BEND—OLLI-UO has partnered with the COCC Great Decisions program to bring Middle-East specialist Dr. Peter Bechtold to Bend. Bechtold, chairman emeritus of the Near East North Africa Area Studies program at the Foreign Service Institute in Arlington, Virginia, is now based in Portland, OR. A frequent lecturer at Portland State University, he has presented several series on the Middle East for OLLI-UO in Portland and Eugene-Springfield.

In Bend, Bechtold will first present an evening lecture on Afghanistan for the COCC Great Decisions series. The next morning, he will meet with OLLI-UO members at for a brief re-cap and discussion. OLLI-UO members may attend both events at no cost.

Wednesday, April 25, 6:00-8:00 p.m., Great Decisions Afghanistan, Hitchcock Auditorium, Pioneer Hall, COCC Campus

Thursday, April 26, 10:00 a.m.-noon, Talking About Afghanistan, DesChutes Historical Museum, 129 NW Idaho Ave., Bend