From The President

T U C S O N     G R E A T    D E C I S I O N S
A S S O C I A T I O N
PO Box 69726
Oro Valley, AZ 85737

When I think about 2022, I can’t help but think of the year as a year of great decisions by world leaders.  So far in 2022, we have had an invasion of a sovereign nation, three new countries applying to join NATO, supply chain issues that have impacted America and the world, Great Britain’s removal of the Prime Minister, Iran’s sudden extended protests over women’s rights, and in the United States, the Supreme Court’s decision on Roe v Wade.  I could go on to cite even more issues, but I think you can get the point.  There is so much here that it is mind blowing how all of these issues affect the foreign affairs decisions, diplomacy and the influence of the United States in the world.  Last spring, our final discussion focused on how the US would approach foreign policy going forward.  At the time, I couldn’t have imagined some of the issues we would be facing this year. 

Now I see the topics for our 2023 discussions:

  • Energy Geopolitics– How will the availability and demand for energy change the way in which the United States interacts with the outside world?
  • War Crimes– What constitutes a war crime, and how will the war crimes committed in Ukraine be dealt with?
  • China and the US – China’s push for global dominance and the issue of Taiwan independence
  • Economic Warfare– The power of sanctions to influence rogue nations
  • Politics in Latin America– The implications of the rise of left-wing governments in Latin America
  • Global Famine– Lack of food worldwide caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the effects of climate change
  • Iran At a Crossroads – What will come from the sudden and extended citizen protests and the Iranian government continued thrust for nuclear weaponry?
  • Climate Migration– The human impact of climate change for the US and the world

I say WOW, these might not be all of the issues facing our leadership, but they sure do cover a lot of them. 

This year our video support for discussions will once again be provided by a 30-minute “Master Class” on the discussion topic.  This will enhance our understanding of the issue and provide ample fodder for having some productive discussions as we open the doors of 2023 to the US and the world.  I sincerely hope you’ll join us in these discussions.  Our website has the information on our current groups at https://www.tgda.org/tgdadiscuss/ .   

If you missed out on 2022, join a group in 2023 by contacting one of the group moderators, or if you are at a loss about which one, email me at dick@tgda.org or consider starting a discussion group with your local social group or network.  Tucson Great Decisions will support you in your formation and your Zoom accommodation efforts.

As always, we need your help in preparing for the season. Your discussion group moderator will be asking you for your plans for the season, and we’ll need that so that we can know how many books to order. We order our briefing books in bulk to qualify for a volume discount that allows us to reduce the cost to you and pay our operating costs. While we can order additional books after our initial order, we are not able to return books that we have already bought. So, please respond to any request for information about your 2023 Great Decisions plans.  This year you will once again be able to order your book directly from TGDA by going to www.tgda.org/materials.

On another note, our fall webinar is coming up on October 21st. The topic will be Divisive Politics and American Diplomacy, with our speaker Ambassador David Dunford.  For more information, visit our event webpage at www.tgda.org/events/event/divisive-politics-and-american-diplomacy/.  The cost per person to register will be $10 and registrants will be able to join the webinar from anywhere. Registration for the webinar will open online through October 20th. Be sure to follow the registration instructions carefully since invitations to the webinar will be generated from the received registrations.

Your personal comments or feedback is invited. Please use the contact button on our website or email me at dick@tgda.org.

Dick Kelbaugh 
President 
Tucson Great Decisions Association