What does sport have to do with foreign policy? Conventional wisdom says politics is politics and a game is a 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 transcended 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 lineup of experts, we will explore the ways in which sports can build bridges, reshape global perceptions, advance ideas, and connect us with the world!

Oct. 30th, 7:30-9:00 a.m.: Breakfast at the McGoldrick Center. Livestream with Khalida Popal, Girls Power (will only be broadcast in person)