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MARCH 8 , 2008 - The European Union at 50
Please
join BIAHC at the Bainbridge Public Library (1270 Madison Ave. N.) on
Saturday, March 8, from 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. for coffee, refreshments, a
30-minute video, and a Great Decisions community discussion on this
timely issue.
Great Decisions is a nation-wide program of the Foreign Policy Association to broaden public involvement with the most important foreign policy issues facing the United States.
The
European Union was originally conceived as a “United States of Europe,”
designed to bind its member nations together economically, politically,
and socially. In the fifty years since it was founded, the E.U. has
grown in both membership and influence. Why, then, are some nations
clamoring to become members, while others want nothing to do with the
E.U.? Has the integration of new members been successful? What does the
debate on Turkey’s membership say about the future of E.U. integration
and its changing demographics?
While enjoying
coffee and pastries, participants first view a 30-minute Foreign Policy
Association DVD of a conversation between two experts on the topic to
be discussed. To assist with advance preparation, please review the
relevant chapter of the Great Decisions briefing book, which is
available at the Bainbridge Public Library. Copies can also be
purchased from BIAHC for $15.
Plus:
Special Guest Speaker on “Turkey at a Crossroads”
March 6 ~ 7 p.m.
In preparation for the March 8 discussion, please also join BIAHC and the library for a special guest speaker, Attila Kilinc, on Thursday, March 6, at 7 p.m. in the Bainbridge Branch Library.
Mr. Kilinc will discuss the many issues facing modern Turkey, including
secularism, Islam, the Armenian and Kurdish questions, and Turkey's
possible acceptance into the European Union. The owner of a company
providing custom-designed tours of Turkey, Mr. Kilinc was born and
educated in Ankara, earning a degree in economics. His special
interests are history, archaeology, politics, and the history of
religions.
THE 2008 DISCUSSION TOPICS ARE:
- Talking to Our Enemies – Feb. 9
- Latin America: Shift to the Left? - Feb. 23
- European Union at 50 – Mar. 8
- U.S. - China Trade Policy – Mar. 22
- Russia - April 5
- Private Philanthropy - April 19
- U.S. Defense & Security Policy - May 3
- Iraq End-Game - May 17
Please contact BIAHC at admin@artshum.org to be added to the Great Decisions email list for updates on the topic schedule and to receive topic background information. More information about Great Decisions at the Library is here >>
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Suggested background readings for The European Union at 50 (March 8):
The European Union at a Glance: www.europa.eu
BBC Profile: The European Union: news.bbc.co.uk
False EU Promises for the Balkans. Spiegel. February 21, 2008. www.spiegel.de
The European Union: Fit at Fifty? The Economist, March 15, 2007. www.economist.com
Great Decisions interview with John Bruton, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States. www.fpa.org
Turkey – European Union Relations: www.euractiv.com
Us and Them: The Enduring Power of Ethnic Nationalism. By Jerry Z. Muller. Foreign Affairs. March/April 2008.
Americans generally belittle the role of ethnic nationalism in
politics. But in fact, it corresponds to some enduring propensities of
the human spirit, it is galvanized by modernization, and in one form or
another, it will drive global politics for generations to come. Once
ethnic nationalism has captured the imagination of groups in a
multiethnic society, ethnic disaggregation or partition is often the
least bad answer. www.foreignaffairs.org
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