the year, Parish said.
While the discussion series is primarily geared towards retired people and senior citizens, all interested people are strongly encouraged to attend.
The Northampton Seniors Center is located at 67 Conz St. Tickets may be purchased at the door, and advance registration is also available at www.5clir.org/programs. Admission for members costs $12 per session, or $40 for the full series. Non-members can purchase tickets for $15 per session, or $50 for the full series.