GREAT DECISIONS PROGRAM SETS ITS SIGHTS ON GEORGIA

NOW THAT IT HAS ESTABLISHED A FIRST-RATE REPUTATION FOR ITS INTERNATIONAL FORUMS AMONG COMMUNITY GROUPS, GEORGIA’S GREAT DECISIONS PROGRAM IS READY TO REACH OUT TO COMPANIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

THE PROGRAM, DEVELOPED BY THE NEW YORK-BASED FOREIGN POLICY ASSOCIATION, A NONPARTISAN, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION DEDICATED TO FOREIGN POLICY ISSUES, WAS EXPANDED IN GEORGIA WITH FUNDING FROM THE FORD FOUNDATION IN AUGUST, 1991.

THE FOUNDATION SELECTED GEORGIA AS A MODEL SITE FOR DEVELOPING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN CONJUNCTION WITH UNIVERSITIES, CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITIES, CHURCHES, YWCAS AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING THE GEORGIA COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS AND THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS.

THE FORD GRANT CALLED FOR AN INITIAL FOCUS ON ATLANTA IN THE PROGRAM’S FIRST PHASE TO BE FOLLOWED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAMS OUTSIDE THE CITY.  BY THE END OF THE FIRST YEAR, MORE THAN 600 PEOPLE HAD PARTICIPATED IN 23 PROGRAMS IN ATLANTA, AND NOW THERE ARE PROGRAMS IN SAVANNAH, ATHENS, COLUMBUS, AND THE GEORGIA MOUNTAINS AREA, WHICH STRETCHES NORTH OF ATLANTA TO THE BOUNDARIES OF NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA.

GREAT DECISIONS’ NEXT STEP, ACCORDING TO ROSALIE FITZPATRICK, THE PROGRAM’S MODEL SITE MANAGER, IS TO FIND SPONSORS AMONG THE STATE’S BUSINESSES FOR PROGRAMS SUCH AS THE ONE SPRINT IS SPONSORING AT ITS WORLD HEADQUARTERS IN KANSAS CITY.

SPRINT IS A GLOBAL COMPANY WITH OFFICES AROUND THE WORLD AND PROVIDES A VARIETY OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, SAID NANCY BRIER, INTERNATIONAL MARKETING ANALYST. BECAUSE OF SPRINT’S GLOBAL MARKETING APPROACH, SPRINT EMPLOYEES NEED TO HAVE A GLOBAL VIEW.

PROOF OF SPRINT’S GLOBAL VIEW IS CLEAR FROM THE NAME-CHANGE IT UNDERWENT A YEAR OR SO AGO WHEN IT DROPPED THE US FROM ITS FORMER NAME, US SPRINT.

AT ITS KANSAS CITY HEADQUARTERS, SPRINT ALREADY HAD IN PLACE AN EXPERT SPEAKERS SERIES WHICH HAD BEEN WELL-RECEIVED BY EMPLOYEES BEFORE INITIATING THE GREAT DECISIONS PROGRAM.

 BUT GREAT DECISIONS PROMPTED SMALLER ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS FOR EMPLOYEES AT ALL OF ITS DIFFERENT OFFICE SITES IN KANSAS CITY. UNDER THE PROGRAM, EACH GROUP HAS A DESIGNATED FACILITATOR WHO LEADS DISCUSSIONS ON TOPICAL ISSUES SUCH AS U.S. TRADE POLICY, THE ROLE OF THE UNITED NATIONS, ETC. BASED ON GREAT DECISIONS’ EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS.

GREAT DECISIONS INCREASES UNDERSTANDING OF OUR GLOBAL INTERCONNECTIONS, SAID MS. FITZPATRICK.  THIS BROADER VIEW SHOULD HELP PREPARE EMPLOYEES TO PARTICIPATE MORE EFFECTIVELY IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY.

MEANWHILE, PLANS FOR THE COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS INCLUDE FOUR SESSIONS TO BE HELD IN MAY AT CLAYTON STATE COLLEGE WITH THE FOLLOWING MODERATORS: STEVE RIECK, PRESIDENT, CLAYTON COUNTY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; HOMER HOUCHINS, AN ATTORNEY WITH MERRITT AND TENNEY; C.S. KIANG, PROFESSOR, SCHOOL OF EARTH AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE, GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY; AND DAVID HILLARD, REGIONAL INTERNATIONAL TRADE OFFICER WITH THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE ADMINISTRATION.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE GREAT DECISIONS PROGRAM, PLEASE CALL ROSALIE FITZPATRICK AT (404) 394-9069.