Edina Community Ed

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has resulted in widespread charges of war crimes and calls for justice. But what exactly are war crimes? Opinions of what constitutes a war crime have evolved, as have ways to identify and punish the perpetrators. How will the war crimes committed in Ukraine be dealt with?

The Great Decisions program provides background information and policy options for the eight most critical issues facing America each year and serves as the focal text for discussion groups across the country. The Great Decisions program was created by the Foreign Policy Association. The mission of the Foreign Policy Association today, as it has been for over 100 years, is to serve as a catalyst for developing awareness, understanding, and informed opinion on U.S. foreign policy and global issues. Through its balanced, nonpartisan programs and publications, the FPA encourages citizens to participate in the foreign policy process.

Rick Olson is a retired professional with a variety of educational and life experiences. He has worked as an economist, an attorney, a certified financial planner, an agricultural loan officer, an agricultural cooperative president, a State Representative in Michigan and a school business manager. He obtained a law degree from Stanford Law School and completed the coursework in two Ph.D. programs (Agricultural Economics and Education Administration). He obtained his training to be a National Issues Forum moderator from Michigan State University Cooperative Extension and has moderated numerous forums, including several repeat performances at the Gerald Ford Presidential Library in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He is also a trained moderator for Better Angels conducting workshops on communication skills across the political divide. An avid traveler, he has been in 41 countries and in all 50 of the United States. He currently resides just south of Prior Lake with his wife of 52 years, a retired school superintendent, who now is a full time daycare grandmother. He is the founder/President of a non-profit organization (Best Future Center) that supports a private school in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda.

The Friends of the Edina Library and Global Minnesota have graciously co-sponsored this program.