SILL SIMULCAST SERIES
Lecture series from the Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning
FRIDAYS I 11:00AM I AUDITORIUM I NO CHARGE I OPEN SEATING
No pre-registration required. The livestream will be available on Friends@Home for those that are unable to attend in-person.
January 27 | Iran: Is Reconciliation With the U.S. Possible?
Keynote Speaker: Mohsen Milani
Dr. Mohsen Milani has studied US-Iranian tensions for 40 years. Direct warfare was avoided but proxy wars, assassinations, cyber attacks, and harsh sanctions took its place. Attempts to break this pattern— the grand nuclear deal, failed. Dr. Milani explores our complex relationship and discusses prospects for change.
February 3 | The Prosecutor’s Art from the Streets to the Suites to the Oval Office
Keynote Speaker: Charles Schudson
Judge Charles B. Schudson returns to SILL to address street crime, white collar crime, presidential crime … whatever the crime, prosecutors must direct investigations, assemble evidence, and present cases to judges and juries. But how? Does the Constitution restrain them? Do their own constitutions guide them? Can corruption or politics influence them?
No SILL on Feb. 10 – Martin Walker speaks in-person on Feb. 8
February 17 | Civil War by Other Means
Keynote Speaker: Jeremi Suri
Worries about a new civil war in America are misplaced because the Civil War never fully ended. Dr. Jeremi Suri will discuss the two decades after the Confederate surrender at Appomattox, when some Americans tried to build a multiracial nation, and others refused. It shows how those years are still relevant.
No SILL on Feb. 24 – Boca Grance Film Festival
March 3 | Changing World: Changing Middle East
Keynote Speaker: Dennis Ross
The Biden administration is facing simultaneous geopolitical crises. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatens the stability of the post-Cold War World Order, Iran’s nuclear program continues to advance, and China’s increasing hostility and power requires strenuous US competition. Amb. Dennis Ross will discuss the implications for US policy and the Middle East.
No SILL on March 10 – Royal Palm Players rehearsals
March 17 | Presidential Politics
Keynote Speaker: Thomas DeFrank
Thomas DeFrank will discuss how leaks to the media are often derided as scandalous and unprofessional. Sometimes it’s true. It’s also true that government officials often use leaks to influence public opinion, send messages to other world leaders, and shape policy. For all their notoriety, leaks are elements of statecraft and public policy.
March 24 | Russia: Preparing for the Post-Putin Era
Keynote Speaker: John Beyrle
After two decades as the Russian President and Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin’s career may be nearing an end. Amb John Beyrle will address the implications of this transition to Russia and what it might mean for the United States, Europe, and the international community.
March 31 | Understanding Turkey — And Its Rise in the Great Power Game
Keynote Speaker: Asli Aydintasbas
Turkey was once a loyal NATO ally with sketchy democratic development. More recently, a more independent Turkey emerged as an actor in the Middle East, but its democracy went south. The Ukraine war again highlights Ankara’s importance between NATO and Russia. Ms Asli Aydintasbas will examine Turkey’s positioning in the global competition.
April 7 | Is the West Back? Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine and the Future of the Atlantic Alliance
Keynote Speaker: Charles Kupchan
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine constitutes a historical watershed, reviving NATO by returning Europe to militarized division. The alliance now faces three critical challenges: 1) managing rivalry with a Sino-Russian bloc; 2) working across ideological lines to tame a globalized and interdependent world; 3) redressing the West’s political and economic vulnerabilities to ensure that democratic societies outperform illiberal alternatives.
