Ben West, analyst from national analytical service STRATFOR.COM, will give a

lecture, "The Horn of Africa," as a part of the Great Decisions Lecture Series on

Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 7 p.m. at the Fort Howard Theater at the F. K. Bemis

International Center on the St. Norbert campus.

An up-and-coming national voice and an expert in this part of the world, Ben

West will give a broad brush on the instability, piracy, and poverty of this region

that is so critical to world sea transport lanes.

Great Decisions is a nationwide program meant to bring together local, regional

and national experts in an eight-week lecture series discussing international

issues of interest to the community. St. Norbert College is hosting the public

event for its 29th year in northeastern Wisconsin.

Topics for the series are selected by the Foreign Policy Association of America

and are intended to provide a local forum for discussion on current political and

economic issues of the day. The speakers themselves are selected by

participating colleges and universities. St. Norbert College is one of only two

schools in Wisconsin that present the entire series. (UW-Milwaukee is the other.)

An advance subscription for the entire series is available for $40 per person.

Subscription includes admission to all eight lectures and a copy of the Great

Decisions briefing book. The briefing book includes background information on

the lecture topics and access to the association's website, www.fpa.org, for

resources, guides to topics and online discussion forums. Admission to individual

sessions is also available for $5 at the door, and briefing books are available for

$15.

For more information, contact the St. Norbert College Center for International

Education at 920-403-4075.