Flyer for Great Decisions Program showing two men's photos, Robert Beck on the left and Peter Henriques on the right, with a globe surrounded by flags of different countries in the center. The event is on December 11th at 7 PM, focusing on the future of American foreign policy.

The next Great Decisions program at the Mariposa Museum is on Thursday, December 11th, at 7:00 PM, with an important discussion on The Future of American Foreign Policy.

 “America at a Global Crossroads” will be the theme of the Great Decisions program at the Mariposa Museum at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 11. It is the final forum in the 2025 series.

Refreshments will be served at a social beginning at 6:30 PM.

The program will begin with a video about the history of American foreign policy, followed by expert analysis from Peter Henriques and Robert Beck and a group discussion.

Henriques and Beck are Peterborough residents. Beck served in 11 countries overseas during a 35-year-long career in the U.S. foreign policy establishment. In a 40-year-long career in international business, Henriques lived on six continents. Both Henriques and Beck teach in lifelong learning programs at Keene State College and Rivier university, and Beck writes a monthly column for the Ledger-Transcript.

“With the U.S.-led post-World War II international system dissolving in the sands of geopolitical change, America faces a world that is less predictable, less benign, and less stable,” Beck said. “Washington is indeed at a crossroads and will require sage leadership in the coming years to ensure its security and protect its global interests."

G. John Ikenberry, a professor of international affairs at Princeton, explores this conundrum in an article in Great Decisions Magazine 2025. He lays out rival strategies of U.S.-led liberal internationalism vs. America First’s goal to reduce the U.S. military footprint and foreign commitments. The magazine is available at the Peterborough Town Library.

The Foreign Policy Association, a national non-profit, non-partisan organization, was founded in 1928 to develop awareness and understanding of U.S. foreign policy. The Mariposa was founded in 2002 to bring international awareness to the Monadnock region through the arts and multicultural programs.

Register Here

All Great Decisions programs are free; donations are welcome