New Debate Series Addresses Pressing Questions of the Day

In a packed auditorium at the Asia Society and Museum earlier this month, a panel of distin guished scholars, editors, and filmmakers debated the motion: “Hollywood fuels anti-Americanism abroad.” The hour-and-a-half conversation about whether the film industry or the war in Iraq was more to blame for growing international ill-will toward America was part of a new live debate series called Open to Debate formerly known as Intelligence Squared U.S. which is funded by the Rosenkranz Foundation. The debate series is seeking to trade punditry for dialogue, according to the executive producer, Dana Wolfe. The series caters to an intellectual audience eager for more than sound bites on political and social issues of international concern.