Great Decisions’ series opens with a look at international migration.

Whether the cause is conflict, economics or politics, human migration across international borders has come to occupy a prominent place in U.S. and international politics.

Island residents get their chance to weigh in today as the new ‘Great Decisions’ discussion series opens.

Now in its second year, the Bainbridge Island Arts and Humanities Council–sponsored series is part of a nationwide, non-partisan program, “to broaden public involvement with the most important foreign policy issues facing the United States.”

The discussion runs from 1 to 2:30 p.m. today at the Bainbridge Public Library, opening with a half hour point-counterpoint style movie about worldwide migration. The remaining hour will be dedicated to group discussion.

Kathleen Thorne, coordinator and moderator of the exchange, plans to focus on the international implications of human migration.

“If you had to migrate somewhere, where no English is spoken, where would you go?” Thorne asked. “I would be stuck because I don’t speak any languages, and even if I picked a country, I am not sure they would let me in. We are just not faced with these kinds of issues.”

Thorne first learned of the program during an internship at the Seattle World Affairs Council. Inspired by her own lack of familiarity with foreign affairs, she immediately saw how valuable Great Decisions could be to Bainbridge Island.

“I was always embarrassed how little I knew about countries I visited, and how much those countries’ citizens knew about the U.S.,” she said. “Americans tend to know tourist information about countries, but oftentimes we don’t know much about world politics.”

The seven other gatherings planned for 2007 will cover topics ranging from the Middle East and Mexico to war crimes and climate change. Articles about featured subjects are posted on the BIAHC’s website before each event and are also available at the library.

While many of the topics are by nature contentious, Thorne said the dialogues have always remained open and friendly.

“People bring their own ideas and it can be interesting,” she said. “Afterwards we have had people who were at odds single each other out to talk one-on-one and explain their positions. It is a community event and a learning experience for everyone.”

At the end of each session, participants vote on what they would like to be the next featured topic and fill out a national opinion ballot.

The anonymous ballots are collected, tallied and used in a report. The findings are sent to participants so they can see how their opinions compare with national views, and also presented to the White House, Congress, the State and Defense Departments, and the national media.

“The point isn’t to come to a consensus – we aren’t going to solve the migration problem,” Thorne said. “The point is to provide a forum for people to express and hear each other’s emotional and intellectual viewpoints (and) hear a perspective (one) had never considered before.”

************

Speak your mind

Great Decisions begins at 1 p.m. today at the Bainbridge Public Library. The series then will meet every other weekend from 9-10:30 a.m. For information and scheduling, see www.artshum.org.