Great Decisions is one of our most popular adult events. We are expanding our Great Decisions offerings with some of your favorite speakers/moderators. We piloted this series of events during the winter of 2025 at FRGMNT Coffee in Eden Prairie. Due to the popularity and the long waitlist this past winter, we will be offering this event at the Edina Community Center to accommodate more participants. Instead of registering for the entire series you can register for the dates that work best with your schedule. If you have any other questions about this engaging opportunity, please email heather.larson@edinaschools.org. 

Please bring your own coffee and/or treat. Please register for each event individually. 

9/13 12:30 to 2:30 pm with Jay Shahidi - Beyond the Headlines: Understanding Trump's Foreign Policy and its Economic Ripple Effects In an unprecedented era of global change, understanding the intricacies of U.S. foreign policy and its economic repercussions is more vital than ever. This course, presented by Jay Shahidi, delves into how the Trump administration's foreign policy decisions have fundamentally altered the world's economic and political landscape. We will explore the cascading effects of these shifts and discuss their implications for individuals and nations alike. 

9/20 9am to 11am with Duncan McCampbell - The Breathtaking Rise of China This session details the 16 discrete factors that came together to fuel China’s rise from poverty and isolation in the late 1970’s to global prominence in less than a human lifetime. The discussion will pivot to the reasons why almost all of these factors can no longer be leveraged by the government of China to fuel further growth. This is a bad state of affairs for China which, thus far, has not mustered the will to change its outdated economic model. But a rapidly slowing—even flatlining—Chinese economy will also have negative consequences around the world. Now, China’s two largest and closest geopolitical “partners” (Russia and Iran), are regionally unpopular, heavily sanctioned, embroiled in costly wars, and are no longer able to underwrite their struggling proxies. Some tough discussions are now taking place in Beijing. Come, let’s talk about these things as the world’s geopolitical deck shuffles.

10/11 12:30 to 2:30pm with Robert Scarlett - U.S. Changing Leadership of the World Economy with a focus on Latin America Until the 1980s, the U.S. had been a major trading partner with most Latin American countries. Since then, many of these countries have diversified their trading relationships and their diplomatic alliances. At the same time, the Indigenous peoples of the region have been playing a much larger role in determining domestic policies and priorities. All of these changes, plus the current U.S. attempts to unilaterally restructure the global trading system, are challenging the regional dominance of the U.S.A., once known as the Colossus of the North. Rob Scarlett is an international businessman who began his career in Latin America in the 1960s and has continued to follow events there. He looks forward to discussing the implications of these changes with Great Decisions Coffee Hour participants.

10/25 9am to 11am with Todd Lefko - US-Relations with Russia - The US and Russia have spent many decades as competitors, enemies and sometimes friends. They are defined as within the "Axis of Evil", the producer of the war with Ukraine, and the promoter of disinformation and untruth throughout the world. We can dislike, sanction and seek to lessen Russian influence worldwide, but we cannot ignore them. We will discuss how the US can get along with the Russians in the future, and how we deal with those nations which disagree with our vision of the world.

11/8 12:30 to 2:30pm with Christi Siver - The Ethics of War - In contemporary conflicts, whether Russia/Ukraine, Israel/Gaza, or the civil wars in Sudan and Myanmar, one population seems to be suffering the most, civilians. Yet, according to international law, specifically international humanitarian law or the law of war, civilians should be entitled to the greatest protection. What is international humanitarian law and how can it be enforced? How are changing military technologies putting civilians at greater risk? Christi Siver, professor at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, will discuss the role of international law in both defining ethics in war and providing leverage to those who seek to hold states and individuals accountable.

11/22 9am to 11am with Rob Scarlett -The Mexico-US Border: A Shared Responsibility Over 300 years before the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848) ceded Mexico's territories to the U.S., through force of arms, the U.S. states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, plus parts of Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas, were all part of Mexico (Los Estados Unidos de México), a sovereign constitutional republic. For a good many of the subsequent 177 years since 1848, there existed a rather fluid Zona Fronteriza (frontier zone) reflecting the fact that many of the original families owned, farmed, or ranched lands on both sides of the border. Historically, cross-border labor had always been quite fluid. As recently as 1942, a bracero program allowing temporary Mexican workers to work in the U.S. was agreed to between Mexico and the U.S. Rob Scarlett has spent many years setting up manufacturing joint ventures in Mexico. He looks forward to discussing the implications of recent changes in the way this border is being managed.

12/6 12:30 pm to 2:30pm with Jay Shahidi - The Future of Human Rights & Democracy: Navigating a Divided World As the mid-21st century approaches, the global landscape for human rights and democracy faces unprecedented challenges. Will the hard-won progress of past decades endure, or are we charting a course towards increased division and the rise of autocratic power? Join Jay Shahidi for a critical examination of these pivotal questions and a compelling discussion on what lies ahead for fundamental freedoms and democratic governance worldwide.

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.

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Please read our Adult Programming Overview page for all info regarding registration, cancellation, and building info.

Adult Programs - Edina Community Ed (edinaschools.org)

Registration for all class sessions closes 3 days before the start date.

Late Registration: If you miss the deadline but are still interested, you can contact the Community Ed office. Space may be limited, but we'll try our best to accommodate late registrations.

Email: communityed@edinaschools.org
Phone: (952) 848-3952