World leaders and experts take a comprehensive look at the eight most critical world affairs issues through the lens of their impact on America and what they mean to you. Produced by the U.S. Foreign Policy Association in association with the University of Delaware, each episode takes on a different region or topic critical to an understanding of the changing world in 2009, offering insider tidbits and expert opinion on where we are, where we’re going and how we can get there, encouraging Americans to make a “Great Decision” of their own.
Now in its 24th season in the U.S., the Great Decisions Television Series, hosted by former CNN World Affairs Correspondent Ralph Begleiter, is the longest running television program devoted solely to international affairs and foreign policy.
Rather than focusing on breaking news of the moment, or bringing in two extreme perspectives and letting them have at it, Great Decisions takes a broader look at these topics:
Great Decisions 2008:
Episode 1: Exiting Iraq: Deadline for Democracy: As bombs and bloodshed continue to dominate news in Iraq, the U.S. commitment continues with no end in sight. Some of the best minds in Washington and Baghdad examine the way forward.
Episode 2: European Union at 50: It’s the world’s largest economy, but fiercely shuns the use of force to project power. Fifty years after its creation in the aftermath of World War II, has the European Union finally reached “superpower” status?
Episode 3: Dangerous Dialog: Talking with the Enemy: Iran. North Korea. Hamas. The U.S. has no shortage of enemies worldwide. Should American diplomats engage with the enemy in an age of terrorism and nuclear proliferation?
Episode 4: Reexamining Russia: Critics of Russia claim the Kremlin is centralizing power and distorting democracy. Are such charges justified, and what should the world expect in the post-Putin era?
Episode 5: Waning War Machine? The State of the U.S. Military: Counterterrorism. Reconstruction. Nation-building. Are America’s armed forces prepared to fight today’s battles and simultaneously protect the homeland, or is the U.S. military dangerously overstretched?
Episode 6: The Latin American Left: Though oil-rich Venezuela’s radical President Hugo Chavez continues to agitate American policymakers, strong economic performances in Brazil and Chile are causing many to rethink relations with the region.
Episode 7: Out of Balance: U.S.-China Trade: When Chinese President Hu Jintao came to the U.S., his agenda placed visits to Microsoft and Boeing ahead of a trip to the White House. Where do trade relations between the U.S. and China stand today?
Episode 8: Philanthropy and the Rise of Global Giving: Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and a slew of celebrities have given billions towards alleviating poverty and improving health conditions the world over. But do such efforts provide more than good publicity?
Great Decisions 2009
Episode 1: Running Out: The Global Food Crisis. In 2008, global food shortages hit countries hard around the world. What factors are behind the crisis?
Episode 2: Off the Grid: Energy & the U.S. Economy. As the promise of a new energy economy takes hold, which policies will the U.S. pursue to reduce its dependence on oil?
Episode 3: Rising Giants: The World’s Fastest Growing Counties. For nearly two decades, the U.S. has been the world’s sole superpower. But a number of countries are poised to play a larger role on the world stage.
Episode 4: Race for the Arctic. The opening of the North West Passage could be the definitive event of our time. Arctic countries, including the U.S., are currently engaged in a race to claim this route and its resources.
Episode 5: Cuba After Castro. With Fidel Castro out of power, his brother Raul has instituted a number of reforms. Is a new Cuba policy for America on the horizon?
Episode 6: Border Patrol: Pakistan and Afghanistan. Eight years after 9/11 the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is as lawless as ever. Should the U.S. revamp its role in the region?
Episode 7: Human Rights: “Never Again,” Again and Again. Sixty years after the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, what role for the UN, and countries like the U.S. and China?
Episode 8: From Pharoahs to Facebook: Egypt Today. Great Decisions travels to Cairo to explore the economic, social and political changes taking place in Egypt today.
Details
LENGTH: 16 x 30 Minutes
FORMAT: Series
CAMERA: HDCAM
INTERNATIONAL TRACK: Yes
TEXTLESS: No
CLOSED CAPTIONS: Yes
ASPECT RATIO: 16:9
PRODUCTION YEAR: 2008-2009
RELEASE YEAR: 2008-2009
SUPPLIER: Foreign Policy Association
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA
RIGHTS TERRITORY: Worldwide
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