Please join us for the upcoming 2026 foreign policy discussion series. These engaging sessions will take place on Sunday evenings from 7:00pm to 8:30pm starting on February 15th and continuing each Sunday until April 12th except for no session on April 5th (Easter). These sessions will be in person AND virtual via Zoom. We will send Zoom registration information in early February.
You need not be a foreign policy expert to attend; just bring an open and eager mind. Newcomers and guests are welcome!
The topics for 2026 and the dates on which they will be discussed are listed below:
Feb 15 — America and the World: Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy
Feb 22 — Trump Tariffs and the Future of the World Economy
Mar 1 — U.S.-China Relations
Mar 8 — Ukraine and the Future of European Security
Mar 15 — U.S. Engagement of Africa
Mar 22 — Ruptured Alliances and the Risk of Nuclear Proliferation
Mar 29 — The Future of Human Rights and International Law
Apr 12 — Multilateral Institutions in a Changing World Order
You can find a short summary of the topics listed above at:
https://fpa.org/great-decisions-2026-topic-announcement
The topics are covered in the Great Decisions workbook prepared by the independent and non-partisan Foreign Policy Association. It is not necessary to purchase or read the workbook, but if you want to do so, you can use the Foreign Policy Association website to order one. Two copies of the workbook will be available in the First Church library.
The order in which topics are discussed during our discussion series may differ from their order in the workbook because of the need to work with the schedules of our expert speakers. Information about the topic for each evening and the discussion leaders will be posted and circulated closer to the start of the series and repeated the week before the session. The first two sessions and the speakers who will lead them are:
Feb 15: America and the World: Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy by G. John Ikenberry
Trump’s return has marked a break from 80 years of U.S. foreign policy leadership, embracing an “America First” approach. This chapter explores the risks of isolation and diminished influence in relation to Trump 2.0 foreign policy.
Our speaker for the night is Thomas Fingar. He is the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Fellow at Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Fingar served as Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research in the Clinton and Bush administrations and as Deputy Director of National Intelligence.
Feb 22: Trump Tariffs and the Future of the World Economy by Michael Mastanduno
Trump’s aggressive trade and tariff policies have shaken global economic norms. What’s the rationale behind this radical shift in economic policy, and what are the implications for multilateral trade and geopolitics?
Our speaker on Feb. 22 is Thomas Fingar. He is the Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Fellow at Stanford’s Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies. Fingar served as Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research in the Clinton and Bush administrations and as Deputy Director of National Intelligence.
