Our first meeting at the Admiral Rodney, looking at a truly global view of our planet
Updated 6 Jan-2025-RL Group Risk Assessment - 9 May 2024
Back in 2023 we set up as a new group, having held our first meeting in May 2023.
What were our first few months about? Our first three months focussed on setting ourselves up as a group. We were soon well into the "enjoying discussions" stage!
Our Inspiration: Internationally, remarkably few other u3a organisations have a “Geopolitics Interest Group”, but whilst Elmbridge, Ballerat and Victoria are a tad far to travel to, these sites gave ideas for possible content, and an overview of "What is Geopolitics about": We are grateful to these for helping us as we started up: https://u3asites.org.uk/elmbridge/page/27691 and https://u3achrisdickinson.com/ We agreed a list of 30+ topics that we thought would be interesting to explore in future meetings. The first sessions covered:
2023 sessions included:
Back in 2023 we set up as a new group, having held our first meeting in May 2023.
What were our first few months about? Our first three months focussed on setting ourselves up as a group. We were soon well into the "enjoying discussions" stage!
Our Inspiration: Internationally, remarkably few other u3a organisations have a “Geopolitics Interest Group”, but whilst Elmbridge, Ballerat and Victoria are a tad far to travel to, these sites gave ideas for possible content, and an overview of "What is Geopolitics about": We are grateful to these for helping us as we started up: https://u3asites.org.uk/elmbridge/page/27691 and https://u3achrisdickinson.com/ We agreed a list of 30+ topics that we thought would be interesting to explore in future meetings. The first sessions covered:
- What is Geopolitics about? Ethos, Leadership and Learning, "Introducer" and "Chairing"
- Location & Time, Our Meeting Plan. Book Recommendations Group Size, Confidentiality and Contacts
2023 sessions included:
- 1 May 23 Ground rules, ethos, possible topics, setting up as a new group
- June 23 Discussing topics, how our meetings may be structured and opening discussion about global geopolitics
- 13 Jul 23 Review, refine and agree all the above. What is the single biggest threat to human life on our planet
- 10 August 23 (Introducer RF): What are the main effects of discrimination, within the UK and globally? Which is worse, "positive" (or "Reverse") discrimination or "negative" discrimination?
- 14 Sept 23 (Introducer Liz) "China: Friend or Foe?")
- 12 Oct 23 (Introducer RW) ,"99% & Economics": Wealth gaps and values gaps between different societal groups are reaching unsustainable levels. Consider the 99% book (Mark Thomas): What geopolitical consequences result?
- 9 Nov 23 (Introducer RL) Given the Southwell Branch u3a meeting for October was "Russia" we almost made this into our meeting topic, but the Hamas operation into Israel intervened so instead extended it to a sadly related matter "Has World War Three Started"? We looked at geopolitical impacts of Russia, China, Iran and others on Ukraine, Africa, the Middle East and more, and concluded from the evidence that the answer is "Yes".
- 14 Dec 23 (Introducers Carolyn and Martin) This built on November's meeting by looking at "So the war has started: What can be done?", including discussing in depth an article by Tobias Ellwood MP. Preparation was to read the Ellwood article and consider the questions it ends with, and read Carolyn's notes on the Silk Road ready for the January meeting.
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Think you might be interested in joining this group?
If interested, click on Contact Us: The email will go direct to the Webmaster. That’s me, Rik, the Webmaster. I'm happy to be the leader / co-leader, or in time hand on or work with any other member who would like to lead.
If interested, click on Contact Us: The email will go direct to the Webmaster. That’s me, Rik, the Webmaster. I'm happy to be the leader / co-leader, or in time hand on or work with any other member who would like to lead.