An accomplished group of Nassau County Council on Aging (NCCOA) volunteers again presents a set of Critical Issues educational sessions this fall. These offerings both anticipate and enlarge upon the Foreign Policy Association’s (FPA’s) Great Decisions program which will again be offered in 2024 winter-spring period at NCCOA’s Janice Ancrum Senior Life Center, 1901 Island Walk Way in Fernandina Beach. Beginning October 3, NCCOA will host 11 Critical Issues presentations, as described below, each with interactive discussion, preparing for some of the topics of the eight-session 2024 Great Decisions program and introducing other essential issues. All fall-winter educational programs will be on Tuesdays from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm. Click on the facilitator’s name to see relevant biographical information. Important: Contact NCCOA at 904.261.0701 to reserve your spot.
Session 1 – October 3What Does the World Need to Do to Prepare for and Mitigate the Next Potential Pandemic? During the 3 years of the COVID-19 Pandemic, 7 million people died globally of the Sars-CoV-2 virus. This novel emerging virus to which humans had no immunity and no effective treatments spread rapidly around the globe overwhelming hospitals and killing thousands of people each day. Of course, pandemics have occurred throughout human history. The COVID-19 Pandemic, coming as the world population reached 8 billion and air travel made cities many thousands of miles apart only hours away, created chaos in health, politics, economy, transportation, education and social connectivity. Now is the time to look at the lessons of the COVID-19 Pandemic and prepare for the next pandemic. This Critical Issue discussion focuses on what changes in public health policies, data collection and sharing, genomic surveillance, managing social determinates of health and increased training of healthcare providers. Breaking the cycle of “Panic and Neglect” is key to mitigating deaths, health consequences and chaos of the next pandemic.Facilitator – Jackie DorstContact NCCOA at 904.261.0701 to register.
Session 2 – October 10The Future of Democracy in the U.S. (Part 1): Loss of Trust in Institutions The polarization of the American electorate, the inability of a divided Congress to come to compromise on critical issues and a politicized court system can be leading Americans to look for other solutions to their problems. The power of American oligarchs to control the political process for their own benefit has left many Americans to feel powerless and disdainful of the ballot box. Are we a nation in decline? Violence trends and cyber bullying; extreme political discourse; cultural dichotomies; assumptions that “we the people” includes only one segment of the citizenry; beliefs that are factually untrue: How can these be turned around? Facilitator – Robert WeintraubContact NCCOA at 904.261.0701 to register.
Session 3 – October 17 The Future of Democracy in the U.S. (Part 2): Are Our Core Values Binding Us as a Nation or Tearing Us Apart? Our country’s core values were enumerated in our founding documents, and have served to unite us for centuries. In recent times, however, differing interpretations of these core values by our two major political parties have become sources of polarization and division, posing potential threats to our democracy. This session will examine those values and their divergent interpretations and discuss possible ways that we can re-express shared value definitions that can again serve to unite us .Facilitator – Paul Pierson Contact NCCOA at 904.261.0701 to register. Session 4 – October 24Assessing Russia’s War on Ukraine and Its World Impact Russia’s war on Ukraine continues to change the world. The consequences of the conflict have impacted global events, in many ways, in many spheres, far from the battlefield itself. The discussion will focus on major areas where the influence of the war has profoundly upended the pre-war status quo. The areas to be addressed include: Geo politics; Global security; Energy policy; Food and the economy; and Refugees and displaced people. The discussion will conclude with a narrower focus on the war itself, examining how the war may end; the potential for escalation; and how the war may ultimately affect Russia .Facilitator – Tom Smith Contact NCCOA at 904.261.0701 to register. Session 5 – October 31 Artificial Intelligence (AI): What it is, How it Works, How it is Being Applied and How We Might Manage its Risks Recently deployed AI systems are considered by many to mark a “tipping point,” whereafter it will rapidly permeate our economy and way of life. AI promises amazing capabilities in a wide variety of application areas, while it poses threats to jobs, security, democracy and to some even an existential threat to humanity. This session will explore the fundamentals, advantages and applications of AI, with a spotlight on ChatGPT. We will also discuss some limitations and potential threats of AI, focusing on ethical and legal concerns, and conclude with a discussion on how we might implement appropriate safeguards and regulations. Facilitator – Paul Pierson Contact NCCOA at 904.261.0701 to register.
