Last months Summary:

Three members met at the BMI on Thursday 29 September at 1.30 – 3.00 pm for the scheduled CAD session.

Several apologies received. Subject was the Ukraine situation.

Another stimulating discussion. It covered the centuries-old background to the current Russia-Ukraine conflict, rooted as it is in break-up of past empires, various peace treaties, often contested and frequently shifting borders in Central Europe, ethnic and religious rivalries and struggles to retain or take-over fertile territory and strategic sea channels. ( Ballarat’s legacy district names like Sebastopol, Redan and many street names from the mid 1850s Crimean War were noted in this connection).

The claims and counter-claims for the current conflict to be seen as a Russian invasion, a defence against NATO encroachment, an economic war, a patriotic war, a nationalistic war and its potential to turn into a nuclear were discussed as were the conflict’s potential longer-term and wider effects on leadership, food supply, driving changes in reliance on fossil fuel energy as oil & gas supplies are used as bargaining chips, a retreat from globalisation as supply chains are threatened – all this and much more. You don’t know what you are missing!

Next CAD at the BMI  is Thursday 27 October 1.30 – 3.00 pm.

Subject will be China – nothing like a big topic to get the teeth into. We are interested in changes within China in recent decades e.g.  life-style, diet, housing, cities etc – as well as the heightened tensions of recent years, the Taiwan issue and debate about various nations’ (China, USA, Australia particularly) ambitions, rhetoric and actions in the Indo-Pacific region.   Who knows where discussion may lead and what fresh insights and information participants may bring to the table?  

Contact the Library on 5331 3042 with any enquiries. Put your name down to join the lively, informative CAD discussions, Come and meet some people you may already know and some new, interesting people for reciprocal broadening of minds.