Fall Foreign Policy Forum: Sports Diplomacy and the Power of Game

  • Date10/29/2026
  • Time5:30 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Address
    Directions: Hannaford Hall at the University of Southern Maine
    88 Bedford Street
    Portland, ME 04101
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  • Info

    Fall Foreign Policy Forum: Sports Diplomacy and the Power of Game

    What does sport have to do with foreign policy? Conventional wisdom says politics is politics and game is the game. Yet, when the World Cup came to North America this summer, we all saw the ways in which geopolitics played out on the field! Some matches replicated international fault lines, while others transcending boundaries with raucous chants, or galvanized the world behind a small island nation that defied all expectations. This summer’s experience is not new and is why sports are seen as a practical tool of statecraft. It’s why sports diplomacy is an official component of U.S. Foreign Policy, and something we have been practicing in Maine for years --from the Beach to Beacon, to the Can-Am Crown in Fort Kent and the International Ironman in the Kennebec River.

    Join us for this year’s Fall Foreign Policy Forum: Sports Diplomacy and the Power of Game. With an all-star line up of experts, we will explore the ways in which sports can build bridges, reshape global perceptions, advance ideas, and connect us with the world!  

    October 29th - 5:30 - 8:00 PM Evening Keynote at Hannaford Hall, University of Southern Maine featuring:

    Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff, Sports diplomacy historian, NYU Tisch;

    Reagan Carey, Commissioner, Premier Hockey Federation; and

    Russell Walters, Founding Member, Board of Directors of the Maine Sports Commission.

    Moderated by Michelle Lenihan, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Defense, Veterans, and Emergency Management, Chair, Hearts of Pine Foundation

    Opening remarks by Burke Cherrie, Executive Creative Director Hearts of Pine.

    The Fall Foreign Policy Forum is free and open to the public. Please indicate if you plan to attend both events, just the evening keynote, or the special breakfast livestream. To complete your registration, hit RSVP at the bottom of the form!

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