FALL FOREIGN POLICY FORUM
Bringing Expert Insight on U.S. Foreign Policy to Maine!
Registration is now open! Free and open to the public.
2026 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, 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. Its unique power is why sports diplomacy has long been an official component of 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: “Sports Diplomacy and the Power of Game” and explore the many ways that sport can influence policy, perception, and change the world. This year we will have two sessions: Our all star evening panel on October 29th and a special breakfast livestream with Khalida Popal, founder of the Afghan Women’s Soccer Team. Free and open to the public, courtesy of the William S. Jelin Foundation!
Evening Panel: Thursday, October 29th, 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Hannaford Hall, University of Southern Maine, Portland Campus
Breakfast LiveStream With Khalida Popal: Friday, October 30th, 7:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Doors open at 7:30 AM · Livestream begins at 8:00 AM
Location: McGoldrick Center, University of Southern Maine, Portland Campus
Join us Thursday, October 29th at Hannaford Hall on the Portland Campus of the University of Southern Maine. The evening begins with a networking reception, followed by the panel discussion, and audience Q&A.
Thanks to the generous support of the William S. Jelin Foundation, the Forum is free and open to the public. Advanced Registration required.
Meet the Speakers
October 29 · 5:30–8:00 PM · William S. Jelin Evening Keynote
Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff
Sports Diplomacy Expert, NYU Tisch Institute for Global Sport
Dr. Lindsay Sarah Krasnoff is a historian, sports diplomacy expert, and Academic Director, Academic Affairs & Clinical Assistant Professor at New York University’s Tisch Institute for Global Sport. A former member of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of the Historian, she provided briefings to ambassadors about the sporting cultures in the countries they were assigned to.
Reagan Carey
Commissioner, Premier Hockey Federation
Reagan Carey is the Commissioner of the Premier Hockey Federation. She led USA Hockey’s women’s program from 2010 to 2018 as Director of Women’s Ice Hockey and General Manager of the U.S. Women’s National Team, whose run included Olympic gold at PyeongChang in 2018. A Colby College graduate, she was inducted into the Maine Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
Russell Walters
Founding Board Member, Maine Sports Commission
Russell Walters is a founding board member and past chair of the Maine Sports Commission, and Regional Director for North America at the Adventure Travel Trade Association, a global network of adventure travel operators and destinations. Born in England and a registered Maine Guide, he served as president of Northern Outdoors in The Forks from 2000–2025.
Moderated by
Michelle Lenihan
Deputy Commissioner, Maine Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management
Michelle Lenihan is Deputy Commissioner of the Maine Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management. She previously served as Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs and as a National Security Council director. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the World Affairs Council of Maine and as Board Chair of the Hearts of Pine Foundation.
October 30 · 7:30–9:00 AM · Breakfast Livestream
Khalida Popal
Founder, Afghan Women’s National Football Team & Girl Power
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.
McGoldrick Center, University of Southern Maine, Portland Campus
Doors open at 7:30 AM; the livestream begins at 8:00 AM.
Seating for the October 30 breakfast livestream is limited. Please register in advance.
What is the Fall Foreign Policy Forum?
The annual Fall Foreign Policy Forum brings together experts and foreign policy practitioners to address crucial foreign policy issues facing U.S. decision makers. Hosted in partnership with the Muskie School of Public Service, the Fall Foreign Policy Forum provides Mainers with an opportunity to hear expert insight on international developments and how they impact U.S. interests in advance of the elections each November. This annual event is free and open to the general public courtesy of the William S. Jelin Foundation
Past Forums
The Future of Peace in the Middle East
NPR’s International Affairs Correspondent, Jackie Northam, moderated an in-depth conversation with Ambassador (ret.) Yael Lempert and Khaled Elgindy—two experts with firsthand experience in U.S. diplomacy and U.S. mediated peace negotiations. Together, they examined the new dynamics shaping Washington’s role in the Middle East: the long‑unresolved question of Palestinian statehood, the shifting prospects for Israel’s integration into a reshaped region, and the future of U.S. diplomacy as it seeks to balance enduring alliances with a dramatically changed strategic landscape.
Global Stakes with Local Ties: Community Perspectives on the Election and Foreign Policy
In 2024, the World Affairs Council of Maine hosted local community leaders to discuss the implications of foreign policy in the context of the 2024 presidential election. A panel of civil society leaders engaged on the issues and the impact of foreign policy in their lives and those of their neighbors.
U.S. Leadership in Pursuit of Middle East Peace: A 50 Year Legacy
In 2023, the World Affairs Council of Maine was honored to host Ambassador Daniel C. Kurtzer and Ambassador Jake Walles to explore the legacy of 50+ years of U.S. efforts to build lasting peace in the Middle East. This event featured a candid examination of American leadership of the peace process from the Camp David Accords to the Abraham Accords. Together with the Ambassadors, our distinguished guests were able to assess pivotal milestones, persistent challenges, and tangible outcomes of US diplomacy in the Middle East, including the current administration’s attempts to secure a normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
The War in Ukraine and Relations with China
In 2022, the World Affairs Council of Maine welcomed four U.S. Ambassadors to share their insights on the major foreign policy challenges facing the United States. Ambassadors Robert Cekuta, Judith Fergin, Robert Ford, and Pamela White joined us to discuss the war in Ukraine, relations with China, Iran, energy security, world health, international development, rising authoritarianism, and climate change.
Thank You to Our Partners
The Fall Foreign Policy Forum is held in partnership with the Muskie School of Public Service at the University of Southern Maine, and is free and open to the public thanks to the generous support of the William S. Jelin Foundation.
