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

  • Date10/30/2026
  • Time8:00 AM - 9:30 AM
  • Address
    Directions: McGoldrick Center at the University of Southern Maine
    35 Bedford Street
    Portland, ME 04101
    Map
  • Info

    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 30th 8:00 - 9:30 AM Breakfast at the McGoldrick Center Livestream with Khalida Popal, Girls Power (will only be broadcast in person)

    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!

    Check out the World Affairs Council of Maine website here for more information on our organization.

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