The Ashland Public Library is once again offering the Great Decisions Discussion Group. This Discussion Group is open to people of all ages and will meet on the third Thursday of every month, beginning Thursday, March 19. The meetings will be held on the third Thursday of each month, from March through October, from 6 - 7:45 p.m. in the small meeting room at the Library.

Great Decisions is the longest-running and largest grassroots world affairs educational program of its kind and is sponsored by The Foreign Policy Association. The Foreign Policy Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring Americans to learn more about the world. Its mission is to serve as a catalyst for developing awareness, understanding, and informed opinion on U.S. foreign policy and global issues. The Great Decision program is sponsored by various organizations in towns and cities across the country and is often offered as a high school or college-level course, or as part of a life-long learning series.

Each year, the Foreign Policy Association selects critical topics related to major issues in US foreign policy and international affairs. They publish the Great Decisions briefing book, with chapters on the selected topics written by diplomats, policy experts, academics, and foreign-service professionals. These articles provide background information, current data, and policy opinions and serve as the focus for each Great Decisions group meeting. 

The format for the discussion group meeting is much like that of a book club, where everyone reads the article in the Great Decisions briefing book in advance, comes together to watch a video, and then one member of the group volunteers to facilitate the discussion. The topics for 2026 are: America and the World: Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy; Trump Tariffs and the Future of the World Economy; U.S. and China Relations; Ruptured Alliances And The Risk of Nuclear Proliferation; Ukraine And The Future of European Security; Multilateral Institutions in a Changing World Order; U.S. Engagement in Africa; The Future of Human Rights and International Law.

Please join the Great Decisions discussion group if you want to share your thoughts, to expand your knowledge about global affairs, or you simply want to read and discuss topics of substance with other adults. The first 10 participants who commit to joining the group will receive a briefing book.  Participants who register for a single discussion group will receive a PDF version of the article.  Watch the Ashland Public Library website for information about how to register for this discussion series.  If you have any questions, please contact Gretchen Bravacos at [email protected].