Purpose

The National Board created the Task Force in 2004, shortly after Great Decisions was designated a national Flagship Program, to help:

double the size of the Great Decisions program nationwide
expand the use of Great Decisions within the world affairs council system
adapt Great Decisions for 21st century use, and
celebrate the 50th anniversary of the program across the country.

Members

Noel Lateef, President, Foreign Policy Association, Co-Chairman
Maria Zammit, National Vice-Chairman, Co-Chairman
Dixie Anderson, Executive Director, World Affairs Council of W. Michigan
Carol Byrne, Executive Director, Minnesota International Center
Mimi Gregory, President, Naples Council on World Affairs
Michael Lucivero, Program Officer, Foreign Policy Association
Marilyn McAfee, President, Jacksonville World Affairs Council
Barbara Propes, Executive Director, Alaska World Affairs Council
Jerry Leach, President, World Affairs Councils of America (ex officio)

Task Force Program

50th Anniversary

The Task Force launched the 50th anniversary celebrations at the January 2004 national conference with a video, speech on Great Decisions history and achievement, and prizes at the Opening Reception. It also organized an Operations Workshop on “Starting and Running Great Decisions Programs.”

The Task Force then sent a message to all 86 councils stating the history and current program of Great Decisions, asking individual councils to join in the celebrations across the country, which a number did.

Operations Paper

The Task Force asked the national office to prepare an operations paper surveying all councils using Great Decisions. Its purpose was to seek out best practices in running programs, best methods in starting a new program, good funding ideas, and case examples of outstanding programs.

The paper is now “Operations Paper No. 20: Running a Great Decisions Program” and is available through our new members only section.  Log in using your council's log and pass word to download this and other valuable resources.

The sections of the paper are:

What is Great Decisions?
Who Uses Great Decisions
Why Have a Great Decisions Program?
Multiple Methods of Using Great Decisions
National Balloting Process
Great Decisions Resources
Successful Case Studies from Four Councils
How To Start a Great Decisions Program

Currently, there are 49 world affairs councils using Great Decisions. The Task Force has set its nationwide goal as 50 councils using Great Decisions. When that goal is achieved they will evalute the success and make new goals.

National Workshop

The Task Force organized a Great Decisions workshop in New York on May 17, 2004. The event was held at the headquarters of McGraw-Hill and the reception at the New York Times. Council participation was generously subsidized by small grants from the Foreign Policy Association. Task Force co-chairmen Noel Lateef and Maria Zammit headed the event.

The workshop evaluated Great Decisions as a program, talked about communications between New York and the field, shared best practices in running local programs, and discussed the future of the program. Some 35 people participated overall.

The Task Force’s goal is to have such a workshop every other year from this point on.

Academic WorldQuest

With the goal of building two Flagship Programs simultaneously, Great Decisions in 2005 became a national sponsor of Academic WorldQuest, the national high school world affairs knowledge competition. The 2005 competition featured one round of questions drawn exclusively from the Great Decisions book for 2004. The FPA made Great Decisions books available to all teams. The Great Decisions sponsorship and material dissemination arrangements will continue in the future.

Teachers’ Institute

There was a national teachers workshop in Bryn Mawr in Philadelphia from July 10-15. Twenty-five teachers, specially selected as users or intended users of Great Decisions in the classroom attended the workshop.

Great Decisions Travel Plan

The Task Force and the Philadelphia World Affairs Council Travel Program have agreed that, as from 2006, one trip each year will be designated a Great Decisions trip. The trip will be tied to one of the eight Great Decisions topics for 2006 and will be open to any Great Decisions participant.

Forward Plans

The Task Force has under active consideration a $1 million grant application for the purpose of doubling the Great Decisions program, especially concentrating on expansion within the council system.

The Task Force is working to identify additional funding sources for councils to develop their Great Decisions programs. One untapped funding resource is the individual state councils for the humanities. The Task Force is currently encouraging councils to look into obtaining funding from state humanities councils and is assisting them with this process.

New Ideas

The Task Force welcomes expressions of interest in its work and in new ideas for the Great Decisions program.

Please contact Ljiljana Komnenic at the national office, Michael Lucivero at the Foreign Policy Association or WACA co-chair Maria Zammit in Virginia Beach.