Great Decisions #5: Red Sea Security

Join the World Affairs Council of Maine as we explore the Foreign Policy Association’s 2020 Great Decisions. 

Session #5: The Red Sea has remained vital for global trade since the time of ancient Egypt. Once home to the spice trade, the Red Sea now sees millions of barrels of oil a day transported across its waters. With major nations like China, France, Italy, and the U.S. building large ports and bases in the region, what does the future of the region look like? How important is Red Sea security for global security? Can the region be a place of global cooperation?

Suggested readings:

• The Bab el-Mandeb Strait: Regional and great power rivalries on the shores of the Red Sea, Middle East Institute (Jan 2020).
• Red Sea Geopolitics: Six Plotlines to Watch, Brookings Institute (Dec 2019).
• The United Arab Emirates in the Horn of Africa, International Crisis Group (Nov 2018).
• Payton Knopf on the Geopolitical Tensions in the Red Sea, USIP Podcast (Aug 2018). - 9 minutes

What is Great Decisions? Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions is this country’s largest discussion program on world affairs. For over twenty years, our Council has brought these Great Decisions to the state of Maine. We’ve provided hundreds of hours of discussion to members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Southern Maine and hosted numerous dinner discussion groups across southern Maine. Click here for more information on our Great Decisions program.

What will each session look like? Prior to each session, participants will receive suggested readings and a link to the 25-min. Great Decisions television series episode on the session topic. Participants are encouraged to review the materials, however, pre-work is not required in order to enjoy the virtual conversation.  

Each virtual session will last 75 minutes. Your facilitator will begin the session with a brief presentation on the topic. Participants will then be split into virtual breakout rooms of 12 or fewer participants. Each breakout room will have a facilitator to help move the conversation along and ensure that everyone who is interested is able to participate in the discussion. Discussion questions will be provided to all registered attendees. 

I’ve never used Zoom. How will I know what to do? Virtual programming is new to most of us. We’re all learning together! We will send instructions on how to download Zoom to your device, as well as suggested settings to improve your Zoom experience. We will review Zoom functions at the start of each session and help members to troubleshoot. We can’t promise a flawless experience, but let’s not let perfect be the enemy of good! 

We recommend you review our WACM Zoom user document before your first session. 

What does this cost? In this time of economic uncertainty we have adopted a “pay what you can” structure for our virtual programming. Please register at a level that is right for you ($0-$15). 

Become a Great Decisions Series Sponsor! The lengthy suspension of our in-person programs greatly impacts the revenue that supports our work. For those able and interested, we created a $50 Great Decisions series sponsor ticket. This one-time gift will support our full 6-session series. Sponsorship can be made in your name(s) or in honor/memory of someone. All sponsors will be recognized at the start of each of the six sessions. Please purchase your series sponsor $50 ticket for the first session you are interested in attending. You can then sign up for any subsequent sessions by choosing the "Pay what you can $0" ticket. 

IMPORTANT: Please register for each device being used to attend the webinar. For example, if you and a family member will be attending on one computer, only one registration is necessary. Alternatively, if you each will be using your own devices to attend, please register separately. This will ensure that each attendee is placed in a breakout room for the discussion portion of the webinar. 

About this week's facilitator:

Allison Hodgkins was Assistant Professor of International Security and Conflict Management at the American University of Cairo from 2012-2019. From 2006 to 2012 she directed the CIEE Study Center at the University of Jordan, which served more than 1,200 U.S. undergraduates and faculty during her tenure. She also served as academic director for a peace and conflict study-abroad program in Israel, Palestine and Jordan from 1995 to 2001. She is an expert on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and the Oslo process. She holds a PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, as well as an MPA in public affairs (Lyndon Baines Johnson School), an MA in Middle Eastern studies (University of Texas at Austin), and a BA in political science (Bates College).