Session 6 – November 7 Status of the U.S. Electrical Grid and Envisioned or Impending Transformations: Challenges, Possibilities and The future of the US electrical grid is being driven by economics, environmental concerns, and climate change initiatives, as well as related internal political and geopolitical issues. While innovation and new technologies present great opportunities, they need to be consistently fostered and carefully integrated if we are to transform our energy generation system and our electrical grid over the next thirty years or so. Those changes will themselves create challenges that will affect us all and must be met to achieve success. Facilitator – Tom Polito Contact NCCOA at 904.261.0701 to register.
Session 7 – November 14The State of Our Global Oceans: Overfishing, Pollution, Climate ChangeThe oceans are huge, beautiful and for most of human history thought to be inexhaustible. Oceans feed us, regulate our climate and generate most of the oxygen we breathe. In this session we will examine how the ocean’s health and life-giving resources are being altered by overfishing, pollution and climate change; and how these alterations pose a threat to the livelihood of communities around the globe and perhaps to the entire planet. For a healthy ocean, changes will be required. We will look at some new technologies that can help monitor human activity; and some areas of change needed for a more sustainable future. Facilitator – Greg DoyleContact NCCOA at 904.261.0701 to register.
Session 8 – November 21 Poverty in America: In a Disgraced Class of Its OwnThe United States has a poverty problem. A third of Americans live in households making less than $55,000. Many are not officially counted among the poor, but there is plenty of economic hardship above the poverty line. More than one in 25 Americans 65 or older live in deep poverty. Many of these people would have to, at minimum, double their incomes just to reach the poverty line. The U.S. devotes far fewer resources to anti-poverty programs, as a share of its GDP, than other rich democracies. This rich country has the means to abolish poverty. We must find the will to do so — the will not to just reduce poverty, but to end it.Facilitator – Bob WeintraubContact NCCOA at 904.261.0701 to register.
Session 9 – November Balancing Risk Mitigation: Taiwan’s Stability and the Security of the Semiconductor Supply Chain Taiwan is a dominant global supplier of semiconductors, particularly those needed for advanced communication, computing and weapon systems. If Beijing seizes Taiwan, China would gain dominance over this critical technology – if the conflict did not destroy its production capacity. Some strategists assume this “silicon shield” will protect Taiwan, since destruction would seriously disrupt China’s economy and weaken its military. Efforts by the U.S. and other countries to establish alternate suppliers of semiconductors could weaken this shield and therefore increase the likelihood of China taking Taiwan. This session will examine the interrelationships between these risks and their possible mitigation strategies, which must ensure that protecting one objective does not undermine the other.Facilitator – Paul PiersonContact NCCOA at 904.261.0701 to register.
Session 10 – December 12A Historical Perspective on China To understand what motivates China today, one must understand its history, particularly the “100 Years of Humiliation” China suffered at the hands of Western imperialist powers between the Opium War in 1840 and the victory over Japanese aggression in 1945. China was a major power and center of advanced culture for thousands of years until it was overpowered and carved up in the 19th century by the West and Japan. China is strongly motivated to not let this happen again and restore its rightful place as a center of global power and cultural influence. This class will discuss the ways in which the legacy of China’s past shapes its present.Facilitator – Mark EricsonContact NCCOA at 904.261-0701 to register.
Session 11 – December 19 The United States and Global Climate Change Action – Is Time Running Out for Implementing Sensible Plans? This year’s extreme climate change impacts are due to global warming from human-generated “greenhouse gas” emissions. Informed judgement advocates that urgent steps be taken to curb mounting disasters. These include transformational changes in energy sources and release of carbon dioxide, electrical grids, transportation, manufacturing and agriculture. Otherwise, we face a grim climatological future. “Denialism,” prevalent despite overwhelming scientific evidence that climate change is real, serious and human caused, hinders sensible adaptive mitigating efforts, and undermines the ameliorating steps necessary to achieve net zero carbon emissions. Progress is also hindered by great power politics. The 196-country 2015 UN Paris Climate Agreement pledged to keep global average warming below 2 degrees Centigrade (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit). Eight years later with action lagging, that goal seems unachievable. It is not too late for well-planned actions. But severe climate change effects will likely affect us through this century and beyond. This session considers what we: (1) know, (2) are doing and (3) need to do.Facilitator – Richard ScribnerContact NCCOA at 904.261.0701 to register.
For more information on NCCOA programs and services, contact us at 904.261.0701 or visit www.nassaucountycoa.org.Thank you for your interest!
