This is the 49th season of the Sarasota Institute of Lifetime Learning. We are proud to continue serving you, our audience. SILL’s Global Issues Series will continue to present a non-partisan, expert based, factual program for a broad overview of the complex world we live in.

The experts who are coming to speak with us will share their information and experience in dealing with the world in today’s context. We continue our effort to recruit speakers who have a range of perspectives, but who also have the experience base from which to present their information and views. This year we have chosen to address issues such as the challenges of dealing with China, Korea, Russia, The Americas, Europe, Iran, and the Middle East. We will also present on the debates about Income Inequality in the U.S. Artificial Intelligence, Migration, Changing Climate, and talk about America’s role in the world and the state of our election system.

We have a good mix of returning and new speakers for 2019. Ten speakers will be new to the SILL audiences, offering perspectives that have not been heard here before. Another 7 are returning speakers we did not have the possibility to hear from last year but who have been well received in the past. Other favorite speakers are returning to the program to present their perspectives on issues like “The EU and It’s Leading Countries”, “Driven to Extremes”, “Battles of the Future”, and “Election 2020, Florida a Bellwether Again?”

In addition to our programs available during the day in both Sarasota and Venice, we will again present video showings on Longboat Key of the Thursday Global Series III lectures in Sarasota a week later in the morning at Temple Beth Israel. If you are busy during the business day and unable to participate in those programs, we have found the expanded Lakewood Ranch program an attractive alternative. The slightly smaller venue makes the presentations particularly accessible, although we are nearing capacity for the most popular talks at this venue. As an added service to our current and potential audience members, Wednesday morning in Sarasota we provide real time captions of our lectures, which we know can sometimes be difficult to hear. Our service provider for this feature, Americaption, has won international competitions.

SILL promises another great year examining Global Issues which will impact us in 2020. We expect to deliver a lecture series of exceptional breadth and depth on topics in the news today.