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Cambridge Forum

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Cambridge Forum hosts free, public discussions that inform and engage, so that people can better explore the varied issues and ideas that shape our changing world. CF broadcasts its live events via podcasts, weekly NPR shows and online presentations via GBH Forum Network on YouTube.

http://www.cambridgeforum.org

Dani Rodrik - The Globalization Paradox: Democracy and the Future of the World Economy

Mon, Apr 16, 2012

Harvard economist Dani Rodrik argues that we cannot simultaneously pursue democracy, national self-determination, and economic globalization. While the world economy is becoming an international system, the political systems of the world remain based in the construct of the nation-state. And while nations have organized some international political and economic governing authorities, such as the WTO, IMF, and World Bank, a comprehensive and widely accepted international system to regulate the global economy does not exist. When the social arrangements of democracies inevitably clash with the international demands of globalization, national priorities should take precedence. What are the most effective responses to today's globalized economy? Is Rodrik's vision of 'balanced prosperity' based on globalization supported by a light frame of international rules feasible? How can national governments reclaim a role in managing globalization under his proposals?

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Joseph Nye: The Rise of China and American Power

Tue, Apr 10, 2012

Joseph Nye of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government draws upon the insights of his recent meetings with China's future leaders to examine the future of American relations with China. As China has become a more powerful player in the Pacific, how has it projected its strength? How have strategic alliances among its neighbors changed in response to China's growing economic and military might? What does the Obama administration's new emphasis on the Pacific mean for the future of American relations with China? Moderated by PRI's The World's Lisa Mullins.

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Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China

Thu, Mar 29, 2012

China expert, Ezra Vogel of Harvard University, spent twelve years researching and writing his biography of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and his era, *Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China.* This masterful and comprehensive study chronicles Deng's rich and intricate career from his birth in 1904 at the end of the Qing Dynasty to his death in 1997 a few months before the return of Hong Kong to the mainland. Deng's life spanned almost a century of dramatic changes in China as it experienced war, the Communist Revolution, decades of Mao's rule, and finally, economic boom, and Deng played a major in his nation's development over that period. How did Deng Xiaoping find a way to turn China into a wealthy and powerful member of the international community? What personal and cultural factors contributed to his success? What obstacles did he face? How did Vogel go about researching and writing this study of Deng's life and legacy?

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The Rise of China and American Power

Tue, Apr 10, 2012

"Duplicate Joseph Nye of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government draws upon the insights of his recent meetings with China's future leaders to examine the future of American relations with China. As China has become a more powerful player in the Pacific, how has it projected its strength? How have strategic alliances among its neighbors changed in response to China's growing economic and military might? What does the Obama administration's new emphasis on the Pacific mean for the future of American relations with China? Moderated by PRI's The World's Lisa Mullins."

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Alzheimer's Prevention Program

Thu, Feb 9, 2012

"Alzheimer's disease currently afflicts 5 million Americans; one American is diagnosed with Alzheimer's every 70 seconds, and right now the only cure is prevention. Can Alzheimer's really be prevented? What are the new research techniques being used to study Alzheimer's disease? And what do they show us about the possibilities for preventing or delaying its degenerative effects? In his new book, *The Alzheimer's Prevention Program*, Dr. Gary Small looks at what Alzheimer's disease actually is and reviews the research on preventing its onset. Small challenges the widely held notion that Alzheimer's is not preventable and discusses a variety of ways to keep the brain healthy."

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A Farewell to Geopolitics: American Grand Strategy for the New Era

Mon, Feb 13, 2012

Stephen van Evera of MIT's Security Studies Program looks at the ways the United States has responded to military, diplomatic, and economic challenges in the decade since 9/11 and asks 'Have our actions made us more secure?' Arguing that, in fact, U.S. strategies have been ineffective, even counter-productive, he outlines an 'American grand strategy' for the new globalized web of international relationships. What policies and actions does he see as effective in promoting American and global security going forward? Where does he find the political and economic will to achieve such a new strategic vision? What should citizens be doing to foster increased security?

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Obama and Iran: A Single Roll of the Dice

Wed, Mar 14, 2012

Parsi explores this question in his book, "A Single Roll of the Dice: Obama's Diplomacy with Iran." To write it, he interviewed 70 high-ranking officials from the U.S., Iran, Europe, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Brazil—including the top American and Iranian negotiators. From this kaleidoscope of information, Parsi assembles all the pieces of the complex and often misunderstood details of the administration's efforts to end three decades of futility with Iran. Have the diplomatic efforts of the Obama administration toward Iran failed?

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John de Graaf - What's the Economy for Anyway?

Wed, Oct 10, 2012

Activist, author, and film-maker John de Graaf looks beyond the current downturn to explore the assumptions underlying the U.S. economy at Cambridge Forum. In an election cycle that is focused on the economic future, his new book "What's the Economy For, Anyway?" offers a different perspective on quality of life, health, security, work-life balance, leisure, social justice, and sustainability. How can we measure economic success? Nationally? Individually? What is the role of growth in a 21st-century economy? What role can governments play in creating economic success? What is the individual's role? Recorded 10/10/12. More lectures at http://forum-network.org

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Israel and the Palestinians: Aftermath of the Arab Spring and the United Nations Petition

Mon, Feb 13, 2012

Diana Buttu addresses the question of the role of diplomacy in an insecure world, as she discuses her research on the dynamics of Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, "Negotiating in the Absence of the Law: Palestine's Refugees and the Palestinian-Israeli Negotiations, 1993-2007". How has the role the United States plays in the peace process changed over that period? What impact have the events of the Arab Spring had on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? What are the sources of the Palestinian petition for recognition by the United Nations? How should the United States respond to these new initiatives?

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Harold Meyerson - Globalization of Markets: Do Corporations Need American Consumers?

Mon, Apr 16, 2012

Harold Meyerson, editor-at-large of *The American Prospect*, explores the impact of "Globalization of Markets" on the American economy. When Henry Ford revolutionized American auto manufacturing a century ago, he not only introduced the assembly line; he also paid his workers enough to allow them to buy a Ford. This move was one of the first steps in creating an American economy that is driven by consumption. If globalization is keeping American incomes low, how can consumption rebound to fuel a recovery? If globalization is moving investments overseas, what role will commerce play in the national economy?

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