2026 Fall Foreign Policy Forum: Sports Diplomacy and the Power of Game Breakfast Livestream

What does sport have to do with foreign policy? Conventional wisdom says politics is politics and game is the game. Yet, one needn’t look further than last summer’s World Cup to see just how much those lines get blurred and how the difference between a bad call and an international incident can get hard to discern! At the same time, this summer’s experience also showed us what many in the sports industry and world affairs already know: sport has a unique power to break down barriers, reshape perceptions, and lift up the voices of whole nations. Sports can provide athletes with a global platform, and also become an engine of economic development. It’s unique power is why sports diplomacy has long been an official component U.S. Foreign Policy, as well as a tool for activism. Sports diplomacy is also something we routinely practice right here in Maine! Join us for our 2026 Fall Foreign Policy Forum breakfast livestream with Khalida Popal, founder of the Afghan Women’s National Soccer Team and Girl Power. Explore the many ways that sport can influence policy, perception, and change the world. Free and open to the public! 

About the Speaker: Khalida Popal co-founded the Afghanistan women’s national football team in 2007 and captained it. Forced to flee Afghanistan over threats to her life, she now leads the Girl Power Organization from Denmark. After the Taliban’s return in 2021, she helped coordinate the evacuation of more than 600 players, youth athletes, and family members.

Register HERE: https://secure.lglforms.com/form_engine/s/Nyd4Kmlq0i4SBJzleHHEtA